Coming Soon: Paws Actually

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And although it may be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be the most complicated.

There's Ben, who is trying to navigate loss with an unexpected turn of events that have led to him caring for a new dog. Al, who awkwardly avoids Celeste and her feelings for him, but their dogs might know better. Eliza, whose cat brings comfort and peace, as well as courage for her to finally make a change. Juliet, taking care of her grandmother's parrot, who has decided not to speak anymore.
Each experience brings life changes in different and significant ways - from friends who support one another, people trying to navigate friendship and the possibility of love, and trying to keep going despite facing difficulties - all with the steady and loyal presence of animals. Dedicated to the pets who change our lives, and who make the holidays even more meaningful.

If you have ever loved a special animal companion, if you know that sometimes holidays and evenings and weekends can suddenly be spent at the emergency clinic, and that holidays are not always what you picture them to be, you might be interested in this book. I will be honest, it is a bit sad. But also hopeful.

Paws Actually
Cover by Beetiful Book Covers
December 1, 2026
Find Out More and Order Here or find it at your select retailer and at Bookshop.org
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Fiction/Contemporary Fiction/Romance/Holiday/Dogs/Pets/Grief

Available Now: Once Upon A Rhyme

Tales Inspired by Verses and Lullabies, edited by Lyssa Chiavari
with stories by Amy Bearce, Lyssa Chiavari, T. Damon, Dorothy Dreyer, Janina Franck, Leigh Hellman, Chris Kanther, Intisar Khanani, Jamie Krakover, Selenia Paz, Erin Petti, and D.G. Shepard.
Once upon a time, there were rhymes.
Nursery rhymes have been a part of childhood around the world for as long as we can remember, passed down through generations. But what if we could see them in a new light? What if we could explore them from a different perspective, or in a time and place we never expected?
In ONCE UPON A RHYME, twelve young adult authors reimagine the verses we thought we knew for a brand-new audience. Whether it’s an enchanted rainstorm portending an unwelcome gift, a collapsing sky-bridge over a world cast in darkness, or a magic horn that causes mischief and mayhem, each fantastical tale offers a fresh perspective on the songs and poems we’ve heard a thousand times.
What happens when old rhymes are brought to life in new ways? The stories in these pages are just the beginning of the answer.

Once Upon A Rhyme: Tales Inspired by Verses and Lullabies
Edited by Lyssa Chiavari
Short Story "White as Snow", based on Mary Had a Little Lamb
October 6, 2026
Find Out More and Order Here

Available Now: Behind You

Just in time to celebrate Friday the 13th with a spooky read.
If you like Christmas in July, maybe you would also love Halloween in December! If so, take a look at my new short scary story, Behind You, available today in time for Friday the 13th. In this story, a librarian is testing out a new AI app when a shadowy figure starts to follow her. The wonderful cover illustration was created by my talented niece, and I wanted to make a cover that paid homage to older YA book covers which featured a main image with a creepy text, so I made the I in the title a little different from the rest.
I wanted to write a scary but not too scary short story featuring AI, and I really like how this one came out. This story is just for fun, and if you take a look at it I hope you enjoy it! Behind You would be great for readers who love spooky ghost stories with slight scares, share it with someone who would like a quick suspenseful read! It is available as an ebook now on Amazon for 99 cents!

Behind You
a scary short story
December 13, 2024
amazon