Unpleasant Creatures

She survived childhood.
She'll need a miracle for what's to come.

Unpleasant Creatures

by Mahalia Smith

Sam has always been the strong one; she’s had to be to survive her childhood. Now her newly ordered life is threatened by Nick who will seemingly stop at nothing to get under her skin. But when her mother goes missing, has Nick gone too far?

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She tapped her nails on the counter, waiting for Jack to reply.
‘He spent some time in a juvenile detention centre,’ he said eventually, his voice lowered to a whisper.
‘Why?’
‘He locked a girl in a room.’

Excerpt from Unpleasant Creatures

She can’t remember how long it took her to realise she wasn’t alone. Maybe it was the intermittent snuffling sound, or the stench, or a mixture of both. There was definitely something else with her in this dungeon;

Excerpt from Unpleasant Creatures

But it wouldn’t be like this forever. It couldn’t be or else she risked losing her sanity. It was inevitable that there would come a point where Jack had to choose between her and him.

Excerpt from Unpleasant Creatures

‘I think Nick’s a bit infatuated, that’s all.’
‘Well he’s wasting his time. I’m not interested,’ said Sam with a firm shake of her head.
‘Oh no, I didn’t mean you, I meant Jack. He’s infatuated with Jack.’

Excerpt from Unpleasant Creatures

He ... likes to play games, just silly stuff but ... well ... sometimes he, he goes a bit too far, it freaks me out.’
‘What does he do?’ Sam prompted, fascinated.
‘Oh, it’s nothing. Forget I said anything,’

Excerpt from Unpleasant Creatures

Briefly, Sam was tempted to place her hands around that slim neck, as she had before. To tighten her grip and render that throat incapable of pulling in oxygen. Just briefly.

Excerpt from Unpleasant Creatures

...."the writer has depended on a flawed yet plausible character in Sam to elicit interest and engage the reader in a page turner that shows tremendous promise for mass appeal."

FEEDBACK FROM JOFFE BOOKS JUDGING PANEL

Review for Unpleasant Creatures

'Thank you so much for letting me read this. Sam's relationship with her mother is so relevant to me. I kinda cured myself from a lot of things just by reading it. I'm in love!!! Can't wait to buy the physical book once you publish it. Please keep on writing! You are so good at it! A true talent!’

HELENA

Review for Unpleasant Creatures

“An absolute page-turner! The complex characters and unpredictable twists kept me hooked. Sam’s journey is unforgettable, and I was sad when it ended.”

J. KNIGHT

Review for Unpleasant Creatures

“A compelling read from start to finish! Mahalia Smith masterfully weaves tension, intrigue, and emotional depth. I couldn’t put it down!”

J. GLENHAM

Review for Unpleasant Creatures

“Unforgettable characters and an eerie setting! The dark, psychological themes had me gripped until the final page. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.”

J. WILLIAMS

Review for Unpleasant Creatures

“Sam’s raw and complex emotions are brilliantly portrayed in this gripping tale. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone!”

B. JAMIN

Review for Unpleasant Creatures

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AUTHOR

I have always loved reading but my drive to write was inspired by my English teacher, who told me she had loved one of my short stories so much, she took it home to read to her family.
It has taken me a long time to realise that writing is really all I want to do, and being a finalist in the Joffe books competition 2021 made me realise that I’m actually quite good at it!
I used to work as an Occupational Therapist in the NHS and my many years experience of working in the Mental Health sector informs a lot of what I write. I am fascinated by what makes people tick and I enjoy creating characters that don’t necessarily fit under specific labels.
Being mixed race and having grown up in Tottenham, I depict characters from different racial, cultural and economic backgrounds in order to illustrate real life.
Although I touch on some of the situations that my characters face – due to their colour, – I do not want these situations to define them or for their experiences to become politicised or tick a diversity box. I want readers from all backgrounds to engage and connect with my characters.

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