Explore the books of Amanda L. Webster/Mandy Webster, author of novels that explore family, identity, relationships, social issues, and the darker corners of human nature. From literary and speculative fiction to psychological and supernatural stories, Webster’s books feature complex characters facing difficult choices and unexpected consequences. Browse the collection below to learn more about each book and find links to purchase or read them.
It Had to Happen
When Jack Utley loses his daughter, Callie, just as his business is poised for success, he is left wondering whether his ambition came at too high a price. But after a mysterious encounter on the eve of Callie’s funeral, Jack wakes to discover that time has rewound to the morning of her accident—and he has been given a second chance to save her.
Determined to put his family before his career and repair the relationships he has neglected, Jack soon discovers that saving Callie may be far more complicated than preventing an accident. As Callie’s increasingly strange behavior raises unsettling questions, Jack must confront the possibility that changing the past may not be enough to change the future.
One Bad Cat
When psychology professor and occult dabbler Dr. Stephen Scott is transformed into a cat by the women in his coven, he’s determined to get revenge—but first, he’ll have to figure out how to open the safe containing the charm bag that holds all his magical power.
Meanwhile, Christopher Lombard is going through a rough patch of his own. His girlfriend has left him for an ex-boyfriend, gotten him arrested on a bogus domestic violence charge, and kept the expensive furniture he’s still paying for. Then a female coworker is promoted ahead of him, adding to Chris’s growing sense that life has dealt him an unfair hand. His fortunes take an unexpected turn when he finally lets a mysterious stray cat into his new apartment through the bedroom window. One Bad Cat is a darkly comic work of satire that takes aim at resentment, entitlement, and the absurd stories we tell ourselves when life doesn’t go our way.
If You Didn’t See It Coming
Three generations of women are caught in a devastating cycle of control, abuse, and survival. Marilou has spent decades caring for a husband who expects her to manage his life, and now that he’s retired, she’s determined to reclaim her independence. Her daughter, Carrie, has fought to build a stable life for herself and her children after escaping an abusive marriage—but when her ex-husband returns and a judge orders him visitation, she fears he will find a way to hurt their children.
Thirteen-year-old Emma understands the danger her mother is trying to protect them from, but as she struggles with her father’s return and the loneliness of adolescence, she begins to make increasingly risky choices of her own. If You Didn’t See It Coming is a tense, emotionally charged novel about family, abuse, and the ways the wounds of one generation can reverberate through the next.
Demons of the Night
Docia has spent her entire life sheltered by parents determined to protect her from a truth they believe could threaten the good Christian life they’ve planned for her. But as an adult woman desperate for independence, Docia is tired of being controlled, and she longs to experience the ordinary life she’s been denied—including the chance to meet a man her own age.
When Blane appears at one of her grandfather’s lectures about demons, Docia is intrigued, even if she thinks the whole subject is ridiculous. But as she begins to question her family’s secrets, their beliefs, and the carefully constructed world they’ve created around her, Docia discovers that she is far from ordinary. Demons of the Night is a supernatural novel about identity, faith, family, and the dangers of trying to protect someone by keeping them from discovering who they really are.
DIY High
When Gabby’s single mother loses her job to prescription drug addiction, Gabby must help support her family and care for her younger siblings. Forced to balance school with a full-time job, she eventually leaves traditional high school to homeschool—but when her mother becomes increasingly consumed by addiction, Gabby realizes she’ll have to teach herself if she hopes to graduate and go to college.
Then two high school dropouts ask to join her studies, and Gabby soon finds herself running a makeshift school out of her small-town library. As her DIY High grows, Gabby discovers she can help others build a better future—but will she be able to build one for herself?
Valley of the Bees
In a world where honeybees are nearly extinct, sixteen-year-old Valley has grown up in a peaceful river-bottom community where her family lives simply and grows abundant food. But when her uncle announces that she is expected to marry the son of a powerful mayor, Valley is drawn into a harsh village where women are treated as property.
As a plague threatens her family and buried secrets challenge everything she thought she knew about her past, Valley must fight for her father’s life—and for the right to determine her own future. Valley of the Bees is a richly imagined dystopian novel exploring gender, family, love, power, and survival. This edition combines all three books in the Valley of the Bees series into one volume.
F-ing Freddy Fisher
No one likes F-ing Freddy Fisher. Not even his teachers. Coach Carlson is irritated with him for not showing up for basketball tryouts. Mrs. Foster can’t say his name without spitting it out like venom. Freddy annoys and terrorizes teachers and students alike. Only his next-door neighbor Olivia seems to notice there’s anything wrong with him as he drags himself through one very tough day at school. Does Freddy deserve to be punished for his terrible behavior? Or does he just need someone to reach out and help him?
Rain at Three (short story)
Can you ever really know the man you’re marrying until you’ve really gotten to know him? Vicki is beginning to learn just what kind of man she has married. Is the honeymoon over so quickly? It may be 73 degrees and sunny in Hawaii, but it always rains at 3:00.
This is a short story of about 6,800 words.
Loosely Collected: A Book of Poems
A sample poem from this chapbook:
Less
I wish I had less,
could pack everything I own
in the back of my car
at a moment’s notice,
blocking the rearview mirror
so there’s no looking back
as I drive away.
By Amanda L. Webster
Could you recommend a starting out book for a poet who wants to write fiction? I started something a couple of years ago with no direction (part autobiographical, part surreal, and nowhere to go). Love the collection you have here. Thanks!
Helen Frost wrote several novels in verse that have inspired my work. The ones I have read are all listed here.