Showing results by narrator "Jennifer Jill Araya" in All Categories

Professor Miranda Ventham is having bad dreams—nothing new in 1920s Arkham—but hers are horrifying glimpses of a dark future. Now seriously ill, she books herself into the new sanatorium, Stroud Home. With luck, the town's eldritch taint won't reach her there. And yet the nightmares worsen. Aided by her friend, Agatha Crane, they delve into the background of the sanatorium's enigmatic director, Donovan Stroud. Plagued by doubts, delusions, and terrifying visions, Miranda must unravel the shrouded history of the Strouds before she is trapped in a labyrinthine nightmare.

Eva has never felt like she belonged...not in her own family or with her friends in New York City, and certainly not at a fancy boarding school like Hardwick Preparatory Academy. So, when she is invited to join the Fives, an elite secret society, she jumps at the opportunity to finally be a part of something.

Hadley James is finally living the life she’s always wanted: making jam and selling it at the local farmers market. When a cat-sitting job turns into a murder investigation, life no longer seems so perfect. Her twin brother, a deputy sheriff, is on the case but they’ve always done everything together and she can’t help but get involved. Following a trail of crafty clues, the James twins learn that their sleepy town might be harboring more darkness than they could’ve imagined.

Chancery is counting on her older sister Melina to help her find the right path. The fate of the world rests on the outcome of that guidance. But not everyone wants the entire world to survive. As usual, the key to the future lies in the mistakes of the past. In a world where perfection is mandatory.... Melina’s parents do not get along, not even a little bit. All Melina wants is to make her parents proud, to make them smile. But what brings joy to one causes the other to scowl. There’s only one thing they both agree upon - Melina must win in single combat at the Centennial Games.

Addy really needs a raise, like yesterday. Thanks to a mountain of school debt, she’s heartily sick of being broke. So when she discovers she’s being considered for a promotion? She’s giddy.

Kat O'Hara returns home penniless, heartbroken, and without a job. When the magical Landers sisters hire her to run their new Enchanted Cafe, little do they suspect that a gruesome murder is about to take place in the small town of Kissing Bridge Mountain. Things bubble over at the big chili cook-off, when a Crock-pot goes missing and a body is found.

Abigail Willard first spots her from the back of a New York cab: the spitting image of Abby herself at age 22 - right down to the silver platforms and raspberry coat she wore as a young artist with a taste for wildness. But the real Abby is now 46 and married, with a corporate job and two kids. As the girl vanishes into a rainy night, Abby is left shaken. Was this merely a hallucinatory side effect of working-mom stress? A message of sorts, sent to remind her of passions and dreams tossed aside? Or something more explosive and life-altering?

J.J., Molly, and Leila had once been inseparable, but it’s been a long time since college, and life—not to mention distance—have disrupted the former roommates’ friendship. When the three reunite for a birthday weekend in Las Vegas, the lottery ticket they buy on a whim has the winning numbers—giving them a billion-dollar windfall. Shell-shocked, they turn to Shea Daniels, a “sudden wealth manager,” who promises to guide them through the pitfalls of having more money than they’d ever imagined.

Betsy Baxter is the plucky stunt-actor star of the 1920s serial adventure, The Flapper Detective. While researching a wing-walking scene, she meets the fearless Winifred Habbamock and discovers a shared background of eerie encounters and eldritch phenomena. For years, Betsy has been investigating the disappearance of an old friend during the horror-struck filming of The Mask of Silver. When she learns of his reappearance in Arkham, she and Winifred hit the road to investigate. But Arkham is full of mysteries and danger. Betsy will need all her skills, and new allies.

Barbara’s year has not been going well. Both her parents died, she gained a lot of weight, and her husband left her. And now, she’s stuck attending a million holiday parties for work. . .with both her ex and his new girlfriend. She’s not feeling the holiday cheer, that’s for sure. Bentley, on the other hand, has realized that while his life is pretty good, he really wants to settle down with an amazing woman. Unfortunately, while he’s a whiz at making money, he’s not so great at choosing people to date.

Pebble Cove is not the sleepy coastal town Rosemary remembers from her childhood. Ghosts are everywhere. But apparently only she can see them. When Rosemary Woodmere inherits her estranged grandmother's Victorian teahouse, she doesn't expect to also inherit a ghost named Asher from the 1920s. Things get weirder for Rosemary. Her grandma was supposedly murdered. A body has washed up on the beach and the police suspect her in the man's murder. She's trying to navigate her newfound ability to talk to ghosts. And she doesn't even know the first thing about tea.

Eighteen-year-old Aria Hale loves her job at her father’s dream therapy company where she enters dementia patients’ dreams to save their memories. But when their lab is ransacked, two technicians are murdered, and her father is kidnapped, everything changes for her.

When Gabe Winter’s best friend calls with an unusual request—give his broken-hearted little sister a roof over her head for a few months—he readily accepts. He doesn’t expect Nicole to be quite so enticing. Or for her to bring out all the feelings in him. Feelings he thought he’d buried long ago beneath his easy-going façade and womanizing reputation. Now they’re spending late nights watching movies together, snuggled beneath the blankets with popcorn in their hands. And there are inches between her lips and his.

Clea McAllister returns to the Newport haven of her childhood, a gilded mansion by the sea once owned by her beloved grandmother. Now she is a paying guest at her own ancestral home, and Clea’s vacation hides a darker intention: to confront the estate lawyer who stole her rightful inheritance. But wicked games are still being played at Belle Mer, and Clea uncovers more than she ever intended.

Lisa Peterson is a teenage girl who is coming to terms with the tragic loss of her mother in a riding accident. Lisa swore she would never ride again, but everything changes when she moves to the island of Jorvik and meets Starshine, a mysterious steed with a blue mane. In the stable, Lisa befriends Alex, Linda, and Anne, and together they start to realize that they all have magical connections with their horses—and each other.

Amanda Brooks can’t seem to find a job that suits her. She’s really hoping her new plan is a good one, because she needs something to keep her busy while her boyfriend’s gone.

Annie is a robot, created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Playful and eager to please, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the outfits he buys for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his whims. Maybe the apartment isn’t always spotless, but she’s trying to be good enough for Doug. She’s trying really hard.

Addie: In that one moment everything changed. Everything I thought I knew shattered with just a few words. Who knew the truth could be so devastating. I need to decide which side to take. But can I even trust myself? Xander: She's gone, but I'll scorch the earth to find her if that's what it takes. I'll call upon friend and foe for the battle that is to come. The fires of hell couldn't keep me from her and whoever thinks they can take what is mine, is going to regret it for all time. One thing is for sure. The Crash could ruin us all.

Louisa Henry’s dream bookshop is up and running. On a trip to deliver a book to one of her customers, Lou stumbles upon the man’s dead body. The police are sure it’s a suicide, but Lou has questions. Clues at the scene and details about the man’s life just don’t seem to add up. The fact that the dead man was the town bully is only one of many things that gives Lou pause. Are the police jumping to the conclusion of suicide so they don’t have to arrest the person who did everyone a favor?

A Word Is Not A Sparrow is a diverse anthology of stories set amid Russian repression through the centuries; personal narrator testimony about the impact in America of immigrant grandparents from Ukraine and elsewhere; powerful fables and allegories that deliver universal messages about displacement, migration, and human connection; and classic Cossack folk tales that are a touchstone of Ukrainian culture. Listen as we let these words fly out around the world.