Showing results by narrator "Marisa Blake" in All Categories

This cross-genre anthology written by superstar YA authors from across the Latin American diaspora offers bold new thrills for every monster fan. In these fifteen original short stories, bloodthirsty vampires are hunted by a quick-witted slayer; children are taken from their beds by “el Viejo de la Bolsa” while a military dictator steals their parents; and anyone you love might be a monster waiting to strike. The sinister worlds of these narratives are also magical ones, where supernatural beings can be avatars for justice, vengeance, sisterhood, and empowerment.

After a tragedy separates her from her mother, Juana García leaves in search of her father, who left them two years earlier. Out of money and in need of someone to help her across the border, Juana meets Adelina Vasquez, a young woman who left her family in California to follow her lover to Mexico. Finding themselves - in a Tijuana jail - in desperate circumstances, they offer each other much needed material and spiritual support and ultimately become linked forever in the most unexpected of ways.

For generations, the Olivares women have sought to control their daughters’ destinies, starting with their names. In life, Olvido constantly clashed with her carefree daughter. Then teenage Angustias discovered she was pregnant and left her mother’s home in search of her own. Ten years later, Felicitas finally meets her estranged grandmother and is terribly disappointed when Olvido is nothing like a grandmother should be. She is strict, cold, and…dead. Now, Olvido is convinced the only way her spirit will cross over is if she resolves her unfinished business.

A family trip to the Wind Caves National Park quickly turns into a nightmare when K-9 officer Kenyon Graves discovers one of his twin boys has been abducted. Now Kenyon needs the help of his team and his longtime friend Raina McCord to save his toddler son. But the kidnapper is elusive—and intent on killing anyone who stands in the way of their sinister scheme. With threats closing in, time is of the essence to catch this criminal…before Kenyon and Raina pay the ultimate price.

Renata Stone thought she was having a regular end to her work day at the salon, when a thunderstorm and a broken mirror open a Gateway in time. Traveling through the mirror, Renata emerges in an Amaranthine Loop—another dimension comprised of a time paradox that erases eons of memory.

Journalist Rebecca Grant provides us with a never-before-seen look at the changing landscape of pregnancy and childbirth in America—and the rise of midwifery—told through the eyes of three women who all pass through the doors of the same birth center in Portland, Oregon. In remarkable detail and with great compassion, Grant recounts the ups downs, fears, joys, and everyday moments of each woman’s pregnancy and postpartum journey, offering a rare look into their inner lives, perspectives, and choices in real time.

In visceral, embodied prose, Fragoza's imperfect characters are drawn with a sympathetic tenderness as they struggle against circumstances and conditions designed to defeat them.

Rocio has grown up in Central America, but now she and her family are moving to the United States. Rocio does her best to adjust to a new way of living, but there are many things she misses from her old life—Abuela’s cooking, Abuela’s pinata creations, Abuela’s warm hugs, and of course, Abuela herself most of all. But Abuela finds a way to send Rocio something special just in time for her birthday—a gift wrapped with lots of love—and that fills Rocio to the brim.

A unique collection of 41 groundbreaking essays, poems, and artwork by migrants, refugees and Dreamers—including award-winning writers, artists, and activists—that illuminate what it is like living undocumented today.

An instant classic about the sweet sentiment of life and its most meaningful, memorable moments. Kelly Grettler's peaceful prose is the heart of this tender, relatable story about the passing of time. Sweet Tea by the Live Oak Tree takes the listener on a sentimental journey backward, or forward, depending on who they are.

Do you like alphabet cookies? Recipe included. Let's make some cookies and learn the alphabet. Great activity for the whole family. Enjoy!

Lexi loves to hug trees. Can you guess what kind of trees? A cute short story about a penguin that goes from tree to tree and gives them all hugs.

In 2009, I lived and wrote this while completing an internship in Highlands, North Carolina. A must-listen for those interested in nature writing, empowerment of the disabled, and literary memoirs by modern women. Poetry included.

Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager...well, manages. As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake.

When Lola comes home to her parents' house to find a horde of relatives mourning her death, no one is more surprised than she is. The news had reported that one Lola Cruz, private investigator, was found murdered in an alley, causing great alarm in the Cruz family. Before Lola can say, "boo", a cop comes to the house. It turns out the dead woman had a driver's license with Lola's information.

Two men from vastly different backgrounds are murdered one after another on the same night, in the same fashion with two bullet wounds: one in the head, another in the heart. The two slayings send their wives on a desperate search for answers - and a desperate attempt to save their families' lives.

After a series of scary social media threats, cyber tech expert Robbie Whitaker decided to lend his services to Selene Reilly. Soon, however, the intimidation toward the lovely musician turned physical, and reality set in. Though he wasn’t trained to be anyone’s bodyguard, in the short time he’d known Selene, Robbie was certain he’d do anything in his power to protect her. And while Selene seemed determined to keep some secrets, the unexpected guardian within Robbie was taking no chances. He’d be defending her day and night.

Undercover on a cruise ship with her K-9 dog, Alaska State Trooper Maya Rodriguez uses herself as bait to catch a murderer. And security officer David Garrison is the only person she can trust with the truth. But with a possible serial killer dead-set on taking out anyone who stands in the way, will Maya and David make it off the ship alive?

Believing he’s tracked down his missing informant in a gem-smuggling investigation, FBI agent Ryan McCloud unwittingly leads deadly assassins to Catherine Reed’s mountain hideout. As the informant’s identical twin, and already hiding from her abusive ex-husband, Catherine now has two threats to her life. With danger at every turn, can Ryan protect Catherine and find her missing sister…before it’s too late?

Ana Maria Ybarra dreams of becoming a world-famous pastry chef, but dreams have a cost. Her family can barely keep the family business running, let alone pay for culinary school. Ana Maria helps out at the family bakery, Café Y Mas, whenever she can, but they are struggling while the rival Cuban bakery across the street, Morales Bakery, is doing better than ever.