Eighty-three-year-old obituary writer Essie finds her life in small town Nebraska turned upside-down when a young country girl is reported missing and the long-awaited final book in an infamous series of young adult gothic novels is being secretly printed on her newspaper's presses. Reprint.

Timothy Schaffert has created his most memorable character yet in Essie, an octogenarian obituary writer for her family’s small town newspaper. When a young country girl is reported to be missing, perhaps whisked away by an itinerant aerial photographer, Essie stumbles onto the story of her life. Or, it all could be simply a hoax, or a delusion, the child and child-thief invented from the desperate imagination of a lonely, lovelorn woman. Either way, the story of the girl reaches far and wide, igniting controversy, attracting curiosity-seekers and cult worshippers from all over the country to this dying rural town. And then it is revealed that the long awaited final book of an infamous series of YA gothic novels is being secretly printed on the newspaper’s presses. The Coffins of Little Hope tells a feisty, energetic story of characters caught in the intricately woven webs of myth, legend and deception even as Schaffert explores with his typical exquisite care and sharp eye the fragility of childhood, the strength of family, the powerful rumor mills of rural America, and the sometimes dramatic effects of pop culture on the way we shape our world.

Stories by Nathan Englander, Matt Sumell, Mary Otis, Marc Basch, and Steve Edwards

A surprising take on Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale, Mermaid is the story of two women with everything to lose. Princess Margrethe has been hidden away while her kingdom is at war. One gloomy, windswept morning as she stands in a convent garden overlooking the icy sea, she witnesses a miracle: a glittering mermaid emerging from the waves, a nearly drowned man in her arms. By the time Margrethe reaches the shore, the mermaid has disappeared into the sea. As Margrethe nurses the handsome stranger back to health, she learns that not only is he a prince, he is also the son of her father's greatest rival. Sure that the mermaid brought this man to her for a reason, Margrethe devises a plan to bring peace to her kingdom. Meanwhile, the mermaid princess Lenia longs to return to the human man she carried to safety. She is willing to trade her home, her voice, and even her health for legs and the chance to win his heart…. Beautifully written and compulsively readable, Mermaid will make you think twice about the fairytale you heard as a child, keeping you in suspense until the very last page.

When chaos reigns and an invisible enemy is out to get her, what can a witch rely on? Only her Doc Martens boots, a switchblade, and ancient magic. Just when Gosha Armitage is getting the hang of being a witch, everything changes. When spells fail and portents of doom foretell a terrible disaster coming in a matter of days, Gosha suspects the return of a vanished enemy, but no one in the hidden corridors of power will believe her. As the stopwatch ticks down toward the death of thousands and her closest relationships begin to unravel, she must travel beyond the boundary of reality to claim the only prize that will save her. Will Gosha find the enemy’s fortress and reach him in time to stop a tragedy that will hurl the word into endless torment? Paint it Black is the fourth installment in The Witch of Cheyne Heath supernatural mystery series from author W. V. Fitz-Simon. If you like eldritch landscapes, desperate quests, and witches who aren’t afraid to sacrifice everything for those they hold dear, you’ll love this arch and cozy spellpunk adventure. Buy Paint it Black and step into the mysterious, treacherous world of Cheyne Heath today.