Night Crawls in by Nancy Jackson

Lyndsey can’t seem to find peace at night.  She’s been afraid of the dark since she was a child and therefore suffers from insomnia.  When she finally does fall asleep, she’s plagued by nightmares.  One night, as she’s lying in bed, she sees a spider crawling above her and what happens next is absolutely terrifying…

Possibilities and Cara’s Eyes by Katherine Smith

These two poems, both written by Katherine Smith, will chill your bones and keep your pulse racing.  

Frieda Mae by Linda Lattimer

When Allen’s mother died, it devastated his family.  His father lost the love of his life and Allen and his brother, Boyd, lost their beautiful and loving mother.  When Allen’s father decides to remarry in order to provide his sons with a mother-figure, he couldn’t have made a worse choice than Frieda Mae.  When Frieda Mae threatens Boyd, his guardian angel comes to his rescue in the form of someone he’d least expect.   

Crime or Punishment by Giovanna Lagana

After Chris’s mother overdosed on drugs, he was forced to replace her as his step-father’s accomplice.  His job was to go into stores that didn’t have video surveillance and distract the clerk while he emptied the register.  It’s a dangerous job for a 10-year-old.  Since the day his mother died, the boogeyman has been visiting him nightly.  He’s terrified by the message that the boogeyman keeps on repeating each time he sees him and begins to fear for his life… 

Feathers by Louise Bohmer

Garrett lives in the realm of the obscure and is a successful medium and tarot card reader while his wife Olivia is dedicated to science and reason.  While they longed to have a child, they were unable to until Lilith arrived.  Lilith is a deity that seduced Garrett and together they produced a child.  With the child being a demi-god, Garrett knows that he cannot properly care for him so he desperately searches for a way to be with his son forever… 

Vera’s House by Katherine Smith 

Sheila’s grandmother dies, leaves her the house and everything in it, with the stipulation that she distribute the contents fairly to her relatives.   Since Sheila’s ready for a change after losing her job and getting dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to live in.  That is, until she can sell the antiques and gets a good deal on the house.  When strange things begin happening, she starts to suspect that, while dead, maybe her grandmother isn’t ready to part with her possessions. 

Cynophobia by Janet Mills

When Janie was eleven, she was attacked by a dog, and has been terrified of them ever since.  She sees a German shepherd near her house, two days in a row, and begins getting nervous.  When she decides to walk down to the convenience store to get herself a chocolate treat, the dog follows her.   After a series of frightening encounters, Janie finds herself in a life-threatening situation and is stunned when she finds out who her savior is…  

Because I Wanted You by Susan M. Sailors

This short story is about the obsession of a man for a woman that he feels he must have known in a past life because his connection to her is so deep.   When she finally acknowledges him, the question arises of whether or not his obsession was of his own free will… 

Eleven-Thirty Midnight Road by Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson

Several days before the anniversary of Cathy Rhodes’ death, a group of her friends decide to hold a séance at the scene of the fatal car accident.  Paula is hesitant to participate but Cathy was her best friend and Marc, her boyfriend, formerly Cathy’s, encourages her to participate.  Since Marc was the driver during the fatal accident, and Paula wants to help him overcome his anguish, she agrees.  What happens next on Midnight Road changes their lives forever.   

The Stick by Richard A. Satterlie

Xerxes was told that there was a dead body down at the playing field and couldn’t resist the temptation to see if before the police arrived.  When he sees the body hanging from the top of the swing set, he recognizes that it’s Bobby Brookhouse.  Xerxes sees what looks like a walking stick and picks it up with the intention of using it to investigating the body.  The stick has something a bit less benign planned for Xerxes. 

Long Distance Call by John Everson

Jack is having an affair with his assistant, Melissa, and is shocked to discover that his wife is aware of the affair.  She’s grown more and more distant since the death of her brother, Eddie, and Jack’s been at a loss as to what to do.  After a disturbing phone conversation, Jack rushes home to find Angela hanging from the ceiling.  His wife’s death leads him down the road of insanity.  

FEAR is very appropriately named.  It has a very impressive author list and is a wonderfully scary book that fans of the horror genre will enjoy.  Whether spiders, ghosts, the boogeyman or the occult frightens you, this anthology has something for every horror fan. From one story to the next, the suspense peaks and the characters never feel false. FEAR has a variety of voices and a diversity of tales that is appealing and promises several hours of spine tingling entertainment