Odellahowe writer

Stories

Marvin Hoeff never thought he was a selfish bastard. Unfortunately for him, the universe begs to differ. After surveying the grim aftermath of tenant Colette Finch’s death, all petty, miserly landlord Marvin Hoeff wants is his evening takeout and a long, hot shower. The problem is, something has followed him home… something sopping wet, sharp-tongued, and absolutely furious with him. Before he can say “lease violation,” Marvin finds himself the newest guinea pig of a cosmic bureaucracy’s experimental reformation method. Colette claims the purgatorial punishments are all for his “character development,” which would be easier to believe if she didn’t look so delighted at his misery. But as her relentless haunting begins peeling back the rot he’s spent a lifetime ignoring, Marvin can’t help but wonder: What if she’s not trying to destroy him… but save whatever’s left? Twisting together dark comedy, supernatural suspense, and a sharply absurdist edge, The Tenant delivers a haunting that’s as unsettling as it is unexpectedly heartwarming. Perfect for readers who enjoy morbidly funny horror stories with a philosophical twist, morally gray heroes, and ghost stories wrapped in social commentary, this thought-provoking satire offers a fresh take on the paranormal—equal parts eerie, bizarre, and delightfully human.

The Violin by Odella Howe

In 1871, Elise Knight made a deal with the devil: craft a powerful violin in exchange for her fiancé’s resurrection. When Elise’s fiancé dies, she would do anything to get him back—even if that means striking a sinister bargain with Cassius McCalmont, an exotic collector whose oddity exhibit is downright astonishing. After seeing Cassius’s otherworldly flute work its magic, Elise begs her father for an apprenticeship, eager to make the seemingly simple sacrifice required to bring her beloved back from the dead: give Cassius a violin of her own making. But before she can finish, Elise’s father falls deathly ill. Even Cassius’s elixirs can’t restore his health for long, and her father’s dying wish may very well be Elise’s undoing. Now she faces a grim choice: obey her father and let him pass in peace, or trust the man who promises her power over the grave. The Violin is a spine-chilling gothic horror revolving around the macabre magic of music. With paranormal powers, atmospheric horror, and chilling twists, it will leave you up well into the witching hour. Lose yourself in the supernatural suspense and eerie ambiance of this dark Victorian world!