Pretty on the outside may not mean pretty on the inside. Parke Stockard was certainly sitting pretty. Blessed with good looks and business sense to boot, she should have been content. Instead, Parke makes trouble in her small town. When retired octogenarian schoolteacher Myrtle Clover discovers her body, no one in Bradley is particularly upset. Myrtle decides to show up her police chief son and investigate the crime herself. And, just in time to play detective, she meets a widower newcomer who proves the perfect sidekick.

Catch up with the best of the best in our brand new anthology! These thrilling stories will keep you on the edge of your seat. Enter our Contests & Writing Prompts for a chance to be featured in this book.

Elder Benson is dead. He had a gift of taking pictures in a surreal manner and didn't care people thought he was strange. When his body is found with a bluish substance in his system, everyone concludes that he overdosed on drugs. And no one cares really. After all, he was the weird guy. Except for his two best friends, Malachi and Simi. Malachi believes there's no way Elder would do drugs and Simi knows that her oldest friend was the gentlest soul she knew. When they find a photobook of Elder's, they discover dangerous secrets captured in the photos Elder took. Any of which could have led to his death. Together, they piece together the puzzles left by Elder in his photobook to find his killer before they strike again. cover by @TahliePurvis 1st Place Winner Mystery/Thriller World of Champions Awards, 2nd Edition

One man's painful yet funny search for meaning in a life about to be cut short. Cancer has made David Alexander's whole existence suddenly seem worthless. But is it?

When Nyx Forbes moves into a new home with her antique dealer parents and little brother, she hopes that the change will heal her crumbling family and finally bring some structure to her life. Before long, though, strange happenings occur, and Nyx finds herself falling into a dark hole that she thinks is madness. Nyx then meets Jonah Frost- social outcast and collector of all things creepy. Feeling like an outcast herself, Nyx feels a connection to Jonah and the two begin an unusual friendship. The two begin their own investigation on the house to try and better understand the happenings, but they aren't aware of just how strange their findings will be. From disappearances, to hidden rooms and a strange book, Nyx soon realises that maybe she isn't crazy after all. . . *i don't own image on cover*

In this short story you will find a skewered retelling of some old stories and a gritty original take of a time of loneliness and seclusion. It's the story of a man retelling his survival story and his journey to remembrance. .

[2021 WATTYS WINNER] It's summer for Mikey Marks, and that means everything is about to change. Usually, that would mean preparing for college, going to watch movies in the park with her best-friend-slash-sibling Roux, and an endless ray of sunshine over their small Florida town. Fate has other plans for her, though. Fate and biology. When Mikey grows a pair of horns and finds out she's half-demon, she tracks down her father at a local gas station and demands answers. As it turns out, Doug the demon is totally willing to help her rectify this situation. Together, the three of them set out on a road trip to a theme park in Nevada, where Doug has a friend who can help. That's not all, though. Things won't stop going wrong-- accidental cannibalism, Roux almost drowning, facing down demons wearing Mikey's face... Mikey has a lot to figure out, and she had better do it quick.

7 people living completely different lives, all randomly teleported to the same room. None of them have ever met each other before, they haven't even shared glances with each other on the street. What will happen to them..? TW: blood/death