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)

    Searching these sinister stacks you will find:A church picnic at a haunted reservoir where only a twelve year-old boy is aware that something waits in the water…A burnt-out teacher that finds a friend… in his cancer…The secret to surviving the zombie apocalypse…An inoculation for Lycanthropy which may be more horrible than the disease…Young lovers that, on the eve of World War II, partake of a most forbidden fruit…A haunted carnival ride which delivers its passengers into the unexpected…21 tales of night terror, night madness, nightmares, night woe and night wonder…Welcome to The Night LibraryBe warned: The late fees are killer!

    Cool and handsome, with a single teardrop scar and a knack for silence that keeps the world at bay, he is a man alone. That all changes on a rainy night in Chicago, when he witnesses a brutal assault on a young woman. By the time he reaches her, the assailant is gone, leaving a trail that is all too easy to follow. But playing the good Samaritan may be more trouble than it?s worth, when his moment of conscience hurls him into a shadowy world of violence, intrigue and deception. Caught between duty to his fellow man and the anonymity of life on the road, the Samaritan could walk away. But when his estranged teenage daughter is threatened, he will make his choice and never look back.

    The gifts, the music, the yearly seafood buffet, the orgy...what's not to like?But, like all children, he eventually finds out Santa isn’t who he thought. The good news is, unlike everyone else, Santa Claus actually is his mom. Even better, she wants Bert to take over the job. The bad news is there’s more to the job than stuffing stockings and getting his bells jingled. So what's a demon to do? Drag his friend Mark Vedis along for the ride, of course. Join Bert, Mark, and the Santa team as they go through hell in their quest to bring a merry Christmas to all. Especially for Bert.

    Illustrator and writer's Carolyn Marie Castagna's first shared short story.A small icicle hanging from a roof peers inside a window at a small reading room, and learns about magical human qualities, and the importance of the one most special human feeling.

    Ivy Mitchell’s life is changed forever after she follows her cat, Karma, into an old house, where she stumbles upon a strange book that not only unleashes her destiny, but attracts a smoking hot, mysterious stranger named Chance with wicked powers of his own. Ivy was born a witch, but an important decision awaits. Make the wrong choice and more than her powers are at risk. A story in nine parts, each written by a different writer in her own individual style: Lori Connelly, Aileen Harkwood, Zara Stoneley, Kari Lemor, Sarah Lefebve, Carmel Harrington, Teresa F. Morgan, Lynn Marie Hulsman, and Jane Lark.Length: 4300 words

    How do you put such terror into words when the words I choose need to be real, not just a fabrication of a well educated imagination. I know that you may have your doubts and conclude with your own presumptions; and with no hard-evidence to offer, I am asking for you to explore and consider your deepest beliefs. I am unable to refer to this as a story, it goes much deeper than that of a progressive tale with happy ever afters. What you are about to read is real; the feelings and emotions described have actually been lived. The fear felt. This is a narrative of the events which took place across almost a century, 1903 to 1983, in a house which stood closely among others and for many years shared the usual comforts of home. This house was once safe, it was a comfortable place to spend time but over time, it evolved into a dark emptiness which the house of Poultney Roads’ residents would never forget. It was hidden away from what it once was and over time had emerged as a building of strong, solid bricks which concealed more secrets than some members of my family wish to remember. I am not writing this in an attempt to scare you but yet to inform you of what exists, whether you choose to believe it or not. This is not a fictional novel, created to shock and leave you in suspense but is instead a retelling of what happened to several generations of a family who had lived their lives as any other but who were, quite literally, introduced to another world. I guess you could consider this a warning, that perhaps you should believe your instincts instead of living your life creating explanations and judgements. Seeing is believing some might say but learning about the house on Poultney Road could prepare you for something you may one day come face to face with and perhaps prevent you from the pain that that this house bought to so many. Safe in your own home; sit back in a comfortable chair and turn on the side light. The beam will comfort you through this roller-coaster of memories which have left their mark on everyone who entered The House on Poultney Road. 'This book awakens those lost or hidden fears that its predecessors seemed to smother.' Horror Honey (http://www.horrorhoney.net) 'I felt a fear I've never felt before from a book, I had shivers and my hairs standing up on my arms.' Amazon review. 'What a Fantastic novel, Stephanie Boddy pulled me in by the end of the first chapter, I had read it by the end of the day.' Beverley Aspinall, Horror Inside the Box Amazon no.1 Bestseller : Ghosts / Unexplained Mysteries / Supernatural

    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.

    14, 2010, and was never seen again. The only clues to his fate were a series of blog posts he left behind, allegedly recounting his final hours inside one of the most haunted houses in the world. But what started as an investigation into the mysterious occurrences inside Madison Manor also revealed shocking truths about Sean’s own past. “The Last Blog” is a 10,000-word short story that includes Sean’s final blog postings, as well as additional analysis and insight provided by noted supernatural expert Soren Chase. It’s the perfect treat for Halloween!

    29 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more – everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Naked. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on Naked by David Sedaris.

    Church, school then a little more church was her life. She wasn’t the girl to get asked on dates or even have a lot of friends. She mainly kept to herself until she was noticed by the one guy she had been dreaming about since she hit puberty. Deon was a force that Jess had no choice but to allow to come in and sweep her away. He was too charming, too handsome, and too tempting. He didn’t have rules and he didn’t let Jess’ young age stop him from getting what he wanted, which was her. Jess fought him off for as long as she could but finally gave in. Her life seemed to change overnight. She became confident. She was able to get the clothes that she wanted and be the girl that other guys liked and females wanted to befriend. Deon was her king and she just wanted to make him happy. She went against her parents’ wishes and everything she believed in to be with him and she would have taken on the world for him if she had to. He gave her everything she ever wanted and she found herself so wrapped up in him that she could see nothing else. Her fairytale soon turned into a nightmare once she learned she wasn’t the only girl he was loving. Next were the fights and the drama. Trying to leave Deon became a war that she wasn’t prepared to fight. What do you do when someone you love so much hurts you? How can you leave them when you can’t even go a day without them? Love is many things but it should never hurt. For Jessenia her life was nice until it wasn’t. She fell in love with a man that really didn’t love her at all and the battle to get back to herself wasn’t going to be an easy one. He said he loved her and she believed him. His type of love was pain most of the time and she started to bleed his love right out of her until one day she noticed the love was gone. To leave Deon, Jess has to find herself and find her strength. Will she succeed or will she forever be wrapped up in a man that really loves no one but himself? Heart of Stone by Mz. Lady P Heart of Stone is a short story that digs into the mind frame of Stone Williams. A heartless, ruthless, and abusive womanizer.K'Yonnah Kyles is his much younger girlfriend who thought she had met her Knight in Shining Armor, but in reality she was dancing with the devil and sleeping with the enemy.Not being able to take it anymore, K'Yonnah decides to do what's best for her. In the process, she'll find out secrets that Stone has been keeping from her. She will have to come to grips and face the fact that Stone never had any good intentions for her or her heart. Will she be able to get out of his clutches or is it too late for her to save her life from the heartless nigga known as Stone.Love Don't Have to Hurt by Lucinda John Aimee's dreams of a professional dancer had to be placed on hold when her father died of cancer. Living paycheck to paycheck, Aimee works to help her mother pay off her debts, take care of her brother, and attend a few classes at a community college. When Aimee's best friend, Shanice presents her with the idea of dancing at a strip club for extra money, she meets Lucas. A punch, slap, and a few kicks is how Aimee can explain her abusive relationship with Lucas. The guy that is suppose to be her safe haven, is the one that is causing her the most pain; physically and emotionally. Aimee feels obligated to stay with Lucas because of how he changed her and her family's lives, but when things turn fatal, will Aimee learns that love is not suppose to hurt? Or will it be too late?Fatal Attraction: The Love I Once RememberedHave you ever been deeply in love? Enduring so much because you thought things would get better? Or because you felt your good days, outweighed your bad? Well here's a story about a young lady dealing

    Murder. Cupcakes.

Meet Stella Storm. Stella lives an ordinary life. She runs a popular small-town bakery called Witchy Delights. She has a quirky dog and a moody cat. And she loves nothing more than a gossip with her closest friends.

Oh, there's one thing you should know about Stella.

Stella is a witch.

When a local girl's murder rocks the town, Stella finally sees an opportunity to put her magical skills to the test, solving the case once and for all.

But what should be a simple whodunnit fast turns into a mystery way more mind-bending than Stella could ever have imagined, as she tries to adapt to her rusty magical skills while trying to keep the handsome local detective off her case, too.



Throw in a mysterious bad boy, an eccentric bunch of residents and a cat with attitude problems, and it soon becomes clear that Stella has a lot on her plate. And that's not including all the delicious donuts.

With time running out, will Stella catch the killer before it's too late?



Packed with biting wit, glorious magic, yummy sweet treats and even talking animals, Curses & Cupcakes is the fun first book in the Stella Storm Cozy Witch Mystery series from Amy Casey. So curl up with a cake and a pet by your side. Once you enter Witchy Delights, you're never going to want to leave. Just make sure you don't criticise Stella's coffee-making skills...