Pauline J. Grabia
Stories of Consequence
Fiction that faces the dark, but ends in light.
Literary psychological suspense exploring the complexities of human experience, the consequences of our choices, and the enduring possibility of redemption.
Praise and Recognition for What Remains After
What Remains After
SOME STORIES DO NOT END WHEN THE DANGER PASSES.
When Beth Clark returns to rural Alberta for her estranged mother's funeral, she is forced to confront the painful memories of a childhood she thought she'd left behind.
Moving between past and present, What Remains After explores the lasting consequences of childhood abuse, the secrets families keep, and the difficult journey toward forgiveness and redemption.
A literary psychological suspense novel about truth, resilience, and the possibility of hope, even after the darkest experiences.
Where to Buy Online
What Remains After is available in paperback, hardcover, and eBook editions through major booksellers.
Global Book Awards 2026
Bronze Medal - Psychological Fiction
Awarded to What Remains After
Featured in Publisher’s Newswire
2026 Q3 Books to Bookmark
Publisher's Newswire selected What Remains After for its collection of ten books to bookmark for fall 2026.
Reader Views Editorial Review
Five-Star Editorial Review
Reader Views gave What Remains After a five-star editorial review, recognizing the novel’s literary and emotional impact.
From the Stories of Consequence Blog:
Reflections on writing, memory, trauma, and the stories we carry.
Read My Short Stories
These short stories explore ordinary people facing difficult circumstances, where choices have consequences and redemption sometimes appears in unexpected places.
Enjoy a little fiction on me.
War Within
After her mother’s death, Maeve Roberts uncovers a hidden ring—and a secret that reshapes her past. Her search leads her to a dying man who may be more than a stranger.
Haunted by childhood trauma and pulled between fear and compassion, Maeve faces an impossible choice: protect herself, or risk everything for a truth she’s only just begun to understand.
The Tree
When a man returns home to fell the old elm his father planted, he’s prepared to clear away the past. What he finds instead is a memory carved deep in the bark—one that teaches him forgiveness grows quietly, even in winter.
The Tree is a story about loss, reconciliation, and how redemption can take root in unexpected soil.
Trash
Set in a quiet Alberta town where one woman’s morning routine uncovers more than discarded bottles and broken memories, Trash explores redemption, dignity, and the hidden worth of what the world overlooks.
If you’ve ever wondered what beauty might still lie beneath the ruin, this story is for you.
A COMPLIMENTARY READER GIFT
Stories That Stay
Discover the stories that stay with us long after the final page.
Join my Stories of Consequence newsletter community and receive a complimentary reading experience featuring short stories and reflections inspired by my novel, What Remains After.
Explore the lasting consequences of our choices, the complexity of human relationships, and the hope that can emerge from life's darkest circumstances.
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“I’m a writer. You have the right to remain silent because anything you say may be used against you in one of my stories.”
— Unknown