Horror Genre

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Shiver during the long nights with these dark tales Featuring stories by Brett Thomas Abrahamsen, Mike Adamson, Christopher Bond, John M. Campbell, Arasibo Campeche, Brandon Case, Elizabeth Cobbe, Ryan Cole, Sarina Dorie, Monica Joyce Evans, P.G. Galalis, Kara L. Hartz, Brian Hugenbruch, Andrew Rucker Jones, Andrew Kozma, Steven P. Mathes, Jen Mierisch, Iseult Murphy, Ira Nayman, Tarver Nova, Frank J. Oreto, Anthony Regolino, and Lauren Reynolds

Word Count: Click here to reveal93000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Three vampires. Three lives. Three stories intertwined. Bearing the guilt of destroying the holiest of books after becoming a vampire, the Dragon, Lord Desmond searches the world for lost knowledge, but instead, discovers truth in love. Born a slave in Ancient Greece, Alexandra craves freedom above all else, until a vampire sets her free, and then, she must pay the highest price of all … her human soul. An assassin who lives in the shadows, Roquelaure is cloaked even from himself, until he discovers the power of friendship and loyalty. Three vampires, traveling the world by moonlight—one woman and two men who forge a bond made in love and blood. Together they form a band of mercenaries called the Scarlet Order, and recruit others who are like them. Their mission is to protect kings and emperors against marauders, invaders, and rogue vampires as the world descends into the chaos of the Dark Ages.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: When the current Marquis Delafée takes his family from France to escape the dangers of la Revolucion, he exposes them to an even greater threat. Nouvelle-Orléans is a different city from the one when the marquis was young, but some things never change. Hatred and the desire for revenge are still alive and festering. His son David’s resemblance to Etienne’s deceased eldest, Absinthe, is remarked upon by many but to one person it means more than a mere likeness. For twenty years, Madame Geneviéve has pined for Absinthe. In David, she sees a chance to bring back her lover. With the help of black magic, she won’t let a little obstacle like death stand in her way. David is young and naïve but he has more to lose than his innocence if Geneviéve succeeds.

Word Count: Click here to reveal120412 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Sarah's got daddy issues. He lives in her head, built her out of fish, and killed millions of people. But he's really sorry. Honest. A father that lives in your head wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't the killer of millions. At least it's comforting to know that he didn't murder the fishes used to create your body. Or the seagull. Sarah hides her illegal nanite origins in an effort to build an ordinary life, but the legacy of dad's horrors makes it difficult. Especially when new but familiar zombie-like abominations begin to appear in the city.

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Intenze is the newest designer drug. Take it, and nightmares come alive. “Edging” is a better rush than the Tower of Terror. It’s a fraction of the price of a Six Flags admission. And it’s the most addictive high that the tiny suburb of New London has ever known. For Rick Carlson, the junkies roaming the streets don’t even scratch the surface of what worries him. He’s trying to win back his cheating wife. He’s trying to protect his residents at Belmont Assistant Living from their own drug-addled grandchildren. And he’s trying to save his twin boy and girl from their mother’s murderous paranoia. But he can’t save them all. The fears of all those who edge summon the Thirst—a living miasma that thrives on terror. It is bringing a storm. And time is running out.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Some secrets refuse to stay hidden. Three years have passed since Donnie murdered the man who was brutalizing members of his community at a cruising spot known only as The Stop. He was never charged. Less than a handful of people knew what he'd done. Now, he has a new boyfriend, close friends, and is working his way toward college graduation. He is putting what happened behind him. His growing peace is shaken, however, when a package arrives containing a small ragdoll dressed like a Catholic priest. Someone knows his secret. Someone intent on punishing him as the law had not. As the body count rises, Donnie finds himself once again in a terrifying position. Will he kill or be killed?

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Most will run, but the brave will fight... A deadly virus is sweeping through America's cities, pitting the worst humanity has to offer against its best warriors and scientists in a race against extinction. The virus doesn't just kill--it transforms and creates monsters of men and women called Variants. New York firefighter Meg Pratt is among those trapped in New York City. Together with her fellow rescue workers and the scattered elements of America's front-line military fighters, Meg fights to survive and save civilians from the coming apocalypse. Across the city, Marine Corps washout Jed Welch is on his own path to survival, and it intersects with Meg and her ragtag group of survivors. If they are lucky, they will see the help they need emerge from within, just as everything around them is coming to an end. Author's note: This story is set in the Extinction Cycle universe of Nicholas Sansbury Smith.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62,900 (Click here to hide)

Summary: A werewolf and seven vampires are all that stand between the world and complete annihilation. When Kai Richter and Ori Bier met, sparks flew. Then a train blew up. Tracking an organism deadly to not only humans, but vampires and werewolves alike, brings Kai and Ori into the Vampire Guard. Decades later, they, along with Operative Team Jack Rabbit, come face to face with the horrors that same virus produces. Dead bodies are coming back to life, and rational people are becoming violent and brutal killers. A massacre is taking place nearly a mile under the Atlantic Ocean. Two teams of The Vampire Guard are in the thick of it, fighting to survive.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Praised by literary journals, news outlets, and leading fiction magazines, Nisi Shawl is celebrated as an author whose works are lyrical and philosophical, speculative and far-ranging; “…broad in ambition and deep in accomplishment” (The Seattle Times). Besides nearly three decades of creating fantasy and science fiction, fairy tales, and indigenous stories, Nisi has also been lauded as editor, journalist, reviewer, teacher, speaker, afrofuturist, and proponent and mentor of feminism, African-American fiction, and other pedagogical issues of diversity. Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to her work, the third in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover—or learn more of—the vibrant voice of Nisi Shawl, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich. Included within these pages are: • Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book • Author interview • Complete bibliography • Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University) • … and more! Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Nisi Shawl. Table of Contents includes: • Introduction by Eric J. Guignard • Nisi Shawl: A Biography • The Beads of Ku (fiction) • The Beads of Ku: A Commentary • Otherwise (fiction) • Otherwise: A Commentary • Just Between Us (fiction) • Just Between Us: A Commentary • At the Huts of Ajala (fiction) • At the Huts of Ajala: A Commentary • Street Worm (fiction) • Street Worm: A Commentary • Conversion Therapy (fiction) • Conversion Therapy: A Commentary • Why Nisi Shawl Matters by Michael Arnzen, PhD • In Conversation with Nisi Shawl • Written On The Water: An Essay by Nisi Shawl • A Bibliography of English Language Fiction for Nisi Shawl

Word Count: Click here to reveal42,203 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Katja has long spent her life buried in the pain and sorrow of her past, a vampire abandoned to her fate for over 300 years, she never expects to meet another who could help her reclaim her existence. Raven, a poet and fellow lost soul, could be the one to spur her on, but in order to have the future she has only begun to grasp, she must uncover the truth about her origins and the awful event which left her alone centuries before. If she cannot face her past and reclaim her strength, she will lose everything.

Word Count: Click here to reveal233,912 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Special Agent Kerri Elias joined the Boundary Guards to escape the haunting memories of her past, dedicating her life to battling the enigmatic Black-eyed Children—creatures that masquerade as innocent kids to snatch unsuspecting victims. But when her partner vanishes before her eyes, Kerri’s world shatters, thrusting her into a dark labyrinth of betrayal and deception, where not all of humanity’s enemies bear the Children’s deep obsidian gaze. As she navigates this perilous new reality, Kerri finds herself thrown together with a shaky crew: her boss, Hank Stillwell; the fierce deputy, Danielle Tauriac; the handsome yet secretive newcomer to the Guards, Aaron Vincent; and the scrappy Louisiana native Dr. Will Daigle, who suspects he may be in way over his head. With the threat of the Black-eyed Children looming ever closer, Kerri is unnerved by a chilling note left for her in the New Mexico desert. Is she the key to humanity's survival—or the next target? As alliances shift and secrets unravel, Kerri must confront the darkness within herself and the sinister forces that threaten to consume everything she holds dear.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: The war is over. Resources are scarce. The population is dwindling in the Forkstream Territories. Pinnacle Officer Wilcox has created FERTS amidst the chaos, a facility designed to protect the female population from raiding hordes. Beth 259201, a newly-demoted Epsilon Internee, suspects that there is something more that lurks beneath the carefully constructed order of the facility. She has a gift, one that could brand her a defective. A novice fighter, she must use her intellect to survive. Her own life, and the lives of many more may be at risk. Will she succumb to the plans in store for her or will she conceal her secret long enough to discover her own path? Website: https://www.gracehudson.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracehudsonauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracehudsonau Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gracehudsonau.bsky.social Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grace-hudson Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Grace-Hudson/author/B010TJ6XVG Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@GraceHudsonAU Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/GraceHudsonAU Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/gracehudson

Word Count: Click here to reveal92.939 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Two thousand years ago, a machine was forged by brilliant minds whose wisdom was outstripped by their thirst for power. Rather than being a mere mechanical calendar, the Antikythera Mechanism in reality harnessed a formidable and frightening power — one that could make or break the world. Men rose up and fought the Mechanism's owners, stopping them from using its psychic force for destruction. They destroyed the device, burying it — and themselves — in the depths of the Aegean sea. But the knowledge to rebuild it remained, and attracted power-hungry individuals who would stop at nothing to control it. When two archaeologists studying the Mechanism are killed, an unlikely team of heroes come to the horrifying realization that it's all starting again — an elderly minister, a student with prophetic dreams, an unassuming secretary and her best friend, a young and idealistic news reporter, and a skeptical university professor are drawn into a web of intrigue and danger. If the Mechanism is rebuilt, it will unleash an unimaginable cataclysm. Only they have the ability to stop it.

Word Count: Click here to reveal44,000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Drawn by promises of excitement and freedom, how could Callum resist Berlin? It's the end of 1932 and the Weimar capital is the heartbeat of the gay world, where a man like him can find companionship and love, even in the shadow of looming political disaster. Still, Callum feels unseen, until he discovers a place where the dead mix with the living, an organization devoted to studying the supernatural, and a man in each world that could capture his heart... or seal his fate. Haunted Hearts – Everyone deserves a happy ever afterlife! Haunted Hearts is an Own-Voices Paranormal Romance Series about love and the things that go boo in the night. Join us on our romantic journeys over ten books from some of your favorite authors! Be sure to read the entire series so you don’t miss a moment of falling in love, or sometimes falling into a happily ever after-life! Each book is a standalone but why not read them all? Everyone deserves the HEA!

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Coasters, carousels, an old cemetery, and a sprawling hotel on a stormy lakeside. Visit this haunted tour of scrapbook memories where legendary summers intersect with history and rumor. Told in vignettes that weave stories, newspaper clippings, postcards, and images, Ghastly Tales follows four families through the decades at a lakeside resort and amusement park where everyone eventually returns.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: This horror collection graphic novel contains the following stories: “And They Lived Long Enough to Bury Their Dead” is a dark fantasy comic zine about a group of Gen X goth/punk folks growing older and processing the deaths of loved ones. A paranormal urban fantasy, it centers around Billie, a nonbinary African-American alternative rocker from Oakland who develops the psychic ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Their nesting partner, Davis, a formerly homeless African-American transgender man, their twin brother Sean, a ghostcat, and the ghost of their mother are other central characters. In the story Billie, Davis, and their Gen X circle of friends are coming to terms with aging, the declining health (and loss) of their parents, and adjusting to a new post-pandemic world. It is an urban fantasy taking place in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area “Agrippa” is a dystopic near-future tale that takes place in an unnamed industrialized nation very much like the United States. When foreign creditors demand that the nation repay its considerable international debt or face war it enacts the Dulcetta Reforms, ultra-restrictive laws establishing debtor’s prison, and causing a large number of people – many of them seniors – to go to jail or even face execution if not continuously working to pay off their personal debts to the government. Dr. Tine, an expert in geriatric medicine, is desperately searching for employment at the beginning of our tale, having lost her useful functioning in society as the elders she once treated were rounded up and hauled off to the prison camps. Things were so bad she didn't think they could possibly get any worse. How very wrong she was. Dreamworlds: Beyond Somnalia - the author is plagued by a series of increasing demands from their fictional characters who come to take over the writer's life.

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Miss Mona is the sweet old lady who lives on the fourth floor. Or, at least, that's what all her neighbors think. But the true soul underneath the cardigan is much, much darker than anyone would ever suspect. Mona is hiding some very disturbing secrets in her home. After all, everyone has their little obsessions, don’t they? Includes the bonus short story “Spark."

Word Count: Information not available

Summary: After their daughter was bullied at school, Kyle and Alejandro decided to make a fresh start and move into a beautiful new cul-de-sac development. As they take up residence, the family enjoys seeing the community come to life. But when lights flicker, shadows lurk, and small objects disappear, they begin to doubt their sanity. When Alejandro and many of their neighbors are struck down by a strange sickness that defies explanation, the family starts to question their recent life change. Feeling trapped they speak with their new neighbors, learning they aren’t alone in the haunted neighborhood. Who do you turn to when the authorities can’t offer any assistance or protection? How do you fight against a sinister force that is older than time? Can Kyle, Alejandro and the rest of the occupants of Golden Hills Court survive or will this nightmarish ordeal destroy them?

Word Count: Click here to reveal7000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Emma and her Aunt Agathe share a family resemblance - they can both speak to ghosts. But Agathe, rejected by her family and constantly beset by heartache, has spent her whole life fleeing her unusual gift. Emma, however, embraces it. Grave Songs for the Dead is a cycle of three interconnected short stories, gothic with a touch of magic realism, set in the late 19th century.

Word Count: Click here to reveal135000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: “Aye, well, what is an angel, anyway?” At Samhain, things in Llwyncudd are taking a turn for the strange and bizarre. The red dragon is spotted around town trying to dig its own grave whilst his vessel is happily participating in life elsewhere. Did Stewart’s dragon spirit leave him? Michael, can’t live with the thought. Meanwhile, Dr Lilibeth Blackthorne, PsyD, has moved to town at her brother Sam’s suggestion. Many of its residents are in desperate need of her counselling services and she’s uniquely qualified—even if she’s never particularly seen multiple personalities quite like this. Fairy-halfling Arthen also joins the town after being raised in the local fairy village on the other side. Despite the odd cultural clashes of living in a society that requires silly things like clothing, he is making many new friends and is more special than his former masters would have him believe. Join our friends as they battle their demons from the darker side of the veil in Green Hills and Battlefields—the thrilling fifth book of the Green Hills Series by Celyn Kendrick!