Haunted or blessed? Ghosts or guardian angels? Currier presents 12 new stories of gay men and the memories that haunt them, blending history and contemporary issues of the gay community with the unexpected of the supernatural.

A ghost, a ring, and a quest to find a missing psychic—it’s a spell for love. When Kara discovers her new apartment is haunted by a wise-cracking ghost named Barb, she’s sure it’s the most ridiculous thing she’s ever experienced. Until beautiful former tenant Nisha knocks on the door hoping to find a ring she lost in the apartment. Nisha thinks Barb might have something to do with it, and she wants to find out what’s keeping Barb around. Kara’s convinced they need to send Barb back to the land of the dead. For each to get what they want, they’ll have to work together. Kara’s not looking to get involved with anyone—especially not someone who believes in ghosts. Nisha only wants to do right by Barb. Kara’s the most frustrating person Nisha’s ever met, and she’s definitely not attracted. But as they uncover Barb’s story, they’ll learn that the power of magic is an unstoppable force.

After her father dies in a riding accident, Gina Borne’s mother loses the will to live and soon follows her husband to the grave. Not only is Gina grief-stricken – aged just 18, she faces a miserable, lonely life in the gloomy shadow of her pious uncle, who’s known as “The Preaching Peer”. Seeking escape, she successfully applies for a job as “companion” to the Earl of Ingleton’s sickly seventeen-year-old ward, Lady Alice Hanbury. It seems as though the spectre of Death is still stalking her when she finds herself at the ancient Ingle Priory, haunted by the spirits of a white lady, tortured prisoners and a crying child. Even her new charge, Lady Alice, seems to be at death’s door – and Gina realises that an evil housekeeper is slowly draining Alice of life with daily doses of poison. It seems too far-fetched to be true – surely the Earl, kindly as he is, will never believe her… Plagued by ghosts in the night, Gina strives to save her new friend from this slow, cold death as she clings to the hope that blossoming friendship and the light of love will chase all this darkness away.

Experience the Heartland's Most Memorable and Thrilling Paranormal Cases You find yourself headed down a long hallway. Suddenly, you hear feet dragging across carpet. Arctic air blows past as you see a massive, shadowy figure standing next to you. You spin to confront your attacker, only to find no one is there. In the heartland, tales of grisly deaths and unsolved murders abound—and the spirits of the dead are often left behind. Join Logan Corelli and his teams as they explore some of the creepiest haunted locations in America, where spirits and entities terrify even the most experienced investigators. The Haunted Heart of America provides tantalizing evidence of realms of existence beyond our own. Featuring firsthand investigations of famous paranormal hotspots like Waverly Hills, Myrtles Plantation, and the St. James Hotel—as well as many lesser-known though equally fascinating locations—this riveting book shares spine-chilling stories, hair-raising experiences, and fascinating physical evidence.

This book explores the development of queer Gothic fiction, contextualizing it with reference to representations of queer sexualities and genders in eighteenth and nineteenth-century Gothic, as well as the sexual-political perspectives generated by the 1970s lesbian and gay liberation movements and the development of queer theory in the 1990s. The book examines the roles that Gothic motifs and narrative strategies play in depicting aspects of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex experience in contemporary Gothic fiction. Gothic motifs discussed include spectrality, the haunted house, the vampire, doppelganger and monster. Regional Gothic and the contribution that Gothic tropes make to queer historical fiction and historiography receive attention, as does the AIDS narrative. Female Gothic and feminist perspectives are also explored. Writers discussed include Peter Ackroyd, Vincent Brome, Jim Grimsley, Alan Hollinghurst, Randall Kenan, Meg Kingston, Michelle Paver, Susan Swan, Louise Tondeur, Sarah Waters, Kathleen Winter and Jeanette Winterson.

There is no shortage of ghouls and goblins in Colorado’s Mile High City. Just ask reluctant ghost hunter Kevin Pharris, author of Riding Denver’s Rails. The Gates of Hell are rumored to lie below a hotel near Denver’s capitol building, and there are tales of restless spirits of those buried in Cheesman Park. Above the subterranean darkness, the city streets are haunted by the murderous poltergeist of the Capitol Hill Thug. Even the stately mansions of Millionaires’ Row hide their own secrets, a sad Victorian lady begs for help before vanishing in the Sheedy Mansion, and an eerie face appears on the façade of the Cresswell House. Join tour guide and reluctant ghost hunter Kevin Pharris as he takes a chilling journey through The Haunted Heart of Denver. Includes photos!

The year's best, and darkest, tales of terror, showcasing the most outstanding new short stories and novellas by both contemporary masters of the macabre and exciting newcomers. As ever, this acclaimed anthology also offers the most comprehensive annual overview of horror around the world in all its incarnations; a comprehensive necrology of famous names; and a list of indispensable contact addresses for the dedicated horror fan and writer alike. The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror remains the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to presenting the best in contemporary horror fiction. Praise for Stephen Jones: 'The best horror anthologist in the business is, of course, Stephen Jones, whose Mammoth Book of Best New Horror is one of the major bargains of this as of any other year.' Roz Kavaney 'An essential volume for horror readers.' Locus 'Stephen Jones . . . has a better sense of the genre than almost anyone in this country.' Lisa Tuttle, The Times Books

Celebrities take refuge in a white-walled mansion as plague and fever sweep into Cannes; a killer finds that the living dead have no appetite for him; a television presenter stumbles upon the chilling connection between a forgotten animal act and the Whitechapel Murders; a nude man unexpectedly appears in the backgrounds of film after film; mysterious lights menace the crew of a small plane; a little girl awakens to discover her nightlight--and more--missing; two sisters hunt vampire dogs in the wild hills of Fiji; lovers get more than they bargained for in a decadent discotheque; a college professor holds a classroom mesmerized as he vivisects Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death"... What frightens us, what unnerves us? What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the lengths of our spines? It seems the answer changes every year. Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us; the seventeen stories included in this anthology were chosen from magazines, webzines, anthologies, literary journals, and single author collections to represent the best horror of the year. Legendary editor Ellen Datlow (Poe: New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, joins Night Shade Books in presenting The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Two.