Beast


Anna Willett - 2020
    They supplement their income by selling pics of themselves as stock photos online.The abandoned Red Water Hotel is the perfect location for a shoot. But when they enter the decrepit building, Dursha begins to feel a strange presence. Jackie dismisses her concerns and they head further in.Strange moths have clustered, and the light filtering through has an eerie shimmer. The young women see a telephone number scrawled on the wall.By now Dursha is totally creeped out. But Jackie is already calling it...THE WIDOWDan decides to go to a party held by an old friend. It’s a no-good group, but it might help him put his worries aside. His life is spiralling and he has a serious toothache to add to his woes.At the party he strikes up a conversation with an enigmatic man who has excellent whiskey, and promises him a quick way to make money.In all honesty, Dan just wants enough cash to pay for a dentist, but he journeys with his new friend to a house deep in the country. The hazy plan is to rob it of a known stash of money.It sounded good in theory, but now his friend is nowhere to be seen and Dan is stuck inside the house, face to face with the widow who lives there...

Reconstructionist Series


Meghan Ciana Doidge - 2017
    While it is not necessary to read all three series, in order to avoid spoilers the ideal reading order of the Adept Universe is as follows: Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (Dowser 1) Trinkets, Treasures, and Other Bloody Magic (Dowser 2) Treasures, Demons, and Other Black Magic (Dowser 3) I See Me (Oracle 1) Shadows, Maps, and Other Ancient Magic (Dowser 4) Maps, Artifacts, and Other Arcane Magic (Dowser 5) I See You (Oracle 2) Artifacts, Dragons, and Other Lethal Magic (Dowser 6) I See Us (Oracle 3) The Graveyard Kiss (Reconstructionist 0.5) Catching Echoes (Reconstructionist 1) Dawn Bytes (Reconstructionist 1.5) Tangled Echoes (Reconstructionist 2) An Uncut Key (Reconstructionist 2.5) Unleashing Echoes (Reconstructionist 3) Other books in the Dowser series to follow.

Frostbite


E.J. Stevens - 2018
    Winner of the Imadjinn Award for Best Short Story.Everyone knows that there's no such thing as ghosts, but when a client claims that her house is being haunted, Ivy tries to keep her mind open and her weapons handy. If her psychic gifts and recent cases have taught her anything, it's that you're better off arming yourself for the unexpected.Will our favorite psychic detective face down murderous ghosts? Anything is possible in Harborsmouth.

Skeleton Bayou


Melanie Atkins - 2009
    After seven months in hiding, she resurfaces at Mossy Oak, her ramshackle family home on a Louisiana bayou, and attempts to restart her life. The empty house provides shelter, but isn't the fortress she needs when her cruel ex comes calling. Mack O'Malley, former cop turned handyman, conflicted over a bad shoot on the job, comes to Savannah's rescue when the psychopath draws them into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Fearful of Mack at first, she soon discovers that beneath his steely exterior lies a resolute defender with a heart hungry for love. Will their alliance save them, or will they fall victim to the Legend of Skeleton Bayou?

Devil's Night: A Halloween Short Story


Richard Chizmar - 2012
    It was the night before Halloween, the night we always called Wreck Night or Devil's Night back when we were kids and Halloween was second in our hearts only to Christmas. At least the newspapers got that much right. The day, I mean. They pretty much screwed up the rest of the story. I was there that night. Let me tell you what really happened…

Wind on Haunted Hill


Ruskin Bond - 2018
    . . whoo . . . whooo, cried the wind as it swept down from the Himalayan snows.'The wild wind pushes open windows, chokes chimneys and blows away clothes as it huffs and puffs over the village by Haunted Hill, where Usha, Suresh and Binya live. It's even more mighty the day Usha is on her way back from the bazaar. A deep rumble echoes down the slope and a sudden flash of lightning lights up the valley as fat drops come raining down.In search of shelter, Usha rushes into the ruins on Haunted Hill, grim and creepy against the dark sky. Inside, the tin roof groans, strange shadows are thrown against the walls and little Usha shivers with fear. For she isn't alone.A gritty, hair-raising story about friendship, courage and survival, this stunning edition will introduce another lot of young readers to the magic of Ruskin Bond's craft.

I, Zombie


Nick Spalding - 2011
    I, Zombie is a comedy horror short story from Nick Spalding (writing as Clive Bonnet) about the thinking dead! It is featured in his fantasy novel "The Cornerstone".

Zombies vs The Living Dead


Frank Tayell - 2013
    Within days the world descended into chaos as the infection spread to every corner of the globe. Across Britain, millions of people are told to leave the less defensible villages, towns and cities for the safety of one of the enclaves being established around the coast.For George Tull and the other residents of the Waverly-Price Retirement Home, evacuation is not an option. Finding the staff have left, George has to choose between trying to save those he loathes, or abandoning the woman he loves to an uncertain fate."Zombies vs The Living Dead" is the first in a series of short zombie stories recording the aftermath of the outbreak, and is a companion piece to the series “Surviving The Evacuation”, by the same author.

Warm Moonlight


Joseph Wurtenbaugh - 2012
    It's a thrilling story of adventure and rescue, of escape and revenge, set in New England in the early days of Prohibition. Written in the great storytelling tradition, 'Warm Moonlight' has all the intensity of a got-to-hear-how-it-ends campfire yarn, but with a decidedly adult sophistication and sensibility. The ending is unique and satisfying, but leaves the audience, like one of the characters in the story, wondering - how much of it was true? How much invented? Can such things be? Maybe it's a ghost story or . . . . maybe it isn't.

More Good Dogs: More Stories About Good Dogs and the People Who Love Them


Rabbit Redbone - 2013
    Sometimes touching, sometimes heart-breaking, but always memorable, Rabbit weaves these tales into the spaces of his own life experiences, gaining insight and understanding of the higher purposes of life.

The Safe Man: A Ghost Story


Michael Connelly - 2012
    That is, his specialty is opening safes. Every job is a little mystery, and he has yet to encounter a lock he can't break or a box he can't crack. But the day Holloway gets called in to open a rare, antique safe in a famous author's library, his skills open a door that should have remained closed.In this haunting and singular story, previously published anonymously, Michael Connelly proves once again that he is "superb at building suspense.... the reader can never be sure what sudden turns the plot may take" (Wall Street Journal).

London, the Doggy and Me


Rosen Trevithick - 2012
    The only catch is that she has to look after a pet dog in exchange for board.She soon finds herself trying to juggle auditions, the demise of a long-term relationship and a blossoming fling, all whist hiding a sinister secret concealed within her suitcase.

Death at Sunrise: a 509 Crime Short Story


Colin Conway - 2020
    Was it suicide or was it something else?Spokane County Detective Shane McAfee must unravel the mystery.Discover The 509 Crime Stories with this free short story.Then check out the books The Side Hustle The Long Cold Winter The Blind Trust The Suit What readers are saying about The Side Hustle★★★★★ “… just looking for my next thriller fix, I discovered this gem.” – John Barksley★★★★★ “… a great read! A different kind of police procedural.” – Mickey★★★★★ “This book was hard to put down.” – Amazon Customer★★★★★ “…kept me reading.” – Mary Arnold★★★★★ “Loved my first foray into the 509 series… and Quinn!” – Cynthiareads★★★★★ “The story is well crafted and kept me quickly ‘turning the pages.’” – Sally★★★★★ “Great read.  Very enjoyable.” – Amy Dalton

Mind Game


Ben Rehder - 2013
    One local resident is making vague threats—hypothetically speaking, of course—to unsettle another local resident, who stole the first man's girlfriend. The problem escalates and violence is almost certain, until the sheriff comes up with a brilliant and ironic solution.

100 Tiny Tales: Short Stories Told in Exactly One Hundred Words


K. Kris Loomis - 2019
    Why not try some microfiction short stories instead? These bite-sized, slice-of-life short stories are crafted with only one hundred words, so they go by in a flash. Perfect for time-challenged fiction lovers, these humorous yet thought-provoking stories can be read when you’re waiting in line, riding the bus, or whenever you need a short mental break. Go on. Try some flash fiction. Grab your copy of 100 Tiny Tales today! 100 Tiny Tales: Short Stories Told in Exactly One Hundred Words is written by K. Kris Loomis, a native South Carolinian and the author of the novels, The Sinking of Bethany Ann Crane and The Murder of Leopold Beckenbauer, as well as the short story collection, The Monster In the Closet and Other Stories. Kris is also a nonfiction author who writes books about yoga, meditation, and the time she spent living in South America, including After Namaste: Off-the-Mat Musings of a Modern Yogini and Thirty Days in Quito: Two Gringos and a Three-Legged Cat Move to Ecuador. When Kris isn’t at her standing desk writing, she can be found playing chess, folding an origami crane, or practicing a Beethoven sonata on the piano. She lives in Rock Hill, South Carolina with her husband and two cats. You can connect with Kris at her website, www.kkrisloomis.com or her Amazon Author page, or find her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @kkrisloomis.