Desperation Kills

In Desperation Kills, author John D. Ottini weaves together three standalone yet interconnected stories about the dangerous and sometimes deadly situations that people find themselves in when blinded by passion or pushed to the point of desperation.

Parting Words

Sitting by the bedside of her dying mother, Gwen is told a secret so startling that she can only hope that what she is hearing are simply the delusions of an over-medicated woman in her final hours of life. But in the weeks and months following the funeral, that hope crumbles as more pieces of evidence come to light, threatening everything Gwen holds dear. Then tragedy strikes once more.

Desperate to move on with her life, Gwen sets out to discover the truth-only to be confronted with a question that is far more difficult to answer: Are there some secrets that are best left alone?

Writer's Remorse

Writer Jonathan Hardin and his wife Tess leave the hustle and bustle of New York City to live in a small, solitary farmhouse in Upstate New York. But the last thing they expect is to be involved in small-town gossip and scandal.

When the local librarian is found dead and Jon becomes the prime suspect, their lives are turned upside down. Tess is left to wonder if their marriage will survive the accusations and the ramifications of her husband's legal turmoil. But most of all the question haunts her: Is Jon guilty?

Exorcising My Demon

Some events are so painful and frightening that you can't share them with anyone. But even if you did, would anyone believe you? Faced with this dilemma, young Jonathan Hardin must take matters into his own hands in an effort to conquer his demon.

AUTHORS NOTE: The following stories were released in previous publications.

"Parting Words" was originally titled "Beneath the Roses" and published as a standalone novelette in 2016
"Writer's Remorse" was originally titled "She Loves Me Not" and published in, Deadly Revelations, 2016.
"Exorcising My Demon" was originally titled "Monsters Are Everywhere" and published in Monster Maelstrom: A Halloween Anthology, 2016

NOTE: "Parting Words" (formerly Beneath the Roses) has a fresh, new storyline and ending. "Writer's Remorse" (formerly She Loves Me Not) was tweaked to include more details to enhance the story and to connect the characters to the common storyline in Parting Words. "Exorcising My Demon" (formerly Monsters Are Everywhere) only required minor changes to fit the common storyline.