A high-stakes thriller series

Lizzy Ballard Thrillers

What happens when an extraordinary ability transforms an ordinary life?

The Philadelphia skyline reflected in the Schuylkill River at dusk

A power others will kill to control

Lizzy Ballard can kill with only the power of her mind. It has already cost her family and any hope of the ordinary life she longs to reclaim. As enemies close in, Lizzy must master her ability before it destroys anyone else she loves.

The Lizzy Ballard Thrillers are best read in order. Begin with Book 1, Rock Paper Scissors.

“Not since Carrie have we seen a character excite such fear in those forced to learn her terrible secret the hard way.”—Robert Blake Whitehill

Read in order

One story. Escalating danger.

Each listing identifies the formats currently available for that title.

Rock Paper Scissors shown in ebook, print, and audiobook formats
Book 1 · Start here

Rock Paper Scissors

Lizzy was born with an extraordinary ability—and while she tries to hide it, others seek to control it.

When Lizzy’s parents discover the damage she can do with her mind, they hide her away. But professed friends are actually enemies who will eliminate anyone standing between them and Lizzy’s power.

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When Lizzy’s parents discover the damage she can do with her mind, they hide her away, trying to save her from life as a human lab rat—and trying to save others from her power. But they can’t hide her forever.

Little do they know that professed friends are actually enemies who will eliminate anyone who gets in the way of their goal of turning Lizzy’s power to their own ends.

As her protectors are picked off one by one, will Lizzy be able to escape this deadly zero-sum game?

“A fast-paced, complex thriller that can keep a reader engaged and off-kilter.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Snakes and Ladders shown in ebook, print, and audiobook formats
Book 2

Snakes and Ladders

In this deadly game, will Lizzy be rewarded for her virtues—or punished for her vices?

On the run in Arizona’s Red Rock Country, Lizzy finds a mentor with his own dark past. Then her enemies strike at the one person whose life means more to her than her own.

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Lizzy Ballard is on the run after her fatal game of rock-paper-scissors with those behind the Vivantem fertility clinic’s nefarious experiments. She finds herself in the Red Rock Country of Arizona—and finds a mentor in a man with his own dark past.

While Lizzy works to control her deadly ability, the Vivantem forces are hot on her trail, and Lizzy’s power will be no defense against the weapon they have chosen.

Then Vivantem strikes at the one person whose life means more to Lizzy than her own, and in a bid to protect her dwindling band of allies, she takes the fight to the enemy’s camp. Lizzy must outsmart a twisted conspiracy to survive—because one wrong step could be her last.

“It should be at the top of everyone’s reading list.” —Robert Blake Whitehill

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The Iron Ring shown in ebook, print, and audiobook formats
Book 3

The Iron Ring

Lizzy has a promise to fulfill—but never anticipated the evil waiting at the end of her journey.

A mission of vengeance draws Lizzy and her allies into the orbit of a reclusive billionaire determined to enlist them in his cause, willingly or not.

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Lizzy Ballard is headed to the Red Rock Country of Arizona on a mission of vengeance—and although she doesn’t know it yet, the Vivantem forces are no longer her biggest problem.

She and her allies have attracted the attention of a reclusive billionaire, a man determined to enlist them in his own cause, willingly or unwillingly. Even Lizzy’s enemies at Vivantem seem to be no match for his power.

With the lines of communication cut, Lizzy struggles to understand exactly who the enemy is. And when Lizzy faces the killer, even her special ability can’t protect her. Will Lizzy grab the iron ring, or be left on the field of battle?

“Rockets from the Philadelphia suburbs to the canyons of Sedona.” —Sherry Knowlton

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Kill Box Checkmate shown in ebook and print formats
Book 3.5 · Companion thriller

Kill Box Checkmate

Can a devious antiheroine with a murderous past unravel a conspiracy of lies and claim a prize worth killing for?

When her kidnapper drops dead, scientist Louise Mortensen sees a path to freedom by assuming his identity—but first she must unlock his riches and his secrets.

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In a twisty tale of betrayal and vengeance, a cunning scientist orchestrates her escape from the isolated estate of a sociopathic tycoon. When Louise Mortensen’s kidnapper, Theo Viklund, drops dead, she glimpses her chance for freedom—by becoming him.

Joining forces with Viklund’s sinister head of security and her hapless lab assistant, Louise makes a chilling pact to conceal her captor’s death. Once Louise assumes Viklund’s identity, her path to freedom will be ensured—but first, she must access his biometrically protected computer accounts.

The key seems out of reach until Theo’s brother arrives, searching for the truth behind Theo’s disappearance. Will he provide Louise the clue she needs to unlock Theo’s riches and his secrets?

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Scare Card shown in ebook, print, and audiobook formats
Book 4

Scare Card

Outnumbered but undaunted, Lizzy must outmaneuver enemies who have taken one of her own.

Her hoped-for refuge on the East Coast turns into a deadly contest involving an old nemesis, a crime lord, and a final showdown where friendship and justice hang in the balance.

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Lizzy has been hiding out in Arizona with her mentor, ex-con Philip Castillo. She’s earning money at the poker tables of Phoenix, thanks to an unexpected ability bestowed by a drug stolen from Mortensen: temporary clairvoyance. When Lizzy and Philip decide to head east to Lizzy’s hometown of Philadelphia, she’s overjoyed to be reunited with her godfather, Owen McNally, and his brother Andy.

But the East Coast proves to be no refuge when Lizzy is the subject of a brutal attack. Then Mortensen kidnaps Andy and coerces Philip into a lethal game of nerves with her rival, Billy Chapel. Lizzy sees no way out except to comply with the demands of her nemesis.

When Lizzy finds blood stains in Chapel’s suite and a dire note from Philip warning her who the true enemy is, she demands answers. Chapel is just as baffled as she is, and his confusion quickly turns to rage as he drags her toward Louise’s lab—and the final showdown.

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Drawing Dead shown in ebook and print formatsDrawing Dead audiobook cover
Book 5

Drawing Dead

In a game where every move could be fatal, can Lizzy find the strength to survive?

Searching for a missing friend draws Lizzy back toward the site of past horrors and into a confrontation with her most ruthless enemy yet.

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Lizzy Ballard is struggling to achieve her dream—a normal life unencumbered by her lethal and unwanted abilities—but her past and the enemies who seek to control her won’t let her go.

To make matters worse, Philip Castillo, a man who means more to Lizzy than she’s ready to admit, has vanished, likely held hostage by crime kingpin Billy Chapel.

As Lizzy races against time to find Philip while keeping herself out of Billy’s clutches, she realizes the cost of her pursuit may be higher than she ever imagined. She is drawn into a deadly game that leads her back to the site of past horrors and triggers an explosive chain of events culminating in her final confrontation with Billy—and the stunning secret it reveals.

Filled with twists, tension, and an electrifying mix of action and psychological suspense, Drawing Dead pits Lizzy against her most ruthless enemy yet.

“Lizzy at her best!” —Pamela Fagan Hutchins

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Portrait artwork for the Lizzy Ballard Book 6 serialization

Currently serializing

Lizzy Ballard Book 6

Read the work in progress and publication-specific updates on Substack.

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