Short Stories

In "Strange Highways," a floundering alcoholic gets a mysterious second chance to relive the night his life began its downward spiral 20 years ago. But on this dark journey, he’ll be supremely tested by conflict with his successful, charismatic older brother, his loss of faith, and the clash between good and the ultimate evil. Sink into this binge-worthy collection of beloved Koontz short stories, featuring denizens of hell, vengeful children, and eerily human-like robots that will send shivers down your spine.

Horror movies hold a complicated space in the queer community: historically misogynist, and often homo- and transphobic, the genre has also been inadvertently feminist and open to subversive readings. It Came from the Closet features twenty-five original essays by writers speaking to this relationship, through connections both empowering and oppressive. From Carmen Maria Machado on Jennifer’s Body, Jude Ellison S. Doyle on In My Skin, Addie Tsai on Dead Ringers, and many more, these conversations convey the rich reciprocity between queerness and horror.

Being the wife of a cop isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when dead bodies keep ruining your romantic dinner plans. But fashion designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer is determined that her husband's latest case, dubbed the "Sex Shop Murder", will not keep him from celebrating their first anniversary together, which just happens to fall on the most romantic of all holidays, Valentine's Day. She's ready to do whatever it takes to make this night special and distraction-free.

I'm in trouble. My dad owes Dr. Ashworth a lot of money but he can not pay it back. When Dr. Ashworth meets me, he offers me the option to work off my fathers' dept. But what I must do is scary and humiliating. I have no choice but to submit to a very intimate exam and medical treatment trial to keep my father out of trouble. When the medication I was administered leaves me needy and unable to take care of it myself. Dr. Ashworth and 3 of his associates help me out. How many of them do I need to take on before I am finally satisfied?

With tales from Laird Barron, Stephen King, John Langan, Peter Straub, and many others, and featuring Datlow’s comprehensive overview of the year in horror, now, more than ever, The Best Horror of the Year provides the petrifying horror fiction readers have come to expect - and enjoy.

Do your children crave adventure and excitement just before bed? Do they want to go on wonderful, expansive journeys with all sorts of new animal friends? If so, then keep reading—this is the book for you! Children love bedtime stories. Bedtime stories are the perfect way to bring your children the great relaxation that they need before they go to bed, and they are the greatest ways to wrap up a well-rounded bedtime routine. This book is here to bring you 25 new stories that are designed to be exciting for children of all ages! They involve exploring the beaches, the reefs, the tide pools...

Charles Dickens is known for writing the greatest of all Christmas stories: A Christmas Carol. But few know that he wrote a number of other short stories for that holiday season. Here in one wonderful audio collection are six short stories about Christmas: "A Christmas Tree", "What Christmas Is as We Grow Older", "The Poor Relation's Story", "The Child's Story", "The Schoolboy's Story" and "Nobody's Story".

He’s a billionaire. I’m a bartender. I never would’ve guessed he’d be interested in someone like me. But when he leans across my bar and tells me to call him Daddy? Well, what boy can say no to that? Billionaire's Bartender Baby is a short, steamy, instalove romance featuring a bossy billionaire, a sassy bartender, and enough sweet begging to make even the coldest Daddy melt. HEA, no cheating, no cliffhanger.

Today is Ruth's first day of third grade at Dalton. The prestigious institution on New York's Upper East Side couldn't be more different from her old school in Harlem. Despite being the smartest girl in her grade, Ruth suspects that her classmates and teachers see only her dark skin. She also notices that Christina, the daughter of her mother's employer, treats Ruth very differently when they're hanging out with the popular girls rather than playing together. Ruth must navigate between two worlds.

Thirteen bibliomysteries by best-selling and award-winning authors are contained in this first of volume of a must-listen collection.

How to Write a Short Mystery Story: A Comprehensive Guide to Intrigue, Characters, and Clues reveals the secrets of compelling storytelling. This comprehensive guide shows aspiring writers how to create captivating short mysteries. Learn the fundamentals of the mystery genre, how to create an intriguing plot, and how to create complex characters. Learn how to plant clues and red herrings, keep the audience guessing, and deliver satisfying reveals. Explore the editing process to improve your narrative, develop your writing style, and successfully navigate the publishing process. Not only ...

Mouse is rarely seen without one of his beloved pet mice. He is never far from his mystery solving best friend, Rebekah, and now he has started his very own secret club.

Join him, Rebekah and three other classmates as they set out to have a little fun creating practical jokes and magic tricks while hopefully staying out of trouble in the process.

From the Civil War-era south, to 1950's New York, to the present day's gritty cities and seemingly innocuous suburbs, the 18 stories in this anthology edited by the award-winning mystery writer Harlan Coben chart the complications - always surprising, sometimes deadly - that arise between lovers, dear friends, and even complete strangers coming together for a single, shocking encounter.

Three billionaire night club owners with a tragic past find the women they can’t live without. Collection includes More Than Sexy, Twice as Sexy, and Better Than Sexy.

Ever since Alana Diaz adopted her cat Furrari, she has found herself in a feud with her infuriating neighbor, whom she knows only by the name on the passive aggressive notes he leaves on her door - R. Jones. Alana works hard all day, and the last thing she needs when she finally relaxes on her balcony with a glass of wine and her new furry roommate is her neighbor’s dog barking his head off.

From the collection Mary Russell's War, "Mary's Christmas" delivers the author's signature blend of narrative mastery and historical detail while shining light on previously unexplored corners of the Russell-Holmes universe. Laurie R. King blends her long-running brand of crime fiction with historical treats and narrative sleight of hand.

No one could ask for a better present than a collection of Connie Willis Christmas tales. These are amazing stories, representing all the best of the Connie Willis experience: true Christmas gifts to her many fans. They are full of humor, absurdity, human foibles, tragedy, joy, and hope. They both send up and embrace many of the best Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas newsletter, Secret Santas, office parties, holiday pageants, and Christmas dinners (both elaborate and spare).

After 25 years of marriage, Maddie was finally leaving her dead-beat husband. At 55 years old, could she start over? And how? Escaping to Florida, would Maddie find love among the country club set, or walk the white sand beaches alone?

In this sweeping, threaded narrative of the global phenomenon known as the Vampire Wars, mankind is unwittingly infected by a millennia-old bacteria unknowingly exhumed by a scientific expedition in Antarctica. Now, in some rare cases, a person’s so-called junk DNA becomes activated. Depending on their racial and ethnic heritage, they begin to manifest one of the many diverse forms of the "others" that are the true basis for the legends of supernatural creatures. These aren’t your usual vampires and werewolves - it goes much deeper than that.

He’s only had one love in his life: hockey. Then he met her. Winnie Hockey’s bad boy Jax Whalen is the last person I ever expected to find trespassing on my property. I’m not going to lie. His icy blue eyes, mischievous smile, and sculpted muscles have starred in my wildest fantasies more than once. But I learned long ago not to let my guard down. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my land… and my heart. Jax After my career is sidelined by an injury, I’ll do just about anything to get it back—even go on a wild goose chase to find a hot spring deep in the Rockies that’s...