Books by James O. Barnes

Paul only meant to stop in the bar for a quiet drink. Instead, he finds a weathered cast-iron skillet mounted behind the bar, a bowl of gold-wrapped butterscotch candies, and a roomful of locals who seem to know exactly why he walked through the door.

One by one, through six connected accounts spanning forty years, they tell him about Wanda—a sharp-tongued grandmother with a generous table, a stubborn sense of justice, and an iron skillet named Lodge.

For decades, Wanda stood between her neighbors and something that preyed upon them from the shadows. A darkness drawn to anger, grief, loneliness, and isolation. She fought it in trailers, alleys, daycares, homes, and forgotten places where ordinary people were most vulnerable.

Her battles became local legend.

So did their cost.

But Wanda’s greatest weapon was never simply Lodge. It was what she taught the people around her. Show up, pay attention, help when help is needed, and never leave someone to face the darkness alone.

Wanda & Lodge: Supernatural Stories of Grit and Grace blends Appalachian folklore, supernatural horror, dark humor, and the stubborn strength of community into the story of one woman, one remarkable skillet, and the people who learned how to fight back.

Because monsters thrive in isolation.