Book picks similar to
Evoking Mira by Erica Chilson
horror
theme-amnesia
dark
grief
The Heebie-Jeebie Girl
Susan Petrone - 2020
Between the closing of the city's largest steel mill and the worst blizzard in more than 40 years, the table is set for remarkable change. Unemployed steel worker Bobby Wayland is trying hard to help his family and still pay for his wedding, but the only solution he can think of involves breaking the law. On the other side of town, a little girl named Hope is keeping a big secret, one she won't even share with her Great Uncle Joe―she can make things move without touching them. Watching over both of them is the city herself, and she has something to say and something to do about all of this.The Heebie-Jeebie Girl is the story of an era ending and the uncertainty that awakens. It's the story of what happens when the unconscionable meets the improbable. It's the story of dreams deferred, dreams devoured, and dreams dawning. It is likely to be the most distinctive novel you read this year, but it will startle you with its familiarity. Author Susan Petrone has created an unforgettable tale of family, redemption, and magic.
Once Upon a Lie
Michael R. French - 2016
Jaleel Robeson, a gifted, eighteen year-old black man, falsely accused of murdering his father in a small Texas town, is on the run. He assumes a new identity in 1980s Los Angeles as a successful student on his way to college. Alexandra Baten, a restless sixteen year old white girl, lives in a privileged Toluca Lake family but feels trapped by her parents' values. One weekend, she rides her bike into a run down neighborhood, meeting a young black man selling lemonade. Thus begins a friendship between opposites, at least on the surface, but they learn they have more in common than they imagine. Told from each character's point of view in alternating chapters, we become involved in a gripping tale of two Americas where discontent and violence always lurk under the surface. When they erupt, no one is safe. Once Upon a Lie is both a family drama and a crime drama, as well as an exploration of interracial love, mother-daughter relationships, and redemption through courage.
Welcome to the Underworld
Con Template - 2012
This society is so powerful that it can control a nation, strike fear into the bravest of men and bring turmoil onto the most unsuspecting of victims...There is a dangerous society in Seoul that is plaguing Choi Yoori.Her world is turned upside down when she is told that she bears a strong resemblance to the “Queen of the Underworld,” a notorious Underworld crime lord who died 3 years prior—the exact same time Yoori woke up with amnesia. The dangers of this new world is crashing in on her and Yoori's only grip on stability lies with the guidance from her crime lord boss and the secrets the Queen of the Underworld hid from her powerful society.Welcome to a world where “Gods” walk amongst humans. Where the heartless and vengeful are revered like Kings and Queens—and the weak, the distracted are punished without mercy.It is a cruel world and once you’re in, the only exit is death.
Stranger in the Woods
Anni Taylor - 2018
It sounded so perfect - a month‘s assignment at the misty, sprawling Scottish Highlands property of brilliant architect Alban McGregor, and his wife, Jessica. But deep in the woods, there is a chilling playhouse. Two years ago, the McGregors’ daughter, Elodie, died after being abducted and taken there. Alban refuses to knock the playhouse down, and he keeps a picture of it on his wall. Isla senses that both Alban and Jessica are keeping terrible secrets. The closer Isla comes to getting answers about Elodie, the more the danger mounts. And with a dense cover of snow now blanketing the town, all chance of escape might already be gone.
Traces of Her
C.M. Radcliff - 2019
I’ve lived in solitude in the depths of hell until the devil appeared, pulling me out of the darkness and shoving me into the arms of my new prison. But sometimes a prison becomes a home. And sometimes that home is within the heart of a man. I have a debt to pay and my brother’s collecting. He makes the messes and I deal with the aftermath. Only this time, he went too far and took something that wasn’t his and now it’s my problem. She’s a liability and the last thing I need. She’s an enigma and she’s everything I need. Our separate hells brought us together. Our personal inferno molded us into one. The devil reappeared and tore us apart. I will turn this world upside down until I find her.
Because I Was Lonely
Hayley Mitchell - 2017
She is caught in a spiral of endless crying, dirty nappies, and sleepless nights. She fears for her sanity and the safety of her children. She's lonely. Meet Adam. Suffering from the pain and trauma of a terrible accident that he blames himself for, he stays at home, unable to bring himself to leave the house. He's lonely. So when Rachel and Adam rekindle their long lost friendship online, what starts as a little harmless flirtation, soon becomes an unhealthy obsession, and slowly the threads of their lives unravel before them. Four lonely people . Two unhappy marriages . One dangerous, but inevitable climax.
Blue Waters
India R. Adams - 2016
Her motto, "Live life to the fullest" is derailed when the young man, who's captured her attention, turns out to be the son of a drug tycoon- the same that provided the drugs that killed her brother. Whitney believes she simply need to heal from her first heartache, not knowing she is a part of a devious trade, one against human rights, and she has been… since the day age was born.Blue Waters is the first Novella in a Tainted Waters, and begins a story of deception, corruption, self-discovery, and love with all that it demands you sacrifice…"There was a beauty in dying that day…"
Being Mrs. Dracula
Faith Marlow - 2012
When Vlad at last returned from the battlefield he was a changed man, an alluring and dangerous creature with a thirst for her blood…and for more wives. For over one hundred years, tales of Count Dracula have haunted and seduced the imagination of readers worldwide. Now experience the story of Dracula from a new perspective, as told by the three women who knew him best. Discover their stories, their secrets, and find out what it would be to love and be loved by history’s most powerful vampire in Being Mrs. Dracula.In a marriage that spans centuries, one man shared between three women, love may be eternal but happiness is not guaranteed.
Waiting for Unicorns
Beth Hautala - 2015
Over the course of one summer, and through several unlikely friendships, Talia learns that stories have the power to connect us, to provide hope, and to pull us out of the darkness"--
The Shadow Keepers
Marisa Noelle - 2020
They look like humanoid crows and stare at her with hungry red eyes. Recently, they've been whispering terrifying threats.Of course, no one believes her.When Georgia is sent to the UK's most prestigious mental health centre, Brookwood Hospital, she is forced to face her fears and answer the question...
ARE THE SHADOWS REAL OR IS IT ALL IN HER HEAD?
At Brookwood, the supernatural shadows are more present than ever.When patients start to go missing, Georgia teams up with a mysterious boy who is trapped inside the mirror world. Only with their forces combined can she prove she's not hallucinating.But will she be able to stop the ghostly shadows from seeping out of the mirrors and possessing the human race?Perfect for the fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments, Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me, Victoria Schwab's This Savage Song, and James Patterson's Hawk."A horror story with a difference.""An exciting paranormal thriller with strong mental heath vibes.""This felt like the beginning of a new urban legend.""It had a fabulously spooky feel, like books by Stephen King or Dean Koontz."
A Bright and Pleading Dagger
Nicole Rivas - 2018
A pizza shop worker goes on a series of visceral dates with her gynecologist; a slighted lover coughs up a forgotten childhood toy; an artist unknowingly becomes the subject of an intrusive admirer’s lust; a woman has a heated staring contest with the world’s oldest man. Powerful and precise, Rivas’s stories highlight the unreality within the real, simultaneously evoking humor, outrage, and awe.Contest judge Rigoberto González writes: “With this marvelous collection of short stories, Rivas places her finger on that pressure point, where adventure and dangerintersect, where fantasy and reality cross wires, and where desire ebbs and flows to the delight—or chagrin—of her female protagonists. Each story, unpredictable and startling,leaves a lasting impression. A Bright and Pleading Dagger is truly a compelling and unforgettable journey into the dark but poignant experiences of women.”
Bottled
Carol Riggs - 2016
For a thousand years, she fulfills the wishes of greedy masters--building their palaces, lining their pockets with gold, and granting them every earthly pleasure. All that sustains her is the hope of finding Karim, the boy she fell in love with as a human. When at last she finds a note from her beloved, she confirms he has access to the elixir of life and that he still searches for her. But someone else also hunts her. Faruq--the man who plots to use her powers to murder and seize the life forces of others--is just one step behind her. With the help of a kind master named Nathan, Adeelah continues to search for Karim while trying to evade Faruq. To complicate matters, she begins to experience growing fatigue and pain after conjuring, and finds herself struggling against an undeniable attraction to Nathan. As Faruq closes in, Adeelah must decide just how much she'll risk to protect Nathan and be with Karim forever. How much power does she really have to change her future, and what is she willing to sacrifice for an eternity of love? If she makes the wrong choice, the deaths of many will be on her hands.
Women of Futures Past: Classic Stories
Kristine Kathryn Rusch - 2016
Stories by Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, Lois McMaster Bujold, CJ Cherryh and more. — Meet the Women of Futures Past: from Grand Master Andre Norton and the beloved Anne McCaffrey to some of the most popular SF writers today, such as Lois McMaster Bujold and CJ Cherryh. The most influential writers of multiple generations are found in these pages, delivering lost classics and foundational touchstones that shaped the field.Contents: * Acknowledgments * Introduction: Invisible Women by Kristine Kathryn Rusch * The Indelible Kind / by Zenna Henderson (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1968) * The Smallest Dragonboy / by Anne McCaffrey (Science Fiction Tales, 1973) * Out of All Them Bright Stars / by Nancy Kress (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1985) * Angel / by Pat Cadigan (Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, June 1987) * Cassandra / by C.J. Cherryh (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978) * Shambleau / by C.L. Moore (Weird Tales, November, 1933) * The Last Days of Shandakor / by Leigh Brackett (Startling Stories, April 1952) * All Cats Are Gray / by Andre Norton (Fantastic Universe, August/September 1953) * Aftermaths / by Lois McMaster Bujold (Far Frontiers: The Paperback Magazine of Science Fiction and Speculative Fact, Volume V, Spring 1986) * The Last Flight of Doctor Ain / by James Tiptree, Jr. (Galaxy, March 1969) * Sur / by Ursula K. Le Guin (The New Yorker, February 1, 1982) * Fire Watch / by Connie Willis (Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, February 15, 1982) * About the Editor.
The Opium Lord's Daughter
Robert Wang - 2019
Honoring the tradition of noted historical fiction writers such as Ken Follett, Philippa Gregory, and James Clavell, The Opium Lord's Daughter artfully weaves true events and characters into the narrative, offering the reader a selective glimpse into a world populated with rogue drug traders, imperialist government officials, religious zealots, scrappy survivors. Su-Mei, the eponymous protagonist, is a young woman unbounded by convention. From the moment we meet little Su-Mei, she valiantly resists her wealthy and powerful father—one of the largest opium traders in mid-19th century China—who attempts to force her into the barbaric practice of foot binding. Through her, readers look with fresh eyes upon antiquated and harmful traditions, and understand how time and experiences truly shape a person during their life's journey. Her defiance sets in motion a series of events, forever altering her fate, as well as the fates of those she holds dear. Su-Mei is forced to rapidly come-of-age and muster her heroic spirit to survive her crumbling world. Taboo romances, tumultuous adventures, and heart-wrenching tragedies befall Su-Mei and her loved ones throughout the course of the story. The Opium Lord's Daughter is an expedition through the destruction of a culture, underscoring the hold and havoc drug empires continue to exert in society, even to this day. A must read for fans of Shogun, Downtown Abbey, Outlander and other sweeping tales rooted in history!
A Tale of Two Sisters: A heartfelt historical drama of intrigue, love and loss in a strange land
Merryn Allingham - 2019
But as their search uncovers unforeseen dangers and exposes an unexpected ardour, is Alice ready for the truths they’ll uncover?
An emotional historical drama perfect for fans of Linda Finlay and Rosie Goodwin