Here are 75 books that Rewrites of the Heart fans have personally recommended if you like
Rewrites of the Heart.
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I’ve spent a lifetime reading horror, I was probably in third grade when I stumbled across a battered collection of short stories by Saki in the adult section of the library—where I wasn’t supposed to be. I snuck the book back to the children’s section, started reading, and I was hooked. Then it was Edgar Allan Poe, and from Poe until now, it’s been every horror novel or short story I could find. The best of them have never left me. And they make up my list, The Most Terrifying Novels You Can’t Escape From.
Like the other books on the list, The Shining felt personal, more like something that was happening to me than a story I was reading.
Like Jack, I could feel myself hanging on while the menace around me grew more real, more concrete. And more overwhelming. Even today, I can feel the terror of losing control, of becoming part of the menace, part of the threat to everything of meaning and value. Snowbound with horror, and Spring will never come.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Before Doctor Sleep, there was The Shining, a classic of modern American horror from the undisputed master, Stephen King.
Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around…
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
I’ve been fascinated by paranormal stories for years. One of the first books I truly loved was A Wrinkle in Time. I loved the Dragons of Pern, as well. As a girl, I read more stories featuring witches and magical creatures than one ought. But I also loved mysteries—Nancy Drew,as well as all the Agatha Christie books. At present, I’m working on my fifth Fairy Garden Mystery, and I recently completed a mystery novella featuring an elf. To round out the experience, I have personally crafted over fifty fairy gardens. I’m pretty certain a fairy spirit had something to do with my obsession... or perhaps it all started when I kissed the Blarney Stone.
Lily Ivory, who owns a vintage clothing shop in San Francisco, wants to fit in somewhere and conceal her “witchiness”.
She is spiritual and stylish and has a charming sense of humor. Just when life seems normal, she stumbles onto a spooky murder.
This book ticks off all the boxes for a fun and mentally stimulating read. Lily’s familiar is an adorable, witty pig. There’s a sexy myth buster who is enticing. And there’s a powerful warlock who is her nemesis.
Lily Ivory feels that she can finally fit in somewhere and conceal her "witchiness" in San Francisco. It's there that she opens her vintage clothing shop, outfitting customers both spiritually and stylistically.
Just when things seem normal, a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area. Lily has a good idea that some bad phantoms are behind it. Can she keep her identity secret, or will her witchy ways be forced out of the closet as she attempts to stop the phantom?
From the first time I saw the sitcoms of the 1960s that featured paranormal characters like Bewitched, The Munsters, and I Dream of Jeannie, I have been fascinated by what it would be like to have supernatural powers like telekinesis, teleportation, shapeshifting, and clairvoyance. When I started writing fictional novels, after a long career of writing fact-based scientific articles for the academic press, I knew the genre of paranormal fantasy was the one that I wanted to contribute to. Every one of my novels thus far has included characters with supernatural powers like those that I observed and studied on television as a child.
Lasher continues the Mayfair Witches saga by developing one of my favorite themes in speculative fiction: What’s “apparently” right or wrong, good or evil? This premise fascinates and charges me when I write my paranormal fantasies.
I love that Rowan falls for Lasher’s enchantment in the beginning when he promises her extraordinary powers by sharing his physical self sexually with her, but then the story pivots to the immortal itself and its end game. What started out as a dream became a nightmare.
I love when paranormal fantasy goes off the rails, and the happy ending is not necessarily realized in the story. It is a betrayal of the characters in your book to give them a happy ending when the circumstances don’t warrant it.
SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SHOW, FROM THE NETWORK BEHIND THE WALKING DEAD
'[W]hen I found Rice's work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made [it] feel so contemporary and relevant' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes
'[Rice wrote] in the great tradition of the gothic' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry Moon
At the centre of Anne Rice's brilliant novel, the beautiful Rowan Mayfair, queen of the coven, must flee from the darkly brutal, yet irresistible demon known as Lasher. With a dreamlike power, this wickedly seductive entity draws us through…
The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall
by
Paul Wilborn,
It’s 1985, and Ronald Armstrong, known in the magic mushroom trade as “Trip,” takes a “sober” job as a driver for a retired Tampa mobster. His boss, Charlie Wall, has survived four attempts on his life, the last one in 1955. When Charlie falls into depression, Trip rebuilds his boss’…
Writing a protagonist who can't talk out loud is quite a challenge. I talk constantly as I'm both an extrovert and a public speaker for my day job, but I have had several bouts of severe laryngitis and have been under severe no speaking orders from the doctor. People react differently when you can't talk. Nowadays, we all have a convenient mobile device on hand to help, but that isn't always the case in the fantasy books we read.
In Speechless in Achten Tan my main character Mila can't talk because magic took her voice. Her magic power is connected to her ability to speak, so she's pretty desperate to regain her ability to speak.
This is actually a humorous fantasy book, but I only discovered the fantasy elements about halfway through. It's also M/M romance. The MC lost his voice as a baby when his father cut his vocal cords. Pretty gruesome. He usually communicates with his phone, nonverbal cues, and lots of body language.
Third time’s the charm, right? At least that’s what I tell myself when I witness the same hot guy commit mass murder three times in a few days. I’m either the luckiest mute boy ever or possibly the unluckiest. Who knows, maybe him kidnapping me will turn into the greatest love story ever told? Hey, it could happen! You never know how these things will turn out. I happen to believe in love and soulmates, and if nothing else, Arlington Fox doesn’t treat my disability like a nuisance. It’s not everyday you find someone who just gets you, and…
I am Kurt D. Springs. If you read my back of the book bio, you’ll find I have advanced degrees in anthropology and archaeology and a focus on European prehistory. However, I’ve always been fascinated by military history. I’ve recently studied how modern warfare has changed many old paradigms. I’ve also studied modern and ancient religions, and many of the fiction works I enjoy have ESP or magic elements, especially Andre Norton’s works. I am also a fan of the HALO game universe. I like to tell people my stories are the children of Andre Norton’s Forerunner series and HALO.
The Mighty First series follows Earth’s First Orbital Marine Division’s battles with Grozet’s Storian Empire for planet Earth.
I like how Mark Bordner handles the future military end of his stories, making them as relatable as possible for people who know present-day weapons. In The Mighty First, Episode 4: Minerva Rising, the protagonist, Minerva, receives a premonition of planetary conflict based on the breaking of the seals in Revelations.
This scene struck me as a foreshadowing of the coming conflicts and the destruction of Earth and Storia.
The Storian occupation of Earth has been broken. Even the global celebration of V-Day can bring no solace for young Minerva Corbin. Word has come down from High Command---take the war to Storia's doorstep. Earth's military forces prepare for a protracted forward deployment, a task that promises monumental challenges for the 1st Global Marine Division as they face liberating occupied worlds along the way. Minerva's desperation and anger swell, making her a force to be reckoned. Pitched battles on a biblical scale cannot stop her on her determined trek to end the costliest war of mankind's history. A timid, small-town…
Since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the supernatural. I’ve always been especially captivated by vampires. My love for vampires and many of the books I’ve read about them contributed to the inspiration that led me to write my own stories. My passion for the series I created drives me. Building my own fantasy world and creating the characters within it has been an amazing experience. Most days, I feel like I’m just a spectator in their world, and they’re writing the story themselves. I hope you, too, will find enjoyment and possibly inspiration in the books from this list, just as I have.
I lost sleep reading this book. Lying in bed, I told myself, “Just one more chapter.” The next thing I knew, it was morning, and I could hear the garbage truck in the distance. Did I put the book down and get my day started, or make sure the trashcans were put out the previous night? Of course not! I was engrossed. I needed more, and I needed to know everything! I needed to know what would happen to the main character and how the Black Dagger Brotherhood worked.
At the time, this book was like nothing else I’d read and my first experience with such a steamy story. But the sexy bits were just bonuses in a story that I found so very captivating I couldn’t put it down. I loved learning about the brotherhood, about Beth’s connection to it, and I loved the dynamics of the brothers, just…
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Among them, none relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...
The only pure-bred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage…
Delve into this internationally best-selling series, now complete! A fast paced laugh-out-loud mix of Urban Fantasy and Mystery.
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time. I’m Jinx, a PI hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar–yet my gut…
I have loved the supernatural world since my dad took me to see The Lost Boys in the theater. There’s just something about the unbelievable that drags me into this genre. I enjoy the escapism aspect because real life is hard enough. Plus, what girl wouldn’t want to be taken to a castle and live happily ever after with her prince? I know I would.
Talk about an edge-of-your-seat paranormal romance! The Alliance books are a spin-off from Brenda’s Vampire Awakenings series. While both deal with fated mates, the former delves deeper. You see the true evil and the lengths they’ll go to for dominance while also getting swept away by the romance. There's a ton of angst and jaw-dropping endings that will leave you reeling.
Over the centuries, anything Ronan once found pleasure in has been replaced by blood and death.
Every morning, he wonders if that will be the day he succumbs to the savage side of his vampire nature.
As a born hunter, Kadence has never stepped beyond the walls of her home.
She’s not happy with her life, but she accepted it long ago... just as she’s accepted her impending marriage to a man the elders chose for her. However, when a vampire murders her father, Kadence is determined to escape the walls that have kept her caged.
I’ve always looked for stories that aren’t stamped out of the same mold. Having broken that mold in my own writing years before with Tanyth Fairport and Ravenwood, I dove into this new blend of second chances, paranormal romances, and characters that might be fighting for their lives against supernatural forces but always kept the human spark burning.
Christina Garner’s funny and poignant midlife magic story hooked me from the git-go. I admired the main character’s struggle to find her footing when tossed into a strange world of supernatural beings. Her struggle of trying to balance her need to honor the mystical connection to her late grandmother with the demands of her professional career drew me in and wouldn’t let me go.
A paranormal women's fiction novel with Gen X attitude and a heart of gold.
Welcome to Hollywood Lakes, where the water is warm, the coffee is hot, and magic begins at midlife.
Shay Atwater is a talent manager in Hollywood with a knack for making dreams come true. But somehow, she's never quite found her own. At 44, she fears she's running out of time—especially in Hollywood where women of a certain age become invisible.
She needs a reset, and settling her grandmother's estate is the perfect opportunity for a getaway to Hollywood Lakes, the idyllic town where she spent…
I believe that magical systems and worlds based on folklore and existing magical practices feel more “real” to the reader... and are a lot more interesting. As an avid Tarot reader, I’ve taken some deep dives into the esoteric magical traditions and symbols behind the cards. I’m still coming up for air on the topic. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to channel this arcane (and let’s face it, not otherwise very useful) knowledge into my own witch and paranormal mysteries. I hope you enjoy the witchy mystery novels on this list!
This frothy, well-paced cozy witch mystery features a psychic who can pick up visions of the past wearers of old clothes. How convenient that she runs a vintage clothing store… Add a Cary-Grant handsome ghost and some very lively romantic entanglements to the great clothes and a charming small town, and you’ve got a winning paranormal mystery. The author also does an excellent job describing the experience of clairtangency—psychic touch.
A fun new mystery series from the author of Gone with the Witch.
The right dress can be magic; the wrong one?murder! From the national bestselling author of Sensation?s Witch series comes the new Vintage Magic mystery series, featuring Madeira Cutler. While opening her own vintage clothing shop, Maddie must clear her family?s name when her sister?s wedding festivities hit a snag: murder.
The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.
Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…
I am Kurt D. Springs. If you read my back of the book bio, you’ll find I have advanced degrees in anthropology and archaeology and a focus on European prehistory. However, I’ve always been fascinated by military history. I’ve recently studied how modern warfare has changed many old paradigms. I’ve also studied modern and ancient religions, and many of the fiction works I enjoy have ESP or magic elements, especially Andre Norton’s works. I am also a fan of the HALO game universe. I like to tell people my stories are the children of Andre Norton’s Forerunner series and HALO.
While I found all the original trilogy stories enjoyable, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back fascinated me with the weaponry and battles at the beginning.
Luke’s Jedi training under Yoda was something that I found inspirational. Yoda’s admonition on focus, control, and belief inspired the scenes of Liam being trained. I enjoyed the final interplay between Luke and Darth Vader, ending with Luke’s realization that experience matters.
