Now, there's a reason to be. Lux and his younger brother Lunam enjoy the full freedom of the simple life and all the childhood adventures offered by growing up in a small village in a picturesque glen. Life is tranquil, peaceful, and just about perfect—except for one formidable fact... Every day is followed by night. And, with the night, comes the DARKNESS. Slowly shrouding the valley and relentlessly seeping into every nook and cranny on its nightly rampage, the darkness returns to feast on its victims. No man, woman, child, animal—or even, insect—is safe. The darkness consumes all; the darkness's hunger is never satisfied. When the sun falls from the sky, the villagers, young and old, must take to arms, guarding their homes, loved ones, and livestock with every ray of light they can muster. Even young Lux and Lunam are well-soldiered in their responsibilities to safeguard themselves and their parents during the nightly vigil, the nightly fight to live to see another day. It's always been this way—the truths and ritual passed down from generation to generation since ancient times. No one dares question why. Nothing can change the frightening fact of the lives of the villagers or emancipate them from their singular foe—nothing, except a child's imagination and a curiosity as immutable as the darkness's own appetite. There's just one truth guiding every man, woman, and child to strive to see another day: "Darkness Comes but Once a Night."

    Reprinted in Beyond the Pale, edited by Henry Herz.Gentleman Johnnie Marcone clashes with a rival supernatural power. Told from Marcone’s point of view.Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes.“B is for Bigfoot” — from Under My Hat: Tales From the Cauldron, edited by Jonathan Strahan. Republished in Working for Bigfoot.Takes place between Fool Moon and Grave Peril.“I Was A Teenage Bigfoot” — from Blood Lite 3: Aftertaste, edited by Kevin J. Anderson. Republished in Working for Bigfoot.Takes place circa Dead Beat.“Bigfoot on Campus” — from Hex Appeal, edited by P.N. Elrod. Republished in Working for Bigfoot.Takes place between Turn Coat and Changes.“Bombshells” — Molly-POV novella from Dangerous Women, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Duzois.Molly teams up with Justine and Andi to thwart a Fomor plot.Takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days.“Jury Duty” — short story for Unbound, edited by Shawn Speakman.Harry endures Jury Duty.Set after Skin Game.“Cold Case” — short story from Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Hughes.In Molly’s first job in her new role, she teams up with Ramirez to take on a Lovecraft-esque cult.Takes place shortly after Cold Days.“Day One” — short story for Unfettered II, edited by Shawn Speakman.Butters’ first mission.Set after Skin Game.“A Fistful of Warlocks” — short story for Straight Outta Tombstone, edited by David Boop.Luccio takes on necromancers in the Wild West.Set long before the events of the series.

     ~Violent~ College sophomore Evan Grant doesn’t realize what he’s getting into when he asks the beautiful redhead, Karina Walsh out on a simple date. The date ends well but the night does not. A frightening encounter with an otherworldly creature leaves him nowhere to go but to Karina and her family for help. But will they help him… or destroy him for knowing too much of a world he never should have seen? ~The Blood Pool~ When vicious killings of humans begin to show up in a small town, Alec Kilton – Chief Enforcer of the Nave, the ruling authority of vampires, is sent to investigate it and stop it. During the course of his investigation, he comes across a deadly game enacted by four young – and untrained – vampires. They call their game, the Blood Pool. In this game, they select a female human’s name from a hat, and then each of the four have an opportunity to woo her. Whoever wins, gets to enjoy her before the other three come and destroy her. While out on his mission, Alec meets a stunning redhead, Molly O’Connell, who he finds irresistible on so many levels. During the course of their game, Molly’s name is deposited into the hat and selected to become their next target in the Blood Pool. Will Alec be able to understand their game in time to save his lovely redhead? Or will those who invented the game destroy her first? Some stories contain adult language and adult situations. Appropriate for readers 17 and older.

    Kennedy brings back together some of the authors that brought you Collected Christmas Horror Shorts, alongside several new authors, from upcoming indie stars to Amazon top sellers. Whether you like Easter or not, you’ll certainly have a different view of it after you read the stories contained within these pages. Grab an Easter egg, dim the lights, get cosy and get ready for some chilling tales by some of the horror world’s finest. C.S.Anderson – He Has Risen Christopher Motz - Magic Awaits Veronica Smith​ - It’s Not All About Bunnies and Chocolates Peter Oliver Wonder​ - Easter Gunny Mark Cassell​ - The Rebirth Andrew Lennon​ - Trying To Write A Horror Story Mark Lukens​ - Mia's Easter Basket Lex Jones​ - SonnesHill JC Michael​ - Lord of The Dance Steven Stacy - Echoes of The Bunny-Man Weston Kincade​ & David Chrisley - An Easter Prayer Christina Bergling​ - Hatch James Matthew Byers​ - Killer Jelly Beans from Outer Space (poem) Jeff Menapace​ - Paying It Forward Jeff Strand​ - Rotten Eggs Lisa Vasquez​ - Bunny and Clyde Mark Fleming​ - Sulphur Suzanne Fox - Last Supper Briana Robertson​ - Baby Blues Latashia Figueroa - Easter Eggs Amy Cross - Lamb to Slaughter Kevin J. Kennedy - A Town Called Easter

    Just another average Adirondack town, and nice enough in its own right.Except after dark, or under the pale light of the moon. Or in a very private doctor's office at Clifton Heights General Hospital, where no one can hear you scream. Or on a road out of town that never ends, or in an old house sitting on the edge of town with a mind - and will - of its own.Maybe you shouldn't have left the interstate, my friend. Maybe you should've driven on to the next town.But you didn't. You saw our sign, turned down our road, figuring on just a short stay. And maybe it will be.Or maybe you'll never leave.Anyway, pay a visit to The Skylark Diner. I'll be there. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about our town. It's nice enough, it really is.Except after dark. Or on cold winter days when no one is around, and you're all alone...

    Who am I? My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die. I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking.Some will say that I m not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don t even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave. My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die.So who are you?In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Three unforgettable, New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves. Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally.

    As his life spirals out of control with grief, he is presented with the possibility that the souls of his family might be trapped in Hell. Thus begins an unimaginable and nightmarish journey to rescue his family from the depths of Hell, with the Devil as the puppet master pulling his strings. Warning: Graphic violence and profanity included. "Fast paced, dark, cleverly plotted" - S.G. Redling, author of Flowertown. "An excellent first book from a promising new author" - Robert Cowan, author of The Search for Ethan."Jamali's work read like fishing with dynamite. And I mean that in a good way" - Bradley Ernst, author of the Law of Retaliation series.

    Melding supernatural horror with hardboiled noir, espionage, and a scientific backbone, Barron’s stories have garnered critical acclaim and have been reprinted in numerous year’s best anthologies and nominated for multiple awards, including the Crawford, International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson, Theodore Sturgeon, and World Fantasy awards.Barron returns with his third collection, The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All. Collecting interlinking tales of sublime cosmic horror, including “Blackwood’s Baby”, “The Carrion Gods in Their Heaven”, and “The Men from Porlock”, The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All delivers enough spine-chilling horror to satisfy even the most jaded reader.

    . . WORK . . . PLAY . . . DIE . . . South Haven is the premier mixed-used community in metro Atlanta, a vibrant place where old-fashioned country living gets a modern update. There’s the town square where residents watch family movies on the lawn on warm summer nights. The corner market stocked with organic foods. The bakery with fresh coffee and Wi-Fi. The stately homes on shaded, gently winding streets. The water park where children splash, laugh, and run . . . There’s also something deadly lurking. The first incident is dismissed as an aberration: a college student goes berserk and hacks his family to chunks with a machete. But a day later, a young woman riding her bicycle is chased through the streets by her own neighbors. Then a teenager takes a deadly joyride, using his pick-up truck to mow down everyone in sight. As the incidents pile up, the only thing they share is that each person launched into an inexplicable, uncontrollable frenzy. Mark Deacon, an ex-cop and chief of South Haven’s private security force, has never seen anything like it. And it’s about to get a whole lot worse. Within twenty-four hours, South Haven is declared a quarantine zone, with every entrance barricaded and military snipers positioned outside the perimeter with orders to shoot on sight. Fearful residents huddle inside, uncertain whom to trust, anxiously watching one another for clues of where the terror might strike next. Together with Dr. Hannah Bailey, a brilliant CDC scientist dispatched to investigate the threat, Deacon teams up with a motley crew of neighbors, and they hatch a desperate plan to find out answers--and stay alive. But the spreading menace might not have arrived by accident . . . RAVES FOR BRANDON MASSEY'S SUSPENSE THRILLERS : "An intense thriller . . . a wild ride!" -Kevin O'Brien, New York Times bestselling author “A razor-sharp thriller guaranteed to keep you turning pages well into the night. Start this one on your day off—-you won't be able to put it down.” —Douglas Clegg, bestselling author of The Queen of Wolves and The Hour Before Dark "The talented Mr. Massey has the rare knack of grabbing the reader early and not letting go. Massey knows how to ratchet up the suspense." —John Lutz, New York Times bestselling author “A taut, involving, and utterly convincing thrill ride.” —Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author

    Unfortunately, the way home isn't as clear-cut as he'd hoped and he's forced to turn to Aria, his GPS, for an alternate route. However, Aria has something far more sinister in mind...

    They Are Watching You is the perfect read for fans of creepy and twisted horror thrillers.The bundle includes They Came with the Snow, a science fiction horror story and The Sighting, a gripping horror and psychological thriller with a twisted ending.They Came with the Snow: When a mysterious blast goes off in a small college town, triggering a blizzard, the few survivors must decide whether to stay or leave and face the monsters who came with the snow.

    Told by individual inhabitants, the stories recount tales of disappearing dead deer, enchanted gardens, invisible killer dogs, and rattlesnakes that fall from the sky; each contribution adds to a composite portrait that skitters between eerie, ghoulish, and poignant. Miller is a master storyteller, clearly delighting in his mischievous creations.” Thirty-Three Tales. Thirty-Three Tellers. One Lost Town.

    Now, join us as MHI opens their archives for the first time. From experienced Hunters on their toughest cases, to total newbies' initial encounters with the supernatural, The Monster Hunter Files reveals the secret history of the world's most elite monster fighting force.Discover what happened when Agent Franks took on the Nazis in World War Two. Uncover how the Vatican’s Combat Exorcists deal with Old Ones in Mexico. And find out exactly what takes place in a turf war between trailer park elves and gnomes. From the most powerful of mystical beings to MHI’s humble janitor, see the world of professional monster hunting like never before.Featuring seventeen all new tales based on Larry Correia’s bestselling series, from New York Times best-selling authors Jim Butcher, John Ringo, Jessica Day George, Jonathan Maberry, Faith Hunter, and many more.Contributors:Larry CorreiaJim ButcherMike KupariJessica Day GeorgeJohn C. WrightMaurice BroaddusBrad R. TorgersenFaith HunterJody Lynn NyeQuincy J. AllenAlex ShvartsmanKim MaySteve DiamondJohn RingoBryan Thomas Schmidt & Julie C. FrostSarah A. HoytJonathan MaberryAt the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

    In ‘The Dead Thing’ Paul Tremblay draws us into the world of a neglected teenage girl and her younger brother and the evil that lurks at the heart of their family. In Gemma Files’ ‘Bulb’ a woman calls in to a podcast to tell the terrifying story of why she has escaped off-grid. And Rio Youers’ ‘The Typewriter’ tells in diary form of the havoc wreaked by a malevolent machine. Infinitely varied and beautifully told, New Fears 2 is an unmissable collection of horror fiction.