Novels & More by Cherie Dawn Haas
Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Poetry, Prose, Short Stories based in Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati
Ways to Purchase and/or Read:
- Contact your local bookseller
- Buy on Amazon (paperback or eBook)
- Contact me for a signed copy: info@cheriedawn.com
(retail cost + shipping) - Order at your library; it’s free
A Sign of Life
Genres: Poetry, short stories, rural poetry, farm poetry, contemporary short stories, women’s fiction short stories, dog stories
Published: 2024, New Routine Press
Includes the award-winning short story “The Whisper”
Inspiring encounters with wildlife and nature, heart-wrenching moments of farm life, and the bittersweet transitions of families comprise “A Sign of Life,” the second collection of poetry and short stories by Kentucky author Cherie Dawn Haas.
Enjoy introspective, zen-like moments through thirty-nine of her newest poems. Then switch gears for six short stories that are sometimes hilarious, sometimes chilling, and always thought-provoking.
“Cherie Dawn’s poetry is an open window offering a view of the magic in the ordinary moments most of us miss, while her prose is a funhouse mirror—increasingly twisted the deeper inside you look. This is a collection that not only challenges but dares us to relish both light and darkness.” ~ Lauren Bailey, former Director of Kirkus Editorial
“A Sign Of Life is a visceral punch of emotion, encapsulating big thoughts and feelings in a small space and hitting the reader right in the heart.” ~ Cheri Krueger, author of Thanks, Universe and An Artist’s Heart
Ashes for William
Genres: Contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, new adult, book club; Ages 17ish and up
Published: 2023, New Routine Press
Small-town Maddy has big dreams of becoming a pastry chef, though her reality looks more like a dated kitchen in her family’s leaky old farmhouse. Little does she know that her sassy best friend and roommate, Kat, is using her baked goods and other household props in less wholesome ways to help pay their bills.
As the women cross the threshold of adulthood, their relationship is tested by grief, dishonesty, and a seemingly perfect guy and his pet rooster. At every turn, they are forced to choose the path each wants to take–and if they’ll take it together. When a dark twist leaves them with a harrowing problem to solve, Maddy and Kat will discover just how strong a bond they share and the lengths they’ll go to protect it.
Amazon Review: What a unique story of unlikely friendship between sheltered Maddy and Kat, who was exposed to a lot more growing up. Don’t even get me started on Kat! Cherie Dawn Haas is such a great author creating a need to turn each page to discover what will happen next. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was shocked to find I could not be further from the truth. Who are these people?
Ashes for William is a more adult book about self discovery, family, honesty, deception and ultimately the lengths you will, or won’t go to for a friend!
I recommend this book! I loved the Kindle version so much I also bought a hard copy!
Personified: Poetry, Prose, and Short Stories
Published: 2020, New Routine Press
Adventures from the past, advice for the future, and preparing for the inevitable—life, the people who help fill it and the objects that surround it, is the center of Personified: Poetry, Prose, and Short Stories. This collection captures what it’s like to make your way in the world with the emotional weight we add to the daily senses of our lives. From the changing seasons in the air, to saying farewell to a family pet; from losing control at work, Personified is a reminder of what it means to be young, and the things you learn along the way. Through delicate and lyrical prose, stories that range from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and advice for the everyday and the days-yet-to-come, “Personified” taps into the innocence of childhood and the nostalgia of looking back, reminding us that to have loss one must have life, and life is to be celebrated.
Praise for Personified: The beauty of this mixed collection lies in its candor and earnestness, an artistic perspective that’s intensely personal yet broadly inclusive, celebrating both humanity and the wonders of the natural world. The poems and stories in Personified are each a treasure hunt—gorgeous little riddles and private moments that, once revealed, inspire rereading again and again. ~ Lauren Mosko Bailey, former Director of Kirkus Editorial
Girl on Fire
The story of how a troubled girl becomes a confident fire dancer.
Genres: Contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, new adult, book club; Ages 17ish and up
Published: 2016, New Routine Press
“It’s not a matter of if you’ll get burned—it’s when, and how bad.”
Summer Kayes is used to pain. She lived with it every day during high school, when her peers tormented her. She felt it in the rejection of her dance coach, who made it clear she didn’t fit the beautiful-ballerina mold, and in the blade she pressed to her wrist one fateful night, ready to end it all . . .
Five years older, more grounded, and driven by a desire to feel beautiful, Summer ventures into a piercing parlor and crosses paths with the couple who will change her life: beautiful, bold, confident Rhiannon and relentless flirt Adrian. As the two women become friends, Rhiannon invites Summer into the world of tribal belly dance, an open, accepting community of artists who celebrate and support one another. Summer immerses herself in the culture of the dark and lovely fire arts, where the dance is as dangerous as it is stunning.
Together with Rhiannon, Adrian, and her new tribe mates—brash Morgan, sultry Rosie, and enigmatic Phoenix—Summer forms a fire-performance troupe, and the friends take the Cincinnati underground dance stage by storm. But along with blazes of triumph also come searing hurts, as Summer’s new peace is endangered by temptations and betrayals, and the hatred she endured as a teen casts its shadow over her once again.
Even if all she has built is reduced to ash, can Summer protect the fire within herself?
The overriding theme of “Girl on Fire” is a timeless one of tested and growing friendships and a building of self-confidence that is audacious in the most admirable way, as a troubled girl becomes a confident fire eater who blooms through spinning fire poi, learning tribal belly dance, and more. The extraordinary details will speak strongly to those who are curious about a world they may never have known existed, until now.
Amazon Review: In Girl on Fire, Cherie Dawn Haas’s protagonist is the open-hearted, life-embracing Summer, who makes you want to protect her and cheer her on as she navigates the fascinating community of fire dancers and musicians, learning painful and enlightening life lessons. This book will resonate with anyone who has been young and passionate about a dream, with curious readers who enjoy an eye-opening perspective on a unique performing art and bohemian lifestyle, and with all who love learning and growing through an endearing character’s journey.
From Meditation to Creation series
From Meditation to Creation is a collection of guided meditation scripts lovingly crafted to help writers and meditators alike.
Co-Authors: Santosh David, Melissa Mattingly, Cherie Dawn Haas
Published: 2020-2022
Amazon Review: This is a fantastic quick read and the meditations are perfect for meditation beginners & advanced teachers alike. I will be using them periodically for my own classes where a short meditation is key to tuning my students inward into self. I will also try the recorded version of my own voice to use for my own meditation practice. Thank you for sharing your words & meditations with us. Much love to the authors.
LifeSoup by Cherie Dawn Haas 