Read four more stories of judicial horror from the award-winning author of Cryptic, Erik Dean.

DUMMYRobert Holman failed to heed the warnings and an innocent night out turns into a nightmare. What punishment is fitting for this Dummy? He realizes too late that being sorry is not enough, and that there's no hiding from the vengeful hand of fate.EARLY RELEASEAn amendment to the US Constitution allows for grieving families to apply for Early Release for the prisoners who murdered their loved ones. The prisoner is set loose and the family has twenty-four hours to exact their revenge. If they don't kill the prisoner within 24 hours, they're awarded their freedom.Kelvin Heyer, a bank robber, is the lucky winner this time. Will he outrun his victim’s vengeful family long enough with a little help from a Friend?PUBLIC POOLBest friends and business partners Carlos and Luis are thrilled when their swimming pool design company wins the lucrative bid to build new public pools in Phoenix, Arizona. Their delight is spoiled by a business rival and Carlos’s growing—and mutual—attraction to Maria, Luis’s wife. Lust, passion, and greed quickly build up to murder and betrayal.BROKEN JUSTICEIn the future, trials take place in small pods instead of courtrooms and most cars are driverless. Holly Barlow is one of the few people who still prefer to drive her own car, but she is caught speeding and must pay a fine. She quickly learns that the court pods do more than simply accept payments for fines—they can also vaporize lawbreakers, carrying out executions instantly... and automated systems are known to break down from time to time. From courtrooms of the present and into the future, you'll enjoy these ironic and horrific tales with a twist.

2019 Readers' Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Anthology genre
 
W-O-M-A-N
Five letters, each one leads to the steps of another woman. Stories from places where women must follow bloody traditions, struggling to get educated and dreaming of a normal life, but also places where their happiness is vulnerable, like an illusion ready to shatter in an instant.
Five letters that explore their constant fighting against injustice, pain, and suffering, but, most of all, their unstoppable thirst for hope, love, and ... rights.
Five letters, otherwise so different from each other, but as they're standing side by side, they're forming the word that reflects the same strength.

Stories included:

W
In the most crucial moment of her life, a Somali woman comes face-to-face with the ghosts of her childhood.

O
In a remote town in Cameroon a girl discovers the standards of a woman's world in the most brutal way.

M
A young American woman strives to make the right call that will help her to survive the memories of a nightmarish night.

A
She has the perfect life. She lives in magical Greece with a husband she loves and two amazing kids. She couldn't ask for anything else. But one morning she realizes that her relationship isn't as she thought. And the undefined emptiness that had nestled inside her for years is now leading her to find out the truth about her feelings and her life.

N
A woman in Thailand puts herself in a deadly situation in order to save the person she loves more than anything.
***Mature Content***

Kirkus Reviews—Best Books of 2018. Reader's Favorite—5 Stars. “A sometimes-luminous, sometimes-mordant collection that undercuts its nostalgia with complex ironies.” — Kirkus ReviewsDuck and Cover is a collection of short stories about growing up in the Sixties.The kids of Milford live in the greatest age ever. They have hula hoops and Stingray bikes, Willie Mays and Betty Crocker, Atlas rockets and new-model Fords, Disneyland, the Beatles, and free love. Life is fabulous! But if you look closer, you see they are shadowed by dangers—the dark undercurrents of a changing world. Commies and nukes, suspicious neighbors and predatory adults, the Mob and the Draft.How will the kids of Milford navigate the ecstasies and furies of their era while coping with the universal mysteries of growing up?“Elliott writes with a supple, naturalistic style that’s also psychologically rich,” states Kirkus Reviews. “ . . . . The result is a vivid evocation of postwar America that’s both halcyon and haunted.”If you like the humor of Jean Shepherd (“A Christmas Story”) and the irony and human complexities in Alice Munro, you will love Duck and Cover.

Clay Finnes is the sheriff of a small town in Georgia called Bulwark. Recently separated from his wife, all he can think about is what went wrong, and will Jenna ever come back to him. He's troubled by a bothersome reporter trying to build a story from what he thinks is a normal day in his life. Clay has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER in Fiction Anthology - Reader's Favorite Book Awards 2019
One of Book Authority's "52 Best New Horror Books to Read in 2019"-
A man obsessed with his own death, a sleep-deprived husband, a violently jealous teenager, and a businesswoman on a lethal trip to Europe are just a few of the characters inhabiting Billy Hanson's dark vision of the world. Here, danger lurks within every stranger, co-worker, close friend, family member...and even within your own mind. Because when Spider Season comes around, fear is everywhere.-This chilling collection explores the shadowy corners of the human psyche where delusion, rage, and paranoia can thrive. Grim fantasy and nightmarish realities collide, monsters and men are one in the same, and daily life can become bloody horror. Spider Season is the debut collection of dark stories by Billy Hanson, stunningly illustrated by Karl Slominski. Both haunting and mesmerizing, these stories are sure to leave you wide-eyed and gasping for breath.

This book was a Reader's Favorite award-winning finalist for 2018. In this 2nd edition, there are seven thought-provoking stories written in a style similar to the 'Black Mirror' genre, full of twists and designed to make you think differently. Some are futuristic thrillers and some defy labelling, but a common theme of time runs throughout.
Each story showcases an expression of humanity against the weird science which tests it. All could be novels in their own right, but each has been shrunk to its core tale to provide a more exciting read. And, designed to keep you thinking about them long after you have put the book down.

TIMELESS:
A man's life story recounted during his final timeless moment, one of the many that befall him causing the world around him to come to a standstill. All these timeless moments seem to be inextricably linked in his life and anchored to one seminal event.

CLOCKS SLAY TIME:
A bizarre corruption in his consciousness leaves a man experiencing his life in a non-sequential jumbled order. He manages to get by living only in the moment. Until he encounters a particular girl who by just being in her company, allows him to make sense of his confused existence. This is a love story set against a background of distorted time. The non-sequential order of the chapter numbers reflects this, although this story can also be re-read by following the 11 chapters in sequential number order. It then becomes a completely different story; it is a matter of perspective.

EPSILON:
An exorcist encounters a man of whom it is unclear whether he is possessed or suffering from some kind of psychosis. This is a modern horror story which shows how distorted reality can be just as frightening as the depths of hell.

HELLO FRIEND:
When the world's leading social network rolls out an artificially intelligent App aimed at engaging the lonelier and more socially challenged people in society, strange results enfold. Is it just a clever program or has the artificially intelligent computer program become sentient and is now directing events in user's lives?


HOLD THE BRIDGE:
A female officer and a crewman are unexpectedly awakened from deep stasis, two and a half years early on a long distance space voyage. Events induce a sense of paranoia when it becomes evident that they are not alone and an alien entity might be onboard and impersonating both of them. As the senior officer, it is imperative that she secures and holds the Command Bridge of the vessel against all odds.

THE FALL AND RISE OF THE EL:
The EL is an advanced race of timeless spiritual light beings that think and act collectively and have been assigned a protective role over a particular solar system. However, divisions in their unity and purpose arise after they opt to manipulate the genetics of one particular species in order to turn them into a helper race of infertile automatons to which they can delegate much of their menial tasks.

THE FUTURE OF DEATH:
An android assistant provided with artificial intelligence and an identity repays it creator by assisting in her suicide and giving her life after death.

17 magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will warm even the coldest hearts. Inspired by old favorites as well as lesser-known tales, find retellings of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Old Rinkrank, King Thrushbeard, The Princess and the Pea, and many more - all with fresh, romantic twists. *Volume 2 in the Once Upon Anthologies Series.

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis
On the way to her wedding, brave and clever Princess Sabine falls into a Glass Mountain, where she is trapped with a crotchety man she calls “Old Rinkrank.” The two form a unique, unlikely friendship while working to escape.

THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards
When two struggling business owners compete for the contract of a lifetime, it’s all bakers on deck. Mix in a dollop of rivalry, a tablespoon of romance, and a pinch of magic, and you’ve got the recipe for one heck of a bake-off. May the best decorator win!

GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley
A young woman in ancient Greece is tasked with carving a new statue for Aphrodite's temple. But what happens when she falls in love with her art?

RED– Sarra Cannon
Charlotte is searching for a cure to save her sister, but what she finds in the woods is not at all what she expects...

PRINCESS CHARMING – Yasmine Galenorn
Sometimes, the road to Happily Ever After leads a girl right past Prince Charming... into the arms of his sister.

MAD ABOUT YOU – Jennifer Blackstream
Alice doesn't want to marry the Mad Hatter. Will an unexpected trip to Wonderland change her mind?

THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER—Anthea Sharp
A mermaid gives up everything to be with the mortal man she loves – but can there be a happy ending when the Sea Witch intervenes?

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE – Julia Crane
Juliet enters the afterlife and discovers the truth behind her relationship with Romeo and Paris - and that their greatest challenge is yet to come.

SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Aisling, a young Faelorehn artist, finds herself falling for the son of one of the famed Tuatha De Danann. The only problem is, she’s unaware of his true identity, and her selfish uncle will do anything to keep her from realizing her dreams.

THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW – Mandy M. Roth
Sometimes, a prince isn’t as charming as history would like you to believe. And sometimes, a princess needs an alpha male shifter to find her happily ever after.

RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar
An imp finds herself in a fairytale world without her infernal powers facing an impossible task. Will Sam barter away her firstborn? Will her angelic main-squeeze save her? Or will she come up with a devilish solution of her own?

THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy
Star’s refusal of suitors lined up for her hand has her family in knots, but when the city is bombed and overthrown, she loses everything. After she’s rescued by a handsome stranger named Clyde, she sneaks away to save her parents but finds herself trapped in the new president’s clutches.

RUSH - C. Gockel
Misogyny is a beast.
When the incarnation of Creation gets angry at Rush for innocently stating his opinion, she curses him to find true love in two weeks … or else.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM – Phaedra Weldon
Her first love has been placed under a spell. But will her kiss wake him… or kill him?

THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki Jefford
Isabel Ivers’s stepfather will do anything to secure his place as Far North’s new ruler, even if it means marrying her off to the depraved prince of the lowlands.

CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle Madison
Despite fighting in countless battles to bring peace to warring kingdoms, Pynnelope, a warrior maiden made of wood, knows no fear. Becoming human is all she desires until she discovers she can have so much more.

A SMALL MAGIC - Devon Monk
A cursed princess, a talking pea, and a wish that changes everything.

 
And now you want book info? As though that title and image alone can't tell you right away whether this is the book for you? Like you can't already tell whether you NEED to read this one, or seek more appropriate fair? Maybe you need something more normal. Something a little less...out there. And that's fine. There are lots of great books out there like cozy mysteries you might listen to over audio while darning socks. Maybe you'd like a bodice ripped or a heart pounded. You can find those.
 
But this?
 
This is Dolph the Unicorn Killer. And this is Martin Lastrapes. This is the acclaimed and award-winning author who brought you the utterly terrifying Inside the Outside and the utterly terrific The Vampire and the Hunter Trilogy.
 
This is vampires, serial killers, unicorns, and more, all of them intersecting within that alluring stretch of the American Southwest known as Las Vegas. This is a collection of short stories that shifts seamlessly from horror and comedy to fantasy and literary fiction, weaving together an eclectic tapestry of characters who are bonded by themes of loneliness, revenge, friendship, and sex.
 
This is the most badass, gloriously vulgar, gut-punching, giddy-inducing collection of short stories you'll ever encounter.

How's that for book info?

What is a single life worth? In our modern world, where wars are on the cusp of igniting at a moment’s notice, new diseases ravage entire populations, and hidden atrocities erase the lives of thousands, what can the death of a single person mean?

It can mean the tenuous line between peace and destruction.

Kurt Ramis knows this, as he watches the aftermath of an assassination on his television set. His years in the CIA have prepared him for such a dreadful day.

“Rasul” knows this, as he follows his young guide down the streets of New York City, with a gift for his adopted country.

The soldiers and sentries of Camelot’s Corridor, deep under the sands of Texas know this, as they prepare the secret bunker for the President’s arrival.

Mike Keogh knows this, as he remembers fallen friends, betrayals, and mention of a secretive monster named the Tangerine Demon.

Jessie Rosen will know it soon enough, as she descends the steps to Kubrá, to meet her deliverer. Her new family descends those steps as well, calling for their Lord to hear their prayers.

Phil Barr begrudgingly knows this, as he cowers in his palatial Hollywood Hills mansion, murderers and thugs auditioning on live TV, sirens ringing in his ears. This wasn’t how his charmed life was supposed to turn out.

And DaRWIn knows this best of all, as it predicted the assassination, and the calamitous after-effects some time ago.

On a certain day, on a certain street in the Middle East, the taking of a single life will mean everything, and it will shake the foundation of humanity. It will be the pulling of a loose strand in mankind’s tapestry, undoing the progress of a thousand years, ripping apart at the seams countless lives, countless societies.

Intertwining lives and stories, some saved and some ended, some Going, some Gone…

James Hanna is a prolific writer whose stories have appeared in over a dozen literary journals. Drawing from his experiences as an adventurer in Australia, a counselor in an Indiana prison, and a San Francisco probation officer, James offers a variety of themes and genres in these nineteen aberrant tales. His stories range from a bizarre experiment ("Fruits") to a manhunt in the dead of winter ("The Break"). From a flasher in search of the perfect pose ("Exposed") to a diseased schizophrenic mind ("Hunting Bear").
Darkness abounds in James' cryptic stories. And reading becomes dangerous again.
A Second, Less Capable Head, The Guest, Exposed,
The Stalker, Fruits, The Outback, The Sicilian, Breaking
Vials, Honey Bunny, Jimmy Likes Mermaids, The Dress,
Hunting Bear, Cheating the Jail Out of Time, The Break,
The World Baseball League, The Wall, Hunter's Moon,
Another Will Take Your Place, The Body in the Bay.