I love Christmas, even this year. I love it so much that I’ve actually written a few romantic Christmas short stories over the years. If you’re in the mood for some light (mostly light) reading, here are some short stories that might warm your heart.
A Yukon Christmas
Christmas Magic
McKell’s Christmas (A short Mendenhall mystery)
Running Away from Christmas
Trepalli’s Christmas (A short Mendenhall mystery)
Issue #114 of On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic is out and it contains one of my stories! The Cold Time is about the People, who live in the Arctic Ocean and who are being driven to dangerous depths to escape new predators. I just received my copies and am happily making my way through the issue. I particularly love the cover, by Nikolina Petolas. Too cool.
I’m the original scaredy-cat. I don’t watch scary movies or read scary books. Those stories bury themselves in my psyche and come out to play in the middle of the night. Every once in a while, however, an idea sticks its creepy hooks in me and I have no choice but to write it out. So, in honour of Halloween, I present a novel that may put a tingle up your spine. It did for me.
SHELTER
After six long months on the run from her abusive husband, Ash Gantry finally finds a place to call home in Albans, Ontario. It doesn’t take long for her to fall for the small town with the big heart. But more than the town itself, more than its inhabitants, it’s the house on Hawk Street she falls in love with.
But while her heart wants to stay, her head tells her to keep moving. If she keeps moving, her husband will never find her. Only, she’s tired of hiding. Tired of running. Tired of being afraid.
Let him come. She’s staying.
Then she discovers that her new home hides a dark secret, one even more dangerous than the man hunting for her. By the time he finds her, she may already be dead…
Praise for Shelter:
“Ms Dube likes to get a bit of the paranormal into many of her mysteries and in this case the ghost is pretty prevalent and plays quite a large role in the present-day story, especially it’s spectacular and quite satisfactory ending, and is what really ties the two stories together.” –Amazon reviewer
“Gripping from beginning to end. Loved it.” –Goodreads reviewer
“Hard to put down and a great read for Halloween! Or any other time of the year when you want a tingle in your spine and your breath to speed up with anticipation.” –Goodreads reviewer
If you like trolls—and who doesn’t?—you might want to check out another BundleRabbit bundle I’m in, Here be Trolls. Curator A.L. Butcher has assembled six novels and four short stories featuring trolls, including my own short story, “Troll Country.” It’s set in the Yukon because, really, where else would trolls live? I can’t wait to read the other stories in this bundle!
Here’s the write-up:
From nightmare monsters who enjoy dining on children to spiritual mystics in tune with the natural world, from gritty champions to peculiar cooks, from shy hermits to paladin mages—greenskins, trolls, and orcs feature as heroes or as villains in these 10 tales of magic, myth, and mayhem.
And here’s the table of contents:
Leah R. Cutter The Changeling Troll
Kristine Kathryn Rusch Renn and the Little men
J.M. Ney-Grimm The Tally Master
A.L. Butcher The Stolen Tower
Marcelle Dubé Troll Country
Charlotte E. English The Road to Farringale
Blaze Ward Meat Shield
Stefon Mears The Great Orc Cook-Off
J.M. Ney-Grimm A Knot of Trolls
Leah R. Cutter The Troll-Troll War
Enjoy!
Well, it’s been a while, eh? I have a good excuse. Since I last posted here, I’ve sold my house, moved out of the Yukon and into Alberta! I bought a house and have been busy setting it up. I never thought I would leave the Yukon but a brand-new grandchild changed my mind. Although I’ve lived in many parts of Canada–and visited everywhere else–I’d never lived in Alberta. Turns out Alberta is absolutely beautiful and Albertans are a lot like Yukoners: warm, welcoming, and funny.
I’m going to like it here.
Now that I have my computer set up, I can tell you about a book bundle I’m in. Worlds Beyond Disaster features two short stories, one novelette and four novels by seven fine, fine writers (at the risk of being immodest). The bundle includes Backli’s Ford, which is the first in my A’lle Chronicles Mysteries series. All that for $4.99. It’s available everywhere ebooks are sold, but it’s super easy to get it directly from BundleRabbit.
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Apple
Here’s the write-up for Worlds Beyond Disaster:
Corrupt governments, secret societies, mutated creatures, and post-apocalypse Earth meet strong-willed characters, unexpected hope, and gripping action.
For fans of Suzanne Collins, James Dashner, and George Orwell, a new dystopian ebook bundle is here! Filled with seven action-packed stories that pose the questions: What would you do in the face of disaster? And how far would you go to save the world?
And here’s the table of contents:
1. “Platypus” by J. D. Brink
2. “Scavengers” by Russ Crossley
3. “Slow Walk” by Charley Marsh
4. “Backli’s Ford” by Marcelle Dubé
5. “Terra Incognita” by Karen L. Abrahamson
6. “Fear of Rain” by Robert Jeschonek
7. “The High Edge” by Dean Wesley Smith
