Kindle Edition Amazon My Website Category:  Horror Publisher: Courtney Shockey ISBN-10:  1517421144 Type: Fiction Pages: 80 Copyright: October 26, 2015 ISBN-13: 9781517421144 Price: $1.99 (eBook) Nightmares don't always stay in dreamland. Sometimes they were never in dreamland, and were standing at the foot of your bed. Sweat soaks my clothes as I sit up in my bed. My heart pounds in my ears and my eyes dart around the room. Giggles float from all directions of my room, surrounding me. I cover my ears with my hands and squeeze my eyes shut, rocking silently. "Please go away. Leave me alone." The giggles get louder and louder, deafening me to anything else. "Stop it! Please!" I scream and everything stops. Silence is almost as terrifying. Dr. Janet Birch has been plagued by nightmares her entire life. She worked her way through college so she could help children who suffered from the same fears and give them the tools she never had to move on. Emily Frost is a young girl whose nightmares consume her life. Her parents bring her to Janet in hopes of dispelling her fears and bringing their daughter back from the brink. As Emily finally breaks down and reveals her demons, Janet realizes they have more in common than she thought. Piece by piece, Janet fights for not only her life, but Emily's as well, to overcome their living nightmare         Excerpt My hands are shaking as I lie on my bed. The covers move over my head with each breath and my eyes shut tightly. My heart pounds in my ears, pulsing throughout my body. But it isn't loud enough to shut out the sound of small feet hitting the floor in my room. Or the chilling giggles. "Just leave me alone!" I plead for the hundredth time. Every time the nightlight goes out, they come out to play. Grotesque little creatures with the bodies of children and horrid faces that haunt my dreams. Each creature wears a different face but the thick, black tongues and sharp, stained teeth are all the same. The dark is their playground. Tears trail down my face. I pray that the morning will come quickly or that my mom would check on me.

Thrilling and scary!!
Wow Courtney! Great job on your debute book! I will start by saying Im a chicken when it comes to anything scary! And let me just say this was scary. Courtney is fabulous with the details! It felt like I was standing right there watching this unfold. The end of the book literally had my hairs standing on end! So fantastic. This book is a fantastic read the imagination and detail are phenomenal! Well done Courtney Shockey!!

5 Southern stars! Reviewed by Kimberly for Three Southern Chicks Book Blog.

You might need a night light when you're done with this one...
Janet had night visitors as a child. Little children that were not little children would visit her in the dark. These creepy child like demons terrorized her and it lasted most of her childhood. She vowed that when she grew up she would help other children cope with the same problem and give them the support she never had. Janet became a child psychologist so that she could help children deal with the terror of these night visitors. Then she meets Emily and wonders if she can be of any help at all.
This short story had me tearing through it in one sitting. I could not put it down! The description of the “children” gave me goosebumps. My overactive imagination let me hear the malicious giggles and claws scratching on the floor. When I finished this story, I left a night light on in my kids’ room and I snuggled closer to my husband.
This is the perfect Halloween read. I give Children of Darkness 5 stars and I’m excited about reading more by Courtney Shockey!
Mindy -Paranormal Tendencies

A creepy yet enthralling story by debut author Courtney Shockey
I'll be honest. I'm not the kind of gal that watches horror movies, or reads this particular genre. When Shockey announced this project I requested an Advance Reading Copy. Boy-oh-boy! The writing is delicate and straightforward, but it packs a storytelling punch. My heart was racing as the plot was unfolding. I felt I was immersed into the pages alongside the main character, Emily. I will not write about the plot as I don't want to spoil it for anyone reading this review. Let's just say this book had me scared of the dark while reading in the middle of the night. I kept hearing noises!

For a debut novel, Shockey delights us with a recount of quite possibly the scariest book I've read in a VERY long time. Well done. Brava. 4.5 stars from me.
Imy Santiago with RISC Books, New York