Unfulfilled by the zombie lifestyle, one of the walking dead spends a day at the park finding joy and meaning in nature.G.R. Agent 102498 loves his job. "Collecting lives" is what he was made to do. He has worked hard to climb up from the bottom, but lately he feels stuck.He has been a Level 2 Agent for long time now, and he feels he is ready to be promoted to Level 3: Random Works.When he happens across a couple, whose son is just days from turning three, he knows he has finally found the Collection that will convince his superiors to promote him.His boss agrees to the collection, but adds some treacherous conditions of his own. And to make matters worse, a beautiful Agent shows up in his hunting grounds looking for a promotion of her own.This story is approximately 11,000 words long.

Story #1: The Zombie Who Liked Fred Astaire - A zombie desires to dance like his hero, Fred Astaire, but first he must find a willing teacher. Story #2: The Goldfish Who Contemplated Life - A sad goldfish dreams of escaping his fish bowl so he can fight zombies, eliminate erectile dysfunction, and meet Justin Bieber.It is the year 2049. John Ennis, a writer and political analyst, finds himself in Medina Hurriya, capital city of Algharb. His goal is a new media series for Global Focus Report, but he quickly finds himself dangerously ensnarled in a struggle against Algharb’s oppressive regime.The story has its roots in the early part of the twenty first century. During that period Europe and more particularly France had entered a period of intense transformation. In addition to the wave of continued immigration from Muslim countries, the sons and daughters of previous generations of immigrants reached maturity. The Muslim population of France reached eleven million. Islam had replaced Protestantism to a very large extent as the second religion of the country.Successive governments had encouraged or condoned immigration, without looking further than their next election, without questioning the changes that were taking place in the world, without taking the decisions necessary to integrate the new arrivals into the mainstream population.The result was a gradual radicalisation of attitudes of both the recent arrivals and the existing population towards each other. Most immigrants felt excluded or discriminated against and many were easily converted to the attitudes of their co-religionists in their countries of origin, who in turn were conditioned by events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, where Islam was in conflict with the West. This novel was originally written in 1991 and I have altered relatively little in the story as it is told here. Many of the scenarios have come to be: a Middle Eastern Caliphate, the massive flight of refugees towards Europe, the rise of right wing political parties, encroaching Islam, the spread of communitarism, the retreat of the UK from the EU, and the threat of disintegration of both. The politicians of Europe and the USA are largely to blame for the situation that exists in the Middle East today and the paths that lay ahead for France the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe are fraught with danger.

USA Today Bestselling Author, K.K. Allen, takes readers on a deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful adventure in a contemporary fantasy series based on a young woman learning the true nature of her bloodline and the enchanting world that awaits her. Katrina Summer always knew she was different. Her fiery temper seems to perpetually land her in hot water, making her an outcast among her peers. When tragedy strikes and she's sent to live with her only remaining family in the tiny coastal town of Apollo Beach, Katrina starts counting down the days until her eighteenth birthday. Only then will she finally be free. As Katrina learns the legends of her Ancient Greek ancestors, secrets from her heritage are exposed—secrets that her mother purposefully concealed. Her only solace is found in Alec Stone, the gorgeous guy next door. With his devastatingly charming smile, his persistent flirtation, and a love that sparks from the flames...

On Halloween night in 1973, young Daniel Taylor was approached by a mysterious horse-drawn hearse driven by a sinister old man. Forty years later, the hearse emerged from the darkness and appeared to Daniel once again - but this time it was carrying a coffin.Weatherton-native Jacob Grayson finally has life exactly how he wants it to be: a nice job, a gorgeous apartment, and a brand new start in Chicago. He appears fine on the outside, but beneath layers of thick skin lies a pain bigger than his seemingly-perfect life. Jacob journeyed hundreds of miles from home not only took him from the place he called home. He was also running from the pain of a bad childhood, the unexpected death of his beloved mother, and the estrangement of his father that caused him years of pain and self-destruction. In the midst of suddenly losing everything, Jacob finds himself far from the quality of life he once knew and places him at a crossroads. One road leads to deeper depression and possibly death, while the other leads him on the path to redemption and an unexpected reunion with his dying father. Will Jacob finally reach out to his dying father and forgive him, or have years of hate hardened his heart forever?

On the last day of the Tipton County Fair, young Billy Slater waited outside as his older sister and her boyfriend entered the haunted house. He glanced up and examined the faded mural painted on the outer wall. The monsters depicted were cheesy and hopelessly outdated. He shook his head, wondering why anyone would pay good money for such a lame ride. His sister and her boyfriend never returned.Robert Alphonse Moore was ill and told he would die within six months. The only way that he could continue to live would be to have his brain transplanted into the body of a healthy person. Benny Harris, was willing to provide his body - at a price. procedure was illegal but money talked. Robert had been told that hew would still be Robert with the except that his brain would reside in a healthier and younger body. But did Robert remain Robert after the operation?

Anderson Bexley was the love of my life...or so I thought. For years, I convinced myself that one day he would see me as more than the bubbly activities director at his family's campground. Sure, he was ten years older. Deeply tortured. And far too devoted to the family business to make time for his own happiness. But none of that mattered. Especially after one blissful night when he was all mine. I thought our forever had finally begun, but he broke my heart instead. A year later, I'm moving on. In a new city. At a new job. With a new man. Add in the fact that I just landed my first big account, and things can't possibly get better. Until I hear my first client is none other than Anderson Bexley. Now, I'm heading back to a place I had once called home. Back to Camp Bexley. Back to him. Only this time, I'm determined to walk away on my own terms...with my heart intact.

The long-awaited second issue of Shock Totem features new fiction from David Jack Bell, Cate Gardner, Vincent Pendergast, Leslianne Wilder, and others. Also includes nonfiction from Mercedes M. Yardley, a conversation with James Newman, reviews, and more.

Shock Totem Publication presents issue #3, their biggest yet, nearly 50% bigger than the first two! It features previously unpublished stories from the likes of John Skipp, Tim Leider, S. Clayton Rhodes, Steven Pirie, and eight others, plus one poem. Also conversations with D. Harlan Wilson and Count Lyle of the band Ghoultown, nonfiction from Mercedes M. Yardley, and much more

The debut issue. A hundred pages of dark fiction, featuring T.L. Morganfield, David Niall Wilson, Jennifer Pelland, Kurt Newton, Don D'Ammassa, Mercedes M. Yardley, and more. Conversations with William Ollie, Alan Robert (Life of Agony, Spoiler NYC), and the legendary John Skipp.

For the past two hundred years, Longforest has been the home of a collection of people who call themselves 'The Company', a band of warriors, priests, druids, and a few who defy easy description. Based in the druid community, they have defended their home and sought to keep un-natural creatures out of the world. They are not an army, nor do they follow any King or leader except the one they appoint. In every major conflict, the Company has been present to bring an end to the war either by making peace, or defeating the agressor. Evil knows their reputation. The nations of the world are divided, easy prey. The only force that can mold them together into a formidable foe is the Company. In order to take over the world, the Company must be destroyed. The demon attacks Longforest with new and horrible weapons, laying waste to the famed Company. The ragged survivors of the once proud band must find a way to gather support from uncaring nations before the growing evil can blanket their world.

The fifth issue of Shock Totem is yet another eclectic mix of horror fiction and nonfiction. This issue features previously unpublished stories from the likes of Ari Marmell, Darrell Schweitzer, Joe Mirabello, Mekenzie Larsen, and others. There is also a five-part, illustrated microfiction serial, by Kurt Newton, a conversation with horror legend Jack Ketchum, nonfiction by Nick Contor, reviews and more.

Shock Totem celebrates its ninth issue, featuring fantastic tales of nightmares, monsters, ghosts, and severed digits! Stephen Graham Jones, anyone? Come on! Not only does this issue feature a brand new, previously unpublished tale by this modern master of words, you’ll also find an interview with him, and a review of his latest collection, After the People Lights Have Gone Off. Kicking things off, however, is Kathryn Ohnaka’s “Buddy,” a twisting, slithering serpent of a tale. The words are pure poetry, with fangs. “Saturday,” by Evan Dicken, follows, creeping and crawling and filled with Things that whisper of doom. Similar whisperings can be heard in Bracken MacLeod’s “Thirteen Views of the Suicide Woods” and most of you will know the voices. Tim Lieder’s darkly rhythmic “Hey Man” will get you toe-tapping and “in the mood.” With a touch of SF, Emma Osborne’s “The Box Wife” is sure to leave you uncomfortable. The box wife is one and many, but you’ll recognize all. Stephen King once called Jack Ketchum “the scariest guy in America.” What scares the scariest guy in America? Karen Runge. And you’ll know why after reading “Good Help.” Peter Gutiérrez provides the poetry with his outstanding “Anteroom.” Closing out the fiction in this issue is S.R. Mastrantone’s “Alan Roscoe’s Change of Heart,” a tale that chips away at a well-mined vein--the near-death experience--but manages to produce an untouched gem. In addition to the previously-mentioned conversation with Stephen Graham Jones, F. Paul Wilson is interviewed. The seventh installment of our music-meets-horror serial, “Bloodstains & Blue Suede Shoes,” tackles the 80sm and Catherine Grant provides the editorial, a scary piece that hits close to home for creators and readers of horror. Come see why Shock Totem is billed as “...one of the strongest horror fiction magazines on the market today” (Hellnotes).