Shadows of Torment

Three teenagers—Michael, Sinead, and Thomas—find themselves in over their heads after what begins as a mock ritual spirals out of control, accidentally summoning a demon that thrives on torment and suffering. Their situation takes a darker turn following a catastrophic car crash, which serves as their grim welcome to the harrowing streets of New Hopeless City. Trapped in this sinister alternate reality, they are thrust into a desperate battle for survival that pushes their morality, friendships, and very humanity to the brink.

In a city that mirrors a nightmarish hellscape, where madness and depravity are the norms, the trio must navigate a labyrinth of terror and betrayal. As they struggle against the malevolent forces that seek to consume them, the question looms: Can any of them escape and live to tell the tale? Or will they succumb to madness and depravity like so many others before them?

Greatest Hits Volume 1

Discover a world where werewolves roam and demonic possession is a frightening reality, all interspersed with inane yet amusing pub banter. This collection of weird tales even features a talking narwhal with a surprising social conscience, adding an unexpected twist to the narrative mix.

Inside these pages, you’ll encounter stories that range from the bizarre antics of unstoppable taxidermists to the chilling depths of old school folk horror. These tales are designed to both terrify and amuse, seamlessly blending horror with humour.

As you delve into this unique volume, you might find yourself gripped by fear one moment and bursting into laughter the next. And, quite possibly, you’ll be inspired to visit the pub for a comforting pint after navigating these strange and surreal stories.

Terrifying and Blood

In this frightful treasury of horror stories and poems, the author conjures a scary world where fragile characters face relentless supernatural forces. From the deepest, darkest corners come ghosts, demons, ghouls, witches, zombies and more, lurking in the shadows and poised to haunt your every bone.

Venture with caution into these disturbing tales, where paranoid schizophrenics, shapeshifters, scarecrows, hell’s clown, poltergeists and even Lucifer himself prey upon the weak and vulnerable. With imaginative plots and gory scenes, each story chills to the core and leaves you breathless for more.

So steel your nerves, banish the cobwebs, and get ready for a spooky, hair-raising read this Halloween season. These innovative short works capture the very essence of the holiday, delivering original horror that will plague your nightmares.

If you dare, enter the spine-tingling world of this frightening book.

Happy nightmares… Happy Halloween!

Clone

For perfect couple Jen and Liam, there was only ever one option for their child: the perfect insurance policy. The ultimate safety net should anything happen to their son Josh, provided by Future Medical Advancements Ltd., gave them both peace of mind.

The cloning, or ‘twinning’ process, offered by the cutting-edge medical company seemed the ideal solution… until Josh’s behaviour started taking a turn for the worse.

Josh insists his imaginary friend is behind it all, but is there a more sinister connection with his twin than meets the eye? As Josh’s behaviour spirals out of control, Jen and Liam struggle to find a way to stop the horrifying events unfolding before their eyes and devastating their lives.

Mooney and Spacee and the Tree o' Wishes

What would you do if you were lost in an alien land full of danger, lies, stupidity, duplicity, insanely clever traps, ravenous apex-predators and, to top it all off, the legendarily sarcastic child-eating, mushroom-scoffing, poetry-reciting ogre called Borborygm (the scariest monster ever invented in literature) … and then you find everything in this land wants to eat you too?

You’d try and find a way to get back home, right?

This is exactly the situation that Mooney and Spacee have found themselves in. There’s just one hope: Steal the Tree o’ Wishes. It’s all very simple really. Except Borborygm has it.

‘I devoured War and Peace but this is so much better. Shorter too.’ Jillian (15 years)

‘...a heart-rending, mind-cracking, sanity-pounding tour de force.’ Leanne (11 years)

‘I loved the swearing.’ Darlene (9 years)

‘Don’t buy this book.’ Darlene’s mum

The Lost Soul

Black eyes. Seeing eyes. Death eyes.As Keeper of the Dead, Sondra Carstairs can see, hear and feel souls that no longer walk among the living. Or she could when she was younger. But as an eighteen-year-old, Sondra ran from everything that it meant to be Keeper, including Anona Island, the home of generations of Keepers. Twenty-two years since Sondra ran from being Keeper, she receives an appeal from a lost soul which forces her to return and face the darkness of Anona. Anona, the home of the Keepers, is no longer a safe haven for anyone, including Sondra. And when she learns just what someone is prepared to do, she must decide whether becoming Keeper is worth stepping on the path she’d avoided for so long or not. For the Keeper protects. She protects the dead. She protects the living. Embracing the darkness within is Sondra’s only chance to survive.

The First Bride

In The First Bride, Katja Brown illustrates a deeply dark and infinitely descriptive account of the mystery and allure of the infamous Count Dracula. Through the eyes and with the musings of a young Countess, the picture is painted of who Dracula was, how he became such a monster, and precisely how he met his demise. Our countess shares her personal worries and concerns, her amusement and boredom, and her need to experience the world in a heightened state. From her home in England to the foreign reaches of Transylvania, she searches for answers to her own history and family, and comes to wonder at the cosmic mysteries of the dynamics of life and death. Though she was dispatched to her uncle in Transylvania for the purpose of developing a proper, noble ladylike behavior, she meets intriguing and extraordinary individuals, falls to the whims of a horrible and sinister man, and returns to her home as a changed woman with a newborn vampire perspective of time and death.  

The Evil Inside

When entering his domain, you will discoverHe is beyond a manHe is beyond a monsterHe is the darkness that exists in the darkest recesses of the mindA corrupted psycheA sickened soul.You will not see himYou will not hear him.But he knows you’re thereAnd he will find you.

Northern Souls

Eric leaves the funeral of his girlfriend, suspected of her murder, to commit suicide. Her ghost appears, telling him of demonic tribes fighting to seize control within the north-east of England. With his friends Taylor and Emma, he investigates these increasing and brutal attacks while the ghost of Grace visits Eric, imparting directions and clues. They confront and battle the unholy forces from Tynemouth to Gateshead and all around. Eric makes a pact with a group of demons in return for saving the soul of Grace. He is given unspeakable supernatural power as they see his use, though Eric soon struggles with the fury and dark hellfire within.The people from all around the north-east soon learn of many increasing murders, torturous killings and hideous deaths around them, and many take refuge in churches and temples. Taylor is distracted by a mysterious stranger, and Emma learns of a connection to events at Holy Island. With the friends separated while the bloody carnage mounts around the north-east, can the northern souls be saved?

Insanitus2

Prepare for a nauseating, disgusting, vile, puke-inducing, nonsensical little tale.See: ‘BOGEY’‘You’re telling me ... this Gruntfuttock fella ... sticks a post horn up his backside and blows the frigging Post Horn Gallop!!??’See: ‘BLOW’‘It ripped and tore itself through the birth canal and out into an unsuspecting world.’See: ‘IMAGINATION’S CHILD’And then it happened.  From the far right-hand corner of the pit, striding out from the darkness, he, it came!See: ‘FIRE!’ 

Complex Hell

It's present-day Sunderland and a mysterious manuscript is discovered in the house of an evil spirit, leading the unwary reader to a tale of the sixties in North East England, where not everything is quite as it seems. Forbidden love, loss and a lifetime of pure evil lie in store for whoever dares turn the ageing pages further. In Devils Wood House the memory of the missing girl, Rose, waits desperately. Unfortunately for her, time is not on her side. Can her soul be saved or will the child be lost forever? "Richard Valanga writes about the Afterlife like nobody else today. He's the 21st-century Dante of the North." - Tony Barrell, The Sunday Times

Winter Tales

Threatening, gloomy skies. Dark, chilly days and even darker, colder nights. Whispering from the corner or the rustle of dead leaves? A vision of the future or your worst nightmare come true? A silly game or a portal into the unknown? Was that a creak on the stairs or just the wind whistling in the eaves? You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a ghost story. Between these pages, you will find ghosts of all kinds. Not all ghosts are scary as I set out to prove in some of these stories. Some of the spirits within are indeed dark and vengeful, while others are playful and helpful and one wants to be forgiven for a past sin, despite the cruelty and injustice he himself suffered. All the stories within are set during winter, at or near Christmas, when in many homes it is traditional to read or listen to ghost stories, so curl up by the fireside and read on. I hope you enjoy the ghostly tales inside this cover. Sweet dreams and sleep well!