Urban Short Stories

A Charlie Madigan short story - from the series praised for "intricate world-building and richly complex characters" ( Publishers Weekly) - as it first appeared in the Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology.

A magical Christmas tale with supernatural paramedic Dean Flynn. Bryce, a Christmas elf, fell from his shelf. His leg is broken and he can’t give his report to Santa in time for Christmas Eve. Lucky for him, Extreme Medical Services paramedic to the supernatural Dean Flynn is on the job. With a few of his friends along for the ride, Dean responds to the call for help. Will he help Bryce in time to meet the “Big Guy” and his sleigh? Find out in this heart-warming Christmas tale. Pick up this urban fantasy holiday short story now!

Saving the world - by repossessing earth-shattering magical artifacts! In a modern world where magic coexists with technology, Finley Viggio Agard is among the best government agents in the Arcanum Repository. He is assigned to retrieve powerful magical artifacts and prevent their misuse. And save the world in the process.

A human, a vampire, and a werewolf walk into a bar. Sexy is what happens next. Aneesa has an amazing sex life with her vampire boyfriend, Ace. He’s got skill, strength, stamina, and is incredibly adventurous. As a result, Aneesa is checking things off her sexual bucket list at a rate of knots. However, one item on that list remains out of reach...or does it?

"Bath Water" is a salacious short story that delves into the past of its main character, Nanaya, as she reminisces about a time when she was exceptionally beautiful in her youth.

Men were so enamored with her that they would make extravagant offers, including drinking her bathwater, as a testament to her allure. Nanaya's recollections of this era are marked by a blend of nostalgia and a sense of the absurdity of the attention she received.

Based on Japanese literature and foldlore, Kwaidan contains 17 stories. The story of Loichi, the blind biwa player who was called to perform for the dead; of Muso, the journeying priest who encountered a man eating goblin; of the samurai who outwitted the ghost of a dead man. All these plus 14 other spooly tales are included in this collection.

Does size matter? Is bigger better? That’s no small question to Tom Little - the circus midget with giant dreams. Tom may be king of the midgets, but he’s got far grander ambitions - to become the muscleman at the top, the ringmaster. Now, drawing on some dark ancient secrets and mystic texts, he’s about to get his wish.... Assuming another man’s identity, Tom discovers he must also take on his sins, debts, and enemies. He may be living large - but now there are those who want to make him pay for the big man’s sins.

The sequel to the best-selling Zombie, Ohio, this explosive supernatural thriller from Scott Kenemore tells the story of three Chicagoans who have been thrown together by a bizarre, interconnected series of events during the first 24 hours of a zombie outbreak in the Midwest's largest city. A partnership is crafted between a pastor from Chicago's rough South Side, an intrepid newspaper reporter, and a young female musician, all of whom are fighting for survival as they struggle to protect themselves and their communities in a city overrun with the walking dead.

Fortune hunter Billy Newman is not a man of great strength or physical courage. Like a young Johnny Depp, he gets by on his wit, wiles and good looks. And he’s had quite a good run—striking gold in the Philippines and buying his very own island in the South Seas. . . . But there’s trouble in paradise, and Billy’s in the thick of it. The island’s crops are failing. The island’s people are dying. And the island’s owner—Billy—is taking the heat. Why? Because he’s angered the 75-foot-tall big-boss god of the island.

A modern romance short story about teenagers from two minorities. They meet at an afternoon job. Both are poor and underprivileged. She balances his anger, and he provides safety and security. This short story of a relationship ended before its time.

Meet Clara, reluctant spell caster and former member of the Texas Lycan pack. She fled the pack in fear in the 1970s. In the 30 years that pass, she never fully reclaims her life. It takes a loving family and a Christmas visit to give her the courage to open her heart.

Orion struggles to provide a memorable Solstice celebration while keeping his pack safe from an influx of outsiders. Will surrendering to the old magic of the desert solve his problems or lead his entire pack astray?

In Book One, four witchy friends find their way back to each other to defeat an enemy, the Shadow who hunted their parents, with the help of the Gargoyle that has protected their family for centuries. Now, in this bonus short-story, Morgan is faced with using her new power as a witch and discovers she has a special affinity for one particular wand. Now, she just need to face her fear of magick.... But can she learn in time to save them all?

As a half demon, Cole Masters has been living a life with two sides. With every use of his Hellfire gift, he's brought closer to the monstrous Halfling within. He's spent years working with guns and killing for money, all to avoid the addictive corruption of his power and sedate the creature's need to destroy everything it touches. It's always been a temporary fix, but what he needs is a way to get this demon off his back for good....

In the heart of the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, famine grips the land, forcing desperate animals to make a harrowing choice—kill their own mothers for sustenance. However, a wise and clever dog named Odibo devises a plan to save his mother and bring hope to the animals. In "The Dog Who Took His Mother to Heaven," witness Odibo's unwavering love and determination as he embarks on a perilous journey to connect the mortal world with the realm of the gods, defying fate and forging a bond that transcends life and death.

Eine Apokosmos LitRPG Kurzgeschichte mit Louie dem Corgi und Tony dem Vampir.

The time is 1921. The place, Aaronsville, Indiana. When Carrie McFarland is accused of putting a voodoo hex on the keynote speaker at the Negro Voters League Banquet, it's clear that someone has it in for her. Is it ward boss William C. Tisdale, a major bootlegger and the town's only Negro lawyer? Is it Herman Scott, the ambitious politician angling to take Boss Tisdale's place? To get to the bottom of things, Carrie will need the help of her mentor, 80-year-old Hoodoo Queen Sister Marie Brown. The women will need to use their psychic gifts and street smarts to clear Carrie's name.

"Chef-d'œuvre de la nouvelle fantastique, le célèbre "Horla" de Maupassant amorce ce coffret dédié au genre. Traduit et défendu par Baudelaire, Edgar Allan Poe forge l'identité du fantastique français post-romantique. Face au désenchantement du monde, le récit fantastique se charge de faire apparaître le surnaturel dans le quotidien, de définir un nouveau rapport à l'étrange, d'appréhender ses peurs différemment."

On a hot summer’s day in Boston, US Marine turned Homicide Detective Reid Halsey finds himself in the middle of a deadly shootout with a murder suspect. When Lucas Soul, a seemingly innocent victim, rises from the dead moments after a fatal gunshot wound to the head, Reid comes to the shocking realization that the world he believes in may very well be a carefully fabricated lie masking an unearthly reality.

Big bugs, cloned cats, and feral star-children play leading roles in the seven stories that make up Fast’s unconventional and thought-provoking collection. The Edge of Tomorrow is a significant foray into science fiction by one of the 20th century’s most prolific novelists. In looking beyond our universe, Fast reveals much about the America of his time - where the Cold War and a nascent civil rights movement stoked unconscious fears and desires.