Rising Action Publishing Co. – förlag

In 1978, as the Cultural Revolution fades into history, Lei is bartered away into marriage for two cartons of cigarettes and a handful of eggs. She finds herself in the unfamiliar village of her new husband where she is met with indifference. When a disaster upends their world, Lei and her husband are forced to join China's vast wave of city-bound, rural migrants, leaving behind children whom they may never see again. Sixteen-year-old LuLu arrives in Shanghai with nothing but ambition. Denied a factory job and determined to keep her family from starving, she turns to sex work, navigating the dangers of the city's underbelly with sharp wit and a fierce will to survive. When a powerful client offers her a chance at security, LuLu faces an impossible choice: seize a future that could lift her family from poverty, or risk everything for a life on her own terms. Immersive, evocative, and impeccably detailed, And The Ancestors Sing is a sweeping, multigenerational story of sacrifice, survival, and the unbreakable pull of home.

Welcome to North Shore Township. Where you can never dig a grave too deep, and you can never keep a secret for too long. The Foreman family has made their fortune burying the dead (and not just funeral services, allegedly). Mary Foreman fled North Shore Township years ago to escape her family's legacy. But when her estranged mother reappears during a local election, reigniting rumours of corporate corruption and criminal activity, Mary's uncle summons her to help with his campaign. Mary leaves Toronto and takes up residence in Foreman House - the now-vacant gothic mansion once home to the Foremans and their infamous funeral business. She also secures a teaching job at her alma mater, St. Joseph's School for Girls, set to unearth the time capsule her great-grandmother helped mastermind. But when the time capsule is opened, the family's legacy rears its ugly head once again. Embroiled in a criminal investigation - one with eerie parallels to several cold cases - Mary begins to unravel a truth rooted in her cursed matrilineal line, the haunted funeral home she grew up in, and the crime her mother stood trial for decades earlier. Crushed by the weight of the township's suspicion, Mary must fight to prove her own innocence. Not only of recent crimes, but past ones, too. For this is the North Shore of Lake Huron, and the past is always present where the dead don't die.

Stubbornly independent Becky isn't looking for love, but when sparks fly on a flight to Mexico she learns her carefully planned life might be the opposite of what she needs. What begins as a fun vacation fling with a sexy stranger turns into so much more. The problem? Dev and Becky couldn't be more different. Back home in Vancouver, Canada, their relationship grows, and their two worlds collide. Can a roommate-hating city girl with a diet of chicken nuggets and cheap wine make it work with a vegetarian, non-drinking, Sikh man who lives with his rambunctious multigenerational family in the suburbs? As Becky navigates her way through a culture she knows nothing about, she is faced with one of the most important decisions of her life: change her plans for how she'd imagined her happily-ever-after, or walk away from love. (Not) Your Basic Love Story is a RomCom about acceptance, compromise, and love being the only thing that truly matters.

How far would you go to keep what's yours? Someone is hunting Cass. Cass lives an enviable life: a successful career, two great kids, and a handsome husband. Then an email from her husband's mistress, Emma, brings the facade of perfection crumbling around her, setting off a chain of events where buried secrets come back to haunt her. A taunting email turns into stalking and escalates into much worse. Ethan and Cass try to move on, then Emma disappears. No longer considered a victim, Cass finds herself the prime suspect and center of the investigation. Her dark secrets - including ones she didn't know existed - threaten to destroy everything they've worked for. A fast-paced psychological thriller with jaw-dropping twists, the novel examines buried family secrets and how desperation can lead to fatal mistakes when We're All Lying.

At age 30, Maya Golden was living a charmed life. She was an award-winning sports reporter, a loyal wife, and a new mom. Privately, she was battling addiction, perfectionism, dissociation disorders, and rage due to sexual abuse endured at the hands of her cousin and many other predators. But Maya wants to change. So, on a family road trip back to her Texas hometown she is ready to put an end to the secrets that threaten her marriage and her career. Three separate moments of divine intervention ultimately saved Maya's life. From a suicide plan to the treatment facility to launching a non-profit organization - Maya's story chronicles and dissects her journey to find purpose out of the trauma.

Something is wrong in Bunker, Illinois. Nora Grace Moon thought her toughest challenge this semester would be managing her OCD, but when her deceased roommate turns up as a reanimated corpse, her world starts to collapse. When her uncle sends her a cryptic message, Nora realizes it must be a call for help. She reaches out to fellow gamer Wesley for advice, a US Marshal with real-life skills for tactical survival, not just in-game. They venture out into a world that is growing more and more deadly by the moment - not only are the undead spreading, but other humans are taking advantage of the societal breakdown. And unknown to Nora and Wesley, they have been targeted by an ancient archeological society who will stop at nothing until they have what Nora has: an artifact that will unleash a new world order of the undead. IRL is a paranormal thriller about leaving the online world and dealing with things 'In Real Life.'

A steamy rivals-to-lovers romance set on a picturesque film shoot in southern France, Take 2 is perfect for fans of witty banter, second chances, and heartwarming love stories. Mira lost the Oscar for best screenplay. Again. She could deal with it, except she lost to Preston Green. Again. Overworked by her self-imposed expectations, Mira has to refocus her writing. She also needs to take a damn break, but time off has to be forced upon her. Luckily, an opportunity to get away and pull herself together comes along with the added bonus of getting time with a director she would kill to work with. A film shoot in the south of France is exactly the combination of rest and work that she can go for. Unfortunately, it's Preston's film. Weeks of picturesque movie magic with her nemesis make it hard to remember her past heartbreak and his annoying way of always being out of her reach. A steamy rivals to lovers romance exploding with banter, Take 2 will have you reaching for the popcorn and smiling straight through to the credits.

Detective Ryan Boone thought the simple jewelry heist was an open and shut case. That is until he discovers an unknown drug, and this minor crime he was investigating may be tied to a string of seemingly unconnected murders. Meanwhile, Mel Parker, unscrupulous leader of a less-than-legal high-end escort service, stumbles across the same pills. On top of protecting her 'investment,' she has her own reasons for attempting to unravel the mystery behind the medication. Ryan knows someone has the answers he seeks, and Mel can't come forward. To complicate things further, five other women are implicated in the murders despite most having never met. As the trail turns up as many mysteries as resolutions, Ryan and Mel must discover the twisted connection before someone else ends up dead. For fans of The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and When You Find Me by P. J. Vernon, Twisted will have you questioning the motive behind the murders and how exactly one can be found guilty when the evidence doesn't add up.

Mae Roberts is certain her new life in the suburbs with her family will be everything she's always wanted. That is, until one of the mothers from her daughters' school goes missing. Mae never thought she would fit in amongst the beautiful and rich mothers at Riverpark Elementary. Though, when she's accepted into their clique and they ask her to be a part of their unofficial neighborhood watch, Mae finds herself slipping more and more into a world of odd dinner parties, secrets and lies, and even rumors of suicide attempts. It's only when one of the Riverpark Moms disappears, and then another, that Mae must decide what's more important - fitting in or uncovering the truth. A fresh take on belonging, obsession and schoolyard politics, Burlington is a domestic suspense that delves into the realities of parenthood and fitting in, and the roles we're sometimes forced to take.

Truth hides where the past refuses to stay buried. Recently fired and adrift, Charlotte Boyd agrees to oversee renovations on her parents' small-town summer home that holds a tragic past. After discovering an enthralling diary hidden amidst junk the previous owners left behind, Charlotte connects with the author -- a troubled teen named Lark Peters who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago. When an unsettling incident forces Charlotte to seek refuge at the local pub, regulars, including the police, warn her of Lark's older brother, Darryl, who has become a recluse since Lark's death, and may know more than he's letting on. But Charlotte sees a side of Darryl others don't, being an outsider herself. In a search to uncover the truth, Charlotte must question those closest to Lark and reconcile her own past trauma. Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte's own backyard.

Bad Things Happened In This Room is a chilling psychological horror that descends into madness where the walls whisper, and secrets are buried in the garden; perfect for fans of Carissa Orlando and The Yellow Wallpaper, exploring motherhood, grief, and the thin line between reality and delusion. In this haunting psychological horror, Willow's life has become a fever dream, her days lost in a twisted loop where time no longer flows as it should. Is she held captive by her husband Liam's iron rules - or by the insidious darkness of her own mind? Her only connection to the world beyond her walls is a young girl named Sarah, whose unexpected visits to Willow's garden spark a glimmer of hope. But as cracks form in her carefully controlled existence, horrifying truths seep through, twisting the familiar into something sinister. The floral wallpaper peels back to reveal haunting messages carved into the walls, and the house itself pulses with malevolent life. When Sarah suddenly vanishes, Willow is forced to confront the dark shadows of her past and the horrors lurking within her fractured psyche. The question remains: is Willow truly a prisoner of her home, or of her own mind? Some doors, once opened, can never be closed. And some truths are better left buried in the garden.

US Senator Oliver Michaels of Maine campaigned on the hopes of changing Washington. One year after becoming the youngest senator in Congress, Oliver finds himself disheartened by systemic bureaucracy, partisan finger-pointing, the power of lobbyists, and the collapse of his marriage. When New York Times reporter Alex Broussard shows up at his office, Oliver is presented with a shocking corruption scheme involving two congressmen, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and a chemical manufacturer. With this real opportunity to clean up dirty DC politics, Alex reignites Oliver's pledge to help people lost in messy legislative battles and abandoned by government in sacrifice zones. Yet, lofty political aspirations aren't the only things burning with passion. Working side by side, Alex and Oliver, once an item in college, realize feelings still linger for one another. Alex and Oliver's efforts to expose the unlawful plot also uncovers the fact that they are pawns in a rigged game hosted by those who will do anything to keep their positions of power and their wallets padded - even kill. The stakes continuously rise, putting Alex, Oliver, and their family and friends in grave danger. Each must decide what's more important; the safety of their loved ones or the health of the public.

Anita Walsh, still reeling from her husband's sudden death, finds herself haunted not only by grief, but his Negative Image, a new phenomenon where the deceased prey on those they loved in life, turning intimate memories into nightmares. This spectral figure uses their shared past as a weapon, systematically dismantling her friendships, career, and self-worth. Desperate for escape, Anita plunges into a quest to sever the ghostly bonds that tie her to her tormentor. As society grapples with the rising terror of NIs, a charismatic extremist proposes a radical solution to isolate the haunted from the unafflicted, gaining dangerous followers. Anita, alongside another victim of this spectral affliction, must navigate their personal hauntings and societal threats to prevent the breakdown of their community. With its gripping narrative and eerie exploration of love and betrayal, Negative Images marks Rebecca Schier-Akamelu as a powerful new voice in horror. This novel delves deep into the psychological horrors of grief and the supernatural, making it a must-read for fans of horror and ghost stories alike.

It's the height of the fur trade in Canada, and Abigail Williams leaves her home in England and travels deep within the rugged wilderness to escape her scandalous past. With her young son in tow, Abby imagines a life on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, in the rugged but beautiful Fort Edmonton, where she can mend horseshoes in her father's blacksmith shop and her past will not be a hindrance to her happiness. Life has other plans. The interest of Henry, an officer at the fort, and Gabriel, a French trapper, are not what she expected. While she wrestles with what future either man can give her, her past comes to haunt her, and she and her son must flee with a ragtag group of voyageurs to Montreal. The winter journey is fraught with dangers, from raging rivers to the chaos that is Lake Superior. But Abby is determined to create a new life for herself, whatever the barriers. The Fort features the iconic Hudson's Bay Company and rival North West Company, English-French tensions, a heartfelt love story, LGBTQ+ representation, and impeccably-researched historical detail.

After her mother's death, Delaney Byrne faces escalating debts and a sister to support. Their home is burglarized, hinting at her mother's obsession with a hidden treasure in Arizona's mountains. When her estranged best friend, Joss, proposes one final treasure hunt, Delaney is sceptical but desperate. As they delve into the wilderness, Delaney and Joss navigate a maze of old betrayals and hidden dangers. Each clue they uncover draws them closer to the treasure but deeper into risk. Delaney vows not to repeat her mother's mistakes, but the mountain's perils are relentless, and trust is scarce. Blending the gripping suspense of Erica Ferencik's The River at Night with the psychological depth of Andrea Bartz's We Were Never Here, Glitter & Gold is a tale of survival, secrets, and the lengths we go to for family and fortune.

The characters in Dominic Hoffman's tales of Late Rehearsals are familiar. Their choices are recognizable, and the people are far from perfect. Humor is a constant. However, their most significant commonality is the sense that every day is a rehearsal for the next. In this compilation of narratives, contemporary fables and intimate accounts, we travel cultures and cities, contemplate life and death to discover that our lives can be justified, vilified or distanced by the simple act of viewing the lives of others. The individuals in these stories walk their own paths, and their late rehearsals will continue into the inevitable closing night.

In the tranquil town of Cedar Plains, where safety and community are sacred, Courtney Faith's ideal life is upended by a body found on a local farm, shattering her peaceful existence. Her friend, Alexa Huston, intimately familiar with chaos, gets entangled in an accidental murder that escalates her spiraling life into deeper darkness. Alexa wrestles with a disturbing question: Is murder justifiable if it targets the deserving? As bodies accumulate, the local police scramble for answers. Torn between loyalty and justice, Courtney discovers evidence linking Alexa to the crimes. Their friendship frays as Courtney grapples with a dire choice: expose Alexa and risk her own darkest secret, or protect a friend and possibly destroy everything she cherishes. In Cedar Plains, some truths are too perilous to unearth. Caught in a deadly dance of secrets and lies, Courtney must decide whether to confront the monster behind a familiar face or let their secrets stay hidden, buried within the town's heart. Their darkest deeds are cloaked in silence, and no one truly knows anything.

She hadn't turned 40 yet, and already she was over it... Dumped. Pregnant. Fired. For best friends Carmen and Ally, the approach of their 40th birthdays is anything but a celebration. Yet, it might be exactly what they need to set their lives on the right path.  In the bustling heart of New York, Carmen has it all - a high-profile career, a loving family, and a home straight out of a magazine. But as her 40th looms, her life begins to unravel. A surprise pregnancy, a shocking job loss, and the unwelcome sight of crow's feet force her to rethink her perfect life and what it means to truly have it all. Meanwhile, in the quiet of Maine, Carmen's best friend Ally, a spirited marine biologist, confronts her own crisis as she faces the fallout from a doomed affair with her boss. With her romantic life in shambles and her professional life no better, Ally relocates to Portland, Oregon, hoping for a fresh start and one last chance at love. As their individual journeys to happiness lead them in different directions, the strength of their friendship is tested. Tragedy strikes, bringing hidden resentments to the surface and forcing them to confront their past - and each other. In the process, they must answer a pivotal question: Are their best years really behind them, or is turning 40 just the beginning of their greatest adventures?