BarbAvon author

Owl Eyes Motel by Barbara Avon

The year is 1985, and there's a storm brewing. It's the kind that forces even the derelicts to retreat to their gutters. Each room is its own unique story; each chapter, a room. Check in at Owl Eyes and stay a spell, won't you? There's always room for the dead. "Come in! Come in! Welcome to the Owl Eyes Motel. My name is Milton and I am the owner of this fine establishment, situated on Route Number 666. That's six-hundred and sixty-six. Owl Eyes offers impeccable service. There is no lack of creature comforts at this here motel. At Owl Eyes, we pride ourselves on our attention to detail. Management kindly reminds you that we are not responsible for lost luggage...or souls." *Some scenes depict dark and sensitive themes.

A Letter to Claudia by Barbara Avon

A month after Luke changes the course of his life, he is overtaken by an intense desire to win back the very thing he lost. The ultimate sacrifice has caused him immense pain, but by employing the haunted Remington Typewriter, he sets out to change the future once more - as everything he types, comes true. Set in October 1972, and in the tradition of Twilight Zone, follow Luke as he attempts to win back the love of his life. "A Letter to Claudia" is the sequel to "Qwerty" - a book that readers have called "haunting, visceral, raw, and beautiful."

Love Still Bites by Barbara Avon

Satisfy your craving for fiction in a bite-sized morsel, or indulge all at once. This is my second collection of flash fiction that spans various genres. Primarily, though, love still bites.

Love Bites by Barbara Avon

Sometimes, the greatest expressions need only a very few words. This collection of short fiction includes comedy, loss, love, horror and every bit in between. Enjoy in bite-sized portions or devour all at once.

The Christmas Miracle by Barbara Avon

Peter Travis is a handsome older man in his 60s. He left his heart in Niagara Falls when his first love was senselessly killed by a drunk driver. A year later, he opened Briana's Bistro in her honour. Peter found love again, with a woman twenty years his junior. They have twin boys, and he finally has found the peace that he has always longed for. At Christmastime, 2007, Peter hires a boy, Terry, who is down on his luck. During a wicked snowstorm, the bistro closes early. When the bistro goes up in flames, with his wife, Laura, locked in the staff room, Peter blames God. His life is once again turned upside down. The authorities suspect arson. Laura is in a coma, and even the doctors don't know if she will wake. Will she survive? Will Peter ever know who set the blaze? Triggered, he turns to the bottle, and is visited by the ghost of his first love, Briana. In this suspenseful Christmas tale, read about the power of true love, and find yourself believing that maybe, just maybe, miracles do happen.

The Christmas Ornament by Barbara Avon

"The truth is, a man's success is measured not by what he has or what he can do but by who loves him. Until he is loved and feels love unconditionally, he is a ghost among us simply existing. I was sick of being a ghost." Christmas will not mean the same for Peter Travis this year. He and his wife have just suffered a devastating loss and he now fears that she is retreating into the arms of another man. Peter befriends a homeless man. A decorated war hero and finds comfort in the man's words. A published author, Michael describes his time in the war in his novel Home, Now and it is within the pages of his memoir that Peter finds out the truth about real and ever lasting love. Peter's wife is devastated and her heart can not mend after the loss her and her husband have suffered. To make matters worse, a man has come into her life that threatens her marriage and even her safety. Although she trusts her husband, she is unable to confide in him. The man threatening her is sinister and is known to Peter. She is now left to fend for herself and attempt to save her marriage and sets out to protect Peter the only way she knows how - by deceiving him. Set in 2006 with 1980's flashbacks. Will Peter Travis find the happy ending that he seeks?

Briana's Bistro by Barbara Avon

“I harbor secrets and they weigh heavily on me. Not even Carl knows what I do every night after the day’s duties are done. I feel ashamed and yet I cannot stop.” The year is 2003. It's been three years since that fateful night when Peter Travis' world was turned upside down. In an effort to forget his pain, he has sold his house in the country where he once lived in solitude to open Briana's Bistro in downtown Ottawa. On the night of the grand opening, Peter meets a stunning blond woman and he can't get her off of his mind. Love has abandoned him and yet she stirs emotions in him that have long lied dormant. He is torn between guilt and passion and finally relinquishes his heart. However, the woman is not who she says she is, thrusting Peter into a rage that he can not overcome. What secret does the woman harbor that causes Peter so much anguish? What forces will lead him back? Will love prevail? At a time when all obstacles seem insurmountable, ask yourself, is love enough?

Michael's Choice by Barbara Avon

Michael Rossi is back! After the death of Ottawa's first serial killer, things in the city are just getting back to normal. The city's imposed curfew has been lifted, the nervous energy in the air has started to dissipate and demolition has begun on Hayden's Amusement Park. After suffering at the hand of Stevie Phelps, and putting the pieces of their lives back together, Michael and Nicole Rossi are living the dream. Business at Michael's Place is booming, their daughter, Maria, is just learning to walk and the newlyweds are more in love than ever. Without warning, the dream is shattered. A brutal murder takes place and everyone deems it the work of a copy-cat killer. Just like Stevie Phelps, known as "The Carousel Killer", had done with his victims, the killer removed the victim's eyes. Nicole panics and slowly retreats into herself until Michael starts to believe she is seeking comfort in the arms of another man. Then, one night, he overhears a conversation in his restaurant that makes his blood run cold. Phelps continues to haunt the Rossi family, forcing Michael to make a choice. A choice that will change everything and help them emerge from the nightmare that has become their life. Making the wrong choice, Michael soon realizes, is truly the only way out.

The Gift by Barbara Avon

Brooding, sexy, restaurant owner, Michael Rossi is determined to unravel the mystery behind the lady in the red coat. One secret can speak a thousand truths. Michael Rossi has an extraordinary talent. Every day, he sets out with his grandfather's camera to capture incredible images like the ones his Nonno used to take in Italy. His girlfriend recently left him with a broken heart and he's grateful for the distraction. One day, he sees through his lens, a beautiful woman kneeling at a headstone. He quietly snaps her picture and retreats to his two-bedroom home in the city, developing the film in his dark room. He returns to the cemetery daily and every day, the woman is also there. Finally, one day, Michael gathers the courage to approach her. It doesn't take them long to fall in love. Nicole harbors a secret, however. A secret that she is ashamed of and that has changed her in ways she can't describe. If spoken, it would threaten the love she shares with Michael. Ultimately, Michael becomes aware that something isn't right. The words unspoken between them, become the most powerful of all.

Speed Bump by Barbara Avon

Some people believe that dead people walk among us. Sometimes, they even stay for a chat. Tony is a trucker. It's Christmas Eve and he has one last load to deliver. If he can overcome a few...speed bumps along the way. A new horror by the Author of "The Simpleton" and "The Gift".

Static by Barbara Avon

On the night of October 11, 1981, David Parker and his wife Marie were driving their car in a torrential downpour, before what was supposed to be a romantic anniversary dinner. What lied ahead of them on the road was a fate that was far more twisted than the curvature of the asphalt. Six years after that night, David awoke alone. Across town, Catherine spends her nights dreaming of a better life. She is a young widow and her beauty is surpassed only by the sadness that overwhelms her. Love eludes her. Until she connects with a man whose voice fills her heart with its melancholy truths about life. It isn't long before his spirit proves to embody everything that is good and pure and kind. David and Cat have yet to meet face to face. They fall in love over the airwaves, both having come in possession of a portable, two-way radio transceiver. One night, David asks, "Is it the flesh that we love or the soul of a person that attracts us to them?" Cat replies, "In death, true love is bound eternally outside the confines of the body, David. I already love you." Still, he must see her. If fate will allow it. This is the story of David and Catherine's love. A love so powerful that it is almost given voice. You can almost hear it - through the static.

Promise Me by Barbara Avon

When Daniel Walker's wife, Amy, died in a freak accident, he gave up on love. He bought Joe's Grocery & Deli, and transformed it into "The Christmas Store" to honour her, and her love of Christmas. One snowy night, a woman knocks on the door. Daniel is immediately taken with the dark-haired beauty. Bianca is in possession of a key. She traveled from Toronto to Ottawa to unravel the mystery behind the magic relic. She didn't think she would fall in love along the way. When she is diagnosed with a terminal illness, what choices will she make to preserve their love? Is Daniel her future or will she leave him in the past? Does magic have limitations? Set between 1980 and 1990, "Promise Me" is "a most unusual love story, and one you won't soon forget."

Timepiece by Barbara Avon

Matthew Winters is in trouble. Everything he's worked so hard to achieve, is gone. One snowy Christmas Eve in 1932, he's offered a second chance. He meets Henry, the proprietor of a thrift store. It isn't your typical thrift store. The wares Henry purveys are magical. He returns home to confess everything to his beautiful wife, Anna. He convinces her that they can start anew, and use the timepiece Henry gives him to travel through time. "Don't ever let it stop ticking," Henry warns. In this mystical tale that marries time travel, romance and psychological horror, journey with the Winters across many decades to see what happens when you let love lead the way. A grotesquely beautiful love story that will test the hands of time.

Windfall by Barbara Avon

His shadow crossed her frail body like some menacing presence as he stood. He leaned over to brush her thinning hair from her face, and kissed her forehead, trying to reach her beautiful mind. “I'll be right back,” he whispered in her ear. “I'm going to the store, but it will only take me a minute, okay?” In 1982, John Armstrong walks into a convenience store. He emerges with a second chance at life. He believes he's been given a gift - but at what cost? Windfall is a dark-themed fantasy/time travel story about a man who thinks he's won it all.

Qwerty by Barbara Avon

In the tradition of "Twilight Zone", Q.W.E.R.T.Y. takes you into another dimension. A place where all things are possible. Luke is an author and a widower. His aunt gifts him a Remington typewriter and he soon discovers that everything he types, comes true. "What if I can bring her back?" In this novella, that is a cross between time travel and paranormal romance, you'll read a compelling, poetic tale that follows Luke on a heart-breaking journey - one that will change everything.

My Love is Deep by Barbara Avon

"I'm not ashamed for having loved. It is, I was once told, the best reason for dying and the only reason for living." Peter Travis is an attractive, single man in his 50's. Yet he's lonely. He was engaged once but his heart is empty now. He lives a quiet life in the country, just outside of Ottawa and although he has had his fair share of offers, he refuses to date. One woman remains on his mind and even more so now, after he receives a letter. After nearly 20 years apart, she's invited him to meet her once again, at the tree in Niagara Falls where they were engaged in 1986. Peter must fight with his own demons and summon the courage to reunite with his true love, a feisty Italian beauty who approached him in a bar in downtown Ottawa in the 80's. Will he have the courage to put his heart on the line once again? What forces will prevent them from rekindling their love? "My Love is Deep" is set in the year 2000 with 1980's flashbacks, describing a love that many of us seek and some never find. Above all else, it will remind you to love deep, always.

The Simpleton by Barbara Avon

Jonathan Peters once held a prestigious position at Tribeck Advertising. He was well-loved in his neighbourhood. A newlywed, he and his beautiful wife Andrea, were looking forward to being parents. Now he lives a solitary life, and works in a flower shop. Now, they call him the "simpleton". It wasn't his fault, really. He found her in the bathtub. "An accident", they called it. Or was it? When the haunting begins to steal Jon's identity, he changes into a different man. He recognizes the ghost, though. It's someone he once vowed to spend his entire life with, and there's something she wants to say.

Postscript by Barbara Avon

In the Fall of 1985, Jameson Brooks spends his days working for Frank's Moving. At night, he attempts to fill the void of an empty heart with one-night stands, fueled by alcoholic binges. Lina is a dancer, and a lonely spirit. She isn't interested in the advances of the handsome, yet rough rogue that lives above her. Her demons still follow her. Her abusive husband's ghost lingers, along with that of a very shady newspaper editor. When Lina disappears, love fuels James's drive to discover the truth, by using the clues hidden in the notes he finds underneath his door. Mortality becomes his greatest enemy. A paranormal romance with suspense and horror elements. Includes flashbacks to 1918.

Sacrilege by Barbara Avon

"The monster isn't beneath the bed. It is in the mirror swallowing at all the vile things it wants to say, choking on bile to make them go away." Wayward priest Cris Corelli rids himself of the sacred collar and leaves town, boarding the midnight train with no destination in mind. Satan is following him - lurking in the shadows. Corelli finds himself at an unassuming boarding house run by beautiful, yet tortured, Jules. She has her own secrets. They are the kind that echo in the mind, despite the screams that are meant to drown them. On Thanksgiving Day, 1985, Cris and Jules are bonded by a senseless act of violence that brings the small town to its knees. They indulge in drugs and alcohol to numb the pain, and together, they teeter on the edge of darkness. What they don't yet know, is that Satan still lurks. Warning: Dark themes throughout.