Book picks similar to
To Wallow in Ash, & Other Sorrows by Sam Richard


horror
short-stories
tbr-horror
tbr-short-stories

Death and The Flower


Kōji Suzuki - 1995
    The title is derived from a Keith Jarrett album of the same name.Setting a precarious tone reminiscent more of The Spirit of the Beehive than his own mold-busting Ring trilogy, Death and the Flower may be horror-master Koji Suzuki’s most personal offering in English yet. Skirting genre expectations—even as revised by the author—and thus often overseen, all six of the tales herein are available in English for the first time.In the longest of the stories, “Beyond the Darkness,” a couple with a baby daughter realizes that saving up and moving into a brand-new apartment does not mean that they have shaken off a vicious prank-caller. In “Disposable Diapers and a Race Replica,” a sporty father who is barely making ends meet by tutoring comes by some verities in exchange for a brush with death. In “Key West,” a young girl on a tourist trip with her daddy sees things recede that shouldn’t.Common to the stories is a resilient affirmation of the place of family in our quest to wrest meaning from the maws of an unkind world. Predating the horror-themed collection Dark Water, whose title story inspired major motion pictures on both sides of the Pacific, Death and the Flower was Koji Suzuki’s first book of short stories.

The Visitors: A True Haunting (True Hauntings Book 5)


Rebecca Patrick-Howard - 2016
    They didn’t believe in ghosts…but they would.Named for the row of weeping willows that lined the driveway,Willow Terrace was the most well-known house in the county. With its sweeping views, wraparound porches, and fourteen rooms it was the kind of place that was coveted. Built in the mid-nineteenth century, it was also one of the old houses in town. Stained windows, intricate wood carvings, and a winding staircase straight out of the movies– So why had it been empty for so long? The Sanders family had been watching the house for most of their lives. As a teenager, Piper had sworn she would own the house one day. When their small business began taking off, they finally had the chance to buy Willow Terrace and begin fixing up the sad, neglected place.They’d brushed off those rumors and stories they’d heard, tales of ghostly figures that appeared in windows, cries in the middle of the night, objects that flew across rooms... Ghosts weren’t real, right?Piper and Larry were about to take a journey into the world of the supernatural–a journey they’d never forget. They’d soon learn they weren’t the only ones living in their new house.And that their unearthly visitors might not be happy for the intrusion. Secret passageways, underground tunnels, an invisible child, demonic rituals, and a town’s haunting mystery…had they bitten off more than they could chew? Now the Sanders' family faced a difficult choice: make a run for it or stay and fight for the house they'd invested everything in. Based on a true story.

Alone On the Beach


Cathryn Grant - 2015
     Corrine Dunning loves living by the ocean, and her life is getting even better now that she’s falling in love with Andy Johnson. When Corrine meets a blind old woman who insists the concrete ship in Monterey Bay is haunted, she doesn’t believe it. Although Mary Carmichael is blind now, she’s seen a lot of love affairs bloom and die near Seacliff Beach. She was a child when the concrete SS Palo Alto was pulled up to the pier at Seacliff — she’s always known it was haunted, and she knows the ghost will weave itself into Corrine’s life, taking over her thoughts. While Corrine and Mary begin a tentative friendship, Corrine’s relationship with Andy takes an unsettling turn. Is it possible Corrine’s mistrust began when she saw the ghostly woman on the ship? Now, Corrine must battle a spirit that’s made a home inside her mind.

It Was You


Carly Fall - 2012
    Sydney's best friend decides that Sydney needs the help of the online dating service, Match Made in Heaven, where trouble souls go to find peace.Jordan Henley was the guy who had it all: good looks and any woman he wanted. After an accident that left him scarred, angry and suffering from his own nightmares, he signs up for Match Made in Heaven on a dare after some beers with his business partner.Neither Jordan nor Sydney is prepared for exactly how well matched they really are, and how Match Made in Heaven can help them find the peace they both desperately need.

Fire Kissed


Shayne SilversEmma L. Adams - 2017
    Get a taste of lethal love, high-stakes poker games with monsters, rebel Fae, and cunning demons.Because sometimes the monsters are the good guys…Including stories from such renowned authors as: C.N. Crawford Aimee Easterling Author Julia Mills New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carina Wilder Domino Finn New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Gena D. Lutz New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Emma L. Adams USA Today Bestselling Author Simone Pond McKenzie Hunter Katerina Martinez Val St. Crowe Tricia Owens Shayne Silvers <

The Inheritance


J. Galliano - 2020
    

Bedlam Boy: The Forger & The Traitor


Ian W. Sainsbury - 2020
    Sainsbury. Two short, punchy, action-packed episodes in each book.They murdered his parents, shot him in the head, and left him to die. They should have made sure.Twenty years after Tom Lewis watched his parents die, those responsible are being killed. One by one.Gentle, brain-damaged Tom, a giant of a man who can barely speak, can’t be responsible for their deaths. Can he?When Tom Lewis was shot, something new was created. Something unique. Something deadly. Something patient enough to plan revenge for twenty long years.Meet Bedlam Boy

The Best of Winter Renshaw - An 8 Book Collection


Winter Renshaw - 2020
    Royal2. PS I Hate You3. Cold Hearted4. The Cruelest Stranger5. The Perfect Illusion6. Heartless7. Pricked8. Love and Other LiesThese contemporary romances are full of Winter's signature angst, steam, drama, twists, and happily-ever-afters and can be read in any order. Enjoy!

The Secret of Ventriloquism


Jon Padgett - 2016
    With themes reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, Thomas Ligotti, and Bruno Schulz, but with a strikingly unique vision, Padgett's work explores the mystery of human suffering, the agony of personal existence, and the ghastly means by which someone might achieve salvation from both. A bullied child seeks vengeance within a bed's hollow box spring. A lucid dreamer is haunted by an impossible house. A dummy reveals its own anatomy in 20 simple steps. A stuttering librarian holds the key to a mill town's unspeakable secrets. A commuter's worldview is shattered by two words printed on a cardboard sign. An aspiring ventriloquist spends a little too much time looking at himself in a mirror. And a presence speaks through them all. Contents: Introduction by Matt Cardin The Mindfulness of Horror Practice Murmurs of a Voice Foreknown The Indoor Swamp Origami Dreams 20 Simple Steps to Ventriloquism Infusorium Organ Void The Secret of VentriloquismEscape to Thin Mountain

Grudge Punk


John McNee - 2012
    A severed hand is on a desperate mission to ruin somebody's evening. While a mob war reaches its bloody climax, the Mayor is up to his neck in dead prostitutes.And Clockwork Joe? He just wants to be a real boy.Bizarro Press proudly presents the latest in dieselpunk-bizarro-horror-noir. This......is GrudgePunk

The Gamester's Daughter


Dorothy Mack - 1998
     Can Claudia place her trust in Lord Pelham? 1816, Paris As a frequent hostess of her father’s Parisian gaming house, young Claudia Herbert is one of the most sought-after belles in the city. But when her father is murdered, she is forced to disguise herself and flee to England for her safety — and to carry out the dangerous task that he left her. However, a twist of fate draws Claudia into the chaotic home of the Brewster children, where she agrees to help out until their uncle — Lord Miles Pelham — returns from his travels. To Claudia’s dismay, Miles instantly recognises her from her old life in Paris. And now she must decide whether to enlist his help or go on the run once again… The Gamester’s Daughter by Dorothy Mack is a classic Regency Romance with a strong and daring heroine.

Tamer Animals


Justin M. Woodward - 2018
    Sure, there were stories that the area was haunted, but there was no way they were true. IT WAS JUST A LOCAL LEGEND Decades earlier, an old goat farmer had been murdered by the Klan, hung from a tree near the bridge solely because of the color of his skin. His body was never found. Since then, numerous sightings of a strange creature—half-man and half-goat—had been reported in the surrounding woods. He was called the Goatman. IT WAS JUST THE WORST NIGHT OF THEIR LIVES From the moment they arrived, strange noises echoed around them… a sense that they were being watched pervaded the campsite… and that was just the beginning. When one of them vanishes and a horned monstrosity pursues the others, it becomes clear that the legends are real. …and the truth is so much more horrific than they could ever have imagined. "Justin M. Woodward isn't playing around--this is a terrifying descent into depravity." -Jeff Strand (Author of Sick House) “Dark, twisted, and full of surprises.” -Duncan Ralston (Author of WOOM and Salvage) “Woodward is the kind of dick who invites himself into your nightmares, and Tamer Animals is the key he uses to open the door.” -J. Z. Foster (Author of The Wicked Ones and Witch Hunter)

Dragon Passion


Amelia Jade - 2018
    But who would respect a dragon farmer? When her family farm falls into Sandy Talbert’s lap, it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Her life in the city was over. She needed a change, and more importantly, she needed the solitude. Running a farm by herself is harder than it seems, and three years later she’s on the verge of being forced to sell to her jerk of a neighbor. The only thing standing between her and defeat is the odd offer made to her by a gorgeous stranger she barely knows. Palin never expected to find his mate. He was on a mission, assigned to figure out if this war the humans were talking about was truly as serious as they claimed. Knowing how pathetic humans were, he highly doubted it. But an emergency stop for food at a local farmers market has thrown all his plans into disarray. Leaving his comrades behind, he ventures into the world of farms, famine, and intrigue beyond anything he could imagine. She needs his help, but Palin doesn’t know one end of a hoe from the other! Determined to help her out, Palin agrees to plow her fields. It’s not what Sandy signed up for, but she can’t deny that he’s helpful—and hunky. If she can convince him to stay, she could finally turn a profit and stick it to her nasty neighbor. Can she do that while still maintaining her policy of not letting anyone into her life? And what about her neighbor? How will he react when he finds out his designs on her farm won’t ever come to fruition? Please note Amazon has incorrectly set the start position for this book. Dragon Passion IS in your copy, you simply need to use the table of contents to navigate to the beginning, as when you first open it, you are taken right to the bonus content that has been included for a limited time.

They Do the Same Things Different There


Robert Shearman - 2014
    Sometimes they are just like ours—except landlocked countries may disappear overnight, marriages to camels are the norm, and the dead turn into musical instruments. Sometimes there is horror, and dreams fulfilled and squandered, of true love. They do the same things different there.

Fully Loaded Thrillers: The Complete and Collected Stories of Blake Crouch


Blake Crouch - 2011
    Konrath: "Crouch is one of the best thriller short story writers I know. He uses words like an artist uses a paintbrush; to hurt, to stun, to shock, to provoke, to touch. This collection also features my very favorite short story of all time. Not just my favorite by Crouch, but the best one I've ever read by anyone. It's called "Unconditional." It is flat-out brilliant and unforgettable, and that one tale is worth the price of this entire collection." From the author of DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS comes this complete collection of short stories and novellas. *69 - Tim and Laura West receive a bizarre voicemail on their answering machine that seems to have unintentionally recorded a brutal murder. But what happens when the killer realizes their mistake? This story develops over one terrifying evening, and this young couple will never be the same. REMAKING - Tragic events unfold in a snowy, sleepy Colorado town. From the first scene, in which a man sits alone in the cold, watching a father and son in a diner, you know something is about to go horribly wrong. You may think you know what's happening, but in this thrilling, heartbreaking story, nothing is as it seems. ON THE GOOD, RED ROAD - A group of four hard men trying to reach a remote 19th Century mining town become stranded in an early blizzard and resort to drastic, terrifying measures, to stay alive. SHINING ROCK - An older couple encounter a strange and menacing visitor during a camping trip in the North Carolina mountains. Friendly at first, this stranger seems to know them, seems to know their secrets, and as things escalate, they become convinced that they may never leave these mountains alive. PERFECT LITTLE TOWN - Ron and Jessica Stahl are a power couple from California, on a Christmas holiday in Colorado. When they stop for the afternoon in sleepy Lone Cone, they're charmed by the quaint tourist town. But the folksy hospitality will vanish as the sun drops behind the mountains. The Stahls couldn't have picked a worse night of the year to get snowed into this perfect little town with a dark, dark secret. SERIAL - The classic horror short I wrote with J.A. Konrath, in which we turn our attention to the twin golden rules of hitchhiking: # 1: Don't go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy. # 2: Don't pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be a raving nutcase. So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Nutcase #2? THE NEWTON BOYS' LAST PHOTOGRAPH - At 25 words, the shortest story I ever wrote. But it packs a wallop. THE METEOROLOGIST - Peter, a disgraced meteorologist and chronic wanderer, has traveled the country for years in his Winnebago, in search of the only thing that gives his life meaning. He's just arrived in the middle of nowhere-Hokie, Kansas-for the same purpose, but when he meets a waitress named Melanie, another sufferer, he's faced not only with his first real human contact in years, but perhaps someone who can save him. UNCONDITIONAL - A conversation between two people-devastating, tragic, and beautiful. THE PAIN OF OTHERS - Letty Dobesh, a gorgeous, degenerate thief, is fresh out of the clink and back to her old tricks-in this case, burglarizing suites at a luxury hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. But when she's surprised by returning guests on her last room of the day, she's forced to hide in the closet to avoid getting caught, and inadvertently overhears a hitman being contracted to murder the wife of a wealthy lawyer. This 60,000-word short story collection also contains a foreword by J.A. Konrath and introductions to each story by the author. BLAKE CROUCH is the author of four novels and numerous short stories, including "Serial" which he co-wrote with J.A. Konrath and has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. He lives in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. His website is www.blakecrouch.co