He is a master of the supernatural, the dark twist, the creak of a door in the dark, of all creatures sinister. Connolly’s novels have been bestsellers world-wide. Now, step into his imagination for a moment or two and experience this wonderfully nightmarish short story.

    SyfonerValissa's death toll keeps climbing and her sanity unwinding.After she uncovers the true reason that Prince Poison keeps her like a caged bird, and she uncovers his terrible secret, Valissa faces the her greatest and deadliest challenge yet. Betray her closest friend, Ava, who is lost into the arms of a devil or stay by the Prince's side.Problem is, Valissa doesn't sacrifice herself for anyone, especially when escape comes in the tempting package of Damianos, her mysterious night-time visitor.Valissa is on her own, but that doesn't mean she won't tear everything down on her way to freedom.The Prince made a mistake in training her up to withstand his poison. Now, Valissa is stronger than ever ... as strong as a God.5. GodsStolen away by Phantom, Valissa finds herself tangled in a war older than herself. But with her powers climbing and cruelty rising, she starts to doubt her choice. Phantom offers her greatness but at a price, a price that carves into her a longing for her wretched Prince Poison.What can be worse than running from a malicious God?Running into the arms of another...6. MonstersValissa's power burns like a murderous fire within her, consuming her. Now a God, she must choose whether she will be cruel or fair. But what remains of her humanity is destroyed by a betrayal so cutting that Valissa kills a God close to her.What is worse than killing a God? Perhaps killing the wrong one...

    Now, however, Lord Matthew Fetchford is on the brink of death, and he insists he must return to his ancestral home. Something at Aldburn Park terrifies him, yet after all this time he is determined to finally go back and face the horror. As Lord Fetchford prepares for the journey, he sends his butler ahead to open the house up. For Mr. Lawrence, the journey brings mixed feelings. He has a deep connection to Aldburn Park, and to its history, but he also remembers the night when the house was finally sealed. And although he is not a man who believes in ghosts, Mr. Lawrence cannot shake a sense of unease as he arrives – all alone – at the door to the great house. What really happened on the night that Aldburn Park was abandoned? Where did Lady Catherine go after she was last seen? Was there a face at the window as Mr. Lawrence and his employer drove away? And what really lurks in the shadows as Lord Fetchford finally returns to face the consequences of his actions?

    When lovely, young Lauren Moore arrives at Falconridge, a mysterious mansion with many hidden secrets, to live with relatives, she becomes caught up in the house's dark mysteries and falls in love with a man who might be the evil force behind it all.

    Craven. A psychopath takes Trick or Treating a step too far. And a woman's dream of a quiet life is shattered by a knock on the door.Afraid Of The Shadows is a collection of gripping- sometimes funny, always spooky- short stories from some of the biggest names in crime fiction.From possessed sweaters to creepy wardrobes and disco shape shifters, there’s something for everyone in this Halloween bucket of short story goodies making it the perfect companion to snuggle up with as the nights draw in. Though be warned, you might want to leave the lights on...****************************************************************CONTRIBUTORSAfraid Of The Shadows is brought to you by twenty bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, won the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger Award, Gold Dagger Award and New Blood Dagger Award, the Bath Novel Award, the UK National Book Awards and the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award.Special guests:M.W. CravenPeter JamesT.M. LoganMatt WesolowskiTrevor WoodRachael BlokElle Croft (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Heather CritchlowJames Delargy (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Clare EmpsonJo FurnissT.E. KinseyN.J. MackayS.R. MastersPhoebe MorganDominic Nolan (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Robert Scragg (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Victoria Selman (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Kate SimantsAdam Southward (Longlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)****************************************************************Profits from the sale of Afraid Of The Shadows will be donated to the Barnardo's Children in Crisis Covid AppealThis delivers practical and emotional support to vulnerable children caught in a downward spiral of deprivation as a result of the coronavirus crisis.Children and families across the UK are increasingly in or on the brink of poverty as a result of coronavirus.The impact of the second wave is pushing a generation of the most vulnerable children into a downward spiral of deprivation. With your support Barnardo’s can deliver the practical and emotional support families in crisis need.

    Perfect summer reading! “Wherever you go, I will follow …” Merryn Burton is excited to travel down to Cornwall to start her first big job for the London art dealers she works for. But as soon as she arrives at Pencradoc, a beautiful old mansion, she realises this will be no ordinary commission. Not only is Pencradoc filled with fascinating, and possibly valuable artwork, it is also owned by the Penhaligon brothers – and Merryn’s instant connection with Kit Penhaligon could be another reason why her trip suddenly becomes a whole lot more interesting. But the longer Merryn stays at Pencradoc the more obvious it is that the house has a secret, and a long-forgotten Rose might just hold the key …

    Learn about their life, their legacy and their secrets and powerful spells Download FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Witches have always worried, scared, and fascinated people in equal measure. From dark magic to home remedies, they have been part of the cultural landscape for people across the world. From Europe to the Americas, Asia to Africa, the idea of women who delve deep into magic has created some of the most enduring stories in the history of humanity. Often, these stories blend the real with the unreal, truth with fiction, and magic with the mundane. In this book, we will look at witches from across the world and many thousands of years. But witches are not always welcome. Often, they are feared. People worry about satanic practices and dark magic. Should a child fall sick, it is not uncommon for people to blame a local woman. Many have been falsely accused of witchcraft throughout history and, sometimes, these people have been killed as a result. Sometimes, even the rumored practice of dark magic can be enough to condemn a person to be burned at the stake. Throughout this book, we will look into the history of witchcraft as it has been practiced by people over the ages. Not only that, but we will look into some of the spells that they relied upon for their power. By studying their specific arts, we can better understand the scope and the power of witchcraft. If you would like to know more about history’s most powerful witches, then read on and get to grips with some of the strangest, oddest, most magical, and most twisted tales in human history." Read on your favorite devices such as Kindle, IPhone, IPad, Android cellular phone, tablet, laptop, or computer with Amazon's free reading Kindle App. Scroll back up and click the BUY NOW button at the top right side of this page for an immediate download!

    But no one was prepared for the truth... Lady Catherine Cartwright, daughter of the Earl of Abingdon, is a beauty coveted by many. When her greedy parents announce her courtship to the mysterious Duke of Windermere, she is determined not to show fear, despite the strange rumors that are whispered about the recluse Duke. Rumors about what happens to the women he chooses as brides. With her gentle soul and sharp mind as her weapons, Lady Catherine will arrive at Windermere Hall. She will try to discover the truth behind the stories and get to know the man behind the “beast”. But as she burrows her way into the iron duke’s heart and he wins her day by day, his secrets come back to haunt them both. Secrets that may even cost her life. When the truth comes to light, it will trigger a chain of events no one is prepared for. As society is reeling by the shocking revelations, Catherine and Benjamin will have to fight for each other, before the last rose petal of their love is shed…

    His family has a past. Can they solve a century-old mystery… together? Gemma doesn't miss working for the family business. She has a knack for restoring older properties, but after a vicious haunting nearly killed her, she was more than ready to move on. Gemma agrees to one last job to save her parents’ business, but the 1880s historical estate has its fair share of dark secrets…Henry Alcott wants nothing more than to free the spirit from his family’s property. Ever since the original owner was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death, the ghost has made sure every restoration effort was a miserable failure. But there’s something about Gemma that makes Henry believe in a much brighter future…Gemma and Henry must solve a hundred-year mystery to complete the restoration in time. Failure to do so could cost Gemma’s parents their business, but staying in the house could cost them much, much more…The Haunting of Alcott Manor is a contemporary gothic romance mystery. If you like fateful chemistry, engaging characters, and mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end, then you’ll love the first book in USA TODAY BESTSELLING Author Alyssa Richards’ chilling new series. Buy The Haunting of Alcott Manor to step inside the house today!

    For months, she could stay in a cabin in the middle of the Yukon wilderness with only a pack of sledge dogs to care for. But from the moment she arrives in the isolated dog yard, something is terribly wrong. She can feel it watching her from the woods. She can hear them whispering to her in the silence. But she is sure it is just a trick of her mind. Until the night they arrive. Three children appear on her doorstep in the middle of the night; each one with pitch black eyes. They plead with her to let them inside, but her rejection draws her into a war of wills against the demonic forces. Isolated in a terrain she doesn’t understand, and trapped by an oncoming blizzard, Ruby will have to decide how far she’s willing to go to survive. She’ll soon learn that it’s hard to keep the devil out when you’ve already opened the door.

    A Shadow Beyond is a heart-rending and chilling tale of sacrifice, love, obsession and tragedy. Lost in the folds of time, behind one village's brave sacrifice, is the tragic and chilling secret of Thornycroft Hall.... Locked away in the top quarters of Thornycroft, a large house on the edge of the historic village of Eyam, is a centuries old secret. Escaping the chaos of a complicated break up, Kate Saunders travels to the Peak District to stay with her Great Aunt Edie who has suffered a fall. Thornycroft is the perfect bolthole for Kate, peaceful and providing plenty of distance from her obsessive ex. But when Kate stumbles across a diary and an ancient bogwood jewellery box in the top of the house, the tranquillity she had expected is shattered. She is shocked to discover that Edie has been tampering with the supernatural and as Kate reads the contents of the diary, the shadows of Thornycroft’s past begin to stir. Kate becomes fascinated by the history of the house and the legacy of the villagers who made a brave yet devastating decision during the outbreak of plague. The more she discovers, the more she realises that, hidden behind Eyam’s tragic story, is a dreadful family secret. Stalked by her ex and restless spirits who harbour a dark secret, Kate realises she’s in danger - not only from the living, but from the dead. As the haunting intensifies and layers of time peel away, Kate starts to uncover a chilling truth that has remained buried for centuries…

    If mice in the walls and holes in the roof aren't bad enough, someone wants her to believe the place is haunted. But Portia doesn't scare that easily, even if catching sight of the brooding ghost leaves her strangely breathless. When he was accused of murdering his fiancée a decade ago, Giles Ashburne fled the country to his supposed death. Now he’s returned to the Hall to uncover the evidence that will exonerate him, only to find himself playing a ghost in his own home. Nothing he does drives Portia away, and worse, the stubborn chit is starting to grow on him. The more Portia learns about Giles Ashburne, the more certain she becomes that her ghost is not only innocent, but far from dead. When she sets out to prove it, she puts herself on a crash course with not only Giles, but the real killer. If Giles and Portia don't learn to stop striking sparks off each other and work together, there will soon be two ghosts at Ashburne Hall.

    Through their films and series they introduced India to churails that floated across the screen, ghouls that woke up from eerie graveyards, and houses that buzzed with ghosts.But few knew that behind the production drama, elaborate sets, and haunting showtunes, there was a more sinister story. For the Ramsays, the supernatural wasn't just stuck to the screens and camera - it creeped into their lives, too.Alisha Kirpalani, the granddaughter of FU Ramsay, has grown up on stories that question reality and bring a chill to the bone. In time, she, too, followed her family's footsteps and saw through the veil that separates this world and the Other.From the woman on the highway that Shyam Ramsay met to an eerie and persistent knocking that came from every house that Tanuja Ramsay lived in to Amit Ramsay's unwelcome dead visitor at Lamington House, the original home of the Ramsays, this book has the improbable, bizarre and spine-chilling all parading through its chapters.

    . . Even when, brutally overriding her refined sensibility, he imprisoned her in a mansion of overwhelming opulence, an accursed house that brought all who lived there grief. . . Even when, before her eyes, she saw him destroying their children with his misguided indulgence. . . For here was a man more powerful, more truly gigantic than any she had ever known, a man she knew she would love until death. . .

    The collection includes the full texts of Her Dear & Loving Husband, Her Loving Husband’s Curse, and Her Loving Husband’s Return, plus a Q&A with Meredith Allard, series inspirations, and discussion questions. The Loving Husband Trilogy Box Set will please devoted James and Sarah Wentworth fans as well as fans new to the series. Book One: Her Dear & Loving Husband James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties with anyone. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth's death, James cannot move on. Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Do vampires and witches live in Salem? Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again? Book Two: Her Loving Husband’s Curse How far will you go to protect the one you love? Finally, after many long and lonely years, vampire James Wentworth's life is falling into place. Together with his wife, Sarah, the only woman he has ever loved, he has found the meaning behind her nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and now they are rebuilding the life they began together so long ago. But the past is never far behind for the Wentworths. While Sarah is haunted by new visions, now about the baby she carried over three hundred years before, James is confronted with painful memories from his time with the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Through it all, the persistent reporter Kenneth Hempel reappears, still determined to prove that the undead walk the earth. If Hempel succeeds in his quest, James and Sarah will suffer. Will the curse of the vampire prevent James and Sarah from living their happily ever after? Book Three: Her Loving Husband’s Return What would you do to return to the only one you have ever loved? Vampire James Wentworth’s secret is no longer a secret, and now he and his beloved wife, Sarah, have been separated. While suffering his own internment, James is reminded of his time with Japanese-Americans in the Manzanar Relocation Camp during World War II, and he cannot allow the past to repeat itself. With the help of his friends—Chandresh, Jocelyn, Timothy, even the irreverent Geoffrey—James learns what it means to return, and he is determined to return to his Sarah no matter the challenges—or the consequences. In the end, it may be up to Olivia, the most powerful of witches, to grant James’s most fervent wish. Will James and Sarah be reunited once and for all despite the madness surrounding them?