Amazon 13 Nightmares Category:  Horror Publisher: iUniverse ISBN-10:  0595534988 Type: Fiction Pages: 236 ISBN-13: 9780595534982 Thirteen chilling tales of horror and the macabre. Awarded iUniverse Editor's Choice. From the first story of a little girl locked in a closet to the last tale of a fishing trip gone horrible wrong, this collection of stories will haunt you and thrill you. Read them after dark if you dare!       “Horror is best written in the dark.”   Enter a world of thirteen chilling nightmares. Inside you’ll find a frightening place where:   ·        Max is a troubled author. In the dead of the night he writes scary stories.  But now he’s suffering from writer’s block, and the real horror story is the one he isn’t writing in “Dead Line.”   ·        On Halloween, children are not the only ones who knock on doors. Ghosts from the past may visit as well in “The Last Trick-or- Treater.”   ·        Memories from Vietnam are not easily forgotten. In “Atrocity,” one man finds out that the past can come back to life on a lonely highway in the dead of the night.   ·        Jack likes to wear a clown mask, but is he supposed to be funny or scary? Pray you never have to find out in “Jack the Knife.”   ·        Even the most seasoned exterminator would have trouble killing these roaches in “Pest Control.”            ...and 8 more frightening tales!   Enter a world where the supernatural, the macabre, and the horrific collide.   It’s time to dream 13 Nightmares Excerpt Sarah wrapped her arms around her scabby knees. She missed Mr. Fuzzy. Even though she tried to be a big girl now, she still wished to hug the old brown teddy bear when she was in the closet. The policeman who had taken Mr. Fuzzy away had said something about it being contaminated by the crime scene. Auntie Marge didn't allow her to have toys. Sarah swiped away tears and felt around with her left hand until she found an old tennis shoe. She hugged the shoe to her chest and imagined it was Mr. Fuzzy. Sobbing, she rocked back and forth in preparation for a long night. "Sarah." She froze and listened. Did someone say my name? "Sarah,” a raspy voice whispered. Looking down, she focused her tear strained vision on the sliver of dim glow coming from under the closet door. A shadow blocked the light. Someone is standing on the other side! It wasn't her auntie. Sarah could always tell when Auntie Marge came to the closet to let her out. She was a big woman and made a lot of noise when she moved through the house. No, this is someone else. "Sarah.” The voice came through the keyhole in the closet door. She didn't make a sound. Who else would be in the house besides her auntie? No one, she decided. Whoever the stranger is, maybe he will let me out. She didn't want to spend another minute in the dark. She had to go pee real bad. Whoever is on the other side of the door can’t be worse than spending another night in the closet. "Let me out … please," she whispered back. "Only if you will come and play with me." "I will … just let me … out. Please." "Promise you will meet me in the park." "I will. I promise." The lock clicked, causing Sarah's heart to jump. Leaning forward, she opened the door to peer out. No one waited in the room beyond. She stood and exited the closet, shutting the door quietly, so Auntie Marge wouldn’t hear her escape. Happy to be out, she wondered who had let her free. Fearful, Sarah searched her bedroom to see if anyone was hiding from sight. No one waited in the shadowed corners or under the bed. Moonlight filtered in through dingy curtains she moved aside to see the window closed tight. She looked out into the backyard, expecting someone to be standing there, staring back at her, but she saw nothing but moonlight and shadows. “Meet me in the park,” the creepy voice had said to her. She’d made a promise to do so, but now, faced with leaving the house in the dead of night to meet a stranger, Sarah had second thoughts. Since Auntie Marge didn't allow her to leave the house, she had sneaked out many times. Normally, Sarah would just wait until her aunt had fallen into a drunken stupor before slipping out her bedroom window. It was always during the day, though; she was too scared to go out after dark. Mikey, a boy with a runny nose, once told her a story about the police finding a missing little girl in the woods. Found dead with her panties around her ankles and her throat cut from ear to ear, was what Mikey had said. He’d even made the motion with his finger of the knife cutting a throat while he uttered an ugly, strangling noise. Sarah didn't want to be that little girl. No way. She had been through a lot in her young life, but dying in the dark after some strange man pulled down her panties would be too horrible to imagine. She didn't know why a man would want to take down her panties, but knew it would be a terrible way to die. She was too scared to go into the park after dark. But you promised, Sarah. Breaking a promise is a bad thing.

Amazon Review
Dennis McDonald's recently released story collection, 13 Nightmares, delivers on the chills and thrills scale. A tagline from one of the stories is featured on the back of the book : "Horror is best written in the dark." McDonald was surely in the deepest bowels of subterranean dark when penning these tales because they will satisfy the most supernaturally starved, macabre munching, horror hound around. So sit back - do not try to get comfortable because these will keep you on the edge of your seat - and do read "13 Nightmares". The writing is quality with strong characterizations revealing a deep understanding of human nature and a masterful use of setting to add to the atmosphere of the tales. Highly recommend it for library collections on 'Oklahoma authors', short story collections, and any paranormal or horror reading needs or collections.

Marilyn A. Hudson, MLIS
Storyteller, Author, Educator, and Library Professional




Another Amazon Review
Wow! I wasn't expecting this. The book is fantastic! The author writes that "Horror is best written in the dark." Well, this book's horror is best read in the dark, or around a campfire, or under your sheet with a flashlight. Not for the feint of heart! The first story grabs you - and the victim - and the fun flits like a wilo-the-wisp with every new page. Gawd, I couldn't wait to see what the next 'nightmare' offered! Only wish their were at least a baker's dozen more! A great read - highly recommended.