Showing results by narrator "Hollis McCarthy" in All Categories

It’s Pepper Dunn’s first Halloween in magical Magnolia Cove, Alabama. She can’t wait to experience all her home has to offer—haunted houses, real ghosts, great fried food. And for one night, regular folks are invited to enter this town of witches.

Rory Hawthorn knows her family's magical library contains an endless array of secrets, but even her fellow biblio-witches little expect a corridor that’s been missing for over two decades to suddenly materialise again.

When Julie Green’s ailing grandmother asks her to arrange one last party at the old Inn she used to run, Julie can’t say no even though the last thing she wants is to leave the city for middle-of-nowhere Vermont. Even worse, Cozy Holly Inn is in disrepair, there’s a persnickety cat hiding in the basement and the family of grinches who own the competing inn down the street seem determined to ruin her chances of success.

Kristen Woodward has moved back home to run her family Christmas tree farm. Everything is great...except her mother and brother seem to be keeping a secret from her. Not only that, but the new guy across the street, Mason, owns a store that sells artificial trees. Will artificial trees cut into her farm’s Christmas tree sales? Even worse, she has to compete with Mason to win the coveted job of decorating the skating pond.

Liz Weston’s life has reached rock bottom. Her husband dumped her, her life savings are gone, and her apartment is being turned into condos that she can’t afford. Maybe she shouldn’t have taken early retirement last year? In her late 40s, she has limited possibilities for employment. When her elderly father passes away, she heads to her hometown to clean out the family home. Staying at the beachside inn is a blessing because there’s no way she’ll sleep in her childhood home. But when she befriends Jane Miller, the owner of Tides, her life slowly starts to change.

A gripping and empathetic work of reportage, Free reveals what awaits them and the hundreds of thousands of others who are released from prison every year: the first rush of freedom followed quickly by institutionalized obstacles and logistical roadblocks, grinding bureaucracies, lack of resources, societal stigmas and damning self-perceptions, and the sometimes overwhelming psychological challenges. Veteran reporter Lauren Kessler, both clear-eyed and compassionate, follows six people whose diverse stories paint an intimate portrait of struggle, persistence, and resilience.

Maxi’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expects...Maxi Stevens is at a crossroads. Things between her and James haven’t been the same since their kids left the nest. When she finds proof that indicates he may have strayed, she strikes out on her own. James’ infidelity has a silver lining, though. Maxi can finally do all the things James wouldn’t approve of like pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming an artist. But everything is not as it seems. James wants Maxi back and will do anything to win her over.

When bakery owner Lexy Baker and her posse of iPad-toting grandmas find a dead body under Ruth’s late model Oldsmobile, it opens an investigation into a decades-old crime. It seems Ruth’s reformed crime-boss boyfriend stashed something of immense value away before he died. Too bad word is out in the criminal underworld, and a dangerous killer has come to town to find it.

My name's Nadia, and I do favors for the High Queen Tarlia of the Elves. Tarlia is not the kind of woman who accepts no for an answer. So when the High Queen orders me to help a top investigator solve a murder, I have to do it. Even though I've spent most of my life on the run from the law. I don't like the investigator, and he doesn't like me. But that doesn't matter, because if we don't work together, the creatures we're hunting will kill us both.

My name is Nadia, and I’m an errand girl. Except my boss is the High Queen of the Elves. And my errands for her involve spying on people. Or stealing things. Or hunting down monsters. Or, on occasion, killing people. But this time she wants me to solve a murder. And unless I find the killer, I’m going to be his next target...because dragons never forgive a murder.

Caina Amalas is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, the leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. She is a master of stealth and disguise, and faces foes of terrible power. So when an ancient relic of necromantic sorcery is discovered, Caina must destroy it before it kills uncounted thousands of people. Starting with her...

Caina Amalas is the Ghost circlemaster of Istarinmul, the leader of the Emperor's spies in the city. With the aid of mysterious allies, she fights to stop the sinister plans of the ruthless Grand Master Callatas. But Callatas has spent two centuries preparing to remake humanity, and he will exterminate any who dare to oppose him. Kalgri is the Red Huntress, the centuries-old assassin of legend. She has killed kings and princes, sorcerers, and alchemists, young and old, and rich and poor, and laughed at their screams. And her next target is Caina Amalas.

Sixteen years old, Caina is a student of the Ghosts, the spies and agents of the Emperor of Nighmar, and from them she learns the arts of stealth and infiltration, of disguise and intrigue. But when a man dies of a mysterious poison, Caina faces a deadly test. Because if she doesn't solve the murder, she might die next....

Caina Amalas is a Ghost circlemaster, leader of the Emperor's spies in Istarinmul. Yet the people of Istarinmul know her as the Balarigar, the daring master thief who challenged the corrupt lords and cruel princes of the city. And now Grand Master Callatas, the most powerful sorcerer of Istarinmul, wants her dead, and without allies Caina will not survive. So when a legendary thief offers Caina a chance to rob Callatas himself, she has no choice but to join the venture. But no one has ever escaped the dark perils of Callatas' Maze...

Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the ghosts, spies, and assassins of the emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning, she saved the empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation. But the victory cost her everything. Now, she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends. Yet, centuries-old darkness now stirs in Istarinmul, eager to devour the city and the world itself.

Eighteen suspenseful short stories with a twist for lovers of Twilight Zone and Black Mirror. Journey into strange worlds and meet their unusual and sometimes terrifying residents in these stories spanning suspense, horror, paranormal, science fiction, and supernatural from the dark mind of short story award-winning author Susan May.

Take your ticket and enjoy the thrills and chills awaiting those who dare journey into this exciting collection of short fiction and novellas. Savor six twisted tales, which will both delight and surprise listeners as they travel into the dark realms of supernatural and paranormal suspense.

What if all that stood between us and hell was a match? An ordinary couple stand accused of a heinous crime. They're the last people you'd expect to save the world. Are they criminals, heroes, or completely insane? Or maybe all three? Inspired by true-life headlines, revealed in Susan May's fascinating postscript From the Imagination Vault, Behind the Fire is an engrossing novelette of the random appearances of frightening black things, and one couple's battle to protect their town from these dangerous and hellish creatures.

Rory Hawthorn is adjusting to her new life as a witch working at her family's enchanted library in the coastal town of Ivory Beach. Between the library's bewildering magic and her eccentric new family, life is never dull. When Rory and her cousin find the body of a local wizard on the beach, all the signs suggest he was killed by a vampire.

Caina Amalas is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, one of the elite agents of the Emperor of Nighmar. She has defeated powerful sorcerers and corrupt lords, freed slaves, and overthrown great evils. But now, someone has begun slaughtering the Ghosts of the Imperial capital, and the killer is wearing her face. And this time, saving the Empire might cost her everything.... Ark is a man of many roles - father and husband, Ghost and veteran, blacksmith and Champion of Marsis. But when the circlemasters of the Ghosts order him to hunt down the renegade Caina Amalas, Ark must make a choice.