Coastaltown Stories

"Not everything lost should ever be found..." The moment Somya and Finn stepped into the abandoned lighthouse, the ground trembled, the air turned ice-cold... and something moved in the dark where no one stood. The town calls it superstition. But the journal they found says otherwise. Missing children. A forgotten legend. A presence lurking in the dark. Something in Coralville was never meant to be disturbed. But now that they've seen the signs... it won't let them leave.

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor, also called Elle, has always felt a special bond with the sea that borders her quiet town of Brinevale. Every hundred years, a rare celestial event called the Sun Tide renews the delicate balance between the land and ocean. But this year, the Sun Tide arrives early, bringing strange currents, vanishing fish, and unsettling omens. When Elle discovers the Heart of the Tide, a shimmering, ancient shell pulsing with ocean magic, she realizes she holds the key to restoring harmony. Greedy traders and treasure hunters soon descend on Brinevale, hoping to claim the relic's power for themselves. Guided by the whispered songs of the Daughters of the Sea, mysterious spirits who once saved Brinevale from ruin, Elle must protect the Heart, uncover her late mother's hidden legacy, and find the courage to perform the Sun Tide ritual before the coastline is lost forever. Through shimmering tide pools, secret legends, and a song that can calm the waves, Elle learns that true strength comes from trust, hope, and the unbreakable bond between the sea and those who love it.

|| The Most Dangerous Creatures Are Those Who Remain Silent - B.B.W || After the abrupt events of only a month ago, the sleepy town of Black Pines has, slowly but surely, returned to it's state of a docile small town on the coast of Washington. Unbeknownst to the citizens, however, a storm is coming - a storm coming to destroy the last of a species and its allies. The hunters, vampires, and druids are bizarrely silent, with no word from any of them since the battle. Even Raven has gone silent, not even a feather can be found. Malia's suspicion only grows when a mysterious werecoyote trespasses on her territory, claiming to have information on the elusive kitsune. While Malia focuses on this new player in this dark game of life, Megan and Artemis stay on their toes in the now stricter hunter clan. With Megan on spot as the new heir to be leader, she must hide her breaking mind, while Artemis' loyalties grow weaker and weaker by the second as she dangerously reaches out to touch the forbidden fruit. A fog is on the horizon of Black Pines, threatening to take the small town in a new descent of horror. What sanctuary is there for the victim whose monsters live in their mind?

Claire learned many things through the death of her mom; her Realizations of Loss, how to pretend you're fine, and how to run from the past. Taken in by aunt and moved to the small town of Brookedale on the North Carolina coast, Claire wanted to escape the pain and the life she found herself living. Having become a recluse, she struggles to reconnect with the town her mom grew up in and she had once loved herself. She attempts to find herself again, reignite the light in her, but she finds herself confronting the haunting past every time she seems to get better. Told through the lenses of a teenager dealing with tragic loss, this story explores the complexity of someone grieving not only a loved one, but a life they once had. Formerly titled 'Losing Everything'

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎ Zoé thought this summer would be quiet. Until the whispers started. Until the boy with secrets touched her heart. Until the truth turned deadly. Now she's caught in a game of lies, love, and danger, and someone is watching her every move. ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

Amara Daniels - 22, an aspiring fashion designer who just finished university. She's creative, optimistic, but sometimes doubts her own abilities. Ethan Cole - 25, a young entrepreneur who runs a small but growing coffee shop. He's charming, hardworking, but cautious with love after a past heartbreak.

When River is sent to spend the summer with her grandparents in the sleepy coastal town of Bluebell Bay, she's less than thrilled. The harbor, the narrow cobblestone streets, and the small-town faces are a far cry from the bustling city she's always known. But as the days pass, River begins to uncover the quiet magic of the town-the laughter of old friends, the gentle rhythm of the tides, and the unexpected warmth of people who remember her before she even remembers them. Between helping at the family inn, wandering the harbor, and discovering the little joys tucked in every corner of Bluebell Bay, River starts to realize that life here might not be so unbearable after all. And when someone familiar from summers past appears, she finds herself opening up to more than just the town... A sweet, slow-burning story of finding home, friendship, and first sparks of romance by the sea.

Liminal Space is not something to be messed with. Do not let fear consume you.

Nine years changes someone, especially if they don't remember their past. Serena Stafford is not who she used to be, no longer the girl next door. The moments that once defined her- her childhood, her friends, and him- all became a distant, blurry memory. Now she's back, back at Aurafin Cove. Returning to the coastal town she spent the first fourteen years of her life felt both familiar and foreign, with flashes of the past becoming clear, Serena is held at a crossroad between her ever growing future and her ominous past. Aurafin hadn't changed much, the same salty air, the same lighthouse on the cliff's edge yet it felt like everything had shifted, moved on almost. Without her. Damon Mercier had changed too, the softness in his eyes had hardened into something unreadable. He seemed almost a stranger, a reflection of the boy she had known, so why was it that all the same feelings remained?

In the picturesque coastal town of Coral Bay, Sophie Reynolds arrives with a camera in hand and a heart yearning for renewal. After a painful breakup, she seeks solace and inspiration in this vibrant community filled with art, nature, and new possibilities. As a travel photographer, Sophie has always captured the beauty of the world, but now she must learn to find beauty within herself. Enter Ethan Carter, a talented local artist struggling with self-doubt and the weight of expectations. Despite his incredible talent, Ethan feels trapped by the fear of failure, causing him to retreat into his shell. When Sophie and Ethan meet at an art exhibit, their connection is instant, igniting a spark of creativity and hope for both. As they explore the town together-wandering along sunlit beaches and sharing stories under starry skies-they encourage each other to confront their pasts. But as their relationship deepens, old wounds resurface, leading to misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart. With the pressure of Ethan's upcoming art exhibit looming over him, Sophie must decide whether to support him through his struggles or protect her own heart. Together, they must navigate the tumultuous waters of love, self-discovery, and the pursuit of dreams.

She fell for the boy who watched sunsets like they were promises, not endings. When 19-year-old Lila moves to a sleepy coastal town to escape the weight of the past, the last thing she expects is Jace - 21, mysterious, golden-eyed, and always alone on the cliff's edge at sunset. Locals call him "the Sunset Boy," a quiet legend with too many secrets and a past he won't talk about. As Lila finds herself drawn to him, evening after evening, she realizes he's not just watching the sunsets - he's waiting for something... or someone. But some love stories burn too brightly. And every sunset, no matter how beautiful, eventually fades to black.

Mira and Tommy take a quiet walk along an unusually empty boardwalk, the wind pulling at Mira's shawl and teasing Tommy's detective-style hat. But something isn't right; the waves lap, the wind whispers, yet the world feels off. When Tommy investigates a strange, rhythmic flapping behind the market stalls, he stumbles upon something he was never meant to see. In that moment, Mira, gripped by creeping dread no longer recognizes Tommy as the man she knew. And when she runs, she leaves behind more than just her fear.

When Laney Miller arrives in Willow's Creeke for the summer, she's escaping the stress of the future and seeking refuge with her grandmother in the charming coastal town. But when she meets Tristian Blake, a rugged outdoorsman who's as passionate about the ocean as he is about life, Laney's plans for a quiet summer take a dramatic turn. As they explore the town's hidden coves and scenic trails, Laney finds herself swept up in Tristian's carefree spirit and captivated by his infectious charm. But as their summer romance blossoms, secrets and misunderstandings threaten to tear them apart. Can Laney and Tristian find a way to make their love last beyond the summer sun, or will their whirlwind romance fade like the ocean tides?

He left without a goodbye. Now he's back - taller, quieter, and looking at me like I'm still his everything. Camélia Evans had two constants growing up: the smell of sea salt from the harbor... and Noah Reyes, her next-door best friend. But after disappearing three years ago with no warning - no texts, no goodbyes - Noah suddenly returns for their senior year. And he's not the boy she remembers. He's distant. Closed off. Still familiar, but not. Camélia doesn't know whether to hug him or hate him. But when old memories resurface - and unspoken feelings begin to burn brighter - Camélia realizes: Some friendships never end. They just wait. But can you fall in love with someone you haven't really forgiven?

The Crow family is as old as Warbler Bay itself, among its earliest settlers who painstakingly constructed our beloved port town from its nascent days. Timothy and Victoria Crow spearheaded the settlement's establishment along the sea coast. It took the crew four years to complete the future home of the Crow family, during which time Timothy and Victoria welcomed three children into the world: Diana, Mary, and Isaac Crow. It was rumored that Isaac had many partners in his time, some more willing than others. One infamous night, he set his sights on a young lady at a tavern despite warnings about her mysterious past. Isaac pursued her relentlessly. She rebuffed his advances, but Isaac was not accustomed to rejection. If only he had heeded the warnings about her.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Mr. Darcy does not exist. Many a young woman has spent years looking for her perfect Mr. Darcy, but Kate Thomas knows better. As a 29-year-old recently widowed southerner, she sets off to find herself on the other side of the ocean in the very country where Mr. Darcy's life was penned. Looking only to escape reminders of her heartache, Kate journeys to places she never thought she'd go -- finding faith, love, and family. This is not a P & P retelling but the story of a woman's journey to discover what real love is. An ocean ... it's vast and powerful. The water that fills it can bring death, or offer life. Kate Thomas moves her life across an ocean to conquer the hold of her past and find new life for her future. Not Quite Mr.Darcy is women's fiction with clean romance (kisses only). It tackles forgiving the seemingly unforgivable and the disillusionment many a woman has faced upon realizing that the perfect husband they've been raised to look for doesn't exist. Kate, a recent widow, leaves her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Seeking distance from her past she takes a job in Kingsdown, England, working with a dementia patient in a cottage overlooking the English Channel. What she finds there is much more than she anticipated. Kate learns to find joy even in the hardest circumstances. Available now on Amazon as an ebook and paperback! For the latest check my website: kimgriffin.org

A recent college graduate accepts a long-term summer job in a private coastal town. The house is immaculate, the expectations are specific, and the owner is away for most of the season. Crescent Cove operates on absence as much as presence. Homes are occupied and emptied in cycles. Privacy is assumed. Questions are rarely asked. Days settle into routine. Communication remains contained. What is known is practical. What isn't is left untouched. While He Was Away takes place over one summer and considers what happens when responsibility, proximity, and time overlap-without intention, without declaration, and without urgency.

The tale of a romance between a humble fisherman and a selkie.

The Fish Ghost story revolves around a mysterious spectral presence haunting a coastal town's waters. As the tale unfolds, locals discover a connection between the ghost and an unsolved marine mystery, leading to a suspenseful journey of unraveling secrets and confronting the supernatural. The narrative explores themes of redemption, environmental impact, and the delicate balance between the spirit world and the ocean realm.