Katie Oliver

'The hairs are always buried much deeper than you think.' Where the natural collides with the supernatural, these vivid stories situate us at the permeable border between fantastical and mundane. A teenage swimmer tries to remove an ingrown hair that takes on a life of its own. A town grapples with an uncontrollable growth of moss. A horror soundtrack haunts its composer. Testing the boundary between fantasy and reality, Oliver stretches the imagination to its limits in a collection which places the physical body, human connection and the truth at its centre. These tales navigate guilt, grief and explore the nature of victimhood. Oliver's honest voice penetrates human truths while ghosting narratives with the uncanny. Journey to the outer limits of bodily awareness as characters dive deep to confront their truth.

Murder is on the menu and Phaedra Brighton is called on to serve up justice in the latest Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery. While Phaedra Brighton might not have a Mr. Darcy (yet), she's quite content with her loving family and loyal cat. Phaedra's sister Hannah is the Jane to her Elizabeth, and Phaedra is ecstatic that Hannah has decided to move home for her next adventure--opening a business. All of Laurel Springs is out in full force to celebrate the grand unveiling of Hannah's new patisserie, Tout de Sweet, including local celebrity Rachel Brandon. Hannah is a master of her craft, with confections so divine, one bite will make you think you've died and gone to heaven. Of course, you never want that to happen literally. When one of Hannah's famous dark chocolate cupcakes sends Rachel's assistant to the hospital with poisoning, Hannah begs for Phaedra's help to save her reputation and budding business. But Phaedra has more questions than answers: Who was the cupcake actually meant for? And how far is the culprit willing to go to take their target off the menu--permanently?

Phaedra Brighton is on the case when an innocent murder-mystery weekend turns into the real deal, in the newest Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery. Phaedra Brighton has her life all figured out--she has a profession she enjoys, a wonderful (if exasperating) cat, and a cozy carriage house on the grounds of her aunt's inn. She needs no Captain Wentworth to sweep her off her feet (though, she would not mind a Mr. Darcy). But when Aunt Wendy decides she is selling Laurel Springs Inn, Phaedra faces losing her beloved home. In a last-ditch attempt to drum up more business, Phaedra convinces Wendy to host an immersive Persuasion-themed murder-mystery weekend. It is a fool proof plan to draw attention to the establishment in the hopes of saving it. Until make-believe becomes reality and one of the participants winds up dead. With more suspects than she knows what to do with, Phaedra finds herself on the hunt for a killer once again. But with time running out, Phaedra quickly realizes that with this investigation, there will be no second chances.

Gardens, relationships and imaginations run wild in Katie Oliverâ??s debut short fiction collection. The world is unpredictable and no woman is safe. Boundaries are blurred: between fantasy and reality, technology and nature, autonomy and oppression. Threat of violence simmers. Women transform into birds, converse with plants and plot their revenge.

Jane Austen meets reality TV and murder in this quirky cozy mystery--the first in a new series Phaedra Brighton is perfectly content with her life of lecturing college students, gossiping with her best friends, and dreaming of Mr. Darcy. As a young, respected (if somewhat peculiar) English professor, her expertise lies in all things Jane Austen--but she knows that the closest she'll ever get to being a real-life Elizabeth Bennet is in her dreams. When Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy, a new reality TV show, starts filming at her best friend Charlene's estate, Phaedra is intrigued. And when the producer asks her to lend her Austenian knowledge as a consultant on the show, she's over the moon. But on the first day of filming, when Charlene's new husband is found electrocuted and Charlene herself is accused of the crime, Phaedra comes crashing back to reality. With murder on the syllabus and her best friend in dire straits, there's no Mr. Darcy around to help Phaedra--she'll have to get to the bottom of this mystery herself.

Each anthology in "The Quill Collective" series is a stand-alone book. "One has all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it." -Jane AustenJane Austen's masterpieces are littered with unsuitable gentlemen-Willoughby, Wickham, Churchill, Crawford, Tilney, Elliot, et al.-adding color and depth to her plots but often barely sketched. Have you never wondered about the pasts of her rakes, rattles, and gentlemen rogues? Surely, there's more than one side to their stories. In this romance anthology, eleven Austenesque authors expose the histories of Austen's anti-heroes. Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen's Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues is a titillating collection of Georgian era short stories-a backstory or parallel tale off-stage of canon-whilst remaining steadfast to the characters we recognize in Austen's great works. What say you? Everyone may be attracted to a bad boy...even temporarily...but heaven help us if we marry one. Stories by: Karen M Cox * J. Marie Croft * Amy D'Orazio * Jenetta James * Lona Manning * Christina Morland * Beau North * Katie Oliver * Sophia Rose * Joana Starnes * Brooke West * Foreword by Claudine di Muzio PepeMATURE CONTENT as per EDITOR 1) None: possible kissing and affection2) Mild: kissing3) Moderate: some sexual references but not explicit 4) Mature: Some nudity and some provocative scenes Table of ContentsForeword by Claudine diMuzio Pepe Willoughby's Crossroads by Joana Starnes (3)A Wicked Game by Katie Oliver (4)Fitzwilliam's Folly by Beau North (2)The Address of a Frenchwoman by Lona Manning (2)Last Letter from Mansfield by Brooke West (4)An Honest Man by Karen M Cox (3)One Fair Claim by Christina Morland (1)The Lost Chapter in the Life Of William Elliot by Jenetta James (3)As Much as He Can by Sophia Rose (1)The Art of Sinking by J. Marie Croft (1)For Mischief's Sake by Amy D'Orazio (1)