best modern southern gothic novels

Having brought up her younger siblings in troubled times and guiding her younger brother to the throne, Xia Wanyuan is the most legendary eldest princess in the history of the Xia Dynasty. When this eldest princess opens her eyes, she finds herself in a world a thousand years into the future. While she is still called "Princess", it's only a nasty jeer imparted on her as a mockery for her arrogant connections within the entertainment industry. So what if you were rich? In the end you've fallen to a status far lower than any beast! In response, Xia Wanyuan promises that a day would come when they will sincerely call her Princess. Everyone laughs at her, waiting to see the day when she'll be abandoned by the wealthy and affluent. Handsome yet aloof, President Jun Shiling is known only for his success in the corporate world with a demeanor cold enough to cut through ice. He has just one thing to say: Take the one hundred million divorce fee and leave quickly. Two years later, the eldest princess is a two-time winner of a prestigious acting award. The darling of the fashion world, she has become a style icon who is also proficient in the four classical arts. As an all-knowing professor in both literature and poetry, she is also a professor in two departments at the most renowned institute of higher learning. The Olympics? Gold medals are a dime a dozen when considering her skills in fencing and shooting. Her name is spread all over the world and she is filled with an unprecedented glory never bestowed upon any other. The CEO who wanted a divorce at the start refutes on television: "How dare anyone spread rumors about our divorce? My dearest wife, can we have another child?"

Eve Thompson found herself waking up in the bed of S City's most eligible bachelor with his arm around her waist, but she only had her mother's words in her mind. "Make sure nobody finds out you're disguised as your sister," she told her, looking at the fake birthmark drawn with makeup on her remaining daughter's face. "You have to get Mr. Charlie to marry you, everything we have depends on it!" said she. It was a shame, for the man beside him closely resembled the man she'd lost many years ago. Anthony Charlie's favor with women was notoriously hard to gain, but in a drunken stupor, he crawled under the sheets with the woman beside her, enticed by the memory of someone he'd lost long ago that this woman resembled. However, she never had a birthmark. It could never be her. Was their encounter coincidental? What would their hidden past reveal!? Join Eve Thompson on her exciting journey of courtship and political espionage as she steps into the shoes of her twin sister's now-abandoned life and tries to save her family by winning the heart of the mysterious bachelor, Anthony Charlie!

Just as nuclear weapons are merely a by-product of science, immortality is but a small gift in the pursuit of the Dao. The patriarch of the new method, the great sage and virtuous teacher, Zhen Fa Zhenren, the strongest cultivator in ten thousand years, is recruiting personal disciples. The reference books are as follows: "Topology in Talismans—Starting with the Little Rain Talisman" "Artificial Intelligence Research in Magical Artifacts: A Preliminary Exploration of Artifact Spirits" "Elemental Decomposition of the Nine-turn Golden Elixir" "Basics of Formation Pathways" Note: Preference will be given to those who have published papers in the Journal of Immortal Dao.

For others it takes dying and reincarnating for them to get a system but what happens when you get one without dying? Aron Michael is an average student set to graduate within a week, but he was expelled for a random reason. Due to that, he had heavy student debt and no diploma to help him earn the money to pay it back. But one day he got a system that called itself the [Advanced Tech System]. follow the story to watch him develop from your average Joe to him being the owner of the largest company in the world. Discord server is open: https://discord.gg/KptypY8dGh ********************************************DISCLAIMER************************************************ This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual companies is purely coincidental. The portrayal of names, characters, positions, and companies in this book is entirely fictional and not intended to represent real-life counterparts. All content in this book that may share names, characteristics, positions, or companies with real-life entities is purely coincidental and does not indicate any conflicting part to their real-life counterparts. The author and publisher do not have any intention to defame, discredit, or infringe upon the rights of any individual, company, or entity mentioned in this book. This book is meant for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as factual or a representation of real-life events or people.

Lin Wanwan slips a jade bracelet onto her wrist—and steps between two worlds. Side A: neon lights, 5G, instant ramen, MRI machines—an age of abundance where food is fast and friendships sometimes slow. Side B: Tang-dynasty sunshine, cracked earth, locust clouds, emperors who ask villagers to skip meals so soldiers can march. A “golden age” that growls with hunger. Lin has no grand plan—only a wish: let the little bean who waits for her at the gate eat his fill, let the gray-haired elders who calls her “treasure” sleep without fear of famine. Lin Wanwan wants to bring small changes to the world she loves, so the family she cherishes can live a little better, then a little better still—because "I has finally found the place that calls my home."

I’m an international, multiple award-winning author with a passion for the voices in my head. As a singer, songwriter, independent filmmaker and improv teacher and performer, my life has always been about creating and sharing what I create with others. Now that my dream to write for a living is a reality, with over a hundred titles in happy publication and no end in sight, I live in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada, with my giant cats, pug overlord and overlady and my Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn. ***WORLD'S BEST STORY2014*** Her mom's a witch. Her dad's a demon. And she just wants to be ordinary. I batted at the curl of smoke drifting off the tip of my candle and tried not to sneeze. My heavy velvet cloak fell in oppressive, suffocating folds in the closed space of the ceremony chamber, the cowl trapping the annoying bits of puff I missed. I hated the way my eyes burned and teared, an almost constant distraction. Not that I didn't welcome the distraction, to be honest. Anything to take my mind from what went on around me. Being part of a demon raising is way less exciting than it sounds. Sydlynn Hayle's teen life couldn't be more complicated. Trying to please her coven is all a fantasy while the adventure of starting over in a new town and fending off a bully cheerleader who hates her are just the beginning of her troubles. What to do when delicious football hero Brad Peters--boyfriend of her cheer nemesis--shows interest? If only the darkly yummy witch, Quaid Moromond, didn't make it so difficult for her to focus on fitting in with the normal kids despite her paranormal, witchcraft laced home life. Add to that her crazy grandmother's constant escapes driving her family to the brink and Syd's between a rock and a coven site. Forced to take on power she doesn't want to protect a coven who blames her for everything, only she can save her family's magic. If her family's distrust doesn't destroy her first.

In a world where the chosen one has defeated the demon lord and brought peace to the realm, now 500 years have passed since the demon's defeat. Aetheria, the world, appears peaceful, but is it truly so?

Long Tian was a genius cultivator who was known by many names , such as Ruthless Emperor , God Physician , and many other nicknames . He has lived in various eras, he even mastered various things such as medicine, the art of killing, martial arts, modern technology, and other abilities. However, misfortune finally befell him, because he was too obsessed with resurrecting his wife Liu Lifen. He tried to defy fate and use forbidden arts but he failed miserably, and his obsession led to his death. But just as his soul began to dissipate, Long Tian's soul was sucked in by a black hole. And by the time he regained his consciousness, he was already in a world he had never seen before. And from the memory he knew that his current name was Xia Tian, ​​a sixteen year old debauchee. His father was killed by a mysterious person , and he himself was also a cripple. But who is Long Tian? He was a genius cultivator with various abilities, and was well known by many nicknames. He is determined to return to his peak, and fight against his own destiny to become the strongest in this new world.

What happens when modernization meets cultivation? It’s more than just a cultivator picking up a gun. Imagine storage rings and beast contracts being transformed into modern devices, letting anyone capture and tame monsters. What if alchemy evolved to mass-produce pills? Now, add vampires and other mythical races into the mix, and the possibilities are endless. In this fun story, we follow two main characters: Alex is a wealthy second-generation kid from the modern world, an "awakener" who spends his days as a big spender in online games and reading novels on his phone. In the novel community, he’s famous for throwing money around, known as a loyal, rich reader. His ordinary life gets turned upside down when he’s thrown into a new world filled with cultivation and magic. MinYue is a brilliant cultivator, a graceful beauty with incredible talent, and the shining hope of her family to reach new heights. Her disciplined, focused life is the complete opposite of Alex’s carefree lifestyle, but destiny has other plans for them. Through a twist of fate, their lives intertwine when a mysterious system binds them together, assigning them the mission to revive the vampire race. Even with their totally different backgrounds, Alex and MinYue must find a way to work together, blending their unique skills and views on the world. Join them on their journey as they become the strongest duo, rising to claim their throne as Vampire Progenitors in a world where modernization and cultivation collide! _______ Discord https://discord.gg/WBhVXr8YDk

Martial Arts Grandmaster，who achieved the limit of human body, can fight a hundred foes alone as the founder of styles and schools. Yet, they could only reign supreme in ancient times. But the Immortals... Flying on the wind without relying on, they travel through the Azure Void, heading to the Northern Sea by dawn and reaching Cangwu Realm by dusk. Feeding on the wind and drinking the dew, transcending the mundane world, wandering freely with eternal life. That is humanity's ultimate romance. Are Immortals fictional? Do they not exist in the real world? The outcome depends on the individual! The Martial Path was originally a defiance of the heavens, surpassing limits, turning the impossible into possible! So, what is wrong with desiring to become a Human Immortal, journeying to the Northern Sea Star by morning and reaching the Cangwu Realm by dusk? This is the story of someone in the modern world of martial arts who, armed with just a bit of informational advantage, ultimately became a Human Immortal and shattered stars with a single punch.