Here are gathered the best of their chilling, thrilling, upsetting, and unsettling experiments with our sexual psyches. And rest assured, flesh will tingle--but whether from horror or pleasure or a bit of both, we'll leave you to judge.From its opening pages, with King's blackly humorous portrait of a very, very mad housewife to its conclusion, where we find Barker's wholly shocking tale of a deadly quest into the heart of passion, I Shudder at Your Touch brings you a host of kinky, perverse, bizarre and creepy figures. You'll find a cricket-playing vampire, a sleek sea creature likely to give mermaids a bad name, a strangely seductive handyman who's equally adept at knocking down apartment walls and female inhibitions, and a plastic religious statue offering X-rated enlightenment from its perch atop the family TV.I Shudder at Your Touch features 22 daring writers who prefer to go too far, writers whose every tale will have you fighting back a scream...and a cry of delight.Contents:The revelations of 'Becka Paulson / Stephen King --Sea lovers / Valerie Martin --Psychopomp / Haydn Middleton --A glowing future / Ruth Rendell --The tiger returns to the mountain / T.L. Parkinson --Consanguinity / Ronald Duncan --Keeping house / Michael Blumlein --The Villa Desiree / May Sinclair --Cleave the vampire, or, a gothic pastorale / Patrick McGrath --The swords / Robert Aickman --Salon Satin / Carolyn Banks --How love came to Professor Guildea / Robert Hichens --Wings / Harriet Zinnes --The Basilisk / R. Murray Gilchrist --A quarter past you / Jonathan Carroll --The master builder / Christopher Fowler --Festival / Eric McCormack --Ladies in waiting / Huch B. Cave --Death and the single girl / Thomas M. Disch --Master / Angela Carter --The conqueror worm / Stephen R. Donaldson --Jacqueline Ess: her will and testament / Clive Barker

    Demons, monsters, psychopaths, undead, mad experiments and paranormal - no matter what makes your heart race, you're guaranteed to face your fear with these terrifying tales. Excerpt: I felt her arms around me, but she wasn’t trying to choke me or restrain me. She was… hugging me. It was such an alien sensation that I immediately opened my eyes. That’s when I saw them. Hundreds – no thousands of gossamer spider webs holding up her body like a marionette doll. I recoiled immediately, and she let me without the slightest resistance. The spiders were everywhere. Crawling across her face, through her hair. When she opened her mouth, I saw more of them inside her, pulling the threads to work her jaw. Her throat pulsed, and I knew more must be further down to vibrate her vocal chords. “But he’s never going to hurt you again. You have our word.” I was too shocked to fully understand what was happening. The alarm in my mind wouldn’t stop, and I still felt like I was about to pay for my rebellion. I didn’t want to stare, but couldn’t look away. I didn’t want to go and see, but my feet carried me there anyway. I opened Jeff’s room and found him on his bed. His hands and feet were bound with countless loops of spiderweb. More of it was across his face, tying his tongue securely to the roof of his mouth. His skin was perforated with a thousand holes, and spiders were crawling in and out of them as they carefully partitioned and wrapped each piece for consumption. His eyes blinked at me, although I don’t know if that was a sign of life or simply the successful attachment of yet another internal strand. I quietly closed the door and let them finish their work. -My Mother the Spider Queen

    Sixteen short stories by Stephen King, William Tenn, Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber, August Derleth, Richard Matheson, Tanith Lee, and others deal with the nightmarish theme of female vampires.

    Containing many "lost" pieces, it is a compendium of suspense from the pulp magazines of the '20s to his last efforts in the '70s. Fine.

     Within these pages, you’ll find a treasure trove of myths, legends, folktales, urban legends, historical accounts, and stories about horrors, both ancient and modern, that have been hidden, ignored, or forgotten entirely. “The Monsters We Forgot” is a massive anthology of horror stories by an international team of authors ranging from award-winners and bestsellers to visionary newcomers. These stories draw inspiration from the folklore traditions of countries including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Ireland, Wales, England, Norway, Nigeria, Greece, Poland, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States, the tales in this three-volume collection range from original folktales and chilling myths to information-age monsters and modern urban legends, and everything in between. Turn on the lights, check the locks, and settle in. You’re about to remember The Monsters We Forgot.

     Eternal Heart Will the monster that has been hunting Sophia finally succeed in killing her, or will Noah be able to save her yet again, as he has her entire life? Vampire’s Revenge Lucy is mesmerized by the most handsome man she’s ever met, but the intriguing stranger put her in a situation that threatens her life. Can he save her in time? Killian’s Seduction Killian is handsome and worth billions of dollars, but Charlotte senses he’s hiding something. After uncovering his dark secret, she has every reason to be afraid, but can she trust him to protect her? The Vampire’s Witch Nina and Raphael are drawn together in a mix of emotions, attraction, and spirit by something old and powerful that is undeniably magical in nature. The two are thrown into the survival of their lives as Zeke hunts them for his own, dark agenda. Bloodline Heiress Sawyer was taken against her will to a secret fortress where her life is in danger. With an unexpected connection to the vampire king, Sawyer doesn’t know if she’s being protected or if she needs to escape to survive. Also inclued in this vampire romance collection: Vampire Fate If you love vampire romances, bad boys, paranormal love, and alpha men who know how to take charge, then you will love Vampire’s Desire! Content Warning: Explicit love scenes and lots of sexy vampires. No cheating! Intended for 18+ audiences.

    A medical procedure reveals an object of worship. A carnivorous reptile divides and cauterizes a town. Amelia Gray’s curio cabinet expands in Gutshot, where isolation and coupling are pushed to their dark and outrageous edges. These singular stories live and breathe on their own, pulsating with energy and humanness and a glorious sense of humor. Hers are stories that you will read and reread—raw gems that burrow into your brain, reminders of just how strange and beautiful our world is. These collected stories come to us like a vivisected body, the whole that is all the more elegant and breathtaking for exploring its most grotesque and intimate lightless viscera.

    Collecting the cards and imagining himself in the wild world the monsters exist, has become his favorite pastime. Depressed that the fictitious monsters don’t exist in his world, a thought occurs to him. Maybe they don’t just have to be fiction. Maybe the fantasy can become real. But at what cost?

    R. Martin, plus many more, are collected in this anthology of speculative fiction. The renowned storytellers assembled here will challenge our concept of good and evil and provide us with new ways of seeing right and wrong: even angels can fall and demons will strive for redemption.

    A hundred pages of dark fiction, featuring T.L. Morganfield, David Niall Wilson, Jennifer Pelland, Kurt Newton, Don D’Ammassa, Mercedes M. Yardley, and more. Conversations with William Ollie, Alan Robert (Life of Agony, Spoiler NYC), and the legendary John Skipp.

    She can see ghosts and she helps them with any unfinished business. In this first story, Lottie’s dad brings a dollhouse into the family store. A ghost is attached to it. It doesn’t take Lottie long to connect with the ghost, but when she does, her heart fills with sadness. This is going to be a difficult case for Lottie, but she is determined to help the ghost.

    Mappin ForeclosesRon Goulart, GrannyRoald Dahl, The LandladyHarold R. Daniels, Three Ways to Rob a BankMiriam Allen deFord, No Loose EndsJames Gores, Pin MoneyRobert J. Higgins, Social ClimberEdward D. Hoch, I'd Know You AnywhereJohn Keefauver, The Pile of SandWarner Law, Payoff on Double ZeroDana Lyon, The Bitter YearsDee Stuart, Man's Best FriendWilliam P. McGivern, Killer on the TurnpikeRobert McGrath, Payment ReceivedBarry N. Malzberg, Agony ColumnRose Million Healey, Guessing GameHarold Q. Masur, The $2,000,000 DefenseBerkely Mather, The Man in the WellArdath Mayhar, CrawfishWilliam F. Nolan, The Strange Case of Mr. PruynDavid Montross, LudmilaAl Nussbaum, The One Who Got AwayBill Pronzini, It's a Lousy WorldJoan Richter, Only So Much to RevealJack Ritchie, Who's Got the Lady?Harold Rolseth, Hey You Down ThereWilliam Sambrot, Too Many SharksNancy C. Swoboda, Christopher FramePaul Theridion, ObituaryJeffrey M. Wallmann, Random DemandBetty Ren Wright, The Mother Goose MadmanWaldo Carlton Wright, The Green Fly and the BoxMitsu Yamamoto, The Blue Rug

    But he's keeping a secret that may unlock a darker destiny. FINAL REPORT “Entry One has been breached. Time to get this show on the road. They have no idea the kind of Hell I've prepared for them. May God have mercy on my soul.” MY FATHER’S SON A Delta Green agent with a mysterious past may learn more than he ever wanted to know when his current case leads where he never dared to go. THE DARK ABOVE In the face of madness and horror, two lonely Delta Green agents reach out to each other. Can they really afford such fragile bonds when the secrets of the night surf roll in? THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT An agent’s disappearance pulls a Delta Green team into a vortex of horror in this novel of personal apocalypse. The secrets they uncover threaten to ignite a war between the Delta Green conspiracy and its bitterest enemy, Majestic-12 — secrets buried within time itself. Foreword by Kenneth Hite.

    But all that changes one day when he finds the macabre source of his artistic muse — and now nothing will stop Leo from creating his masterpieces.In "Deal With the Devil", a private investigator gets the wrong end of a deal gone bad. Or does he?In "The Back of Beyond", a lonely bar at the far edge of the world gives the owner much more than he bargained for.(Plus a bonus scene from Vampire Moon, sequel to Moon Dance.)**Acclaim for the Novels of J.R. Rain**"Gripping, adventurous, and romantic — J.R. Rain's The Lost Ark is a breakneck thriller that traces the thread of history from Biblical stories to current-day headlines. Be prepared to lose sleep!"—JAMES ROLLINS, international bestselling author of Altar of Eden and The Doomsday Key"I enjoyed this immensely. The protagonist, Samantha Moon, is a female vampire with a husband and children. Those predate her condition; six years ago she was attacked by a vampire and rendered into one. Now she's trying to carry on with family and private eye business, and she's a feisty, skilled person, so is doing mostly okay. It is not a horror story; she buys animal blood to eat and doesn't generally prey on humans. But her husband has an increasing problem with her coldness — not of spirit, but of body. 'You sicken me and scare the hell out of me,' he tells her. 'And when I touch you it's all I can do to not gag.' She replies, 'Words every wife wants to hear.' I love this! What makes it special are her character and nature."—PIERS ANTHONY, New York Times bestselling author of A Spell for Chameleon and On A Pale Horse"Dark Horse is one of the best books I've read in a long time! A great classic detective story with a modern twist. Unique and interesting characters (I think I'm half in love with Jim Knighthorse now!), a great plot that kept me guessing until the end, and some of the funniest lines I've read anywhere."—GEMMA HALLIDAY, author of Deadly Cool and Play Dead"Impossible to put down. J.R. Rain's Moon Dance is a fabulous urban fantasy."—APRIL VINE, author of The Midnight Rose and Blindfolded by Lust"Moon Dance is absolutely brilliant!"—LISA TENZIN-DOLMA, author of Understanding the Planetary Myths and The Dolphin Experience "Moon Dance is a must read. If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, be prepared to love J. R. Rain's Samantha Moon, vampire private investigator."—EVE PALUDAN, author of Letters from David and The Romance Writer's Pink Pages"I totally loved The Body Departed. As someone who communicates with those who are either earthbound or have crossed over — your descriptions and interpretations of the dialogue and circumstances could not have been written more accurately. My favorite scene is the one of Jesus stepping down from the cross and then the passionate and compassionate way it was treated as he went back to the cross. I will relive that for a long time to come. You're a wonderfully descriptive writer who paints a very creative, visionary canvass based in a paranormal pallet that only a few experience and many can enjoy."—JULIE BELMONT, author of The Path to Personal Success and Freedom and Seizing Your Success"I thoroughly enjoyed The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo from one of my favorite authors. A great way to spend a few hours of the afternoon."—JEN ASHTON, author of The Pleasure Diaries and Ashton Ashton We All Fall Down"I love Jim Knighthorse! Please write faster, Mr. Rain!"—ELAINE BABICH, author of You Never Called Me Princess and Relatively Normal"Powerful stuff!"—AIDEN JAMES, author of Cades Cove and Deadly Night

    Delaney, Barbara Gowdy, and others. 15,000 first printing.