My first full-length fiction effort; I hope you enjoy it <3
This started as a short story. It was supposed to be a fun flash told through a few letters. Then I thought it would be good to add backstory to the letters, setting how they were found, probably in an attic, something like that. The next thing I knew, there were 13,000 words.
But there still wasn't an ending. And while I had hoped to write a mystery, I discovered that I had unexpectedly veered into the Gothic trope territory. So, I paused for some research to make sure where we were going in this story. Turns out, there is such a thing as "cozy gothic," so we are all good :)
Thus, we found our way beyond 22,000 words - a proper novel!
When Dana's great-aunt Angie passes away, she's bequeathed an unexpected inheritance—Angie's New England quilt shop, including her upstairs apartment. But as Dana questions whether the lifestyle of a small-town quilt shop owner will fit her, strange things are happening, leading Dana to wonder if the shop might be haunted by her great-aunt's restless spirit.
What dark secrets did Angie harbor? Why are her most prized quilts mysteriously missing? And could Angie's time in a psychiatric asylum long ago somehow be connected to the supernatural occurrences Dana experiences?
Faced with unearthing her family's hidden history and finding her great-aunt's legacy, Dana embarks on a journey of personal discovery. She is embraced in this quest by a group of local quilters: Edna, Janet, Alice, and Margo. These four women become Dana's allies and friends, offering her a sense of belonging and support as she delves deeper into her great-aunt's past. Through them, she comes to understand the importance of quilting for Aunt Angie and the town.
This charming, haunting tale blends mystery, quilting, and the power of family to uncover the essential meaning of being true to yourself and finding the threads that stitch a heritage.
