Showing results by author "Miranda Smith" in All Categories

Hickory Hills is the perfect place to raise a family. Everyone knows everyone. Sometimes, that’s a bad thing. The morning after the Halloween party, the word spreads from house to house, each resident gasping at the news, each mother holding their child tighter. Shelby has gone missing. My daughter should be distraught, but she’s claiming they weren’t even friends anymore. When I go to talk to her, I hear her giggling on the phone with Shelby’s boyfriend. And then I find her Halloween costume, stuffed into a bag in her closet, covered in blood.

I am at home with the television on when I hear the news. A woman has been found by the docks. In heavy tones, the reporter says it appears the notorious local serial killer has returned. My breath comes short in my chest. My legs tremble. I know that can’t be true, because I know who the killer was. My father. My sisters and I learned the shocking truth after his funeral. We made a pledge to say nothing: Revealing the truth would only bring more pain. We set fire to his confession, turning his secrets into ash. But now, someone is sending us a message. Someone knows we lied.

A year ago, someone broke into our home. He stood outside our bedroom, with our children asleep down the corridor, and knocked on the door. But the worst moment came later, when I found out who had nearly destroyed my family, and why. Now my husband has booked us a surprise vacation. In a beautiful cabin on the shore we will rest, talk, recover. But I can’t relax. When I drive to the store, or stroll down the beach, I am always looking over my shoulder, my heart racing. Because no matter how hard my husband tries to pretend, we both know it’s not over.

Whisper Falls is a fresh start for Madison and her fiancé Cooper. The safe, quiet town on the shores of a beautiful lake is the perfect place to spend the rest of their lives. But then Madison learns that Cooper’s high school girlfriend Celia disappeared after a party. Three days later, her body was found in the lake. And the town thinks it wasn’t an accident. Madison loves Cooper, but she can’t help wondering. She has to know the truth. But if she starts asking questions, what other secrets will be revealed? Will she meet the same fate as the woman who came before her?

I blink awake to the sound of whispering, and look around. Automatically, I do a count. And then I am upright, my heart racing. I count again. “Girls,” I say, trying to sound calm. “Did you see Evie?” It was meant to be a celebration. A team sleepover in the school gymnasium: movies, pizza, hot chocolate. I walk among the girls, checking they’re ok. They collect in groups and giggle, play truth or dare.

My sister died. Her friends lied. And now that I’ve brought them all together, I’m going to learn the truth....

I’d heard of the Baby Caroline case, of course. When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me. Today, my beautiful daughter turned one. We were unwrapping gifts and blowing out candles when the knock came at the door, and they took my mother away. The police say she’s not really my mother. That she stole me, 30 years ago.

My brother was 13 the first time he tried to kill me. These days, Della is a loving wife, a dedicated teacher, a woman trying to do her best. She has put her past far behind her. But she hasn’t forgotten the lessons she learned. It’s just a regular morning when Della welcomes Zoey to her English class. She treats her like any other new student: assigns her a desk, hands out the work. But then she meets Zoey’s cold, calculating eyes and freezes as terrifying memories threaten to overwhelm her.

Every October, the school where I work takes a trip to a local farm to pet the animals and search for the perfect Halloween pumpkin. This year is even more special, as my daughter, Claire, is coming. She’s so excited, and we really need some fun time together after what we’ve been through.

Every Monday, I meet my writing group in a warm, lively bar to drink a glass of wine or two and share our work. It’s the highlight of my week. I don’t go out much, otherwise. For the last ten years, every time I’ve relaxed, the messages have started again. The black hearts. They’re a warning to remember, as if I could ever forget. Whoever sent them wants to hurt me. They’ve lost me jobs and boyfriends. Is it any wonder I like to hide in fiction?

Before: Olivia knows she is lucky. She has a loving husband, Frank, an adorable son, Jake, and a beautiful new home. It couldn’t be more different from her childhood on the outskirts of Whitaker, dirt poor and dreaming of getting out. But at the end of long days with no one to talk to, always feeling like she’s not quite good enough, she starts to wonder if there’s a better life waiting.... After: Everyone in Whitaker knows who Olivia is. She’s the woman who left her family for no-good Dane Miller - and the one who most likely shot him.

I wake on the sofa, my head throbbing. Why did I fall asleep here? In the darkness, I make my way to my bedroom. I know immediately something is wrong. The sheets I tucked in so carefully this morning are rumpled, disturbed. I turn on the lights. And then I scream. There’s a body in my bed. And I know this man: We went on two dates together. Who could have killed him? And how did he get into this house? Only two people have a key: me and my ex-husband, Matthew. I cast my mind desperately back to last night, to the last few painful months.

Mają niewłaściwą osobę. Popełnili błąd. Policja bez przerwy myli tropy, prawda? Mówią o tym w każdym filmie dokumentalnym. Nie ma mowy, żeby moja matka, jedyny rodzic, jakiego kiedykolwiek miałam, mogła zrobić coś tak potwornego. Moja matka jest troskliwa. Myśli o innych. Wszystkich stawia przed sobą, a mnie przede wszystkim. Nie jest typem osoby, która mogłaby zrobić coś takiego. CZY CAŁE MOJE ŻYCIE JEST KŁAMSTWEM? Muszę poznać prawdę. Ale im więcej wiem, tym bardziej jestem przerażona.

Sing~Speak~Sound & Spirit Hello! My name is Charlotte Miranda-Smith and I am a professional Singer, Actress and Coach. I am fascinated by Voices, from lots of different perspectives and I have some big questions I really want to find more out about, such as; -How does fear prevent our voices being able to ‘perform‘ to their full potential? -What is it like to be unable to speak? -how do the wellness industries affirmations work? In this podcast I am lucky enough to get to interview many wonderful voice users, from Singers and Artists to Scientists and Influencers. I hope this podcast will ...

ZROBIŁABYM WSZYSTKO, BY CHRONIĆ SWOJE DZIECI. TO MOJA WINA, ŻE SĄ W NIEBEZPIECZEŃSTWIE... Nasz dom wakacyjny jest piękny. Z pastelowoniebieskimi ścianami, basenem na zewnątrz i promenadą ciągnącą się aż do brzegu. Moje dzieci bawią się w falach, a mój mąż grilluje hamburgery na pokładzie. Jest tak spokojnie. Ale nie mogę się zrelaksować. Kiedy jadę do sklepu lub spaceruję po plaży, zawsze oglądam się przez ramię, a serce mi wali. Szukam go. Człowieka, który rok temu prawie wszystko zniszczył z powodu sekretów, które skrywałam.