TWELVE BLOODCURDLING SHORT STORIES!Includes:The Heart CollectorA waitress takes a shortcut home and experiences a night she'll never forget.The Boy in the FloorA retired marine discovers a disturbing secret about his new house.The Transformation of Tim MaltonAfter a harrowing encounter with an extraterrestrial being, a mild-mannered man awakens...

My buddy Bryan liked to collect dolls.Naturally, people made fun of him for it - that a man his age would have such a childish hobby.Bryan didn't care. He loved his doll collection and doted on them like they were his own children.Little did he know, his obsession would be his undoing...

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with a sizzling Angels of the Dark tale about a winged warrior renowned for his ruthlessness, and the woman who becomes his obsession...A tormented past has left Thane with an insatiable need for violence, making him the most dangerous assassin in the skies. He lives by a single code: no mercy. And as he unleashes his fury on his most recent captor, he learns no battle could have prepared him for the slave he...

A chilling short story prequel to Dean Koontz’s forthcoming full-length novel, INNOCENCE. Addison Goodheart is only eight years old, but he already knows he is not like other people.Addison Goodheart is a mystery even to himself. He was born in an isolated home surrounded by a deep forest, seeing no one but his mother, who barely accepts him. She is haunted by private demons and keeps many secrets – none of which she dreads more than the young son who adores her.Only in the...

"The Desecrator" is an original short story from the Draegaran Empire, by bestselling author Stephen Brust. This is a tale of the Hawklord Daymar, and of a particular Morganti blade. Vlad Taltos fans will enjoy new insight into Stephen Brust's fantasy series.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Pauline can’t believe it, she’s been invited to the biggest hide and seek game in the neighbourhood, the one all the cool kids play in! The pressure is on. As the new kid, Pauline counts to one hundred and starts the hunt. As evening turns to night, Pauline searches the nearby housing construction site but instead of finding any of the other kids, she finds a stray barrette and a broken yoyo. Where are the kids? How can she win the game? In the growing darkness, she wonders, are they the o...

The goverment doesn't usually hire vampires, but they're willing to make an exception for Hilde -- after all, they're already got pyromancer Cal on the payroll. What could go wrong?At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A startling late-night discovery in a cemetery teaches a young man that giving in to curiosity can come with deadly consequences.

In the mid-eighties, when I was but a disturbed young adult, I was wandering through my brain one day looking for a way to express myself in a shocking manner. You see I was kind of a messed up adolescent and had tried nearly everything to release my anger and hatred. Which was probably not far from happening. Thankfully I had an addiction far greater than any drugs I could take; I was addicted to horror. Stephen King, Clive Barker, Peter Straub; all had shrines in my room. They were my re...

A lovesick clown tries to explain his part in an unlikely love triangle, but is the tightrope walker of his dreams even listening? In a world where death-defying feats happen every night, the biggest dangers may be those caused by a broken heart. Equal parts slapstick and unrequited love, this story was selected by Richard Russo for inclusion in Best American Short Stories 2010.

First Age, Year 982: Drag Shergi has decided to go on vacation. He thought it would be a nice trip to a cheaper tourist spot in another country. Little did he know that it would turn out to be his most dangerous case yet. One would think a child would have no enemies. Sadly, age is no shelter against hatred. Drag has to keep the babe safe despite his failing body. The old man still has some tricks in him though. A stranger joins in and they flee the country in search of safety for the newb...

In the world of dreams, some would say that it’s nothing more than a collection of images or memories from their waking life. But what if they weren’t and somehow you entered another time or dimension in a parallel world? What would you do? Enter a world where the unreal is possible as you follow a dreamer through the various paths of fantasy, or terror. You will find yourself facing the strangest of encounters and challenging obstacles. You will be confronted by unruly and bizarre people,...