Short Story Church

From the UK best-selling author of Abbot's Keep comes a new dimension in terror. Spanning four decades, the dark history of Church Farm House is explored within four interlinking horror stories. Welcome to the nightmare... Benedict Ashforth is the author of the UK best-selling Kindle ghost story, Abbot's Keep.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. The nine stories in this collection feature four generations of characters grappling with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church's double standards and their own needs and passions.

As well as Lisa, we meet Hester, Julia, Helen, Caroline and a host of other devastating girls, falling in and out of love, finding and losing (and often finding again sometimes in the most unexpected places) the men of their dreams. Lisa & Co is a sparkling collection of love stories that are both moving and funny and could have been written only by the unique Jilly Cooper.  

International number one best-selling author Jeffrey Archer is a master of the short-story form, creating classic tales beloved by his fans and hitting the top of the best seller lists with his previous collections. The Short, the Long and the Tall collects together 20 of Archer's most treasured previously published short stories.

This is a mini-sequel to The Other Son, a little gift for all those listeners who have been begging to know what happens next. Alice has been lying to herself for years, holding fast to the belief that the needs of her family far outweigh her own. But her outwardly successful marriage hides dark secrets, and for much of her life, the children were the only reason she stuck around.

Pamela is a newly retired teacher with time on her hands. She’s finding it hard to muster enthusiasm for what’s ahead: exhausting postdivorce dating rituals and an uneasy relationship with her emotionally stunted, live-at-home son. But for Pamela, there’s a surprise in store that could challenge the status quo and, against all expectations, make life interesting again.

Her path to the throne is paved with treason.... 1330. Philippa of Hainault may be married to King Edward III, but she’s penniless and powerless. England quivers in the clutches of the Dowager Queen Isabella and her darkly ambitious lover Lord Mortimer while her husband rots in jail, a prisoner at Mortimer’s hand. It will take a courageous young man to emerge from the shadows and rise up against this formidable pair. Philippa won’t sit back and see Edward puppeteered. She is determined to see justice done.

After suffering a break-up of a long-term relationship, Mattie felt she would never find love. Mattie invites her friend Rebecca to travel to Florida with her for two weeks of fun in the sun - a trip that had been planned as an anniversary getaway for Mattie and Dillon. In the midst of a street party, Mattie encounters a mysterious, handsome sailor with eyes only for her. She agrees to be his date for one evening. That one evening turns into two days. The short time they would have with each other would change the course of both their lives.

Connie Granger has escaped the devastation of her bombed out city home. She has found work in the Women's Timber Corps, and for her, this remote community must now serve a secret purpose. Seppe, an Italian prisoner of war, is haunted by his memories. But in the forest camp, he finds a strange kind of freedom. In each other they find the means to imagine their own lives anew, and to face that which each fears the most. But outside their haven, the world is ravaged by war and old certainties are crumbling.

In this entertaining collection, dogs of all kinds are brought to life. Working dogs, dogs who are mistreated by humans, dogs who save lives and the ones that make us laugh; they all leap and bound in stories by our most accomplished writers, including Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Jack London and Jerome K. Jerome. 

Kynan McGrath has joined The Jameson Group, a security organization handling everything from covert military operations to providing protection for high-profile celebrity clients. As second-in-command, Kynan has the authority to accept or decline missions. When a stunningly beautiful pop princess walks through the doors, Kynan knows he’ll do anything to get closer to her. Joslyn Meyers is on the brink of super stardom, but with fame comes a level of attention she was never prepared for. She’s even less prepared for the gorgeous, tattooed, British bodyguard hired to keep her safe.

 Classic Cat Stories is an anthology that includes fairy tales and fables from the likes of Rudyard Kipling and Charles Perrault as well as comic tales from Saki and E. F. Benson. Cats, of course, have always had a dark and mysterious side, which is explored to chilling effect by the likes of Edgar Allan Poe in 'The Black Cat'. But above all, we love them, and you’ll find here stories about all kinds of cats that tug at the heartstrings like 'The Man of the House' by Ethel Colburn Mayne and other stories that celebrate their curious ways.  

Sawyer Beckett is at it again! That baby, whose Mama gave him all that drama? Well, she's all grown up and ready to date! And Sawyer is not happy about it. So he's written another guide, full of "helpful advice", for all the horny lil' punks that think they stand a chance of getting near his angel Presley.

Mrs. Vander was beautiful as the 1930's actress she resembled - only very much alive. Her husband, 50 years her senior, was dead - very dead. Police Detective Stoner, very much aware of the risk of his attraction to her, stays on the case.

A short story about an old lighthouse and the secrets that it protects.

Every woman's fear realized.

Have you ever just wanted to retire into your dreams? Do you love books? This short story from Devlin Church is about a bookstore that can do just that! Meet an old woman who's ready with tea and snickerdoodles, just waiting for you come in and chat.

When does Death ever get a coffee break? A mix up takes place in Azrael's schedule. He doesn't know who he is to meet, it's two o-clock in the morning and it's cold. A good cup of coffee is sorely missed and he has until dawn to figure it all out.

A short story about a mysterious man who arrives in a small 19th century Orkney Island fishing village. He has the air of an aristocrat, the clothes of a beggar and a leather pouch filled with the biggest pearls anyone has ever seen. The women can't take their lustful eyes off him, the men are jealous, but he only has one woman and one purpose on his mind.

Marion was the perfect librarian until she was involuntarily retired. Then she met a strange little old man and her life changed.