Then he does.

    No sign remains of any other structure around them, no ruins of long forgotten buildings. They look... wrong. They feel wrong. Bad things happen if you get too close. Horrible things.You must never, ever ever talk about them.Thirty-four of today's best up and coming writers provide wonderfully unique interpretations inspired by the urban legends of the Internet age. Tales range from science fiction to fantasy, horror to mystery, and one writer even penned a romance!But you must never tell anyone about the stairs!Containing the stories:* Nothing Ever Happens Here by Richard Paolinelli* Star Thistle by J. Comer* Let Him In by Josh Dygert* A New Trail Off Of Old King?s Highway by Michael Reyes* The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate by Kristen Brand* Exclusive Scoop by J. Trevor Robinson* The Flash-Back Stairs: A Story of Betrayal by Patrick T. Luce* The Peacock House by Matthew Pegg* Where The Wood Thrush Sings by NB Williams* The Refuge by Dawn Witzke* Upon The Stair by Daniel Humphreys* Grand Staircase to the Yellow Court by R.C. Mulhare* Another Dead Man?s Curve by Chris Ingram* Game Warden by Russell Newquist* Stepping Stones by Jarrett Mazza* Reap Dance by James G. Hancock* Descending Stairs, 1699 by Meghan Casey* Where Angels Fear to Tread by Michelle Mellon* Sobek's Staircase by Jeremy Megargee* The Curses We Carry by Russell Mahon* Stranger?s Wood by J.S. Arroyo* Stairway Back to Jonathan's Farm by Dan Allen* The Thirteenth Step by MJ Mars* Cajun Ray by S.D. McPhail* W/M by Isobel Horsburgh* The Sentinel by Richard W. Watts* Sleep, Child by A.G. Lopes* The Lost Ones by Karen Thrower* Ready For Seven More by Christopher Lansdown* Fire and Pine by Bethany C. Gotschall* Stairway to? Where? by William Lehman* The Dead Always by Darren Todd* Missing Persons by Jonathan Bronico* Cedar Road by Mocha Pennington

    When he steps in to save their beautiful victim, he ends up in hot water right alongside her. Jack's spent his life avoiding emotional entanglements, but this time he's literally handcuffed to the woman whose touch sets him on fire ... Curvy lynx shifter Casey McClaren isn't just a victim. She's on an undercover mission of her own, with no training or backup, trying to find out who killed her best friend. But everything goes wrong, and she finds herself trapped on a remote island, handcuffed to the sexiest bear shifter she's ever seen. Casey can tell by the scars and tattoos that he's exactly the kind of man she shouldn't let herself love. But she can't resist the way he makes her heart pound ... Guard Wolf - Can two lonely people find a home in each other? Avery Hollen is a werewolf without a pack. After growing up in the foster system, this lone wolf has bonded to his co-workers at the Shifter Crimes Bureau because he has no one else, but he's always yearned for a pack and a family of his own. Then a box of orphaned wolf shifter puppies turns up on his doorstep, with danger one step behind ... Curvy Aussie social worker Nicole Yates is one of the world's only koala shifters. Slowly rebuilding her life after a personal disaster, she's managed to convince herself that working with other people's children is a fair substitute for having her own. Besides, she's too busy for dating or relationships, and every other koala shifter is related to her anyway. Then a wolf-shifter federal agent with a box of werewolf puppies turns up on her doorstep ... Dragon's Luck - Two people with secrets on a cruise ship full of enemies ... Jen Cho is a gecko shifter and infiltration expert for the Shifter Crimes Bureau. But this time she's in over her head—out of touch with her handler and head over heels for a sexy gambler who mistakenly thinks she's as much of a bad girl as he's a bad boy! Ambrose "Lucky" Lucado has been playing in high-stakes games of chance since he was big enough to see over the table. But the sexy lizard shifter has a secret: he's not a lizard at all. He's a dragon, the rarest of all shifters. With danger closing in on every side, is "Lucky" Lucado lucky enough to protect both of them?

    A threshold opens. Unearthly abominations emerge. What follows is called an Aberration. For thousands of years, appointed Wardsmen gave their lives to keep us safe. But over the ages, their numbers have dwindled. Now, one man may be all that stands between us and the terrifying world that lies beyond our own.When a coworker inexplicably commits suicide on the job, Guy knows the tragedy is just the start of terrors to come. A freak storm quickly follows, engulfing his milling facility and trapping the workers, who quickly learn there is much more to fear than just heavy rain. Something else arrives with the storm—monstrosities that alter their shapes and features to match your fears. Guy’s coworkers will be forced to rely on him to survive grisly attacks on both body and mind.Author Bard Constantine takes readers on an unnerving ride, combining physical and psychological terror in the vein of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

    So, it's no wonder he's doesn't hear Mr. Fitches' warnings about a local homicidal hobgoblin-too bad for him.Praise for the Author:"...master of mid-grade horror, M.J.A. Ware's tales are told in a pleasantly chatty first-person style, the voice convincingly that of a young teen put-upon by sisters, brothers, parents, friends and the rest of the world... until the rest of the world jumps in with scares aplenty." -Sheila Deeth, Author, blogger, and reviewer."Writing for (a) younger audience can be tricky, but Michael Ware knows the tricks." - Author, Laura Lund

    The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories is her definitive collection of ghost stories.These thirty stories, including all new works from New York Times bestselling authors Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Hoffman, Seanan McGuire, and Paul Tremblay, span from the traditional to the eclectic, from the mainstream to the literary, from pure fantasy to the bizarrely supernatural. Whether you’re reading alone under the covers with a flashlight, or around a campfire with a circle of friends, there’s something here to please—and spook—everyone.Contributors include: Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Hoffman, Vincent J. Masterson, A.C. Wise, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, Lee Thomas, Alison Littlewood, M.L. Siemienowicz, Richard Kadrey, Indrapramit Das, Richard Bowes, Nick Mamatas, Terry Dowling, Aliette de Bodard, Carole Johnstone, Dale Bailey, Stephen Graham Jones, Bracken MacLeod, Garth Nix, Brian Evenson, Jeffrey Ford, Gemma Files, Paul Tremblay, Nathan Ballingrud, Pat Cadigan, John Langan, Ford Madox Ford, F. Marion Crawford, Siobhan Carroll.

    A group of storytellers banded together to chronicle the tsunami of evil that ensued. Their scribblings depicted events so horrific, the manuscript was hidden away.Now, dear reader, you seem to have stumbled upon it.And you have opened it.You must reap what you have sown.Come, step into the pages. See firsthand what hell is capable of.Of course, just know, you won’t last long enough to scream.

    Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack! "One of the all-time great characters in one of the all-time great series." — Lee Child“Repairman Jack is one of my favorite characters—I’m full of happy anticipation every time I hold a new RJ novel in my hands.” — Charlaine Harris, creator of True Blood“The Tomb is one of the best all-out adventure stories I’ve read in years.” — Stephen KingRepairman Jack is one of the most original and intriguing to arise out of contemporary fiction in ages. His adventures are hugely entertaining. — Dean KoontzF. Paul Wilson is a hot writer, and his hottest and my favorite creation is Repairman Jack. — Joe R. LansdaleF. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack is a cultural icon. If you haven’t crossed paths with him you’re out of the loop. Get with the program. — David Morrell, creator of Rambo.Repairman Jack is one of the greatest fictional characters created by any thriller writer in the past half century. If you haven't discovered him and his world yet, what a fabulous, extraordinary, and electric reading experience awaits you. — Douglas Preston, co-creator of the Pendergast novelsI'm a Repairman Jack addict. Be warned: Read one book and you'll become one, too. If you've got an impossible problem to solve, he's the one guy you want in your corner: flawed, conflicted, and oh-so-wonderfully brutal. Each book is a sweet hit of pure adrenaline. Pick up a copy and get hooked today. — James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Doomsday KeyJack is righteous!” — Andrew VachssFinally! All the Repairman Jack short fiction - many hard to find, one nigh impossible - collected for the first time.QUICK FIXES includes:"A Day in the Life""The Last Rakosh""Home Repairs""The Long Way Home""The Wringer""Interlude at Duane’s""Do-Gooder""Piney Power"plus author introductions to each storyfrom the author's Foreword:I compiled this collection at the insistence of Repairman Jack fans, especially the completists. A number of small presses have approached me to do a signed, limited first edition, but I'm not comfortable with charging a premium price for previously published material.

    It is not the cool breeze and the scent of pine that whispers your name.No, these things within the forest will rip out your heart and devour your soul. You will tremble as they revel in your madness, taking everything from you and leaving you with nothingDelve inside this anthology of what truly lurks within the shadows of the trees. Created by award-winning horror and fiction authors around the world. We dare you to take this journey with us and find out what horrors await you.The Forest Is Calling. Will you answer?24 terrifying tales ripped straight from your nightmares. There is evil in the forest, and it wants you dead.

    Almost a year later, driven by sensual memories and one incriminating photo, the sexy operative finally tracks her down—and discovers three little babies who look just like him. Learning he is a father makes Quade even more determined: he plans to claim Cheyenne Steele as his very own. Shockingly, the irresistible beauty seems intent on refusing him. But Cheyenne and their children are now part of the Westmoreland destiny, and Quade vows to fight for a future together.Tall, Dark…Westmoreland!She longs for a taste of the wild and reckless. And Olivia Jeffries gets her chance when she meets a handsome stranger at a masquerade ball. The attraction is instant, and the electricity is volatile. But days later she discovers that her new lover is none other than Reginald Westmoreland, her father's most-hated rival. She vows to resist him, but Reggie is relentless in his pursuit. He will stop at nothing—not even blackmail—to get Olivia back in his bed…forever.

    This year you won’t need cocoa, you’ll want a fan and a hot cowboy! You’ll find four hot cowboys in this scorching contemporary western romance anthology.The Novellas in SANTA WORE SPURS…Tied Up for Christmas by Desiree HoltBree Donovan has a thriving career as an architect in Chicago but a long-term relationship with her sub has turned very bad and she needs to get away. A client meeting in Texas prompts her to take some time to recover. Rafe Morales has been searching for the perfect sub for a long time but there always seems to be something missing. When he meets Bree there is instant attraction between them. Watching a performance at a private dungeon they each realize what’s missing is the need to switch, to play both top and bottom. An erotic, lust-filled weekend leaves them wanting more. Much more. The question is: can they make it happen?Breath for Heaven by Sable Hunter (New Series Spinoff)Cade and Abby have a history. Ten years ago they were in love. But something happened. Abby pushed Cade away and he never knew why. Since then, sparks fly when they’re together. Antagonizing one another has become their favorite sport. The only problem is… it’s all a front. They bicker because they both want the same thing – each other. A Christmas wedding brings them together and Cade is determined to learn Abby’s secret. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her love. Meet the King Family of El Camino Real – five brothers, one sister and a legacy as big as Texas.Hope for Christmas by Becky McGraw (New Series Spinoff)Cord Dixon, Mr. Laramie in the world of western clothing modeling, loses his job because he refuses to sleep with his female boss. Christmas is coming, and his bills are due, so he takes the only job he can find. A mall Santa.Socialite wedding photographer, Hope Carlisle’s life disintegrates when she ruins the wedding of the year. In one fell swoop, she loses her best friend, her business partner and her fiancé. Unemployed and needing a job fast, Hope takes a job as an elf photographer at the local mall. She is not looking forward to her new job, until she meets her sexy Santa.Individually, Hope and Cord’s lives seem to be a hopeless mess. But with the magic of Christmas in the air, they work together to reclaim their lives and find love in the process.A Cowboy for Christmas by Sandy SullivanA blizzard, a diner, and two lonely people…can it be love at first sight? Eli Chandler doesn’t believe in love. After being burned, he’s only looking for a little warmth for the hearth on a cold winter’s night stuck in a blizzard in Colorado. Catlin is alone at the diner, searching for her next big break in the storm to get home until a stranger walks in looking for some hot coffee and a meal.Two ships passing in the night…can there ever be more?

    Lansdale is your man. In his first collection of short stories, the gruseome and outrageous cult classic "The Drive-In" pilots a wildly thrilling, violent and vivid roller coaster ride to Hell and beyond...plumbing the eerie depths of his remarkable imagination to create horrors unique and unsettling - dark products of twisted genius that weave the grisly fabric of nightmares. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! (back cover copy)CONTENTSFish NightThe PitDuck HuntBy Bizarre HandsThe Steel ValentineI Tell You It's LoveLetters From The SOuth, Two Moons South Of NacogdochesBoys Will Be BoysThe Fat Man And The ElephantHell Through A WindshieldDown By The Sea Near The Great Big RockTrains Not TakenTight Little Stitches In A Dead Man's BackThe Windstorm PassesNight They Missed The Horror ShowOn The Far Side Of The Cadillac Desert With Dead Folk

    It doesn't matter how much horror he has seen though, because nobody will believe him. He has never been able to prove it, until now. He gets a letter from a man desperate for help. A village is being haunted. Nobody dares speak of it, and those who do are visited by something terrible. A dark horror is at work here, and Jeremiah wants to get to the heart of it. Ella is a university student obsessed with her work, but she's slipping. Her attempts to keep hold of her dreams lead her to a remote Scottish village with a dark history, where a tragedy has cast a shadow over the streets. Beneath this village lies a horrific secret, and those who uncover it will wish they hadn't. What kind of evil is at work here, and what is terrifying the people so much? What's the deal with the creepy cottage and the woods that lurk just beyond it? This is the beginning of a new horror series from the author of the Fear the Dead.

    Looking to find some peace and balance as she attempts to put her life back together, she travels to her childhood home on the East Coast... Cato and Caldyr are brothers who couldn't be more different, who are searching for one special woman. Cato is lighthearted and looks on the brighter side of things. Caldyr is brooding and angry, bitter about the loss he's suffered in his life. Together, they rule the undersea world of Unducia, kingdom of the Myr. Unducia is slowly dying. The effects of man's pollution of the ocean, as well as the unrelenting attacks of the Pirogh – malevolent whale shifters – are taking a toll on the kingdom. Unducia is a kingdom without a Queen – and without her magic, the kingdom and its people are diminishing. When their two worlds collide, truths are revealed and an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to destroy Unducia and the Myr. Will Sammi finally find the meaning to her life? Will Cato and Caldyr find what is needed to save their world and their people? Or will they all be swept away on the ocean's tide? This book is a standalone short story. WARNING: This ebook contains hot sex scenes and naughty words, intended for 18+ readers only. AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a stand alone romance with an HEA. This ebook contains mature themes and language, intended for 18+ readers only.

    Elrod's picked 15 of her favorite short works for this multi-genre collection spanning 15 years of publication.Also included is a never before published VAMPIRE FILES story, featuring her urban fantasy vampire PI, Jack Fleming!Each story has been polished afresh for this anthology, with pages of new material added.More information -- and previews of the stories! -- may be found at her website vampwriter-dot-com.Titles:1. A Night at the (Horse) Opera (Vampire Files, Fleming)2. The Breath of Bast (Vampire Files), Ecsott)3. Bossman (Original mystery, no vamps)4. Slaughter (Vampire Files, Fleming & Gordy)5. The Devil's Mark (Original historical vampire)6. You'll Catch Your Death (Vampire Files)7. Izzy's Shoe-In (Historical mystery introducing Izzy DeLeon, fearless girl reporter)8. The Quick Way Down (Vampire Files, Fleming and Gordy)9. The Scottish Ploy (Original romance/mystery)10. Grave-Robbed (Vampire Files, Fleming)11. The Company You Keep (Vampire Files, Gabriel Kroun)12. Death in Dover (Jonathan Barrett before he got vamped, historical mystery)13. Drawing Dead (ALL NEW VAMPIRE FILES, Fleming)14. King of Shreds and Patches (Hamlet from a different point of view, mystery)15. Fugitive (Science fiction/space opera)16. BONUS STORY! The Wind Breathes Cold (Quincey Morris: Vampire)