Self Discovery Fiction

A Solitary Man, a Lost Boy, and the Journey to Redemption In the serene wilderness of Northern Michigan, school custodian Buddy Robertson finds solace in nature’s rhythms and the healing simplicity of the changing seasons—from winter’s treasured collections to spring’s maple syrup production and the return of migratory birds that signal the forest’s awakening. Yet beneath this peaceful existence lies a past marred by loss and abuse—a past Buddy has long sought to escape. When Buddy meets Ben, a young boy grappling with his own demons, he is forced to confront the shadows of his ...

It’s the hottest day of the 1976 heatwave and there’s not a breath of fresh air in the labour ward at Lincoln County Hospital. Michelle is having her fourth child, a girl, while beloved husband Dean is sipping a cold pint in the pub. Their little house is already bursting at the seams, but Michelle is sure they’ll find a way to stretch their budget and continue life as a blissfully chaotic happy family. They name their new baby Donna.

Cassie Carl believes she has it all. On the cusp of achieving her professional goals and soon to marry the man of her dreams - the handsome, kind, and loving Stefan Van Allen - it seems she's found the life every woman dreams of. When Cassie's wealthy fiancé brings Peyton in to do a renovation on their home before the big engagement party, sparks fly, leaving both Cassie and Peyton to question everything they thought they already had. What happens when the thin veil of perfection becomes riddled with holes?

Five years later, the lights still twinkle on Christmas Key—but a lot has changed. The island’s baby boom has officially landed: there’s a brand-new kindergarten class and a whole lot of chaos in the sandboxes. Social media influencers have discovered paradise, and now they’re everywhere—vlogging by the water, podcasting from cafés, and trying to make “#IslandVibes” a thing. But the real story this season isn’t in the hashtags or holiday lights. It’s Ruby Hudson. The beloved former First Lady and part-time Christmas Key resident has returned to the island with her husband...

Spring has arrived on Christmas Key—bringing sunshine, pranks, and more surprises than the island’s ready for. April Fool’s Day is in full swing, and Mayor Holly Baxter is busy wrangling yet another group of colorful visitors: a family of redheads best known for their stint on reality TV. Between planning events, keeping the peace, and dodging pranks, Holly barely has time to think… which is probably a good thing, because change is coming fast. She and Miguel are still going strong—spending more time together than apart—and the promise of an island wedding has everyone talking ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-Carol A Heartfelt Journey of Love and Self-Discovery "Coming Out" is a beautifully woven tapestry of nostalgia, love, and the courage to embrace one's true self. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Willow Creek, where cobblestone streets are lined with vibrant gardens and the air is sweetened by blooming lilacs, this story captures the essence of returning home, not just to a place, but to oneself. Claire Mitchell's return after a decade away from her hometown is not merely a physical journey; it’s an emotional reckoning. As she reconnects with her past and confronts ...

Yuki Hirano is just out of high school when his parents enroll him, against his will, in a forestry training program in the remote mountain village of Kamusari. No phone, no internet, no shopping. Just a small, inviting community where the most common expression is “take it easy.” At first, Yuki is exhausted, fumbles with the tools, asks silly questions, and feels like an outcast. Kamusari is the last place a city boy from Yokohama wants to spend a year of his life. But as resistant as he might be, the scent of the cedars and the staggering beauty of the region have a pull.

When Eve returns to her family home Fox House, the tension with her mother, Agatha, is palpable. But when Eve’s daughter, Lyra, and her granddaughter, Skye, arrive unexpectedly, four generations of women under one roof set the stage for explosive revelations. Lyra seems troubled, but refuses to explain why. And when she lays claim to the crumbling cottage on the estate, Agatha drops a bombshell – she’s already promised it to a mysterious man named Dylan.

Just turned eighteen, Romany is on the cusp of taking her first steps into adulthood when tragedy strikes, and she finds herself suddenly alone without her mother, Angie, the only parent she has ever known. In her final letter, Angie has charged her four closest friends with guiding Romany through her last year of school—but is there an ulterior motive to her unusual dying wish? Each of the four guardians possesses an outlook on life that Angie wants to give her daughter as a legacy.

The island’s getting smaller homes, bigger families, and one very overdue baby. It’s the holiday season on Christmas Key, and the whole island is wrapped in lights, tinsel, and anticipation. Holly Baxter—mayor, mom-to-be, and reality TV wrangler—is nine months pregnant and busier than ever. With HGTV crews arriving to film the launch of a beachfront tiny home community, the pressure is on…and so is the swelling, heartburn, and back pain. As stargazers descend for a once-in-a-lifetime meteor shower, Holly’s juggling a lot of things: a surprise visit from Coco that brings ...

My first love. A Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball. And a secret that could ruin everything. The day of my divorce, I don’t feel free—I'm broken. A single mom, barely holding it together, with no idea how to start over. Then a masked stranger kisses me like he owns me. And I let him—because for one reckless moment, I want to forget. But when the mask comes off, I’m staring into the eyes of the man who shattered me in another life. Callum Reid. My first love. My greatest heartbreak. Six years ago, he walked away to chase his rock-and-roll dreams. And I ran straight into the arms of ...

Mayor Holly Baxter is juggling pirates, potholes, and the possibility of a second chance at love. Just another week on Christmas Key. The island’s newest guests? A rowdy crew of weekend pirates who’ve traded rum for espresso and are leaving a trail of mayhem (and mysterious holes) in their wake. Add to that: Her ex’s new girlfriend who’s suddenly sticking around A fresh-faced family with twin boys who’ve turned the island into their personal playground And River O’Leary—Holly’s not-quite-ex, not-quite-boyfriend—who’s texting just enough to keep her heart off-balance ...

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and on Christmas Key, love is blooming like bougainvillea. Things are heating up between Mayor Holly Baxter and the island’s newest (and handsomest) resident, Miguel. The annual seafood festival is on the horizon. And Holly’s just received her DNA results—along with a surprise revelation that might change everything she thought she knew about her family. There’s a man out there who might be the father Holly never thought she’d meet. But after a lifetime of believing he didn’t exist, is she ready to let someone new into her life... or her ...

Dara's lived a sheltered life with her single mom, Mellie. Now, at 18, she's dreaming of more. When Dara digs up her never-before-seen birth certificate, her world implodes. Why are two strangers listed as her parents? Dara confronts her mother, and is stunned by what she learns: Mellie is transgender. The unfamiliar name listed under "father"? That's Mellie. She transitioned when Dara was a baby, after Dara's birth mother died. She changed her name, started over.

Before he was the island’s only cop, Jake Zavaroni was just a guy running from heartbreak—and one very bad day. After a traumatic event on the job shakes him to his core, Officer Jake Zavaroni leaves his Miami beat behind. Big city crime. Big emotions. A messy breakup. He’s done with all of it. Christmas Key seems like the perfect escape: quiet beaches, sleepy streets, and a population made up mostly of sunburned retirees. No drama. No danger. Just peace. Until he meets Holly Baxter. She’s the island’s thirty-year-old mayor, full of spark, sass, and opinions—and she’s nothing ...

Romance is in the air - Tay and Toby are a couple now… but Third is feeling like the odd one out. What happens next? Summer after junior year should be full of carefree moments and fun—but for Tay and Toby, everything is changing. With their relationship officially on, the two spend their days together working at the local movie theater, navigating the highs and lows of being a couple. But as they grow closer, their once inseparable friend, Third, begins to feel like the odd one out. Struggling with his own identity, Third faces a long summer of soul-searching. As Tay and Toby’s bond ...

Ro is stuck. She's just entered her thirties, she's estranged from her mother, and her boyfriend has just left her to join a mission to Mars. Her days are spent dragging herself to her menial job at the aquarium, and her nights are spent drinking sharktinis (Mountain Dew and copious amounts of gin, plus a hint of jalapeño). With her best friend pulling away to focus on her upcoming wedding, Ro's only companion is Dolores, a giant Pacific octopus who also happens to be Ro's last remaining link to her father, a marine biologist who disappeared while on an expedition when Ro was a teenager.

Mafatu's name means "Stout Heart," but his people call him a coward. Ever since the sea took his mother's life and spared his own, he has lived with deep fear. By the time he is twelve years old, Mafatu can bear it no longer. He must conquer his fear alone...even if it means certain death. This classic tale of a young boy's hidden strength has been a favorite of readers of all ages since 1940.

Before you find yourself—you’ll have to wander through the stories that shaped you. In the fourth volume of The Creative Works of Mr. Joe, Joseph Santiago invites you into a space where memory, myth, and imagination blur—where genre bends, and the self reveals itself in unexpected ways. Told through a kaleidoscope of flash fiction, short stories, and lyrical essays, these works explore the invisible threads that shape our lives: the fears we silence, the joy we nearly miss, and the rituals we invent to stay human. With a voice both vulnerable and sharp, Santiago weaves sci-fi ...

After her parents moved her and her brother to America, Preeti Desai never meant to tear her family apart. All she did was fall in love with a white Christian carnivore instead of a conventional Indian boy. Years later, with her parents not speaking to her and her controversial relationship in tatters, all Preeti has left is her career at a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. But when Preeti receives word of a terrible accident in the city where she was born, she returns to India, where she’ll have to face her estranged parents...and the complicated past they left behind.