And now for something spooky…

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

Amazon Kobo Barnes and Noble Apple

Trolls, anyone?

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!

Worlds Beyond Disaster

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

Out with the old…

…and in with the new.

Home Run and Troll Country are no longer free. Instead, I offer The Saffron Curse:

“…a great romp set in a Vancouver restaurant. This was good fun.” (SF Crowsnest)

Chef Eddie and his partner Amanda luck into a cheap site for the new restaurant they want to build. The old man they buy it from warns them that the site is cursed and makes them promise never to use saffron in their restaurant. But Eddie isn’t superstitious, and when a career-making critic shows up asking for his famous Badaboom monkfish dish—which contains saffron—well, what’s an ambitious chef to do?

This story was featured in Tangent Online’s 2018 Recommended Reading List.

“The story’s pace and prose bristle with the energy of a crowded kitchen.” (Tangent Online)

This one will be available for free for about a week.

Nook/Apple | Kobo | Smashwords

These are trying times…

Like most of you, I’m trying to be socially responsible during this Covid-19 pandemic, which means staying at home. I find myself feeling… a little useless. So, if I can’t actively help during these trying times, maybe I can entertain others who are trapp need a break.

I’ve made two short stories available for free, if you’re looking for a little escapism. Neither one has anything to do with pandemics. They’re not free on Amazon because it takes forever for Amazon to flip to free. Smashwords can provide the stories in .mobi format.

Hang in there, everyone.

HOME RUN: At ten years old—almost eleven—Cooper knows more about surviving than most adults. He and his mom have spent the past three years on the run from the monster. Every time they settle down somewhere new, the monster finds them and they have to run again. But Cooper likes their latest home in Mendenhall and he doesn’t want to leave. Even when the monster finds them again. 

Universal Book Link | Kobo   Smashwords

TROLL COUNTRY: Twenty years after the troll first came for Annie and her sisters, it’s coming back. Only this time, it wants their children, too. 

Universal Book Link | Kobo | Smashwords

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