We employ. 1-800-555-0606 How lucky do you feel? So reads the business card from LIMBUS, INC., a shadowy employment agency that operates at the edge of the normal world. LIMBUS's employees are just as suspicious and ephemeral as the motives of the company, if indeed it could be called a company in the ordinary sense of the word. In this shared-world anthology, five heavy hitters from the dark worlds of horror, fantasy, and scifi pool their warped takes on the shadow organization that offers employment of the most unusual kind to those on the fringes of society. One thing's for sure - you'll never think the same way again about the fine print on your next employment application!

    His selection was vast, and all models were stamped MADE IN HEAVEN.Under the watchful glare of a giant eyeball in the sky, Ralph walks door to door selling dildos. He doesn't know why he sells dildos, but he does know that with each house, and each strange customer, he moves closer to solving the mystery of the eternal dildo curse.A nightmare comedy about destiny, faith, and sex toys, The Traveling Dildo Salesman is another classic from Kevin L. Donihe, the Wonderland Award-winning author of House of Houses and Night of the Assholes.This edition also features Donihe's most lurid and infamous short stories: Milky Agitation, Two-Way Santa, The Helen Mower, Living Room Zombies, and Revenge of the Living Masturbation Rag.

    This is a communal effort by the Pushcart Press staff, contributing editors, and hundreds of small presses. For this edition distinguished poets Julie Sheehan and Tom Sleigh served as poetry editors. The result is an introduction to a literary world that few readers have access to, where much of today's important new writing is published, far from the commercial influence of the conglomerates. In reviewing last year's edition, Donna Seaman of Booklist commented: "A brimming, vibrant anthology-the perfect introduction to new writers and adventurous new work by established writers . . . extraordinary in its range of voices and subjects. Here is literature to have and to hold." The Pushcart Prize has been chosen for the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement recognition by the National Book Critics Circle and the Writers for Writers award from Poets Writers / Barnes Noble.

    From dark fantasy and pure suspense to classic horror tales of vampires and zombies, 999 showcases the extraordinary scope of fantastical fright fiction. The stories in this anthology are a relentless tour de force of fear, which will haunt you, terrify you, and keep the adrenaline rushing all through the night.Amerikanski dead at the Moscow morgue / Kim Newman --The ruins of contracoeur / Joyce Carol Oates --The owl and the pussycat / Thomas M. Disch --The road virus heads north / Stephen King --Keepsakes and treasures: a love story / Neil Gaiman --Growing things / T.E.D. Klein --Good Friday / F. Paul Wilson --Excerpts from the records of the New Zodiac and the diaries of Henry Watson Fairfax / Chet Williamson --An exaltation of termagants / Eric Von Lustbader --Itinerary / Tim Powers --Catfish gal blues / Nancy A. Collins --The entertainment / Ramsey Campell --ICU / Edward Lee --The shadow, the darkness / Thomas Ligotti --Rio Grande Gothic / David Morrell --Des Saucisses, Sans doute / Peter Schneider --Angie / Ed Gorman --The ropy thing / Al Sarrantonio --The tree is my hat / Gene Wolfe --Styx and bones / Edward Bryant --Hemophage / Steven Spurill --The book of irrational numbers / Michael Marshall Smith --Mad dog summer / Joe R. Lansdale --The Theater / Bentley Little --Rehearsals / Thomas F. Monteleone --Darkness / Dennis L. McKiernan --Elsewhere / William Peter Blatty

    Elspeth, accidentally first on the scene, finds her interest piqued, and sets out to investigate the details surrounding the crime. In doing so she finds herself constantly battling against Peter Shaw, a police sergeant working on the case and under suspicion due to a terrible incident that occurred during a previous investigation. More murders follow, each of them adopting a similar pattern. What links the victims? And why are some of the local people trying to cover things up?"

    But is the paranormal investigator prepared to duel a full-fledged demon on a Hell-bent mission to create chaos and catastrophe throughout the earth, a fiend determined to wreak more death and destruction than his even more ominous Master?This is the first volume of a series of Gothic horror adventures where Jason Dark, a fearless and resourceful ghost hunter, sets out to solve a supernatural mystery. Doing so he follows in the mold of a Sherlock Holmes combined with elements of the occult and paranormal detective genre.Written by Guido Henkel, the designer who brought Germany's famed "Das Schwarze Auge" series to computer screens, this supernatural series is filled with enough mystery, drama, suspenseful action and Gothic dread to transport you to the sinister, fog-shrouded streets of Victorian England.Your encounter with the extraordinary awaits.

    The star attraction is the novella The Haunted Hotel, a clever combination of detective and ghost story set in Venice, a city of grim waterways, dark shadows and death. The action takes place in an ancient palazzo coverted into a modern hotel that houses a grisly secret. The supernatural horror, relentless pace, tight narrative, and a doomed countess characterise and distinguish this powerful tale.The other stories present equally disturbing scenarios, which includes ghosts, corpses that move, family curses and perhaps most unusual of all, the Devil's spectacles, which bring a clarity of vision that can lead to madness. Collins is one of the great storytellers. He excels in presenting narratives that both disturb and engross the reader, as this fine collection demonstrates.

    Criminals don’t have to abide by rules and laws that the State does as it pursues them. Meet Besseta, a being of legend that has roamed the land for over six centuries with her mind set on one thing: Vengeance in Blood for the innocent. While human traffickers, gang-bangers, and serial killers pursue their next victim, she hunts them down and ensures that they meet a violent end. But when her kills come to light, the FBI, and worse, a secret organization starts to connect the dots. When Besseta takes down a string of “Average Joe’s” who sponsored the production of child snuff porn, LA Detective Kenneth Terrell is brought in to find their killer. A master tracker and a protector of innocents in his own right, Kenneth is tasked to find the serial killer that no one really wants to stop. Will Besseta manage to stay one step ahead while dispensing her unique justice, or will the existence of legends: vampires, finally be exposed? Justice is for the State. Vengeance In Blood: is for the people.

    But in Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire, Jack is a vampire and Holmes' refusal to believe it could be his undoing as the two match wits in this delightfully original first novel.

    This is ten complete novels from some of today's most exciting authors.A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books from ten different vampire series by your favorite women authors.Book 1 – Blurb: A werewolf with an unusual power is forced to face the monsters of her past and the uncertainty of the future after a dangerous vampire awakens the darkness within her.ONCE BITTEN by bestselling author Trina M. Lee of the bestselling Alexa O'Brien Huntress series.Book 2 – Blurb: His precious touch could prove deadly…CRUSH by bestselling author Chrissy Peebles of more than ten novels including the popular series The Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series and The Ruby Ring Saga.Book 3 – Blurb: After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...RAVEN by bestselling author Suzy Turner. Suzy Turner of The Raven Saga trilogy and The Morgan Sisters series as well as a chick lit novel entitled Forever Fredless.Book 4 – Blurb: An unhappy vampire gets a second chance to be mortal in this dark, yet often humorous tale of creatures at war.VAMPIRES RULE by bestselling author K. C. Blake. She’s the author of two other exciting series which include Bait, Crushed, and Witch Hunt.Book 5 – Blurb: It lurks in the dead of night…BLUR by bestselling author Kristen MiddletonBook 6 – Blurb: Rayea is a daughter of Satan, and a vampire. But the good thing is…she’s on our side.THE VAMPIRE FROM HELL by bestselling author Ally Thomas. Her books have been on the Top 100 bestsellers list in Fantasy at Amazon since 2011.Book 7 – Blurb: Sixteen-year-old vampire Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast in her world, but fate and near death teaches her that who you are on the inside is more important that what you on the outside.VAMPIRE IN DENIAL by bestselling author Dale MayerBook 8 – Blurb: A reclusive hybrid vampire is forced to reacquaint herself with the human world in order to rid herself of an accidental slave problem.THIRST by bestselling author Claire Farrell, author of over a dozen speculative fiction novels.Book 9 – Blurb: Sarah reads her grandfather's journal in stunned disbelief. What was once her grandfather's responsibility has passed to her father and now to her. She has become the Warden. Her life will never be the same.THE VAMPIRE’S WARDEN by S.J. WrightBook 10 – Blurb: What if courage was your only option?COURAGE RUNS RED by bestselling author W.J. May

    Every other man, woman, and child on Earth has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood.By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn.How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?I am legend --Buried talents --The near departed --Prey --Witch war --Dance of the dead --Dress of white silk --Mad house --The funeral --From shadowed places --Person to person.

    Two magics. One world.There’s nowhere in America like the Big Easy. Just ask Jane Yellowrock, shapeshifting vampire killer, whose hunting grounds run the length and breadth of the Bayou.Just ask Joanne Walker, whose shamanic magic has drawn her to the heart of American Weird.But it’s not Joanne’s world, and it isn’t Jane’s either. In a New Orleans where Katrina never hit and supposedly-dead vampires stalk the streets, Jane and Jo have to find and defeat the magic that brought them there–or they just might find themselves…EASY PICKINGSfan fiction by the authors themselves!

    Along the way, it explains when these stories date from, how they arose, and what historical events—if any—underlie them, and the result is an endlessly fascinating exploration of the astonishing wealth of Scottish folklore.

    Edward McNally: Captain Wil has command of his own ship, the respect of his crew, and his wife is expecting their first child. But at sea, the winds always become calm just before the storm breaks.The Smell of Death by Tara West: Maggie's unusual powers bring new threats to her already troubled childhood.Safe by Emma Jameson: In Victorian London, a grave robber makes a nice living off the dead, until he opens the wrong crypt.Soulfully Sweet by Shéa MacLeod: As if helping the living isn’t enough of a pain in her divine hindquarters, Branwen (former goddess of love and beauty) is stuck helping the dead on All Hallow’s Eve.May I Go Play? by Heather Marie Adkins: Micah inherits a southern mansion where ancestors long dead relive their violent deaths. And now, they want company...Blehdward, the Vampire who Couldn't Sparkle by Pj Jones: Blehdward desperately wants to fit in with the cool vamps. If only he could learn how to sparkle.Franscesca by Alan Nayes: Break a promise to a feiticeira and you will live to regret it.Soul Eaters by R.G. Porter: Kaitlyn never believed in the existence of other worlds. Now she's in the middle of one where humans aren't the hunters but the hunted.The Eclective is a group of authors dedicated to the premise that The Story is The Thing, and classifications of genre are mostly a matter for bookshelves. While the following stories share a "Haunting" theme, they might variously be filed as Horror, Paranormal, Fantasy, YA, etc., or anything else. Our idea is that the story itself is more important than whatever label somebody feels like giving it, and by bringing our work together in collections like this one, we hope readers may find a story they might like. Even if it is not in "their" genre.

    A resourceful samurai and a faithful daughter. A spirit of the moon and a dragon king.This collection of 15 traditional Japanese folktales transports readers to a time of adventure and enchantment. Drawn from the works of folklorists Lafcadio Hearn and Yei Theodora Ozaki, these tales are by turns terrifying, exhilarating, and poetic.• Striking illustrations by contemporary Japanese artist Kotaro Chiba• Special gift edition features an embossed, textured case with metallic gold ink, and a satin ribbon page marker• Part of the popular Tales series, featuring Nordic Tales, Celtic Tales, Tales of India, and Tales of East AfricaFans of Ghostly Tales, and Japanese Notebooks will love this book.This book is ideal for:• Fans of fairytales, folklore, ghost stories, Greek mythology, roman mythology, Chinese mythology, and Celtic mythology• Anyone interested in Japan's history books and culture studies• People of Japanese heritage• Collectors of illustrated classics