Havok Publishing

Author - rachael.kemme

The Woman in the Grove

Namika’s tenth winter was bitter. January’s harsh winds blew into April, and she had a sickness that made her mother frown and the doctor whisper. When the first sakura buds appeared in her family’s grove, Namkia stared longingly from the window. Usually she would be helping her family prepare for hanami, the flower viewing…

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The Hundred-Year-Old Bowl

I’m focused, minding my own business, quietly eating my breakfast of rice, miso soup, and grilled salmon in the dining room. It’s what I do every morning while studying my book of ancient Japanese history.
I’m so entranced that I almost miss the crackling female voice. “Why aren’t you married yet, Airi?

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The Ghost in Stall Three

As a general rule, Reynolds didn’t go into junior high girls’ bathrooms. But when three corpses turned up in a school lavatory stall all in one day, he tended to make an exception. Plus, he’d been called in to investigate.
All the way from New York City.
Reynolds squatted in front of…

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Heroes Don’t Need Rescuing

There was a girl… in my bed.
Great, another “weary traveler” Dex decided to help. Huffing, I tossed my purse onto the bucket chair beside my door. “Guess I’m not getting a nap anytime soon,” I grumbled as I tiptoed to my closet. After wrenching a neon purple jumpsuit off its hanger…

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In the Clouds

A month ago, I wouldn’t have entertained the idea of staying in a foreign national park after operating hours. Now, I was following my sister down a winding trail in the sunset. “Jess! Are you sure about this?”
She didn’t break stride, simply glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Trust me, Liz.”

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