Dark Survival Fiction

Chiaroscuro (kyar-uh-scoor-oh): The art of blending light and shadow. DEVOTION - DEPRESSION - DETERMINATION Stom Carpenter is a quiet presence—a giant in the high school halls who slips between worlds, seen but never truly understood. He longs for the freedom and clarity of adulthood, yet the more he seeks it, the more trapped he becomes in his own mind. THE BLENDING OF LIGHT AND SHADOW WAS FAR EASIER ON PAPER THAN IN LIFE. Just last month he was a football player, but Stom traded in his helmet for a sketchbook, hoping to escape the chaos of the world around him. Instead of finding solace...

Amidst the haunting ruins of San Francisco, the final chapter of the Forsaken Trilogy unfolds, plunging readers into a world where survival teeters on the brink of a water war. On the edge of the Pacific, where the city’s skeletal remains cast long shadows over the turbulent sea, the colony of Erehwon clings to life. Dia, a survivor hardened by the relentless struggle of a world unmade, finds herself at the heart of a brewing storm. The once tranquil settlement of Erehwon, a beacon of hope amid desolation, faces its gravest threat yet: a local war over the last dregs of Earth’s most ...

Nineteen-year-old Claudia Sheeplord is aboard an airplane flying to Denver when she discovers that all attempts to destroy the Death Asteroid before it hits Earth have failed. While still in the air, one of the asteroid masses hits Earth.

I think you've knocked it out of the park. -- James L. She kept me engaged in this fast-paced read. – James M. I enjoyed this book, can’t wait for next book –Tracy J I liked this short story. It is interesting and held my attention. I am looking forward to reading book 2. – J Hall Dr. Miles Cole is a professor of Archaeology at a prestigious university, and out of a small pool of archaeologists with expertise in the Caribbean islands. One evening, two guests arrive at his door. His star student, a transfer student finishing her last two semesters at his university, Alexandria Rizzo,...

A captivating dystopian thriller short story, Crimson Snow will hold you hostage until you finish every last word. If you like Jennifer McMahon, Melinda Leigh, and Emily St. John Mandell, you’ll love Crimson Snow. "A gripping ride into frozen insanity." ~New York Times Bestselling Author Andra Watkins How far could you go to survive? Whom could you sacrifice? Green Valley was once known for its fertile farming, picturesque mountains, and abundant wildlife. Now snow and ice cover all but the tallest homes. The only sounds are Maverick's boots clumping through the snowdrifts and the frigid ...

It was just another day on the farm for Sue and Jared; another day of chores, arguments, and trying to figure out how to keep the farm. Then the zombie apocalypse happened. Now they’re having to fight off former neighbors, stock up on food and ammo, while trying to stay alive. But surviving the zombie apocalypse isn’t easy when there’s only two of you and you don’t agree on anything. To get the supplies they need Sue and Jared will need to venture into town, somehow evade the zombies and get everything need so they can be prepared for the inevitable onslaught when the zombie hordes ...

They thought the past was buried. They thought the Watchers’ game was over. They were wrong. Mike, the hardened ex-Royal Marine, and Sarah, the sharp survivor, find themselves entangled in a deadly web where old betrayals resurface and no one can be trusted — not even the allies they once called friends. The Watchers’ Council has revealed its true hand, and the trap is already closing. As the lines between predator and prey blur, Mike and Sarah must face not only the shadowy forces hunting them but the darkness they’ve both carried inside since that first, fateful night — the ...

Head down, mouth shut - this is Askari’s new mantra. A pall still hangs over the Baratok community from the rarohan attack only a few months before, and all Askari wants is to stay out of trouble and help her grieving community heal. Until a stranger rides into camp. He offers her a chance to obtain something rare and valuable - monster blood with healing properties that could help prevent more of her people from dying. But when the mission goes wrong, she becomes the target of a relentless monster that won’t stop pursuing her until she and everyone around her are dead.

Mean Girls meets Life of Pi in this darkly humorous, compulsively listenable teen novel that's perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Andrew Smith. A hilariously dark and twisted story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Parks' irreverent yet insightful novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable circumstances.

Arcadia was supposed to be Earth 2.0 - a haven for humanity while they fought desperately to save their dying homeworld. But nothing has turned out like Cassiopeia Foster had thought. Another race, the Alku, already occupies the planet in a parallel dimension called Paxon. They are willing to help Earth, but a powerful contingent plans to strip-mine the strangely powerful Starfire from the planet, which will collapse the Paxon side and kill all the Alku. A war has begun, and Cassi is caught in the middle.

"A failed ritual annihilates modern life." Manhattan, NY: The E-Train slams into James Bixby, a strapping young artist on the rise, after a life-saving rescue attempt goes awry. Belfast, Ireland: A bullet severs Olivia Young's spinal cord while she defends a doctor colleague--the second bullet pierces her heart. Then they awaken--unharmed. "Selected" and thrust into a deadly ritual, James' and Olivia's lives--along with the lives of five others--will decide humanity's fate: surrender to the old Gods' rule or live on in blissful ignorance. Follow their frantic struggle as Magnus--a secret ...

In the past, a once thriving world fell into darkness. Hundreds of years later those survivors cobbled together civil townships upon the backs of child slaves. Dallas was placed into the care of the ranch – a place for orphans to be rented as chattel, to be used by farms and mines, often at the expense of kindness and patience. In this world there is little hope for a life of willful determination and self-imposed destiny. But, there are some who by strength of will break their bonds and flee from the ranch. They are pursued by their guards and fall headlong into a coming war. Standing ...

VANISHED A gripping, chilling, and emotionally-charged thriller that dives into the darkest corners of power, corruption, and sacrifice. Mark, a devoted father and widower, sets out on what should have been a simple vacation with his two children, Liam and Sophie. But their peaceful trip quickly spirals into a nightmare when Sophie is suddenly kidnapped—snatched by forces far more sinister than he could ever imagine. As Mark searches desperately for his daughter, he uncovers a horrifying truth: Sophie isn’t the only child missing. Hidden behind the façade of wealth and influence lies a...

Clouds Before Rain is the exciting prequel to The Best Dark Rain. This gripping novella sets the stage for an epic post-apocalyptic adventure. The world is dying a swift death, and the city of Seattle is dying along with it. Panicked citizens flee the wave of death, only to die on the clogged highways. Those unable to flee remain trapped in the city. A handful of survivors remain amongst the deadly ruins. The feeble threads of society unravel as armed bands begin roaming the empty streets. Not quite everyone died. Better if they had. Armed bands are not the only perils. In the shadows worse...

Four women. Four decades of friendship. Four twisted relationships. Roxanne – the popular beauty whose encounter with Ted Bundy seals her fate when he murders the young women who are her sorority sisters. Her guilt turns her into a bully with dark and mysterious motives as she seeks revenge. Jackie – the peacemaker who settles for a revenge marriage instead of sweet love when she marries the bully from college surprising everyone when her dark enemy turns into her lover. It takes her decades to realize the truth about her marriage and complicated friendship with Roxanne. Charlene – ...

Shay has followed Xander and joined his mysterious scientific cult at their remote Scottish compound. She's desperately searching for Callie, who went missing before the start of the epidemic that kills 95 percent of cases and leaves a tiny number of survivors with astonishing new powers. Can Shay uncover the truth about the origins of the epidemic, find Callie and perhaps even rekindle her relationship with Kai? Or will Xander's grand plans destroy them all for ever?

Chris Grainger is back, hard at work trying to save his business, The Comfort Zone. After surviving the soft opening from hell, he has to strategize how to move the business forward without losing his grip. Now that his secret deception of using money from his and his lady, Angel's joint account to start the business has been revealed, he has major work to do regaining her trust, and assistance in saving his bar. Chris wants a business that will be a source of escape for the Ladies.

In the desolate ruins of America, where the remnants of humanity cling to survival, the settlement of Erehwon stands as a fragile bastion in a world unmade. But beneath the surface of this last refuge, a sinister truth festers. The waters are toxic, food is scarce, and the once-powerful Venganza tribe faces a crisis that threatens their very existence. Enter Hado, a determined soul driven to uncover the unsettling reality behind Erehwon’s impending doom. As secrets unravel, Hado finds herself entangled in a web of betrayal that runs deeper than she ever imagined. The fate of the Venganza ...

Ramon was a young man with secrets, and a talent for violence. Born into Spanish nobility, his full given name was Ramon Banu Lasso de la Vega, and as a boy, he dreamed of a life of purpose and acceptance. He dreamed of a peaceful life of family and belonging. It was a dream that would never be fulfilled. The Edge of Nobility is a gritty historical novel that will carry you away to the landscapes of France and Spain in the early 1900s, as Europe became embroiled in World War 1. It was a time when two breeds of men emerged. One that came forward to serve their fellow countrymen as a patriot ...

Caught between the past and the grave, the truth is her only way out. Betrayed by another’s deceit, Jane Cornaro lost everything. Escaping with her life meant disappearing into the shadows and starting over. Now living in London’s Dalston neighborhood, she works as a barista, her days dependent on obscurity. Every move she makes is calculated, every decision shaped by the need to stay hidden. But secrets have a way of surfacing, and one stormy night, Jane’s carefully constructed life shatters. A man from her past steps into the café, his arrival as inevitable as the English rain. ...