Alex McKenna and the Academy of Souls by Vicki-Ann Bush No dark entities shall pass through this shield, as I will it ... so shall it be. Alex McKenna's plans for a couple of supernatural-free days are interrupted by an ominous visit from the ghost of seven-year-old Haven. The little girl needs his help and he's willing to risk his life to save her after-life. Despite his great-grandmother's warning, he choose to cross the bridge between the living and the dead to assist her. The trip lands Alex and his girlfriend at a high school known as the Academy of Souls. The ghostly campus for dead teens is a safe place for those who are unable to complete their after-life journey. There they meet Ophelia, Haven's older sister, who has been searching for her for more than a century. To reunite the sisters, Alex must cross the teacherous terrain of the in-between realm known as the Underworld, and rescue Haven from the clutches of the Soul Gatherer. A demonic spirit that feeds off of the souls of children. Could this be Alex's last case or will he keep his promise to Haven and save her soul before it's too late? |
The Witch's Detective by Karen Thrower Lily Roa grew up known as âThe little witch who killed her family,â now she works for the police as a consultant, solving magical crimes. Her lifeâs purpose is to find the monsters who give the good ones a bad name, to find the magic users who would blacken the world and bring them to justice. Plus, the pay is good. There seems to be something dark creeping into Lilyâs hometown, something that took her mentor away but brought in a partner she could trust. Something summoning the darkest of creatures and leaving evidence no one in town could explain. Now Lily must work with the new Detective Richard Moss against roadblocks, both magical and mundane, to find out whatâs going on in the sleepy town of Arion. |
Fortress of the Damned by J.R. White Haunted by the echoes of his past, gunfighter Kit Barker is eager for a hunt. When an old friendâs cryptic cry for aid arrives, along with a bloodstained box of salt, it looks like heâs found one. Accompanied by the Navajo renegade John Swift-Runner, Kitâs quest takes him from the flame-scorched alleys of Chicago to a lonesome whiskey fortress in the harsh wilderness of the Montana frontier. When Kit and John find the desolate outpost seemingly abandoned, the mystery deepens. Was it Indians? Madness? But before they can find answers, Barker and his companions are besieged by an unknown force. Staring down the double-barreled shotgun of monstrous evil and a merciless winter, Barker and his companions are forced into a terrifying standoff. As their options dwindle, Barker must accept a horrifying possibility⊠that this devouring force is not so mindless after all. It will take more than a well-placed bullet to save them this time. Can Barker and his friends survive the onslaught, or will failure scatter their frozen bones in the Fortress of the Damned. |
The Bounty & The Bones by J.R. White Aging manhunter Harlon Slade needs a bounty, and fast. When a gang of dingy outlaws wanders into his saloon it seems his troubles are postponed. But when he overhears their hushed whispers of gold in the cliffside ruins of the Sonoran desert, he wonders if there's more than just a bounty to be had. Slade tracks the men into the desert night, ready to take the treasure for himself. But something dwells in the ruins, lying in wait, and as the hideous truth unfolds, both the manhunter and his prey will find there's more gleaming in the shadows than gold. |
Hail of Brimstone by J.R. White In the wilderness of the newborn nation of Mexico, a demonic gunman attacks a wedding, turning a day of joy into a massacre and wiping the mission of Nuestra Señora de la Sangre from the map. A half-century later, vagabond gunfighter Kit Barker finds himself on the trail of a lost friend and a sinister relic that will bring him face to face with an evil that threatens to rend the very bonds of his sanity. Following a blood-stained trail from the streets of old New York, across the great plains, and all the way to the jagged coasts of Baja, Barker and his friends must fight for survival against both man and beast as they stalk a doomed path to its inevitable and explosive end⊠if necessary, to the very fires of hell. Can Barker defend his soul against the devils and demons of his own mind? Can mere men resist the thing that hunts them from beyond the Hail of Brimstone? From the author of SHADOW OF WOLVES, a new action-packed tale of horror in the Wild West! |
Shadow of Wolves by J.R. White A tortured gunfighter. A Navajo outcast. â And the Creature whose claws would stain the stones of the Mojave red. Flush with raw silver and ruled by a baron with an iron fist, the tiny mining outpost of Shankâs Point is under siege by a sinister evil. When the rising sun reveals the claw-torn bodies littered among the rocks, John Swift-Runner calls on his old friend, a vagabond gunfighter, to stand with him against the slaughter he knows will come. But as their band of misfits hunts for the creature on the burning sands of the Mojave, they stumble into a generations old mystery that goes beyond shamanic curses and into the bloodstained pages of legend. Can the killing be stopped? And can a tortured gunman like Kit Barker â with a terrible secret of his own â prevail against something as savage and eternal as the Beast? |
CICADA by Tanya Pell Ash is stranded at a rural horror film festival about a giant killer cicada and can't decide what's worse, the movie or her idiot boyfriend, until she realizes she's starring in the bloody sequel when people start dying and the locals won't let them leave. |
When Her World Went Away by Alexis L. Carroll Stranded in the desert, supplies dwindling, and armed with only a kitchen knife⊠Sairha is determined to be reunited with her family after a catastrophic earthquake decimates the world, bringing down all technology and leaving deep cracks in the earth. Miles apart and no way to contact them, she sets off on foot across the unforgiving terrain, with her friend and a charming stranger who claims to know the way. Finding empty towns, their epic trek soon turns into a desperate battle for survival. Ravenous creatures emerge from underground, stalking them in the dark. Food and water are scarce. Seeking safety in numbers, they team up with other survivors. But with their lives constantly in peril, tensions rise and Sairhaâs loyalty is put to the test when distrust divides the group. Between the dangers of a ravaged land and a brutal betrayal by someone close, Sairha is barely holding onto the little hope she has left. She will have to dig through the lies, trust her instincts, and build strength to continue her daunting journey home or succumb to the monsters of the night. |
Blue Haven Lake by William Joseph Welcome to the town of Blue Haven Lakeâa picturesque ski-resort that harbors a chilling secret beneath its serene waters. When the town officials lower the lake's water level to explore a centuries-old submerged fort, they unwittingly unleash a long-dormant terror. After a series of events threaten to unravel the town's carefully maintained facade and drive away its vital tourists, a determined and fearless group of teenagers embark on a perilous journey to uncover the truth, plunging into the depths of Blue Haven Lake's past. What awaits them is not just a lost history but an unspeakable horror tied to the townâs long forgotten history. |
Z.E.R.O: Zombie Elimination and Rescue Operatives by Jessica Ungeheuer Jeffrey Knight is a down on his luck self proclaimed loser. He can't keep a job, forced into hours of work in the hell that is retail. His only stable thing in his life was his relationship with his longtime girlfriendâŠthat is until he catches her cheating on him. Now with nothing left, he begrudgingly agrees to join his best friend on a night of fake zombie hunting paintball. The only solace he has in his pitiful life. That is, until he learns zombies are real⊠Jennifer Mayer has spent her whole life hunting monsters. Working tirelessly for a secret organization of mercenaries to protect normal citizens from learning the truth. However, there are a growing number of undead, and her organization leaders refuse to believe her that something catastrophic is coming. She is in need of new recruits to prevent a coming âDay of the Deadâ event. After saving Jeff from near death Jennifer takes him on as a pupil. Jennifer must train Jeff in everything she knows while avoiding the growing feelings and memories he reignites in her -- feelings she thought she buried long ago. Jeff has never finished anything in his life, allowing his fears to stop him. If he chokes up now, there might not be a normal world to go back to. |
Unholy with eyes like wolves by Morgan Dante NoĂ©mie, a dishonored and widowed noblewoman in early 17th century Hungary, finds herself in an unenviable position: After grievous trauma and loss, her last chance to regain her honor comes when she must serve as Lady ErzsĂ©bet BĂĄthoryâs handmaiden. BĂĄthory is stoic and imperious, and as NoĂ©mie struggles to acclimate and accept her present and future, she begins to have dreams about a mysterious woman. Worse, there are stories of disappearance and deaths in the castle, and NoĂ©mie might be next. |
Whispers of Apple Blossoms by Brett Mitchell Kent A love story spanning decades. A Lonely widow mourning her husband and daughter. A tail of missing people all leading to one unpredictable source. Edna Mann, a lonely widow longing for the family she's lost, finds companionship in an unlikely source when her late husband begins communicating with her through her houseplant. As those around her begin to disappear, Edna must confront the reality that something mich worse may be at play...and has been for longer than she could have ever expected. An atmospheric and hainting tale of love, heartache, fear and obsession. The warped reality of an elderly woman filled with regret interlaces with the story of the past she desperately longs to relive. Whispers of Apple Blossoms is as romantic as it is heartbreakingly sinister and, as each petal falls, pulls you further into the darkness and toward the unforgettable finale. |
What Manner of Man by St John Starling What would tempt you to sin? A sweet and naĂŻve priest at war with his desires, tormented by nightly dreams of a wicked demon. A vampire lord forced to do the unthinkable, battling needs he can scarcely control. Father Ardelian has been summoned to a distant, secluded island to perform an exorcism. What will happen when he begins to suspect his host â the mysterious, nocturnal lord of the manor â of wanting him for another reason entirely? Will the piously celibate priest be able to resist his monstrous hostâs diabolically seductive charms? What Manner of Man is a blasphemous queer horror romance about a priest and a vampire, inspired by Bram Stokerâs Dracula. A tale of forbidden love with themes of devil worship, demonic possession, and human sacrifice â this is the long-awaited completed version of the widely beloved story which rose to fame and fortune in the form of a newsletter! |
He Who Bleeds by Dorian Valentine London. 1874. Religious devotion was a learned skill, and even the most pious of men have felt the tug of The Devilâs influence. Lord AurĂ©lien Saint-Orlant found he was no exception, always toeing the line between being a true god-fearing man and a barbaric sinner who reveled in hedonism. This monotonous life of his changes when his world crashes down around him and wolves in sheep's clothing are revealed, leading AurĂ©lien to discover his true origins. As one of many devilspawns, he is locked in a contract with a greedy human who uses him to commit unorthodox killings among the upper echelon. When his contract is partially broken, AurĂ©lien finds himself whole again, and his desire to create his macabre art only grows. The spawn seeks retribution and craves the freedom to create his art in utter peace. With the help of his incubus lover, Lord AurĂ©lien Saint-Orlant will paint the streets red with that humanâs gore. |
Through Legend They Fall by Rachel Pendley As Ferrin Grey returned home from the horrors of war, his people hailed him a hero while the ghosts of his sins screamed monster. Now he is dying, infected with an unknown disease that eats him away little by little, piece by piece. When the ruler of a foreign nation unleashes a terrifying beast in Ferrinâs homeland, he finds himself thrust back into a world he was so desperate to leave behind. To end this nightmare, he must kill both creature and king, but ill omens warn him of the future as demons resurface from his past, turning the hunter into the hunted. And if these monsters were to catch this rotting soldier, then death will be the least of his troubles. |
Ascension by Brittany Engstrand If you die in your dreams, do you die in reality? When Maaya Hasan is devoured by her late grandmotherâs mirror, she learns a powerful shadow demon is after her soul. To remain alive, sheâs forced to ally with her enemyâs heirâa flirty, cursed assassin who hides the truth about his broken past. With Aresâs help, she must collect the souls of five dead gods in order to return home. Throughout their journey, Maaya struggles to survive encounters with merciless demons, spirits, and otherworldly creatures like seer plants, heart-stealing vultures, and a demon of illusions⊠and to resist her desire for Ares, despite his alluring, incessant attempts to charm her. As secrets are exposed and a dark power stirs within her, Maaya learns her soul is not the only life at stake. She must sacrifice the love she couldnât help but become entangled in, or risk the lives of innocents across the universe. For all gods covet sacrifice. |
Forever Red by Harvey Oliver Baxter In the beginning, there was a band. A band of kids who had the world at their fingertips. Follow Ben and Casper throughout their lives as they rise to fame as the goth icons of the band Forever Red, and watch through interviews and their own narration as they navigate their passions, relationships, and eventually, their undead lives. The rockstar life is not always as it seems, but some bonds were never meant to be broken. |
Fallen Thorns by Harvey Oliver Baxter âA great death is in the air.â Arlo is lost. He thought he had everything figured out. Go to university, fall in love, get a job. But life doesnât always work like that, and before he has a chance to figure it out, he dies. In the space of a night, Arlo is plunged into a new world of immortality and finds a group of people who swear to always have his back. Dying is never easy, but they promise him eternal safety. But something is after him. Something no one could have ever predicted. He craves to figure out his purpose before he falls into something he can never come back from. |
ROTGUT by H.S. Wolfe All I want to do is play drums in Cluster Headache, but I canât even get that right. Between my on-again off-again shituationship with one of my band mates, the drinking problem-I-donât-really-have and losing my job along with my will to live... Iâve kind of botched up my life. As if things werenât crummy enough Iâm being followed by strange creatures that no one else seems to notice. Right before a big show too, that canât be a good sign. I've got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about it. |
The Haunting of Sheila Lee by Uilleam Whitedale Sometimes the human psyche seeks to protect itself in ways that shield one from trauma in the short term through denial, sublimation, projection. Regardless, the emotions shunned must be addressed in due time in some manner. Yet, once in an age, trauma is so severe and the bearer so unwilling to face it that it is wholly displaced, made homeless, and, epitomizing pain in excess, intends to punish its source. Sheila Ann Lee, a narcissistic and neurotic seeker of affluence, creates her own manifestation of trauma and leaves it forlorn. As it tortures her mind, and, eventually, interferes with the true love she finds, it remains unclear to her and all those seeking to protect her whether she is being haunted or she is the source of her own misery, and theirs. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
Darkness Below by Barbara Cottrell 2023 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Fiction - Horror genre!âšâšNightmares. 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. |
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 skinâŠ. But remember, not all journeys have a happy ending. In fact, in this book, quite the opposite: for All Who Wander are often Lost⊠|
The Rabbit Man: A Collection of Short Terrors and Flash Fiction by T.R. Slauf The Fanciful, The Terrible, & The Macabre From killers in masks, to a haunted car wash, to a demon hunting cat, The Rabbit Man is a collection of short terrors and flash fiction. Come along to hunt witches, stalk killers, and exact vengeance in a web of tales befitting your worst nightmares and most haunting daydreams. |
Testament - Take a first-hand look at the New Yorke witch trials. Cast your vote in this compelling witchcraft trial to change the fate of this U.S. colony. |
Whispers from Hell by E.J. V'Kanty A collection of haunted and horrific short stories exploring the supernatural and unreal. Explore haunted houses, ghostly possessions, and surreal realms in these short, easily digestible tales. |
The Mysterious World of Professor Darkk And Miss Shadow: The Short Story Collection Book #0 by Jeff Walker It is a secondary world that remains hidden in the depths of the shadows, where fears and nightmares become a reality, and evil shrouds itself to all. That is where you will find Professor Darkk and his faithful student, Miss Shadow. Two mysterious individuals with unique abilities.They are the ones protecting us and safeguarding society from the strange, the bizarre, and the unexplainable things that emerge from out of darkness. These are six short stories of their adventures; Confronting demonic creatures, stepping into a haunted house, uncover horrors hidden out of sight, and travel to destinations out of time and into space.Prepare to step into their domain and push back the evil trying to breech into our reality. And read the included preview chapter of the coming novel (Book #1) to see where the journey will continue next. Welcome to the mysterious world of Professor Darkk and Miss Shadow. |
Ascent of a Vengeful Woman by Ashon Ruffins In the aftermath of Goliathâs murder spree in New Orleans, Nola Maor has committed herself to becoming a more skilled hunter in order to cope with the bloodshed in her city. Confronted with tragedy in her life, but unwilling to process her own trauma and grief, she leaves her career as a New Orleans police detective behind, and suffers in solitude. Nolaâs lethal reputation has grown among the most savage and depraved for her unwavering resolve to eliminate the nightmarish creatures that stalk and feed on humans. Dozens of missing people, along with an unnatural and grotesque murder, prompt Nola to travel to the small town of Dalyville, hundreds of miles away. A disturbing occurrence will push her skills as a private investigator, a hunter, and her humanity to their limits. The townâs history of wickedness is catching up with its residents as an evil force that simmers beneath the surface boils over with blood-thirsty intent. The past never dies. It festers. It cultivates in pain, waiting to rear its ugly head and inflict suffering, terror, and vengeance, bringing everyone around it to their knees. Will Nola be able to identify the vicious beastâs origins and understand its motives before it destroys the town of Dalyville? Or will the entity eviscerate everything in its path and consume both the town and, eventually, Nola Maor? |
Descent of a Broken Man by Ashon Ruffins James Corbin is an ambitious high school history teacher who resides in the lively, yet dangerous city of New Orleans. He suffers from severe depression and anxiety and is on a downward spiral, unwilling to seek the help he desperately needs. His troubles are compounded by a lack of progress in his professional career, his disintegrating marriage, and lack of respect from his peers. While his struggles threaten to cripple him, the city is marred by a series of brutal religious murders. However, itâs soon clear that there is not only one, but two murderers wreaking havoc on the city. While police chase the murderers, James focuses on his quest for professional success and self-worth from his research. Unfortunately for him, the research leads to the discovery of a nefarious essence, which unlocks a darkness and brings James face to face with a monster of his own. Within some people, there is something⊠off. Something dormant. A terror that, if found, will leave a path of pain in its wake. |
The Midnight Games: Six Stories About Games You Play Once by Rhiannon Rasmussen OF COURSE ITâS DANGEROUS. THATâS HALF THE THRILL, ISNâT IT? Games and rituals are a part of humanity as old as language. Since time immemorial, we have passed down rituals, allowing future generations a chance to harness the powers our forebears discovered-if they follow the rules just right. Have you ever wanted to know your future? Have you ever wanted a peek at the other side? Fancy a wager or a party with powers unknown? Six stories await you inside this anthology, with step by step instructions for those braveâor desperateâenough to play. Stories by Casey Lucas, M. Lyn Hall, M.B. Hare, Rhiannon Rasmussen, Shi Briggs, Veles Svitlychny, and illustrated by Andrey Garin. |
Night Mistress of Paradise Palms by Lorraine Carey Few People Check their sheets when entering a hotel room, but how many listen to local legends of an evil enchantress that roams the area? You won't find this among the many amenities listed in the brochure for Paradise Palms on Grand Cayman. Book a room if you dare and be ready to be seduced by the original Caribbean Queen. Enjoy your stay. |
Vampire Menstrual Syndrome: The First Cycle by S.C. Hunter Vampire Menstrual Syndrome is the unapologetically queer-feminist supernatural comedy-horror series that no one asked for. The first day of Vanessaâs period takes a deadly turn when she is unwittingly sacrificed by a suburban cult of pretentious teenagers. After being exsanguinated, Vanessa crawls out of her shallow grave and is understandably upset. Caught in a horrible cycle of ingesting and excreting blood, Vanessa needs answersâŠfast. Thankfully, Vanessaâs roommate, Wyatt, is bored of his monotonous summer retail job and is a long-time fan of all things supernatural. Wyatt encourages Vanessa to investigate her own murder so that they can find some answers about her unexpected afterlife. Together, this dramatic duo will go to any lengths necessary to figure out what the hell is going on in their mundane little city. Interrogating and traumatizing teenagers? Easy. Catfishing knowledgeable strangers from a paranormal chat room? Fire off some eggplant emojis. Befriending an occult horticulturalist? Thatâs a green thumbâs up. Rubbing elbows with a pompous warlock? If they must. However, with each misguided step into the Underworld, Vanessa gradually realizes that her murdererâher maker, is trying to hunt her down. Unearth a conspiracy as old as sexism itself or survive long enough to have an afterlife crisis? Hopefully, those two options arenât mutually exclusive. Vampire Menstrual SyndromeâŠand you thought cramps were bad. Content Warnings: The First Cycle, as the name implies, is the first book in the trilogy lovingly known as VMS. As a result, this book has a cliff-hanger ending. This book contains scenes of graphic violence and body horror, hard drug and alcohol use, talk of dysphoria, experiences of queerphobia and microaggressions (in the past), flashbacks of war, death, non-stop period talk (yes, clots and all), and, of course, blood. This book also contains queer romantic tension, steamy make-out scenes, and nudity--with a proposed spice rating of 1 chili pepper. |
Wicked Little Things by Justin Arnold Join a coven. Catch a killer. Get a makeover...? When his cousin is murdered, recently outed 16 year old Dane Craven, is forced to return to his unbearably small hometown of Jasper Hollow. It would be easy enough for him to keep his head down if it weren't for three inescapable facts. â One, Dane is a witch with fiery powers he can barely control. Two, he's been claimed by a coven of fashion forward 'mean girls' desperate to give him a makeover. And three, Dane is pretty sure he's responsible for the death of his cousin. â Being the gay best friend to a trio of teenage witches was never high on Dane's list of aspirations, but fortunately for him these girls have the necromantic powers he needs to figure out who killed his cousin. Plus, he could do with some new clothes. While on the hunt for his cousin's killer, Dane discovers life in Jasper Hollow isn't all bad. There's the cute boy who works at the local coffee shop and enjoys long walks in the woods, for one. But when the rabbit-faced killer comes for Dane, he'll be forced to come to terms with who he is and where he belongs before it's too late for him and everyone in Jasper Hollow. â Wicked Little Things is a spooky, campy, horror complete with mystery, romance, and a whole lot of sass. It's Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets Caleb Roehrig's The Fell of Dark. â â "Think The Craft meets Mean Girls, with a pinch of AHS: Coven, then make it super gay. A bitchy, witchy, spook-fest that delivers scares, gore, and so much more! Camp, funny, and with moments of devastating darkness, this book really is full of Wicked Little Things." - Rory Michaelson, author of The Lesser Known Monsters Trilogy âThrow The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Are You Afraid of The Dark, Mean Girls, and Heathers into a cauldron, stir in a little queerness (for flavor) and you've got this book! Wicked Little Things brings the creep factor of urban legends, and mixes in humor, found family vibes, oh yeah, and a possible deal with the "devil" to create a sassy, spooky read that readers will come back to again and again." - Lou Wilham, author of The Hex Next Door |
This Pact Is Not Ours by Zachary Sergi The summer before college Luca Piccone returns to Copper Cove, the idyllic campsite he and his closest friends have visited every year since they were kids. To Luca, Copper Cove is like the setting of the fantasy movies he loves, a sanctuary, protected from the dangers of the outside world, where nothing goes wrong and everything stays the same. But this year things are changing. Desperate to make this summer the best one yet, Luca tries to ignore the freshly torn rifts within his tight friend group, the pangs of unrequited love, the anxiety attacks he thought heâd left back at school, and the shadows at the edge of the forest threatening to break free. Until he learns the terrible truth. Every generation the children of four families are bound by a pact. A pact designed to keep the camp pristine and the monstrous force lurking beneath the campsite imprisoned. But in order to do this, an unthinkable price must be paid--a price that has soaked the previous generations in blood. Can Luca keep his friends, and his favorite place, from being ripped apart? By the end of the summer, only one thing is for certain: Copper Cove will never be the same again. â â â |
Chasing The Alpha's Son by Penny Jessup The second book in Penny Jessupâs best selling The Alphaâs Son series. Itâs been three months since their kiss on the beach and Max hasnât heard a whisper from Jasper. With Christmas fast approaching, and despite vowing he would chase Jasper to the ends of the world, Max is ready to give up. Until Alpha Jericho announces heâs sending a select envoy of Elite Pack wolves to an allied wolf-pack stationed high in the rocky mountains, where they will bear witness to a Blood Moon. A week in a cozy ski-lodge sounds as romantic as you can get, so Max decides to give things with Jasper one last shot. But life in the mountains is rockier than expected and finding alone time with Jasper is harder than Max thought. Political unrest between the packs is galvanizing Jasperâs determination to keep them apart, and new and old suitors are emerging in the pursuit of Jasperâs affections. Running headfirst into snow storms, Max begins to question if the destiny heâs been chasing is what he really wants. And when the Blood Moon arrives, bringing irrevocable change that no one saw coming, Max and Jasperâs connection will be put to the ultimate test. Will they find the path between souls among the snow covered peaks or will the mountain roads lead them to an unexpected destiny? |