Fetal Bait Apocalypse contain all three of Joel Arnold’s short story collections in one volume: • Bait and Other Stories • Bedtime Stories for the Apocalypse • Fetal Position and Other Stories This one volume holds over 120,000 words of fiction that will haunt and terrify you for days on end. Contains the award winning stories “Some Things Don’t Wash Off” and “Mississippi Pearl” as well as stories that have seen print in such venues as Weird Tales, Gothic.Net, ChiZine, HorrorFind and Pseudopod. Six of these stories have received honorable mentions in The Years Best Fantasy & Horror. In these three collections, you’ll meet: A father whose intense longing for his dead son lead to disturbing consequences. A group of college students tubing down a river through a burnt forest who encounter terrifying creatures. A man seeking redemption for a sinful past through the skill of a tattoo artist. A Cambodian-American teen who will fit in with the locals at any cost. A woman who finds a bizarre solace in a rare pearl. A self-absorbed husband monitoring the end of his existence over the internet. A teenager digging his way through a deep crust of waste and bone to win his freedom. A man whose work for the Khmer Rouge returns to haunt him. A son who has an intensely strange relationship with his mother. A student with a bizarre homework assignment. A woman who has a macabre way to deal with bill collectors. These stories and more will have you up late into the night, glancing over your shoulder and flinching at the slightest of noises. “Joel Arnold is the real deal. He elicits a subtle element of terror and justice through his writing, delivered without a heavy hand. His exceptional imagery effects readers in a way that leaves them chilled and disturbed; causing the kind of behavior that will leave friends asking ‘what’s bothering you,’ for days afterwards.” D.L. Russell, editor of Strange, Weird & Wonderful Magazine “Author Arnold has a deft touch with horror that will leave a chill in your spine, but without the violence and gore of much modern horror. The stories remind me of Ray Bradbury at his darkest with their ability to play on the difference between what we know might happen and what we want to happen. These are complex tales with layers below the surface enjoyment of a story well written.” Armchair Interviews

The Horror Writers Association Presents BLOOD LITE ...a collection of entertaining tales that puts the fun back into dark fiction, with ironic twists and tongue-in-cheek wit to temper the jagged edge. Charlaine Harris reveals the dark side of going green, when a quartet of die-hard environmentalists hosts a fundraiser with a gory twist in "An Evening with Al Gore"...In an all-new Dresden Files story from Jim Butcher, when it comes to tracking deadly paranormal doings, there's no such thing as a "Day Off" for the Chicago P.D.'s wizard detective, Harry Dresden...Sherrilyn Kenyon turns a cubicle-dwelling MBA with no life into a demon-fighting seraph with one hell of an afterlife in "Where Angels Fear to Tread"...Celebrity necromancer Jaime Vegas is headlining a sold-out séance tour, but behind the scenes, a disgruntled ghost has a bone to pick, in Kelley Armstrong's "The Ungrateful Dead." Plus tales guaranteed to get under your skin — in a good way — from Janet Berliner Don D'Ammassa Nancy Holder Nancy Kilpatrick J. A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson Joe R. Lansdale Will LudwigsenSharyn McCrumb Mark Onspaugh Mike Resnick Steven SavileD. L. Snell Eric James Stone Jeff Strand Lucien Soulban Matt Venne Christopher Welch So let the blood flow and laughter reign — because when it comes to facing our deepest, darkest fears, a little humor goes a long way!

Born into a long line of distinguished lepidopterists, scientists who study moths and butterflies, Ginny and Vivien grew up in a sprawling Victorian home. Forty-seven years later, Ginny lives there alone, tending to her moths and obsessions amid the ghosts of her past. But when her sister Vivien returns to the crumbling family mansion, dark, unspoken secrets rise, disrupting Ginny's ordered life and threatening the family's fragile peace. Told in Ginny's unforgettable voice, this debut novel tells a disquieting story of two sisters and the ties that bind-sometimes a little too tightly.

Features five diverse tales of the living dead from zombie fiction master Eric S. Brown! SEASON OF ROT: Safe from the walking dead that rule the streets, a band of survivors holes up in a hospital. When their supplies run low, they must either migrate or trust a stranger who promises them salvation—except the stranger isn’t who he seems to be, and neither are the dead. THE QUEEN: To escape a plague that has turned most of mankind into ravenous cannibals, a crew of survivors takes refuge at sea. But supplies only last so long, and the crew must face their enemies on land in order to keep themselves alive and afloat. THE WAVE: When a wave of mysterious energy from outer space washes over the earth, electronic devices fail worldwide and communications break down. Worse still, the energy alters human brain waves and turns billions of people into bloodthirsty animals. Only a small pocket of humanity is immune, but their only chance of survival may also be their grave. DEAD WEST: The Civil War is over. The Confederacy is gone. But in the West, a new threat is rising. Accompanied by a regiment of inexperienced soldiers, a journalist ventures into the frontlines of a war against the walking dead, and the truth he finds there is far more frightening than any living corpse. RATS: Rats are everywhere and can get into anything. And now they are swarming mankind. Those bit rise again as undead pawns in the rodents’ onslaught, and no place is safe—no place except one. The problem is getting there before the rats’ next attack.

What if in a world where the dead walk and the human race faces extinction evolution were to step in and bless a special few with powers far beyond normal man. Could someone who can run as fast as the speed of light or someone who can control energy and channel it through her body truly make a difference at the end of time? Does telepathy work on zombies? Would these powerful few seek to save the world or rule it and how would we normal humans feel about them? Will these super-beings be wiped out by the zombie hordes or save the human race? Plus tales of zombies in space, zombies in the old west, and some very hungry zombie animals- this one has it all.

Małe miasteczko na północy Stanów Zjednoczonych staje się miejscem wygnania gwiezdnego przestępcy. Intruz ma tylko jedno pragnienie — wrócić. Wykorzystuje do tego celu ludzi i zwierzęta, opanowując ich mózgi. Śmierć ofiary jest dla niego jedyną szansą zdobycia następnej. Serią podejrzanych, pozornie ze sobą nie powiązanych samobójstw, zaczyna się interesować wybitny naukowiec spędzający w miasteczku urlop. Nie wie, jak straszliwą walkę przyjdzie mu stoczyć, by ocalić Ziemię przed agresją Obcych.

He was incapable of love or mercy.. or hate. And he certainly never felt the lack. He was almost pure thought. He was just doing what he had to do—looking for the right body to play host to him. Once he found it and moved in, he would execute one of the most incredible plans ever conceived. He would be hailed as a hero on his own planet and Earth would never know what hit it!

Karyn and her husband Roy had come to the peaceful California village of Drago to escape the savagery of the city. On the surface Drago appeared to be like most small rural towns. But it was not. The village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths. People just vanished, never to be found.

For Karyn it was the howling. The howling that had heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia and should have ended forever with the fire. But it hadn’t. Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly… And thirsty for the most horrifying vengeance imaginable…

They are man. And they are beast. Once again they stalk the night, eyes aflame, teeth flashing in vengeance. Malcolm is the young one. He must choose between the familiar way of the human and the seductive howling of the wolf. Those who share his blood want to make him one of them. Those who fear him want him dead. Only one woman and one man want to help him. Even though they can't believe their ears. Or their eyes.

Taylor and Carl Mitchell are brothers who have taken wildly divergent paths in life. But when a mysterious virus transforms most of the Earth’s population into bloodthirsty lunatics, they must learn to trust each other and work together in a dangerous new world where the slightest misstep could lead to the ultimate consequence. The brothers must face their innermost fears and confront loss as they try to survive the long journey home. But will anyone be there waiting for them? Sometimes there isn’t a happy ending.

Lust and horror, two of the strongest feelings humans can experience, are combined in this anthology from Blood Bound Books. 21 short stories of pleasure and pain, divided by nothing more than a thin gray line. And the only thing more terrifying than the taboo kinks themselves, is the fact that maybe you can actually relate. Perhaps you’ll see a bit of yourself within these pages. What’s your pleasure, and how far would you go to achieve your steamy scream? “Many of the stories here are well-written and explore just about any major kink you could think of. I consider myself a fairly progressive fellow but at times I found myself raising a brow at what I had encountered. Make no mistake: that’s very much a compliment. If you’re into erotic horror or enjoy literature that pushes boundaries, you should add Steamy Screams to your personal library.” —Matthew Politi of HorrorNews

Titel der amerikanischen Originalausgabe BLACK EASTER

Jenna Black has been establishing Morgan Kingsley as one of the premier female characters in the paranormal fantasy genre: a kick-ass exorcist who frees others of their demonic possessions while struggling — and embracing — her own. Black continues Morgan's dark, sexy adventures in the fourth book in the series, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. Hosting the king of the demons is hard enough without becoming the target of a mysterious enemy with a deadly grudge. To make things worse, Morgan must also defend herself against a lawsuit that won't die and a private investigator determined to unearth her every secret. With anonymous death threats piling up and her enemy closing in, Morgan stands to lose everything she holds dear: her reputation, her boyfriend, her freedom — and maybe even her life.

Exorcism isn't a job, it's a calling — and a curse. Just ask Morgan Kingsley, a woman who has a stronger aura than any demon. Or so she thought. Now, in a pair of black leather pants and a kick-ass tattoo, Morgan is heading back to Philadelphia after a nasty little exorcism — and her life is about to be turned upside down…by the demon that's gotten inside her. Not just any demon. Six feet five inches of dark, delicious temptation, this one is to die for — that is, if he doesn't get Morgan killed first. Because while some humans vilify demons and others idolize them, Morgan's demon is leading a war of succession no human has ever imagined. For a woman trying to live a life, and hold on to the almost-perfect man, being possessed by a gorgeous rebel demon will mean a wild ride of uninhibited thrills, shocking surprises, and pure, unadulterated terror…

Things aren't going well for exorcist Morgan Kingsley. She's been betrayed by the boyfriend of her dreams, her brother has been repossessed, and she's unable to escape from the hunky demon who shares her body. All Morgan wants is to curl up and avoid reality for a while. But she can't. A woman named Claudia Brewster seeks her services. During the brief time that Claudia had been on a cruise, her son, Tommy, changed from an invective-spewing member of the anti-demon society God's Wrath to a happy little demon host. Claudia smells a rat — as does Morgan — but all the paperwork looks legal. That is, until Morgan begins digging up the secrets of Tommy's past and finds herself deep in another deadly conspiracy…

Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations

Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.

No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or

Other Entertainment

For Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, there have been worse assignments than going undercover on the set of an adult film. Dodging flaming monkey poo, for instance. Or going leaf-to-leaf with a walking plant monster. Still, there's something more troubling than usual about his newest case. The film's producer believes he's the target of a sinister entropy curse-but it's the women around him who are dying, in increasingly spectacular ways.

Harry's doubly frustrated because he got involved with this bizarre mystery only as a favor to Thomas, his flirtatious, self-absorbed vampire acquaintance of dubious integrity. Thomas has a personal stake in the case Harry can't quite figure out, until his investigation leads him straight to Thomas's oversexed vampire family. Harry's about to discover that Thomas's family tree has been hiding a shocking secret: a revelation that will change Harry's life forever.

[version history and scanner's info] Version 1.0-scanned, OCR'd and spell-checked from first edition (ISBN 0-399-15106-0). Version 2.0 -September 21, 2003-proofread and corrected by The_Ghiti from first printing (release date: August 15, 2003). A number of obvious errors in the original were corrected, as I regard bookz as new editions, not mere "reproductions." If you find errors, please fix, increment version number by 0.1 and re-post, but please refrain from changing the series numbering. Version 2.1-September 23, 2003 converted to html and reproofed by Highroller.

Business has been slow for professional wizard Harry Dresden, who hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work, magical or mundane. But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

Chicago wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden confronts his latest and most dangerous challenge in the person of a ghost of an evil wizard who possesses the power to invade people's nightmares and uses other ghosts to wreak havoc on the living.

From four of today's hottest fantasy authors — all-new novellas of dark nights, cruel cities, and paranormal P.I.s. The best paranormal private investigators have been brought together in a single volume — and cases don't come any harder than this. New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher delivers a hard-boiled tale in which Harry Dresden's latest case may be his last. Nightside dweller John Taylor is hired by a woman to find something she lost — her memory — in a thrilling noir tale from New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green. National bestselling author Kat Richardson's Greywalker finds herself in too deep when a 'simple job' goes bad and Harper Blaine is enmeshed in a tangle of dark secrets and revenge from beyond the grave. For centuries, the being that we know as Noah lived among us. Now he is dead, and fallen-angel-turned-detective Remy Chandler has been hired to find out who killed him in a whodunit by national bestselling author Thomas E. Sniegoski.

Harry Dresden has spent years being watched and suspected by the White Council's Wardens. But now he is a Warden, and it sucks more than he thought... So when movie monsters start coming to life on his watch, it's officially up to him to put them back where they came from. Only this time, his client is the White Council, and his investigation cannot fail -- no matter who falls under suspicion, no matter the cost.

Readers meet Harry Dresden, Wizard for Hire. He finds lost items, conducts paranormal investigations, does consulting work, gives advice and charges reasonable rates. This is the first book in the Dresden Chronicles, with two more to come.

Private detective/wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden is suckered into tangling in the affairs of Faerie, where the fate of the entire world-and his soul-are at stake.

Book 11 of the Dresden Files. The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council--and there's only one, final punishment for that crime. He's on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden. Now, Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less-than-agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head--someone like Harry. Released in hardcover from Roc publishing, April 2009.

Book Nine of the Dresden Files Someone is targeting the city's magic practitioners, the members of the supernatural underclass who don't possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Many have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But the murderer has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes--a message for Harry Dresden, referencing the book of Exodus and the killing of witches. Harry sets out to find the killer before he can strike again, but his investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot possibly believe guilty: his half brother, Thomas. Determined to bring the real murderer to justice and clear his brother's name, Harry attracts the attention of the White Court of vampires, becoming embroiled in a power struggle that renders him outnumbered, outclassed, and dangerously susceptible to temptation. Harry knows that if he screws this one up, a lot of people will die--and one of them will be his brother.

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead — keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him.