A collection of unnerving tales: - - by Michael Callahan - - So, It Has come to this, Ten Dollars is All , Clemency, Persephone in Flight, Cherry, Her Story, Fuzibol of Goden (#237 The Mighty Fall) - - by Paul-Thomas Ferguson - - The Wrong Toolbox, From the Heart, The Unforgotten's Reign, The East Stairwell, Just Three More Minutes, My Brother's Keeper, Gnomestradamus, The Bellkeeper - - by David James Keaton - - Suckerpunchingbag

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Hire Jameson, a servant living in rural Illinois in the 1880s, expected to work for the prosperous Hicks family his entire life, but Fate had other plans. In this coming of age tale, an elderly Hire Jameson describes the sometimes sinister adventures of his youth, when he first confronted the evils of the world. Dogged by disaster at every turn, the small boy discovers that even the simple pleasures of growing up can mask unfathomable horrors. The line between reality and fantasy blurs as Hire faces death and the possible existence of both ghosts and monsters - from this world and the next. As he uncovers the truth, will his sanity survive? "An atmospheric story of rural dread that rides in on a summer of foreshadowing and delivers a sickly sweet tale of corruption and madness." Michael Coorlim, Author of Steampunk Omnibus "A fascinating mystery of the macabre that creeps with the oozing dread of Lovecraft, the supernatural seeping about the edges of its deceptive strains of reality." Sean Leary, Author of The Arimathean trilogy

A History of Quarston is a book in two distinct halves. Writing under the pseudonym C.Z. Moss, the author uses the first half to relate the history of Cornwall, from ancient times to the early 18th century, with special attention given to an estate near Tintagel called Quarston. Then, switching gears, Moss uses the second half to describe the experience of living at Quarston with his brother, a strange mystic dubbed "Bellwether Moss" by locals. What results is an incredible story of the supernatural, involving people and places that may or may not have existed.

Frontier adventurer and private detective Edward Bonney (1807-1864) tells the story of his hunt for the men responsible for the torture-murder of prominent Illinois pioneer Colonel George Davenport, as well as his efforts to crush the early midwestern criminal enterprise known as the Banditti of the Prairies. Follow Bonney on this dangerous quest, from Rock Island, to Nauvoo and St. Louis - hunting criminals in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.

"The Secret Agent" is a grim, gritty, cynical tale set in the world of the anarchists and secret agents around the start of the 20th century. There are no blind romantics, no overwhelming causes, and no anarchistic politics. As is often the case with Joseph Conrad, this is a story about people, people in an exotic world. The setting is London, the crime an attempt to blow up the Greenwich Observatory. The motives are far from pure: money, careerism, hack value, a peaceful mind. Mrs. Verloc, an anarchist's wife, is at the center of the tale. As Conrad tells us, and shows us repeatedly, she is not a woman to look beneath the surface of things, but she is a woman of some depth. The story in "The Secret Agent" is sad. It is a tragedy, and the ending seems inevitable given the players Conrad has set in motion. This is probably appropriate given the subject matter. The writing is excellent and the tale well told. If you are a reader who gives extra points to depressing stories, this one should receive a five on sheer grimness alone.

Weeks after the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, a newly-assembled unit of military prisoners must locate and rescue a platoon of soldiers lost within the forests of Germany - a Dirty Dozen-style mission aimed at making up for their indiscretions and clearing their names. But what begins as a standard, if dangerous, mission soon leaves the members of the rescue team lost amidst horros beyond their imaginations . . . Praise for THE LAST POST: "If you like THE KEEP by F. Paul Wilson, weird war stories, or really, horror novels in general, you will thoroughly enjoy THE LAST POST by Jim Dietz. It's clear Dietz has done his research -- every detail rings true -- and that makes this darkly brilliant historical novel of the macabre even more entertaining." -- Mark McLaughlin, author of BEACH BLANKET ZOMBIE and co-author of MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL

"It's a privileged life with great potential, but if you don't keep the upper hand it feels like you've taken a wild animal into your home," says Teresa Oden, whose husband has been leading academic institutions for eighteen years. Although the spouses are a disparate bunch, Oden maintains that they share a desire to support their leader-partners. It's no simple task. "The institution is so closely entwined with the leader's life that it practically becomes a third partner in the marriage. The spouse must learn to negotiate with that fact." Oden discusses the ways in which supporting a leader-partner differs from traditional helpmate roles. She examines the reasons for lingering expectations-why female spouses in particular are still expected to volunteer their time to the leaders' careers-as well as the special concerns of male spouses. A self-described introvert who needs a lot of privacy, Oden admits that her adjustment to life as the leader's spouse was difficult. "Today I can honestly say that there are parts of my role that I treasure. I found my way, but I felt the lack of a book that spoke to my experience."