Horror Genre

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Summary: Who expects a haunted doll to be such a nuisance? When Dare’s dog discovers an abandoned doll on their doorstep, Dare assumes it’s nothing more than a lost toy… until it begins to talk. After the doll offers up a string of bad suggestions and unhelpful advice, Dare is left wondering if the isolation of lockdown has finally proved too much. Struggling to get rid of the bad-tempered toy, Dare has no idea that this not-quite-scary fiend will accidentally change everything. With a dash of humour, this queer cosy-horror short story is a fun, quirky tale – perfect for readers who like the idea of being scared more than the reality of it.

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Summary:

Durham, North Carolina has industry, commerce, fine universities, a world-famous baseball team, technopagans, vampires, and its very first superhero and supervillain.

As Withrow Surrett, self-declared vampire lord of North Carolina, digs in to see what’s up in his own back yard, two mortals - The Bull’s Eye and El Diablo - make headlines fighting crimes and committing them. With the help of friends old and new, Withrow has to track down both hero and villain before his city decides to go looking for even weirder things that go bump in the night!

The fists fly fast and furious in the third installment of this vampire and urban fantasy series, perfect for fans of Rick Gualtieri, Jeff Strand, or Christopher Moore.

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Summary: Music from Hell has gone viral … and you’ll love it to death. Devastated by the car crash that killed his bandmate, guitarist David Fairburn has given up on life—until Vince Buckley returns from the dead to complete the band’s final album. Jessica Chandler needs something new and different to save her struggling record label. But those who stand in the way of the music's release begin to die one by one, and when the first single is posted on the web, listeners become "Loopers," addicted to the music—and murderous. As the violence spreads, David and Jessica must survive the chaos to prevent Vince from releasing the entire album on the Internet. But can David sacrifice the most brilliant work he’s ever done to save Jessica and prevent a global bloodbath?

Word Count: Click here to reveal79,000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: All who live shall die, but few can plan for that transition. Life's greatest mystery and most practical companion. The meeting with death is inevitable, the transition unknowable. What lay beyond could be tormenting, enlightening, blissful, or nothing of note. The death mages of Miurag spend their lives observing death's transition in others, most preparing to one day meet their own. Privy to unique perceptions most would deem mad, their motives and choices beyond the veil are anyone's guess. The stories included: The Deathless Rises – An extraordinary desert sorcerer manages to outlive his Elven family and takes the hubris of life into the Nexus. Devour the Oracle – A young Ma'ab woman learns all she can in the slum and slavery of her birth, knowing her death will germinate a new age of enlightenment. At the Crossroads – A former monk pledges to an old death mage in an isolated tower. He's where he needs to be but cannot yet see when. The Herald Returns – Miurag's newest Deathwalker returns to the Nexus. This time, he takes his body with him. Harrowed's Breath – A young Guildsman returns to his homeland as one of the spirits he once worshipped, now seeking an elusive peace post-mortem. Tales of Miurag: Death is a same-world anthology expanding the Sister Seekers series by A.S. Etaski. This is not a standalone work. These stories follow established characters from previous books and are best read between Sister Seekers Book 8 and Book 12. This book contains spoilers and references to events in Tales of Miurag: The Desert as well as teasers for future novels in Sister Seekers.

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Summary: A teen without a home. A dangerous residence. Can she survive one terrifying night to secure her future? Charlene Griffin never thought she’d be without a home. But when she’s kicked out on her eighteenth birthday, she has no choice but to sleep inside an ominous Victorian mansion. And with the owner offering the estate to anyone who can spend a full night in the haunted property, Charlene decides to risk life and limb to get off the streets. Refusing to heed the warnings of those sent running in fear for their lives, Charlene is confident she can last from sunset to sunrise. But she’ll need all her wits about her to withstand the hours of terror, because these ghosts are determined to get rid of her. Will Charlene outsmart her supernatural foes and make it to dawn? Defying the Ghosts is an eerie YA haunted house story. If you like heart-racing action, fearless heroes, and survival adventures, then you’ll love Joan Marie Verba’s thrilling tale. Buy Defying the Ghosts to explore forbidden shadowy corners today!

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Summary: How Far Would You Go to Find a Lost Loved One? Ten years ago, a man and his girlfriend went into the woods at the end of Claver Road on what was supposed to be a weekend's camping trip, and never returned. Police combed the area, but nothing was found except for his car, abandoned where they'd parked it. It seemed like Brad Ellicott and Cara Marshall had been swallowed by the silent, brooding forest, leaving not a trace of what had happened or where they went. His identical twin brother, left to mourn his loss, has spent the last decade unable to let go of his grief, to accept that Brad and Cara are gone forever. Based on sinister hints from a few of the older residents of Guildford, New York, the closest village to the woods, he discovers that there might be more to the story than the disappearance of a couple of hikers. The woods has had an evil reputation for well over a century, and his brother and his girlfriend are not the first people to defy the warnings and brave the shadows under the trees-nor the first to vanish there. Becoming obsessed with discovering what happened to his brother, he delves deeper and deeper into the mystery that lies beyond the end of Claver Road, and he uncovers a terrifying truth that challenges everything he believes. Is the knowledge worth the cost? And will he get the answers he needs before the forest claims him as its next victim?

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Summary:   Many obstacles stand in Warrick Synclaire’s way. A baronet’s son, he’s in love with his best friend, Thomas Smythe. Same-sex love is illegal in early 20^th century England. To complicate things, Warrick is heading for Canada, while Thomas is destined for the military college at Sandhurst. Warrick isn’t sure he can bear the separation. The day before Warrick leaves, Thomas persuades him to see a fortuneteller. The old gypsy woman’s warnings don’t scare Warrick, but another gypsy, Nicolae, intrigues, arouses, and terrifies him. Later that evening, Nicolae breaks into Warrick’s bedchamber, bedding then biting him. But Warrick convinces himself it was just a bad dream and sails off to Canada to start a new life. There Warrick renews his acquaintance with Fox Sullivan, who he first met during the war. Soon the two become lovers, but for Warrick, the relationship is purely physical. Thomas still owns his heart. When he can no longer bear their separation, Warrick returns to his ancestral home in Kent, determined to reunite with Thomas, who now has a lover of his own. But the encounter with Nicolae changed Warrick considerably. Every full moon he turns into a ravenous creature, which seems able to rule his life even during daylight hours. Determined to win over Warrick, Fox sells his medical practice and heads for England. But will he be too late to save the man he loves?  

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Summary: Suffering from a history of mental illness, Jonah Frost tries to begin a new life in a small town in the Coal Region of Northeast Pennsylvania. Little does he know of the violent history of labor strife in this grimly haunted region. Nor is he aware that a spirit already inhabits his new home and is bent on exacting revenge for a perceived long-ago injustice. Jonah must battle his own demons, as well as those intent on continuing the reign of terror through the ages.

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Summary: Shiver during the long nights with these dark tales Featuring stories by Brett Thomas Abrahamsen, Mike Adamson, Christopher Bond, John M. Campbell, Arasibo Campeche, Brandon Case, Elizabeth Cobbe, Ryan Cole, Sarina Dorie, Monica Joyce Evans, P.G. Galalis, Kara L. Hartz, Brian Hugenbruch, Andrew Rucker Jones, Andrew Kozma, Steven P. Mathes, Jen Mierisch, Iseult Murphy, Ira Nayman, Tarver Nova, Frank J. Oreto, Anthony Regolino, and Lauren Reynolds

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Summary: Three vampires. Three lives. Three stories intertwined. Bearing the guilt of destroying the holiest of books after becoming a vampire, the Dragon, Lord Desmond searches the world for lost knowledge, but instead, discovers truth in love. Born a slave in Ancient Greece, Alexandra craves freedom above all else, until a vampire sets her free, and then, she must pay the highest price of all … her human soul. An assassin who lives in the shadows, Roquelaure is cloaked even from himself, until he discovers the power of friendship and loyalty. Three vampires, traveling the world by moonlight—one woman and two men who forge a bond made in love and blood. Together they form a band of mercenaries called the Scarlet Order, and recruit others who are like them. Their mission is to protect kings and emperors against marauders, invaders, and rogue vampires as the world descends into the chaos of the Dark Ages.

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Summary: When the current Marquis Delafée takes his family from France to escape the dangers of la Revolucion, he exposes them to an even greater threat. Nouvelle-Orléans is a different city from the one when the marquis was young, but some things never change. Hatred and the desire for revenge are still alive and festering. His son David’s resemblance to Etienne’s deceased eldest, Absinthe, is remarked upon by many but to one person it means more than a mere likeness. For twenty years, Madame Geneviéve has pined for Absinthe. In David, she sees a chance to bring back her lover. With the help of black magic, she won’t let a little obstacle like death stand in her way. David is young and naïve but he has more to lose than his innocence if Geneviéve succeeds.

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Summary: Intenze is the newest designer drug. Take it, and nightmares come alive. “Edging” is a better rush than the Tower of Terror. It’s a fraction of the price of a Six Flags admission. And it’s the most addictive high that the tiny suburb of New London has ever known. For Rick Carlson, the junkies roaming the streets don’t even scratch the surface of what worries him. He’s trying to win back his cheating wife. He’s trying to protect his residents at Belmont Assistant Living from their own drug-addled grandchildren. And he’s trying to save his twin boy and girl from their mother’s murderous paranoia. But he can’t save them all. The fears of all those who edge summon the Thirst—a living miasma that thrives on terror. It is bringing a storm. And time is running out.

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Summary: Most will run, but the brave will fight... A deadly virus is sweeping through America's cities, pitting the worst humanity has to offer against its best warriors and scientists in a race against extinction. The virus doesn't just kill--it transforms and creates monsters of men and women called Variants. New York firefighter Meg Pratt is among those trapped in New York City. Together with her fellow rescue workers and the scattered elements of America's front-line military fighters, Meg fights to survive and save civilians from the coming apocalypse. Across the city, Marine Corps washout Jed Welch is on his own path to survival, and it intersects with Meg and her ragtag group of survivors. If they are lucky, they will see the help they need emerge from within, just as everything around them is coming to an end. Author's note: This story is set in the Extinction Cycle universe of Nicholas Sansbury Smith.

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Summary: A werewolf and seven vampires are all that stand between the world and complete annihilation. When Kai Richter and Ori Bier met, sparks flew. Then a train blew up. Tracking an organism deadly to not only humans, but vampires and werewolves alike, brings Kai and Ori into the Vampire Guard. Decades later, they, along with Operative Team Jack Rabbit, come face to face with the horrors that same virus produces. Dead bodies are coming back to life, and rational people are becoming violent and brutal killers. A massacre is taking place nearly a mile under the Atlantic Ocean. Two teams of The Vampire Guard are in the thick of it, fighting to survive.

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Summary: “My many keys clang like a wind chime as I descend the stairs. Every door in our house has a key.” Here’s your key… ENTER THE CHAMBER…if you dare. Within these fifteen strange and dark tales live horror, humor, and the grotesque. These are stories of life stages and generational trauma, of reclamation, longing, metamorphosis and adaptation. Inside, you’ll find the supernatural and fantastical, shapeshifters and elder gods living amongst us. Beginning with a whisper reminding us of what we’ve left behind and ending with what we inadvertently pass to others, from the curiosity of an imaginative child, learning about power in an unjust world to the precocious teen breaking the chains of family expectations, to a mother, desperately seeking a better world for her offspring, to an elder gasping for a few more breaths of freedom, these are intimate stories in worlds that slant sideways, warp, and change the fabric of one's existence. Most of all, these are stories of survival, even when becoming the monster one fears. ENTER THE CHAMBER and greet what waits inside…

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Summary: Praised by literary journals, news outlets, and leading fiction magazines, Nisi Shawl is celebrated as an author whose works are lyrical and philosophical, speculative and far-ranging; “…broad in ambition and deep in accomplishment” (The Seattle Times). Besides nearly three decades of creating fantasy and science fiction, fairy tales, and indigenous stories, Nisi has also been lauded as editor, journalist, reviewer, teacher, speaker, afrofuturist, and proponent and mentor of feminism, African-American fiction, and other pedagogical issues of diversity. Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to her work, the third in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover—or learn more of—the vibrant voice of Nisi Shawl, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich. Included within these pages are: • Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book • Author interview • Complete bibliography • Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University) • … and more! Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Nisi Shawl. Table of Contents includes: • Introduction by Eric J. Guignard • Nisi Shawl: A Biography • The Beads of Ku (fiction) • The Beads of Ku: A Commentary • Otherwise (fiction) • Otherwise: A Commentary • Just Between Us (fiction) • Just Between Us: A Commentary • At the Huts of Ajala (fiction) • At the Huts of Ajala: A Commentary • Street Worm (fiction) • Street Worm: A Commentary • Conversion Therapy (fiction) • Conversion Therapy: A Commentary • Why Nisi Shawl Matters by Michael Arnzen, PhD • In Conversation with Nisi Shawl • Written On The Water: An Essay by Nisi Shawl • A Bibliography of English Language Fiction for Nisi Shawl

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Summary: Special Agent Kerri Elias joined the Boundary Guards to escape the haunting memories of her past, dedicating her life to battling the enigmatic Black-eyed Children—creatures that masquerade as innocent kids to snatch unsuspecting victims. But when her partner vanishes before her eyes, Kerri’s world shatters, thrusting her into a dark labyrinth of betrayal and deception, where not all of humanity’s enemies bear the Children’s deep obsidian gaze. As she navigates this perilous new reality, Kerri finds herself thrown together with a shaky crew: her boss, Hank Stillwell; the fierce deputy, Danielle Tauriac; the handsome yet secretive newcomer to the Guards, Aaron Vincent; and the scrappy Louisiana native Dr. Will Daigle, who suspects he may be in way over his head. With the threat of the Black-eyed Children looming ever closer, Kerri is unnerved by a chilling note left for her in the New Mexico desert. Is she the key to humanity's survival—or the next target? As alliances shift and secrets unravel, Kerri must confront the darkness within herself and the sinister forces that threaten to consume everything she holds dear.

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Summary: Here you’ll find tales of the supernatural, betrayal and murder; the mistakes that lead to the fall of empires and the constant tug of war that haunts mankind. There’s a blend of science fiction, fantasy and horror - from a modern day detective facing a serial killer to a future utopia filled with disloyalty. Lovers of romance will find a little something for them too, but within these bright sparks of hope shades of darkness lurk.

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Summary: Return to Kell Shaw's Vestiges of Magic world in a knife-edge sequel. Lukie's father is trapped in the Underworld and it's all her fault. Twenty years after her murder, Lukie has returned to life and is ready to go home, but her father isn't willing to believe his beloved daughter is back from the dead. Before she can reconcile with him, a supernatural predator steals her father's soul. One that she's led straight to his door, after foolishly ignoring the signs that something was amiss. To get her father back, Lukie must uncover the true nature of the ancient horror haunting Thunderhead Ward before a spectral hunt of bestial ghosts is unleashed upon the world. And she only has until midnight on New Year's Eve, when the borders between the dead and living lands seal, or her father will be lost forever…

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Summary: Lukie’s been murdered. And she needs answers. She’s cut a deal with the Underworld to return to the living lands. But when Lukie returns as an undead revenant, twenty years have passed. Her former sleepy beach-side town is now a roaring tourist hot-spot. Her memory is full of holes and she doesn’t know which of her old friends to trust. Worse, a monster hunter is stalking her. Lukie has to stay one step ahead, or return to the Underworld without knowing who killed her, and why….