While cleaning the attic in her inherited old house Suzi finds a secret room containing a shelf full of mysterious items and a shrine dedicated to a murder trial from decades ago. The room also contains a booby trap, a spell that compels her to don the long-dead witch's skin like a garment.A slightly different version of this story appeared in Tales Of The Talisman, Vol.4 #4, Apr. 2009.Interstellar Anthropologist Fortis Plimick surveys the mysterious planet which is truly alien, though everything seems rather mundane. He chooses to stay, enjoying the completely different life there, until he has to leave or die. But the spirit of the place never leaves him.

Short Story Press Presents Dead Shot Clock by Blaise MarcouxLittle does the average person know that the government bartered a treaty with the demons. Every year, five teams of fourteen-year olds, each from a different continent, must play basketball with the demons in a game that will decide whether humanity stays safe... or another hellish invasion begins. This follows one such team's game.Short Story Press Presents Dead Shot Clock by Blaise MarcouxYears ago, Mayan demons invaded Earth, first with zombie foot soldiers, then in person, forcing humanity into submission. Without warning, the demons retreated to their realm, with most of humankind bewildered as to why.Little does the average person know that the government bartered a treaty with the demons. Every year, five teams of fourteen-year olds, each from a different continent, must play basketball with the demons in a game that will decide whether humanity stays safe... or another hellish invasion begins. This story follows one such team's game.• Jacob, the team's captain, has a violent fit alone in the team's practice gym's locker room. His skin grays, he has seizures, and his organs rot before he manages to stave off the symptoms with a self-administered injection of an unspecified solution. • He joins his impatiently waiting team and gets on the bus headed toward the annual game. The other players are introduced: Emma, Carlos, Daequan, Deandre and Dewayne, and Eric.• The team meets Colonel Rodriguez. He explains the treaty with the demons and the team's role in defending Earth along with a quick brush up on the demon's history with the Mayans. During his presentation, he lets slip that humanity has reclaimed some of the zombies from the demons using antidotes. Jacob uncomfortably stays silent. • The team is escorted to the court where they will play the demons. In the locker room, Jacob reencounters evidence of his earlier episode and starts changing into a zombie again. He antidotes himself just in time, but the team knows his secret now and decides not to let him play the game with them. They leave him alone in the locker room. • At halftime, the team returns battered and bruised from the first half. Humanity is losing by ten. Eric is dead, killed by a demonic flagrant foul. Jacob's teammates beg him to play, a request he quickly accepts. Jacob fights alongside his teammates to even the score. The clock ticks down, almost at zero. Humanity cannot tie without consequences. A demon eyes Jacob malevolently as the boy stares down the basket. Jacob's skin goes pale. Will he score the winning basket, saving humanity? Will the demon rip him to shreds like it did Eric? Worse yet, will Jacob succumb to the monster inside him and let down his team for good? What happens next when all the world has is a Dead Shot Clock?

Christopher Awakens in the Dark. He's been buried alive!He digs his way out and finds his grave stone.He is not human anymore. What is he?The creature who made him is still out there.Christopher Awakens in the Dark. He's been buried alive!He digs his way out and finds his grave stone.He is not human anymore. What is he?The creature who made him is still out thereThis ebook contains: man discovering heis a vampire, man finding love in another man's pregnant wife. mad-dog vampire, nice vampire.ExcerptIn nearly mindless terror, he fought the dirt and the darkness to dig out. At last, he pulled himself up through the dirt and saw moonlight. He was so relieved to be free of the darkness that he almost cried. With renewed determination, he pulled himself free.As he lay atop the mound, he saw headstones everywhere. He was in a graveyard. He turned and saw a headstone marked his grave. He gasped when he read it...Here liesChristopher GrosslyOctober 12, 1796ToApril 15, 1821Killed by wolvesR.I.P.Moaning in mindless terror, he got up and ran. ***** “This is amazing.” He said. “Edna, come here.” Edna walked over and stood before him in all her naked glory. This must be another of the weird powers he had inherited from the creature.He could sense the intoxicating ‘feel’ of the blood flowing throughout her body. It was too sweet to resist. He took her in his arms and held her tightly, savoring the feel of her warm vibrant body. He was aware of the throbbing of her heart and the rich red blood pulsating through her. Holding her naked body against his chest, he was very much aware of her as a woman too. Christopher brushed his lips lightly against Edna’s, knowing it was wrong to kiss another man’s wife. Her lips were soft and pliant. He nibbled his way from her lips to the pulse point in her neck. She began to respond to him as a man, moaning softly. His heightened senses detected the scent of a woman fully aroused.He felt himself developing another need beyond the blood lust. He felt a strong desire to possess her and make her wholly his, both as a man and as a … creature. Fighting his instincts, he almost let her go, but the blood lust was too strong.When he could stand it no longer, he began kissing and nibbling her jugular, letting the hunger rise. His fangs extended and he penetrated her jugular.The blood flowing into him through his fangs was almost orgasmic in nature. Strangely, Edna seemed to derive an equal amount of pleasure from him sucking her blood. She put her arms around him and her scent of arousal became sharper. It made it harder to think about wanting to stop, given the pleasure they both seemed to feel.As hunger faded into the background, he could tell when her blood loss reached a danger point. It took an effort of great will, but Christopher stopped drawing blood and withdrew his fangs. He watched with incredibility as the puncture marks on her neck closed up and faded to near invisibility.

Is it possessed?Is it some kind of experiment?It doesn't matter.All that matters is that it is out to get you.The DilDozer, or DD for short, calls on all of those in its path in the hopes that one day it can unleash its 20 full inches of destructive force upon the world. Read on, if you dare, the tale of the DilDozer.Deadly.Dangerous.Ribbed for her terror.The world has gone black.At least, you can't see anything. You can't move or scream either. You're trapped.This has to be a dream, yet... something tells you it's all too real. Not only do you not remember where you are, you don't remember who you are.With a poetic narrative that promises an existential read, Nothing but the Black searches for a light in the darkness of identity.

Aiden and Marlaina Wilson had no idea how the first zombie was born in the Amish city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It had happened in a matter of hours. Thousands of their school friends were killed. Their blood flew against the walls. They became the walking dead. They stumbled about tearing out throats. They tossed their friends' intestines against the walls. Then, they stuffed their mouths.Aiden and Marlaina Wilson had no idea how the first zombie was born in the Amish city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It had happened in a matter of hours. Thousands of their school friends were killed. Their blood flew against the walls. They became the walking dead. They stumbled about tearing out throats. They tossed their friends' intestines against the walls. Then, they stuffed their mouths with their innards. As they did so, they attacked Aiden and Marlaina again and again. Could their lives and love survive the terrifying seconds that barely separated the living from the stumbling zombie dead in this new nightmare world? Their hands dripping with blood, they bashed in zombie heads using clubs and baseball bats as they ran wildly through their city's streets, seeking refuge from the approaching blood splatter. Hiding in the woods, searching desperately for safer places, they fought their way through the emerging hordes of blood hungry zombies.

Sample this triptych of horror stories from Dale Lucas (author of Doc Voodoo: Aces & Eights) centered on damaged souls and dark pursuits, and discover “a writer whose work innovates and entertains, reinventing the familiar and breathing new life into old themes,” (Nathan Brazil, SF Site).In this e-chapbook, author Dale Lucas (author of Doc Voodoo: Aces & Eights) treats readers to three stories of damaged souls and dark pursuits. A gypsy pickpocket in Madrid acquires a prize with an agenda of its own… a gun-toting western preacher dares a supernatural reckoning to free a fractured family from demonic possession… and a haunted composer exacts a terrifying revenge at the cost of his immortal soul.Sample this triptych and discover “a writer whose work innovates and entertains, reinventing the familiar and breathing new life into old themes,” (Nathan Brazil, SF Site) a writer determined to penetrate the shadows looming at the edge of your vision… just over your shoulder… or right behind you!

A zombie outbreak at a horror convention, a Zombienado and a gargoyle terrorizing a small town in Texas are the latest tales from the demented mind of Derek Ailes. Will there be any survivors? It's a fast pace horror thrill ride from beginning to end.Zombie Con brings you three horror short stories from Derek Ailes. Zombie Con: Norman is excited to attend the Walkers Zombie Convention in Chicago. He finally gets a chance to meet his favorite actress Lauren Callas. During the convention a real zombie outbreak takes place. Who is a zombie or a fan decked out in a zombie costume? Zombie Twister: What happens when a group of storm chasers encounter an EF5 tornado infested with zombies while filming a documentary special? Will they survive the zombies or the tornado? Gargoyle's Curse: A small town in Texas is being terrorized by a hungry gargoyle. Will Sheriff Tavenier be able to stop the gargoyle before it kills everybody in town? Find out in these chilling tales from a horror mastermind.

Before the sweet delight of Chocolat, before the heady concoction that is Blackberry Wine, and before the tart pleasures of Five Quarters of the Orange, bestselling author Joanne Harris wrote Sleep, Pale Sister -- a gothic tourde-force that recalls the powerfully dark sensibility of her novel Holy Fools. Originally published in 1994 -- and never before available in the United States -- Sleep, Pale Sister is a hypnotically atmospheric story set in nineteenth century London. When puritanical artist Henry Chester sees delicate child beauty Effie, he makes her his favorite model and, before long, his bride. But Henry, volatile and repressed, is in love with an ideal. Passive, docile, and asexual, the woman he projects onto Effie is far from the woman she really is. And when Effie begins to discover the murderous depths of Henry's hypocrisy, her latent passion will rise to the surface. Sleep, Pale Sister combines the ethereal beauty of a Pre-Raphaelite painting with a chilling high gothic tale and is a testament to Harris's brimming cornucopia of talents. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

The final book in Mira Grant's terrifying Parasitology trilogy. The outbreak has spread, tearing apart the foundations of society, as implanted tapeworms have turned their human hosts into a seemingly mindless mob. Sal and her family are trapped between bad and worse, and must find a way to compromise between the two sides of their nature before the battle becomes large enough to destroy humanity, and everything that humanity has built...including the chimera. The broken doors are closing. Can Sal make it home?

“Repairman Jack is one of my favorite characters--I'm full of happy anticipation every time I hold a new RJ novel in my hands.” --Charlaine Harris, creator of True Blood The End of the World is at hand! Munir Habib's life has become a nightmare. His tormentor has warned Munir not to report the kidnapping of his family, or else they will pay a terrible price. A friend realizes something is terribly wrong and tells Munir he doesn't have to go to the cops. There's a guy who fixes situations like this-Repairman Jack. Jack is backed into helping Munir despite his ongoing involvement in the cosmic shadow war between the Ally and the Otherness. Or perhaps because of it. He's chafing at being forced into the defensive role of protecting the Lady, the physical embodiment of the consciousness of the planet Earth. Meanwhile, the Septimus Order and the Kickers are seemingly working in concert on a plot to extinguish the Lady and open the way for the Otherness to take over our reality. To top it all off, Dawn Pickering finally goes into labor and delivers a baby she only glimpses as it's whisked away, and is terrified by what she sees. Later she's told the baby died, but she doesn't believe it. Neither does Weezy. Neither does Jack. All these interlocking plots mean doom for humanity. But Jack never gives up or gives in.

John Everson , Keith R. A. DeCandido , Scott Nicholson , Nancy Holder , Yvonne Navarro , James A. Moore , Gregory Frost … A sweeping, threaded narrative of the global phenomenon known as the Vampire Wars! Mankind is silently infected by a millennia-old bacteria unknowingly exhumed by a scientific expedition in Antarctica. Now, in some rare cases, a person's so-called "junk DNA" becomes activated, and depending on their racial and ethnic heritage they begin to manifest one of the many diverse forms of the "others" that are the true basis for the legends of supernatural creatures. These aren't your usual vampires and werewolves - it goes much deeper than that. Conceived by Jonathan Maberry, V Wars features stories from various "frontlines" as reported by such contributors as Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro, James A. Moore, Gregory Frost, John Everson, Keith R. A. DeCandido, and Scott Nicholson (as well as Maberry himself, of course). The result is a compelling series of tales that create a unique chronicle of mankind's response to this sudden, hidden threat to humanity.

A man seeks to escape the noisiness and stupidity that surrounds him and, in so doing, becomes something more--or less--than human.This odd, darkly funny short story is approximately 2100 words.Included with Deepest Quiet are the first three chapters of my novel, Deer Lake.Do let me know what you think!

Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother's life and shattered her family. When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley thinks her life couldn't get more complicated--until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her cutting herself.Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother's life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she's somehow responsible for her mom's death, Riley is desperate to see her mother's elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness. When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn't get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley's falling hard for Ian. Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she's not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn't complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she'll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.

What if your fiancé turns out to be a werewolf, and worse, his creature-of-the-night girlfriend is trying to kill you?What if your fiancé turns out to be a werewolf, and worse, his creature-of-the-night girlfriend is trying to kill you? Lucy Hart, eighteen-year-old queen bee and captain of the cheer squad, faces just that. She loses everything—money, social status, and even her home—when her father is arrested for tax evasion and immigrant slave trafficking. Reduced to flipping burgers, she plots to get her old life back by blackmailing her father’s slimeball lawyer and scheming her way into a gig pretending to be a rich young man’s “fiancée.” The pay: enough money to let her write her own future. The bad news: the guy is a condescending pain in the butt. In no time at all Lucy finds herself fighting for her life as her faux fiancé’s vampire girlfriend tries to slaughter her, and on top of that, getting royally grossed out by her own spanking new paranormal ability: necromancy. Yet somehow, while she gets back her life and kicks vampire butt, she also manages to fall in love/lust with her fake fiancé. Newly edited. Previously published as Last Rites

When her lover betrays her and dumps her coldly, Dora's mind begins to crack. She tracks down her old high school love to recapture what she might have had. He's married with a family, but Dora isn't about to let that stop her.