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Against Fearful Lies by Vivian Moira Valentine In this second book in the series, Amelia Temple's world has changed. As a test subject to a shady government entity, it is 1954 and she has finally been given limited freedom to move around after being kept captive and studied since birth. That freedom came with a price, however. She now has friends, people she cares about. People who care about her. She has a girlfriend, but she manages to hide that fact, knowing how society would respond. And she has enemies, those who want to study her, dissect her, see what she is. Amelia is not sure what they will find. Something strange is going on at the hospital where her friend Ralph is being kept. And not a normal kind of strange, either. The kind of strange that means Ralph is no longer himself, the nurses at the hospital are keeping secrets, and somehow memories are stolen. In trying to save her friends, and herself, Amelia must not only deal with the creature now living inside her, but she must learn more about who she is and what, exactly, she is capable of. Because one thing has become clear: it's not just her and her friends' lives at stake... there are worlds within worlds and a universe of extranormal activity that just might depend on her. |
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The Cradle of Eternal Night by Ladz In a land lit only by the counterfeit warmth of magical technology, the Kler prays for the return of the sun, the moons, and the stars. Ceaseless night and the beasts lurking in the darkness keep the congregation within the Kolebka Wiecznej Nocy trapped in mirthless vigil. Their towns remain quiet as graveyards as they wait for day to come again. What no one knows about this ceaseless night is that the Kler themselves can end it. But they havenât, and they wonât. Long ago, the Kler banished the sun worshipers, but a heretical sect made the journey back to the land of darkness. Now, only one remains carrying their purpose heavy on her shoulders: a maverick technomancer named Basia. She alone will bring back the light, or no one will. Armed with naught but her own cleverness and a sword imbued with sun-embraced charms, she searches for the Klerâs secrets and finds herself in Tawerna. With the Kler on her heels, she infiltrates a private feast and catches Hanka, a docile bard, in the middle of planning her own escape into the world beyond. Hanka wants nothing to do with the heretical outsider until she discovers that her purpose aligns with the darkness buried inside herself. Hanka knows the secrets the Kler keeps, and she knows just where to go to expose their lies. With only each other and their heretical magic to rely on, Basia and Hanka face the eternal night and wonder, are they truly enough to bring light back to the world? |
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Pray For Him by Tyler Battaglia A psychic priest is thrown headfirst into a battle of faith and love against the forces of Hell when his dearest friend becomes possessed. Father Isaias Flores may not have much, but he has his faithâand his dear friend Hector to keep him anchored when he is mired in self-doubt. But when Hectorâs daughter, Violet, comes to Isaias with concerns that her father is acting strangely, Isaiasâs doubts only increase, now with no one to keep him steadfast. For Hector seems to be possessed by something darker than even the traumas of the past, and Violet has nowhere else to turn to save her only family. This is a problem that may require divine interventionâthe rites of exorcism. Unsure of his place in the church, doubting his gifts from God, and struggling to make sense of his feelings for the man he had thought was only a friend, Isaias isnât sure if he is strong enough to save anyoneâs soul from damnation. For what can one man do against the torments of Hell? |
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Recipient of the 2023 Best Novella Award from the Queer Indie Awards. Work as a Curse Breaker is anything but glamorous. Itâs difficult, gruesome at times, and it takes Curse Breaker Thierry Pryor to places better left untouched. The Paris Catacombs were once a symbol of French identity, the true sign of death making all equal in the end, but after centuries of layered spell work, ancient hexes, and more than one hastily patched protective charm, the resulting magical amalgam has begun to break down, tainting the surrounding land. Itâs up to Thierry and his team to figure out the source of the miasma and quell it before it begins having an effect on those living above the city of the dead. But unlike the jobs before, thereâs something at work in the catacombs much more sinister than some moldering family curse. Sometimes the dead sleep more soundly than the living, but then again, maybe some of the dead donât sleep willingly at all... |
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A witch with a dead familiar is an outlier and an ill-omen to every village they pass through. Rehan Nadir is one such witch. The only jobs available to him are terrible ones, and vagrancy is his only recourse⌠At least, it was until he heard tell of the town of Hamelinâs plight. Stories of a malicious entity, a chaos god, have tormented the village for hundreds of years, and like clockwork tragedy has struck once more: while the adults gathered elsewhere, the children were spirited away. No trace of them has been seen since. The town is desperate to bring them back. Very desperate. Finding and returning the lost children would be just the thing to give Rehan a new chance at the life he lost after the death of his familiar, and if all it takes is killing a god of chaos, then heâs more than ready to take the plunge and open that door. Unfortunately, he just didnât anticipate opening a few more in the midst of dealing the finishing blow. |
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The Dark Side of Super by Matthew Siadak Superpowers, the ability to be something more. This collection of stories weaves together the tales of eleven individuals who have come into their own power. When their backs are against the wall, each of them will have to make a choice. Felix must watch what he says, his voice carrying an addictive power. Jasper must learn to look before he leaps while figuring out his teleportation ability, much to the dismay of his sister Enid, whose emotions bring rain and thunder. Sabrina struggles against the relentless flow of time, no matter how she tries to turn the clock back. Nikhail hides from the fame, or infamy, the power to heal brings. These stories and more delve into the dark side of being super. They can rise up like heroes, or let their powers corrupt them. Find out which side of human nature prevails! |
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A Night So Dark And Full Of Stars by Nikky Lee A half-siren girl befriends a deaf boy. A vendetta between a teenager and her dad's stubborn ram continues into the afterlife. A hunter must atone for killing a god's sacred bull. A sacrificial maiden uncovers the secret of the wizards who rule her people. A new acolyte causes a godling to confront her past - and her deadly gift. A Night so Dark and Full of Stars from multi-award winning author Nikky Lee contains twelve stories inspired by the astrological zodiacs. From ghosts and gods to fae and folklore, Lee's blend of vividly imagined fantasia invites us to imagine alternative worlds, dark pasts and far flung futures as we gaze into the night. |
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Lover, Thy Name Is Pestilence by A.L. Davidson Dakota and Ed Hollander have lived quiet, isolated lives deep in the Smoky Mountains for nearly a decade without much trouble â despite the pious locals who scrutinize their way of life. Everything changes overnight when a brutal civil war decimates the United States, leaving behind a wasteland of decay and ruin in its wake... Now, in a world recovering from famine and war, Dakota and Ed fight to prepare themselves for the harsh winter that will soon arrive on their doorstep. But Dakotaâs sense of safety is rattled when lost travelers come knocking, and everything Ed told them about the world post-disaster is scrutinized as the secrets hidden in the cellar desperately claw their way to the surface. The carnage of Edâs devotion is strewn across the snow in blood red streaks, and Dakota finds themself making drastic choices that threaten to strip away their humanity like flesh off a carcass. At the end of the world, love is written with the blade of an axe, and the most haunting plague of all may just be manâs own hubris. |
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Performances of a Death Metal Bard: A Brutal Novella by Rob Leigh Unfortunately, Death Metal doesnât get much play in this sleepy, peaceful, actually kind of boring kingdom. Of course not. Itâs tough inventing a genre on your own, and it doesnât help when all the instruments youâve tried up to this point donât match the brutality necessary for a dark and heavy performance. My coin only seems to be enough to get me to the next run-down village, and itâs dwindling fast. To make matters worse, my newest lute is not normal. It never stays in tune, itâs barely holding together, and it keeps whispering to me. Over and over, demands for vengeance and murder echo in my head, with the promise that Iâll find the sound I need if I just listen to the voices. So whatâs a starving bard to do? Performances of a Death Metal Bard is a brutal fantasy adventure inspired by The Witcher and Metalocalypse, merging the episodic travels of a musical elf with the darkness, blood, and raw riffs of the heaviest metal the kingdom has ever seen. |
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Domestication by Shannon Knight In an eat or be eaten world, domestication is a death sentence. When Janie chose the isolated sheep farm, she knew her husband would hunt her down. What she didnât expect was Rob and Howard. Rob rules the farm with the same domination tactics she uses to train dogs, while Howard believes only human supremacists think humans should be treated any differently than other animals. Janie inadvertently jumps out of the frying pan and into the fire. She wishes to leave her old self behind. She wants to transform. Will she devolve into meat, metamorphose into a monster, or transcend beyond her domesticated limitations? |
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It's Only A Little Death by Shane Blackheart Being dead never felt so good... Silver's memories are gone, but that's the way death usually goes. You wake up by the Styx, you realize you're dead, you pick a name, and you pay Charon for a ride across the river. If you have nothing of value to give, Charon deals in other currencies too â including ones of the flesh. Silver soon finds themself sitting on a bed in a strange room. They're given a diary, which is the most important thing they now own, and a peer support worker, Ifris, who's less than stellar about the job. Silver isn't prepared to go through the stages of grief for their own death, but they're even less ready for the deal they made with Charon: Recover their memories and the reason they died in record time, and they get to avenge their murder. There's one problem; the only way to trigger memories is to create a shock to the system, which is easily attained by having an explosive climax at the hands of the beasts that hold Silver's life story. |
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Incorrect Eyes by Andromeda Ruins Be Not Afraid Those three words have haunted me my entire life, and now I'm close. I know I am. I'm close to finding out the truth behind the words, the truth behind the Seraphim. The closer I get to uncovering the truth, to proving that the Seraphim are real, the further my mind slips. I can't sleep - can't dream - without seeing them. Life has become difficult all of a sudden and I know it's tied to them. I just have to keep going, keep learning, keep discovering. Everything will be better once I complete my research... Incorrect Eyes is a psychological religious horror involving paranoia, angels with too many eyes, and the least mentally stable protagonist Iâve ever written. Please read with caution. |
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Hall of Shadows by Mariah Stillbrook In the quiet life of Tess Moreau lies a remarkable powerâher touch revives ashes, defying nature's laws. When she uncovers a mysterious book linked to her grandmother and a witch's coven, her journey begins. Guided by a cursed deck of oracle cards, Tess delves into The Hall of Shadows, a realm crafted by her ancestors. With each dimension traversed, she uncovers her true lineageâa descendant of mythical beings. As Tess's humanity wanes, her destiny beckons. At journey's end, she faces a choice: preserve or destroy the hall. In a tale of magic and identity, Tess's odyssey may end, but her legacy is just beginningâa testament to the power within us all. |
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Miners of the Tempest by Penny Moss In the depths of the Tesera Mine, Oliverâs hope of finding Tau again fades with each passing day. Just as despair consumes him, his Sentinel returns, only a shadow of the mighty being he once was. Oliver swears revenge against those responsible, but thereâs no time to plan or savour being reunited, as a deadly mistake forces him and his friends to escape. With no other choice, and a weakened Tau, Oliver traces the steps of his missing teammate to war-torn lands. Heâs wholly unprepared to discover the toll exacted by mining for magic, and itâs worse than Oliver could have ever imagined. His hunger for revenge becomes a desperate need to put a stop to the atrocities committed, even if it means forming an alliance with an adversary. In a sea teeming with horrors and growing distrust among his friends, Oliver and Tau find solace only in each otherâs embrace. |
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Miners of the Mystics by Penny Moss Deep in the mountain where magic and mining coincide, penniless Oliver enlists as a Miner of the Mystics. The dream is unfathomable riches, the risk is injury or even death. A risk worth taking for just a glance at Sentinel Tau, an otherworldly being tasked with protecting the mountainâs inhabitants. Oliverâs luck plummets when he suffers a magical curse. Even a wayward touch could hurt him or his friends, alienating Oliver from everyone but Tau, whose healing magic he needs to survive. Oliver aches for an echo of his feelings behind the Sentinelâs expressionless maskâand discovers it in unexpected ways. When Oliver and his friends unearth a portal, the rarest artefact of all, he is plunged into a world of nightmares. There, he uncovers the gruesome origins of mining for the transmundane. The truth of what they might have unleashed upon their own world is only the beginning of a harrowing road Oliver stumbles down to be with Tau. A slow-burn dark fantasy m/m romance story. |
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Rituals & Grimoires: Gothic Tales of Dark Magic and Wizardry by Eric Avedissian, Stefanie Contreras, Evan A Davis, Colin Harker, Nicola Apron, A.R.C. Mitra, Teagan Olivia King, R. Thursday, Melanie Whitlock A seerâs dance descends through mist and time⌠Within this grimoire rests a collection of magical tales, most Gothic. Full of witches, ghosts, and spellcasters both ancient and new, these stories will thrill and haunt you like the very creatures they summon. Whether you love magic, mayhem, or something in between, these tales will cast their spell on you and hold your mind captive, well after the book has closed. |
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Autumn Nights: Nine Stories to Nibble at Your Nape by Helen Whistberry, L.T. Ward, Stefanie Contreras, Jeff Ehrmann, Frank L Tybush V, Alexis L. Carroll, Eileen Curley Hammond, Jaecyn Bone, Fay Lane Falling leaves cover dying flowerbeds, chill gusts herald frosty nights, and pumpkins reach peak season. The denizens of darkness prowl earlier each evening. Weddings and changelings, carnivals and hauntings⌠creepy creatures, and murderous intent all meet in this cozy horror anthology. Bundle up with cider and gather 'round the campfire, or stay at home with the windows shut and the lights onâread however your heart desires. Autumn Nights Charity Anthology Series is proud to present the final volume: Nine Stories to Nibble At Your Nape. This finale provides autumn-themed horror thatâs safe for adults and later teens alike. No graphic violence, no SA, and minimal cursing is the promise of all Autumn Nights Charity Anthology books. This yearâs profits go entirely to the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to providing crisis support and safe spaces for LGBTQ individuals through trained crisis counselors and advocacy. |
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Devil by the Tail by Caroline Lavoie In a small town in the Rockies, a mountain looms: the Devilâs Tail. According to local lore, a wicked trickster haunts its slopes, and whoever glimpses it is cursed to lose someone they love. Alex refuses to believe sheâs been cursed. She only ever saw the beast in her nightmares. Even if itâs real, it canât hurt her because she doesnât let anyone get too close to her heart. That is, until Amka moves to town. In no time, Alexâs carefully built walls begin to crumble. But what if Alexâs fear of loss is a curse of its own? There are a hundred ways to die on the Devilâs Tail, but only one way to break the curse. The path is treacherous, and the beast is waiting. |
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He Hears Death by A.L. Davidson He Hears Death tells the morbid tale of an embalmer who can no longer hear the world as it is, but as Death does. Cursed with the ability to hear the voices of the deceased who linger in his quiet hometown, The Fool finds himself struggling to hold onto his sanity. Reeling from the murder of his Lover four years prior, he spends his days fixing up the dead and the nights sewing up his own damaged soul amidst the anxiety and loneliness in his life. His only safe haven is his apartment - the place where his Lover's spirit still lingers - but the trek home each night is a dangerous one indeed... A violent, malicious entity stalks the halls of the high-rise, and every time The Fool steps through his doorway he risks it being his last. Wrestling with his future, his desire for reunion, and his spiraling anxiety, The Fool's story is one of grief, loneliness, and lost love. His near-obsessive romance with the literal ghost of his past grows ever stronger as his inability to move on throttles his will to live until all hell breaks loose. When an unforeseen crisis hits the neighboring city, The Fool finds himself trapped within the confines of The Tower, forcing him to face not only the hell-bent monstrosity in the hall and Death's presence in the shadows, but the finality of life as he knew it. |
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Tales from Beyond the Veil by E. B. Hunter Eight twisted tales as told by the victims of the supernatural.â¨â¨Includes three previously published works, and two top stories on Vocal Media. â¨â¨Come with me if you dare. |
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Through Dry Places by D.H. Gutierrez An old Spanish mission lies beneath the surface of a serene Texas lake, its secrets hidden for decades. The receding waters of a drought expose its ruins and it becomes the source of inspiration for Matthew, an urban explorer struggling to maintain his once-popular video channel. Determined to make it his next big video, Matthew sets out to uncover the mystery surrounding San Lazaro. But as he delves deeper into the decrepit halls and forgotten rooms, he finds himself face-to-face with his own fears. |
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Dueling Shoulder Angels by Ben Schenkman Selling his soul to the Devil was the best decision that Nick ever made. He got the girl, saved the day, and settled in for a comfortable career at Devil Co. That means itâs the perfect time for God to have other plans for himâ and guess who shows up to try and poach Nick for Their organization? Why have one complicated job working for a personified deity, when you can have two? Caught between worlds, and moonlighting for the âgood guys,â Nick learns his deal with Lucifer might not be what it seems. Uncovering a scheme to take advantage of the Devil himself rocks Nick to his core, and makes him question everything. The line between good and evil gets blurrier by the day, and Nick doesnât know which shoulder angel to trust. His partner Amy, a witch growing into powers of her own, warns him of the danger he faces, but canât stop Nick from running headlong into it. Can Nick save himself, or will Amy need to make an ally of a former foe to save him from a fate worse than decaf? |
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Who are you feeding? New York, 1899: Working class nobody Jasper is whisked away to a castle in the mountains by his wealthy lover Leo. Itâs supposed to be a romantic escape, even if Jasper is officially here as a servant. But his dreams are soon dashed as heâs worked to the bone and demeaned by Leoâs callous, conservative family. Trapped in the isolated castle, with even his lover against him, Jasper sees no choice but to accept this rotten treatment. That is, until he makes an unlikely friend: the man in the walls. Chained in a hidden room, the man wonât say who imprisoned him or why. He demands to be kept a secret, and for Jasper to bring him a steady supply of his favorite meal: leeches. Bizarre, but it becomes easier to swallow when the man promises great rewards for Jasperâs help: money, power, revenge. Jasper doesnât see anything wrong with taking the deal. He believes his hard times will soon be overâuntil heâs forced to confront the monster heâs been feeding. |
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Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager The woods surrounding the insular town of Mill Creek, West Virginia, have a habit of taking people and refusing to give them back. The National Parks Service Search and Rescue Team knows this, just like they know when you find a door in the woods, you donât go through it. But park ranger Theo Buchanan has a knack for sticking her nose where it doesnât belong. Determined to find the truth behind her sister Floraâs strange disappearance, she boldly steps through one such door, catching the attention of the Federal Bureau of Reality. She quickly learns how far they are willing to go to keep their secrets locked tight, even if it means silencing those who stumble upon them permanently. Together with her journalist ex-girlfriend, a fellow ranger, a conspiracy theorist, and a rogue member of the Bureauâs Requisitions Department, Theo must brave the horrors of the Infinite Corridor and its web of connected realities to find FloraâŚbefore the Bureau does. |
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Burrows of Blood and Shadow by Rebekah L Webb An enigmatic entity's journey to process a trauma he can't even remember. The dreamers dream all the time, free to go anywhere, to be anything, to see worlds outside themselves, inside themselves and beyond themselves. The Dream Surfer has no past or memory and can only experience life through the dreams and memories of others. He is stuck in a world of doors and windows leading to quiet lives, where pain and tragedy flow like the inevitable path of gentle streams. There is one spot he refuses to go, a dank corner where burrows dive down to dark and brutal depths. He yearns to break free of his cage and create an existence of his own. But nothing he's done so far has brought him closer to freedom. Maybe the key to escape lies where he has so far feared to tread. The Dream Surfer takes the plunge into the depths of the burrows, where he will travel the turbulent current of pain and cruelty intersecting through various narratives. Will this give him the freedom he craves? Or is it just a way to add more chains? Thirty-seven tales weave together to shape multiple plots, some which dig into literal flesh, while others rip at the flesh of the mind. Neither guilty or innocent, young or old, are safe in this twisting path of mental and physical horrors. |
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When twenty-three-year-old surly, and slightly tipsy, Frankie finds her hag of a grandmother dead on the sofa, her best friend, playful Ben Bowen, introduces her to the magical underbelly of Aspen Ridge, Utah. Ben is a witch, a seer to be exact, and he guides Frankie into her new identity as a healer, a restoration witch. With the help of Ben and his coven-mate Cleo, Frankie navigates the treacherous classes of witches: dragons, shifters, and the abhorred vampireâlife-drinking witches. It was a vampire that killed Frankieâs grandmother, and sheâs after Frankie. But, much to the chagrin of best friend Ben, it isnât Frankieâs vitality that the vampire wants. Frankie must work her newfound magicâdespite her fear, her self-doubt, and her desire to have one more drinkâwith her friends to eliminate a common enemy. Sheâll have to endure nightmares and commit horrors unspeakable, or risk losing them all. It will take guts ⌠whosever they may be. |
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The Scientist, The Spaceman, and The Stars Between Them by A.L. Davidson Theyâve incited deicide, and the old gods are angry⌠In a desperate attempt at saving humanity from its own destructive hubris, the Zeus Project set out to explore the untouched reaches of deep space. Now, countless light years later, the colonizing efforts are well under way, but the vast universe has been anything but kind. After surviving a near-fatal revival from their cryo-pod that permanently damaged their lungs, Dr. London Davies has spent the last two years trapped within the confines of a sterile, sanitized outpost far away from the rest of humanity and their loving husband, Temple. Acting as the chief embalmer for Zeus, London grows more and more concerned as cadavers filled with writhing worms and unusual forms of decay overrun their cold storage. With their husband off fighting for humanityâs survival under the brutal, watchful eye of Zeus, anxiety, and claustrophobia test the limits of the embalmerâs sanity. The once quiet morgue has transformed into a playground for something otherworldly, and London's only hope is that Temple can breach the stars between them before it's too late. |
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The Spark by Katrine Buch Mortensen "The Spark is a madcap tale of rebellion and getting caught up in forces beyond one's control, set in a truly strange, magical world. I couldn't put it down until it was done." John Bierce, Mage Errant "The Patron Wars utilizes a magic and combat system where clan warriors can harness the attributes of various animals: wolves, bears, vipers, big cats, ravens, and more. The fight scenes are visceral and beastlike; if you've ever wondered how someone imbued with the strength of a full-grown moose would fare in a fight, you'll find your answer here." - Alexander Darwin, The Combat Codes Daina has always dreamed of flight. To soar above her problems, her doubts, and the conflicts of her clan. And here, where shapeshifting is as normal as breathing, flight is indeed possible. Just not to a mix like her, a barely tolerated member of the clan, not belonging to any of the tribes within it. With parents long gone and no friends except for a curmudgeonly old boss, she has little for her except her dream and a burning rivalry with her longtime enemy, Aisma. So when two of the clanâs gods approach her, offering to fulfill her dream, how can she not accept? But there is a price for everything. As civil war besets the clan, and the gods draw up battle lines, the time for dreams and petty rivalry is running out. There is a price for everything, and Daina might have to pay more than she ever imagined. |
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At times creepy, funny, and frightening, and told deftly from a child's perspective, Od and Ed is a haunting and heartfelt suburban dark fantasy about a sister and brother that brings the 1980's to life in ways that feel both new and familiar. October 1988 In a moment of desperation Od pressed the button set deep in the wood of the scarebox, and unknowingly pushed Edâs soul out of his body. For some reason Edâs Body can still walk and talk, but it isnât behaving like Ed, and it refuses to leave the graveyard. Thrown into the supernatural currents running under her small town, Od soon realizes that her only ally may be Loney Scrobeâa strange classmate of hers whoâs surrounded by dark and disturbing rumors. Odâs not sure if she can trust Loney, but her brotherâs life hangs in the balanceâŚand she only has one night to put him back together again. |
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The Outer Darkness by M. V. Prindle An ancient and magical wall of Darkness surrounds the Land of Light, ringing the known world. Within it, an ancient evil stirs... The sources of Light have begun to fail. Demons muster at the borders. A horde of the risen dead shamble in from the west. The Fallen gods prepare to invade. Yet hope remains, for a handful of champions stand against the Darkness⌠Abraxes has forsaken his family fortune to escape his fatherâs control. When a god employs him to steal a sacred object, will he find the destiny he searches for? Anaya is a monk of the Iron Way. Her temple has been destroyed and her master murdered. Can she fulfill his dying command? Merrick has joined the holy order of the Royal Guard, just like his mother wanted. When heâs called upon to investigate a mysterious massacre, will his faith bear the weight of what he uncovers? Tallyn is one of the most deadly assassins in the world. When fate leads her to an ancient hidden city, will she survive the path the gods have laid for her? The hungry Darkness approaches. In this standalone work of dark fantasy from the author of Bob the Wizard, join the battle against the Fallen godsâ demonic children. And remember: Donât let the Light go out. |
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A Song to Wake a Thousand Sorrows by Michelle Manus A woman with unimaginable power. A king hellbent on ruling the world. An ancient force that could mean salvation or destruction.â¨â¨The survivor of a brutal childhood, Clare Brighton craves the kind of wealth and notoriety that will mean the horrors of her past can never again touch her. With nothing but a battered guitar and a Songweaverâs talent, she comes to the capital of the Faelhorn Provinces, determined to gain her place. But there is another, more dangerous power that dwells within Clare. An entity she calls the Song, it is ancient and fathomlessâŚand no longer content to be held in the cage she has trapped it in. It is a power the ruthless Jackal King has long been searching for, and should he discover she possesses it, the cost will be far greater than her life. Clare has sworn that she will never again let anyone control her. But escaping the Jackal Kingâs notice will require the one thing she never wanted to need: help. It will come first from the two lords who have taken her under their wing. Next from the second prince of Faelhorn, who Clare alone knows is not what he seems. And finally, from the Song itself. The Song has the strength to save herâif it doesnât destroy her first. |
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The Afterlife Experiment by Sam Weiss Previously published as Cynosura 99 by Sam Weiss. âThe night the moon bleeds is the night the world will end. Thereâs death in the moon. And the moon is you.â Atra Hart has spent the last seven years locked away in Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital. In that time, her shadow has transformed into its own entity and is growing stronger by the day, threatening to devour her mind. She calls that shadow Dread, and only her missing father knows what it is. When a fire breaks out at the asylum, Atra makes her way to freedom just in time to see an electric-purple rift sunder the sky. Like Dread, the rift is only visible to her. Atraâs already loose grip on reality unravels when she learns the rift is a gateway to the world of the dead. And the Queen, an ancient evil lurking on its fringes, wants Dread for her own. Even worse, Atra canât tell if any of this is really happening. She might have escaped one asylum, but the closer she gets to unearthing answers about Dread, why her father knows itâs there, and its role in the Queenâs plans, the more she risks getting trapped inside her own mind forever. Maybe some truths are meant to stay buried. |
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Rites of Passage by M. D. Presley Corbin James has never been so lost. Able to dowse since a kid, heâs adept at finding missing things. But after weeks on the run from the FBI, the teenâs luck has finally run dry. Enter the enigmatic Mister with a tempting offer: find an enchanter who has disappeared inside the mysterious Harmon House. Recruited into a reluctant crew of motley magicians, Corbin only has days to navigate their shifting loyalties to earn his freedom by entering the Inner Circle. Lucky for him heâs got his trusty dowsing rod, a defaced 50-cent piece, and enchanted iPod. |
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Clysm Games: Dark Seeds by Dom Sabasti [must be read in *movie guy* voice] In the wake of an arcane cataclysm, in a storm of lust and deceit, swirling in shadows of ancient magic, a brilliant light shines, eager to breed. |
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Darkness Below by Barbara Cottrell 2023 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Fiction - Horror genre!â¨â¨Nightmares. Disappearances. Suicide. Fall semester is always a challenging time at Miskatonic University. All Ellen Logan wants to do is pass her classes while holding down a bad job at a New Age bookstore. But when a former roommate jumps to her death from the university clocktower and another friend vanishes, leaving her with a mysterious book, she embarks on her own investigation. With the help of renowned professor Andrew Carter, she uncovers evidence of a murderous cult, a terrifying creature, and a ghost who knows far too much about her. To survive, Ellen and Carter must descend into the Darkness Below to stop the forces that threaten to tear their world apart. |
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My Boss is the Devil by Ben Schenkman Finding the balance between good and evil is about to require a lot of coffee. Whatâs better than being a college dropout twenty-something working as a barista in New Haven, CT? Just about anything. Nick would give anything to escape the dead-end life heâs made for himself. He gets the offer of a lifetime from Lucifer himself, to trade his apron for a suit. Should he really consider becoming an agent of the Devil? With the way things are going for Nick, of course he should. Lucifer wants to give Nick a chance to do what he always wanted, to help people, wielding power and influence to make their dreams come true. He would have to sell his soul, but the Devil is a gambling man and lets Nick experience his new life before he has to sign on the dotted line. Can he use the Devilâs power for good, and make his mark on the world, or will he fall victim to his own desires and lose his humanity? As if that wasnât enough, the very friend that made the meeting with Lucifer possible turns on Nick, and he needs to do some quick thinking to come out on top. Maybe the ends justify the means, but there are no easy answers. |
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Nominated For A 2023 Whitney Awardâ¨â¨"Cooper has written a masterpiece! This author has an uncanny ability to weave together intricate plot lines and complex characters that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. You can put this book down once you've devoured every last page." - Midwest Book Reviewâ¨â¨"A tale of transformation and the triumph of the human spirit... a must-read for anyone who craves a captivating blend of romance, fantasy, and adventure, with characters who leap off the page and into your heart." - A Look Inside: Books, Movies & Music When Ellie Forth sets out to have a great Alaskan adventure with her remaining family members, sheâs got something to proveâand not to them, but to herself. Four years after the unexpected death of her mother and sister, sheâs ready to re-embrace her adventurous side. Oliver Coleâs life, on the other hand, is very simple: go to work, catch fish, come home, and stash every penny earned into his bank account so he can afford to pay for college. But his life is turned upside down when Ellie and her brotherâtwo nearly-forgotten acquaintances from his childhoodâburst back into his life. After a horrific encounter with the supernatural deep in the Kenai Peninsula, Ellie and Oliver must team up to discover the truth about what happened in Portlock, and how to fight a rising tide of evil that has the power to envelop not just Alaska, but the entire world. A stunning debut, Silverskin is a blend of fantasy, suspense, and the supernatural. With Hallmark-meets-Hitchcock vibes, the adventure and sweet romance in this book will keep you up turning pages well past your bedtime. It features strong female and male leads, low-spice friends-to-lovers romance, found family themes, and more. |
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The Plagued Elf by Armanis Ar-feinial In a race against time, Quarala battles against the unknown, desperately striving to save the life of Anaergienne, Malitu's hunter. Armed with her vast knowledge and unwavering determination, she must unravel the mysteries of a disease that has eluded even the most skilled healers. Will she succeed in her quest to find a cure and restore him? Dive into this gripping tale of magic, courage, and sacrifice, and prepare to be spellbound. |
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The Tickle Monster by David Washburn There is comfort in the wholesomeness of family. Pure joy to be cherished in the innocence of a child. âŚBut what happens when a looming sense of dread has a death-grip on a childâs mind? Teddy is âonly a boyâ but there is a rebellious fire in his belly that urges him to forge his own path as a man. With much to learn, his father does his best to teach him about being a man and respecting family traditions while appreciating the mundane. After Teddyâs father tells him not to go into the woods, in what was meant to be a teachable moment, Teddy is soon faced with a choice that sees him in the very place where he shouldnât be. Teddy encounters something that he cannot make sense of that will haunt him in the coming days. This tale of colonial era horror proves that a childâs imagination isnât always a safe place. |
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The Naughty Corner by Mark Towse Are you ready to get put into the Naughty Corner? Three uniquely fresh novellas in one collection, including Towse's wildest old-people horror yet, 'The Generation Games.' Also includes, âThe Naughty Cornerâ and âMy Name is Brian.â The Generation Games. The population crisis is out of control. Earthâs resources are close to depletion. A mandate has been put into effect condemning people to death when they hit the age of seventy. Only A lucky few will have the opportunity to compete for a passport to the latter years. Itâs about to get savage. My Name Is Brian. Brian's an odd one, always with his head in the books or packet of chips. He doesn't mix well with the other kids but doesn't seem to care. Or is he just a ticking time bomb ready to explode? Coming of age horror on steroids. The Naughty Corner A new start in a gorgeous location. The house of their dreams. But behind the gates of this well-do-do community, our family is about to uncover rules and secrets that will turn their lives upside down. And trust me, you don't want to be in the naughty corner. "Towse is a master of narrative juggling. He makes his readers squirm and laugh in equal measure. His work should be treasured." - E.C. Hanson, author of WICKED BLOOD |
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All Who Wander Are Lost: Destination Horror Stories by Gemma Amor ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST. First Landing State Park. Antarctica. Mongolia. France. Norway. Ireland. Somerset. Egypt. A giant glacier in an unnamed land. What do all these places have in common? Theyâre the perfect place to set a horror story, is what. In this brand new collection of destination based tales of terror, Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award nominated author Gemma Amor (The Folly, Full Immersion, Six Rooms, Dear Laura) takes us on a series of adventures through the weird and the wonderful, the strange and the unexplainable, across the remotest, wildest parts of this world, and through lands yet to be discovered. Expect dark and deranged encounters, beautiful vistas, old gods, ghosts, peculiar creatures, vampires, and that most terrifying of all monsters: mankind. Told strictly through the eyes of intrepid travellers (we are only ever visitors in this realm), you too can become an explorer without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. So come, join us on a voyage across lands both familiar and strange, and witness sights beyond your wildest imaginings in a book written for the the wanderers, the adventurers, the endlessly curious, the constantly dislocated, the restless and the sleepless, the speakers of many tongues or of none, the seers of many sights, the dreamers who follow their feet, pick stones from between their toes, taste salt on their tongue, feel dust blow hot and hard against their skinâŚ. But remember, not all journeys have a happy ending. In fact, in this book, quite the opposite: for All Who Wander are often Lost⌠|
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When the Devil by Emma E. Murray In When the Devil, Libby finds salvation in a new sapphic partner, homebrewed poison, and facing a God she no longer believes in. |
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Strange things happen in The Gulp. The residents have grown used to it. The isolated Australian harbour town of Gulpepper is not like other places. Some maps donât even show it. And only outsiders use the full name. Everyone who lives there calls it The Gulp. The place has a habit of swallowing people.â¨â¨A truck driver thinks the stories about The Gulp are made up to scare him. Until he gets there. Teenage siblings try to cover up the death of their mother, but their plans go drastically awry. A rock band invite four backpackers to a party at their house, where things get dangerously out of hand. A young man loses a drug shipment and his boss gives him 48 hours to make good on his mistake. Under the blinking eye of the old lighthouse, a rock fisher makes the strangest catch of his life.â¨â¨Five novellas. Five descents into darkness. Welcome to The Gulp, where nothing is as it seems. |
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Hard Places by Kirstyn McDermott âKirstyn McDermottâs prose is darkly magical, insidious and insistent. Once her words get under your skin, they are there to stay.â --Angela Slatter, author of All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns Hard Places collects the very best of Kirstyn McDermottâs short fiction written over the past twenty years along with a previously unpublished novella. From unsettling obsessions and brutal body horror to unexpected monsters and ghosts drifting through suburbia, these stories run the gamut of horror and the contemporary gothic. By turns harrowing, provocative and poignant, this collection will haunt you long after the last page is turned. |
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As We Convene: An Anthology of Time and Place by Casie Bazay, Amanda Bender, Shelli Cornelison, Emiliy Gray, Elizabeth Holden, Sara Kapadia, Jennifer Kaul, Alexandra Z. Lazar, C.M. Leyva, Gerardo J. Mercado, Christian H. Morales, K. Psych, J. Ophelia Vazquez, Angela Sanchez, Nico Vasquez, Mary Winsor The moors of Wuthering Heights. The Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz. The Blackwood mansion in We Have Always Lived In The Castle. The planet Uriel in A Wrinkle in Time. Many stories that stand the test of time have a central place at the crux of the plot â a main locale. These places are so central, they seem to transfigure themselves into one of the main characters. The locale grows and shifts, becoming the focus, the place in which the plot hinges and the characters thrive. The locale becomes integral to the story, so much so that it is impossible to set the story anywhere else. In this anthology, sixteen varied locales have been gathered to visit. From outer space to the Grand Canyon, from Florida swamps to the orange groves of California, the setting of these stories takes center stage. The collected stories here range across genre, from speculative to more contemporary works. Each story will bring you into a world, maybe similar to our own, maybe different. Either way, youâll feel well-traveled after exploring these beautiful locales. |
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Someone Elseâs Horror Story by Rebecca Crunden Jace Venable lives a quiet life in the house his father left him. He dreams of fixing up the barn out back so that he doesnât have to return to the city heâs only too happy to leave behind. He likes to be left alone, thank you very much. And then, one night, he finds a runaway in his barn. A boy with a horrifying story thatâs about to upend Jaceâs quiet life permanently. |
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The Boddicker Letters by A.C. Cross Titus Boddicker is in love. So in love, in fact, that he sends his beloved Luisa a letter nearly every day. Unfortunately for Titus, these letters paint a picture of a descent into the darkest regions of reality. Will he be saved? Can he? Can anyone? |
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The Beast of Loughby Island by Matt Doyle A young man named Tom Daniels is kidnapped by a local family and is dropped on Loughby Island in an attempt to 'clean up their streets'. When the family that dropped Tom off is slaughtered by a werewolf-like creature, he soon finds himself banding together with a small group of the island's residents in a fight for their lives against an otherworldly monster. |