Christmas Supernatural

Winter, with its unsettling blend of the cosy and the sinister, has long been a popular time for gathering by the bright flame of a candle, or the warm crackling of a fire, and swapping stories of ghosts and strange happenings. Now eight best-selling, award-winning authors, master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre bring this time-honoured tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales.

It's Christmastime at Marlow House Bed and Breakfast, and Danielle has a full house. When a woman, stranded far from home, shows up on the doorstep and begs for a room for the night, how can Danielle tell her the inn is full and turn her away? After all, it's almost Christmas. The woman makes quite an impression on the other guests, especially when she mysteriously disappears. Is it foul play - or something supernatural?

Rosemary Bell's got a brand new bag. She has a great circle of friends, a sexy Irish boyfriend, and a daughter following in her witchy footsteps. But when she becomes the prime suspect in her grinch husband's disappearance, the halls she'll be decking might be behind bars. Things get even bleaker when she's called home to clean up her husband's mess. When Rosie finds clues about a family she never knew she had, she realizes she doesn't know as much about her past as she thought. And her present isn't much better, when the local sheriff joins the investigation into her crimes.

The Darkness of New Orleans dozed fitfully during the war years, waiting for its chance to play with its toys again. It was a Darkness as carefully hidden as the gates to the small courtyards that lurk between buildings in the French Quarter. In the Le Prete Mansion, a movie is just now wrapping up, having spawned madness in trying to film a seductive tale of death and mystery. Disenfranchised spirits have been sent to the hell of their birth. One lost spirit has found a new home in the body of a French Quarter policewoman.

Allen DeShawn believes his monster-hunting days ended five years ago after he killed the werewolf. Now it’s December 1994 and he’s itching for his high school’s Christmas Break and goofing off with his new friends. But when attractive girls go missing and Allen stumbles on the hottest teacher in school half-dead outside her house, he suspects something bad is going around and it isn’t the flu.

It's Christmas in 1911, and John Decker is stuck in London, far from those he loves. When he gets invited to a holiday party at a manor house in the country, he reluctantly agrees to go, expecting a quiet few days of holiday cheer. But Blackthorn Manor is not just any country house. It hides a dark secret from centuries past, and a restless spirit that never left.

Kris Kringle had a hell of a Christmas last year. This year isn't shaping up to be any better. The Workshop might have provided the enemy with a piece of jewelry she now wears around her neck. What is the purpose?

An unexpected escape. A harrowing hunt. A dark showdown. When a dark fae escapes from Scorchwood, we investigate the breach and discover an old foe has resurfaced to wreak havoc. But the fugitive is deadlier than we expected and begins to leave a trail of bodies in his wake. Tracking him to the fae realm reveals a potential conspiracy, with his ultimate goal linked to his past and the cherished Christmas village. But he has more allies than expected after a three-hundred-year imprisonment, leaving us unsure of whom to trust as he continues to gain power.

Christmas, the happiest time of year. Plum puddings, candy canes, carols by the fireside. But outside, the mist lies deep and still. Frost gnaws at your fingertips. Shadowy forms lurk in the evergreens. It’s the season for ghost stories.

Just before Christmas, Nikki Thomas lost her childhood friend, Katherine, when they were 10 years old. The case rocked the neighborhood of Willow Creek in 1988. Kat's mother was convicted of her murder, but no body was ever found. Now, 12 years later, Nikki's memory goes back to her childhood when her mother gives her some old Christmas ornaments. Her mind starts racing, wondering if Kat's mother really murdered her.

Christmas was never a peaceful holiday at Clark Mansion. But Bob and Emma are not aware of its gory past when they purchase the mansion. They dream of raising their family in the expansive home, but their dreams become living nightmares. Emma and the kids witness horrifying sights. Emma is stalked by a madman who wants to control her. Too late, Bob and Emma realize that the mansion holds nothing but evil. As Christmas approaches, the family tries to make an escape. But Clark Mansion is dying to repeat its horrific Christmas past. Can Emma’s family make it out alive?

Charles Dickens' classic tale of Christmas hauntings, reimagined in a new world. It is the winter of 1882, and the wizard, Merlene, has had his eye on the Captain of the Watchmen, Ambrosius Baltus. As wrathful and mean as Ebenezer Scrooge, he is in even more of an advantageous situation to affect the people of London for good. But as Merlene’s foul-mouthed horse companion The Nag warns, this armoured, firecasting duart proves to be a stubborn and dangerous choice for this Christmas Eve project, and their ethically questionable scheme may result in more harm than it does help. A short novella from the creator of Tiger's Eye and Arlington, featuring the characters of The Princess Thieves, and blending Dickens’ words with a new perspective.

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!