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Dirk & Steele #6.5
Where the Heart Lives
When Lucy is cast out by her father, she finds shelter and employment with the mysterious, golden-eyed caretaker of a small, rural cemetery. There, against all odds, she discovers a safe haven, acceptance—and, perhaps, love. But this new home is haunted by secrets, and a terrible, unnatural loss that is linked to the forest that surrounds them. It harbors its own deadly mysteries—as well as a cunning, powerful, force that desires nothing more than complete control over Lucy’s soul.
First published in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon 2007.
First published in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon 2007.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2012
30 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie M. Liu
317 books4,317 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and she leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 7, 2012
::re-editing rant after cooling off period:: I went ahead and paid the $.99 for this short, short story, but seriously, couldn’t 've offered it for free as a marketing tool? Oh I see, charging people to write reviews is way more clever. Not only do you not have to pay for the advertisement, you get to make money! Stupid fan reviewers-they fall for it every time! Muuuuhahahaaaa! Whereas I love this series, follow the author and even liked the story, I get tired of bending over just because I'm a fan. I write my real thoughts on stories, gratis-because I love books- whilst authors pay for people to give fake reviews.
Le sigh
And yet, here I go, falling for it…
This is the story of Lucy, a daughter who left to find a job and ended up finding a home.
While on her way to the place her father sent her, Lucy encounters a trapped spirit in the woods. When Miss Lindsey, who soon to be employer sees that Lucy sees, she keeps her. Lucy know something is not normal about the Miss Lindsey and her brother, but what is normal anyway?
On the day Lucy opens herself up to falling in love with the mute hired hand, she encounters the spirit once again- and the malevolent entity holding the spirit trapped between worlds. Through a series of questions Lucy ends up freeing the trapped lady- who just happens to be Mr. Lindsey’s young wife who disappeared years before. Having the thing that they had lost, the Lindsey’s move on while Lucy and her Mute hired hand make a life on the edge of the wood. Barnabas, the hired hand, takes her name- for he was a child of the wood who didn’t know his beginning, and years later they birthed Will Steele.
I love Liu’s paranormal- romance Dirk and Steele series. It was fun to get this short, short story about the progenitor of the Steeles who would eventually begin the agency that protects the shifters/others of this world.
Le sigh
And yet, here I go, falling for it…
This is the story of Lucy, a daughter who left to find a job and ended up finding a home.
While on her way to the place her father sent her, Lucy encounters a trapped spirit in the woods. When Miss Lindsey, who soon to be employer sees that Lucy sees, she keeps her. Lucy know something is not normal about the Miss Lindsey and her brother, but what is normal anyway?
On the day Lucy opens herself up to falling in love with the mute hired hand, she encounters the spirit once again- and the malevolent entity holding the spirit trapped between worlds. Through a series of questions Lucy ends up freeing the trapped lady- who just happens to be Mr. Lindsey’s young wife who disappeared years before. Having the thing that they had lost, the Lindsey’s move on while Lucy and her Mute hired hand make a life on the edge of the wood. Barnabas, the hired hand, takes her name- for he was a child of the wood who didn’t know his beginning, and years later they birthed Will Steele.
I love Liu’s paranormal- romance Dirk and Steele series. It was fun to get this short, short story about the progenitor of the Steeles who would eventually begin the agency that protects the shifters/others of this world.
July 18, 2020
Amazingly beautiful! One of the best I ever read. I don't understand why it is not an audiobook.
Read
October 24, 2012Originally pubbed in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, this is actually a Dirk & Steele prequel.
April 9, 2021
This was a beautifully told blend of whimsy and dark fantasy that felt like a perfect prequel to the Dirk & Steele books and make me want to go back and read the series again from the beginning.
I'd forgotten just how how much I liked Ms Liu's writing style (and it's not like I don't own the first... 9, I think, of the books). But apparently, there's at least one of them that I haven't read, so I should probably add that to Mt TBR before I go back and start rereading.
I'd forgotten just how how much I liked Ms Liu's writing style (and it's not like I don't own the first... 9, I think, of the books). But apparently, there's at least one of them that I haven't read, so I should probably add that to Mt TBR before I go back and start rereading.
August 11, 2018
Loved it
Loved this story. Had no idea of the significance until the end and then WoW! It was a good story, well crafted.
Loved this story. Had no idea of the significance until the end and then WoW! It was a good story, well crafted.
April 26, 2019
This is a light, sweet, and yet haunting read for a stormy evening.
June 29, 2020
Pretty good, although it's not clear that the story really fits anywhere in the series, but is more set in this 'verse.
July 24, 2023
I liked the mood / atmosphere. Some of the story was a little confusing without knowing the whole series, but it was still a good read.
February 3, 2016
I actually remember reading this in a book a while back. It was part of an anthology and depicts the very beginning of the "Steele" family from the Dirk & Steel company.
Lucy is a sweet little girl who is basically thrown out by her remaining family to go work at the house of Miss Lindsay. Without even knowing if she'll be hired she travels to discover her new destiny. A destiny that will awaken a part in her, that has been closed off and missed since she can remember. Finding friends and a family unity that welcomes her is just a perk for her life, but discovering that she is able to see the "lost" Ones and actually speak with them is overwhelming.
Can she help the lost creatures in the woods and will she be able to live her life as she wants to?
Discover it yourself in this wonderful short!
I loved the story, even reading it a second time. I actually had the feeling when I finished this short, that it was not as long as I remember, but I'm not sure and I didn't have time to check yet. Oh well!
Lucy is a sweet little girl who is basically thrown out by her remaining family to go work at the house of Miss Lindsay. Without even knowing if she'll be hired she travels to discover her new destiny. A destiny that will awaken a part in her, that has been closed off and missed since she can remember. Finding friends and a family unity that welcomes her is just a perk for her life, but discovering that she is able to see the "lost" Ones and actually speak with them is overwhelming.
Can she help the lost creatures in the woods and will she be able to live her life as she wants to?
Discover it yourself in this wonderful short!
I loved the story, even reading it a second time. I actually had the feeling when I finished this short, that it was not as long as I remember, but I'm not sure and I didn't have time to check yet. Oh well!
December 11, 2013
I waited until after I finished all of the existing Dirk & Steele series before I read this prequel novella because I didn’t have Kindle at the time. Reading the prequel last gave an interesting perspective. It also made me hungry for more Dirk & Steele.
Where the Heart Lives is about 40 pages long. I would have liked to see even more of the characters who started it all, but I thought this was a nice taste of the series for fans and for those who are new to the series. Ms. Liu shows her talent in everything she does.
Does anyone know if there will be any more Dirk & Steele novels? There wasn’t an end to the series so I’m hopeful that there will be more.
Where the Heart Lives is about 40 pages long. I would have liked to see even more of the characters who started it all, but I thought this was a nice taste of the series for fans and for those who are new to the series. Ms. Liu shows her talent in everything she does.
Does anyone know if there will be any more Dirk & Steele novels? There wasn’t an end to the series so I’m hopeful that there will be more.
November 24, 2021
We wijken zowaar af van de geijkte formule! Dit is een (heel korte) prequel voor de hele serie, die zich zo ongeveer een generatie afspeelt voor Dirk & Steele opgericht wordt.
Lucy is een afstammelingen van de Magi van het eerste boek (en het steekt mij al lang heel hard tegen dat hij “Magi” is en niet “Magus”, maar bon). Ze komt terecht als dienstmeid bij ene Miss Lindsay, die een kraai kan worden, en ze wordt er verliefd op de zoon van de elfenkoningin. Hun zoon is William Steele van Dirk & Steele.
Het had gerust vele keren zo lang mogen zijn.
Lucy is een afstammelingen van de Magi van het eerste boek (en het steekt mij al lang heel hard tegen dat hij “Magi” is en niet “Magus”, maar bon). Ze komt terecht als dienstmeid bij ene Miss Lindsay, die een kraai kan worden, en ze wordt er verliefd op de zoon van de elfenkoningin. Hun zoon is William Steele van Dirk & Steele.
Het had gerust vele keren zo lang mogen zijn.
December 30, 2013
I really liked this. It contained all of Liu's usual skill, but it had a folkloric element that I enjoyed immensely. I could hear echos of Appalachia, Lang, and the British Isles. Loved it. Highly recommend. I'd also recommend it to folks who haven't read Dirk & Steele and aren't interested. This is a great standalone story that adds a great dimension to an already wonderful series.
December 11, 2014
A melancholy bittersweet story about a young girl going to work for a mysterious woman who lives in the woods and finds a real homem acceptance and love.
I read this in the 'My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon' anthology. Nice story but not really my style. Even though a honeymoon is briefly mentioned, it's a streach to include it in here.
I read this in the 'My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon' anthology. Nice story but not really my style. Even though a honeymoon is briefly mentioned, it's a streach to include it in here.
September 4, 2012
Where the Heart Lives is a lovely, atmospheric stand-alone novella. Both fans of the Dirk & Steele books and those new to the series will enjoy this brief foray into the woods. Liu's prose shines here, as she gets to where the heart of her mythology lives.
July 12, 2015
Anyone wanting to read a great paranormal series should put the Dirk and Steele novels on their list. The employees of the agency are each talented, individuals with a few quirks. They each hide in plain site while saving humanity. Great reads each and every one.
April 18, 2015
This felt more like a pre-prequel to the Dirk & Steele series.
September 3, 2012
3.5 stars
January 25, 2013
I liked but way to short and would have presented better tacked on to back of a full length novel or in an anthology.
Read
August 4, 20130.5 the beginning: lucy steele (magi descendant) and barnabus (mute, fosterling of the sidhe queen of the forest) and then son william steele, miss lindsay (crow & telepath), henry and mary,
April 17, 2014
Surely simple
The sweetest shortest story there is. This tale is that out of a fairy tale, and the only thing wrong is that it was too short.
The sweetest shortest story there is. This tale is that out of a fairy tale, and the only thing wrong is that it was too short.
April 24, 2015
Way shorter than I expected... 42% of the book is preview for another D&S novel. This could have been an incredibly interesting story but as it is, I feel like we just barely scratched the surface.
December 3, 2021
It’s not that this isn’t good - it’s just that it’s so short, and I was so hoping for Koni’s story.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews