Showing results by author "R.C. Matthews" in All Categories

The Black Beacon Book of Horror features dark and disturbing tales from some of the most original and imaginative authors writing in the genre today. These tales of psychological, supernatural, folk, gothic, and cosmic horror will usher you into the darkest of realms and leave you there to fend for yourself. You'll lose your way in abandoned houses and hospitals, and be trapped on stormy beaches and along foggy country roads. There are haunted dolls, creepy-crawlies, malevolent spirits, creatures of legend, Lovecraftian terrors, and the demons within our own minds. But as varied as the ...

Join the adventure through dystopian worlds, to outer planets and into a speculative future. Welcome to the Future Days Anthology. Seventeen authors imagine a future with thrilling tales, starships, unlikely heroes, and exotic aliens, all of which combine to make Future Days a must-listen sci-fi fantasy short story collection.

A terrifying science experiment unleashes a phantasmal killer from beyond the grave. An ancient tome devours the minds of all who dare read its endless pages. And a donut-shop waitress discovers a sinister secret ingredient that keeps customers coming back for more....

From Savage Realms Press comes a dark and twisted tome with over 400 pages of skin-crawling, spine-tingling horror that is sure to make you sleep with the lights on! This eclectic mix of the macabre and the maniacal features 27 tales of terror: A man purchases a painting by the notorious serial killer, John Wayne Gacy A night of seemingly harmless flirtation brings a woman much more than she bargained for A journalist's interview for a human-interest story quickly evolves into a living, breathing nightmare A man's dream of making contact with extraterrestrials has unforeseen consequences ...

❄️ A Dark Retelling of Beauty and the Beast – Where Death and Life Must Unite to End an Eternal Winter. She runs from me... But I will always find her. I am Death, a knight bound to the shadows, cursed to roam this world as a skeletal husk of the man I once was. I cannot be killed. I cannot feel warmth. And with my curse, the land has withered beneath an eternal winter. No mortal can touch me and live… Until Linora Beckett. She touched me and survived. Now, I must betray my queen, chase my temptress across the kingdom, and defend her from those who would see her destroyed. But ...

An ancient curse. A man desperate for redemption. And a witch who seeks vengeance. Victor Blackburn is living on borrowed time, cursed to die unless he can find a way to break the spell that haunts him. His only hope lies with Mercy Seymour, a witch who disappeared long ago—and the key to his survival may lie in the very woman he wronged. But Mercy isn’t looking for redemption. She wants revenge. She watched Victor commit a treacherous act, and she eagerly awaits the day his curse claims his life. However, fate has other plans. When Victor kidnaps Mercy and takes her to the foreboding ...

Only an act of pure love can shatter Shida the Silent's celestial bonds. Forged by divine hands to serve the whims of a powerful sultan, Shida the Silent, the enchanting genie, was endowed with unparalleled beauty and beguiling charm. Bestowed with the ability to satisfy every sexual desire of humans, Shida's only purpose is to infiltrate the ranks of the sultan's political adversaries, weaving her magical influence to sway their allegiances. Her mesmerizing presence becomes a formidable tool in the sultan's intricate game of diplomacy. However, amidst the intrigues of the court, Shida ...

The gods commanded me to kill the child who might destroy them… and in obeying, I lost the woman I loved. For years, I was their weapon—the Earth Gods’ assassin, bound by compulsion. When they called, I answered. I had no choice. But then they whispered a new command: kill the boy born of Death and Life. The child whose very existence terrified them. In giving that order, they didn’t just sentence the boy—they condemned me. Because the moment Daphne learned the truth—who I really was, what I had been sent to do—I lost her. Her trust. Her love. And the only chance I had to ...

Their love is forbidden... by the color of their skin, their haunted pasts, and the dark secrets they both carry. Charles Moore, known as the notorious pirate Hatchet, has lived a life of danger and regret. His past is riddled with sins, and whispers of a curse cast by New Orleans’s legendary Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, have haunted his family for years. Desperate for a way to lift the curse, Hatchet seeks out the mysterious Creole widow, Hope Leblonc. Hope is a woman who has been forced to live in the shadows. The oppressive Black Codes of New Orleans have stripped her of her freedoms, ...

Leah Anderson has one dating rule…absolutely no men in the medical field! She learned a long time ago from her biological father that men in the medical field care about one thing–themselves. Leah reluctantly agrees to spend one evening dirty dancing with her best friend’s brother, Jared, despite the fact that he is a medical student and real jerk to boot. Anything to help out her best friend! Jared Billette has secretly crushed on Leah for years and acts like a real jerk to her to keep his attraction in check. Some things in life are simply taboo, and dating your sibling’s best ...

A mysterious inheritance. A haunted castle. And a dark romance that will unravel secrets long buried. Amelia Whitmore’s life is far from ideal. Struggling financially and desperate for a new start, she receives an unexpected summons that could change everything: an inheritance from a distant relative she barely knew, tied to the enigmatic and reclusive owner of Cadworth Castle, Lucien Blackwood. With little to lose, Amelia journeys to the foreboding castle, hoping for a fresh beginning—but instead, she steps into a world filled with shadowed secrets. Lucien, the brooding and mysterious ...

As a bartender at the best club in town, Samantha knows she shouldn’t sleep with her billionaire boss. But Damon’s seductive ways are hard to ignore… A red-hot read! When I landed the best bartending job in downtown Chicago, the rules were as clear as the Grey Goose martini I mixed for him. Don’t sleep with the patrons. I had no problem with that. Money didn’t impress me. But Damon Baxter’s eyes did. Midnight blue, just like the name of his nightclub. The way they undressed me made me consider risking the most sought-after job in the service industry. Nailing the position had ...

Across a thousand battlefields and a million wars, there is always a question. What do you do when all the chips are on the table? Do you run? Try to find salvation in the arms of an easy peace? Or do you stand and fight? Send your enemies into whatever hole they crawled out of? On Deadly Ground has 10 stories handling that exact question. Each character faces the impossible in different ways, but all will be tested before the day is done. Can they earn a heroic victory amongst the endless eternity of space, or are they doomed to fall into obscurity?

Blind, trapped, and surrounded by enemies, Grace must strike a dangerous bargain with 'The Devil'—one that could cost her soul. England, 1880. After a violent childhood attack left her blind, Grace has honed her gift as a medium, using it to bring peace to restless spirits. But when she stumbles upon the body of a dead girl in the woods, Grace’s life takes a dark turn. With the threat of imprisonment in a cruel asylum, her only hope for freedom lies with Devlin, a notorious pirate with a dangerous reputation. But the price for his protection is steep—Grace must move into his haunted ...

He has one chance to win her heart the second time around... Brett will do everything in his power to win Anna in a charity auction for a single night of pleasure. Beautiful, sexy, and seemingly immune to his charms, Anna was the only woman to refuse him in college, and the only one he wanted to claim. If he plays his hand right, one night will turn into two, two nights into three... Anna never counted on Brett attending her charity event. But for one blissful night, she will finally belong to him. Come morning, she will pledge herself to another man in return for the greatest gift she ...

What happens when a runaway bride meets a devilishly handsome stranger with a dangerous secret? Madalyn Russell was supposed to say “I do.” Instead, she left her fiancé at the altar and set sail alone on what was meant to be her honeymoon cruise. The catch? She forgot to cancel the newlywed package. Now, surrounded by couples and honeymooners, she’s stuck in a lovebird’s paradise... alone. But just when she’s ready to throw in the towel, she meets Royce, a mysterious and charming stranger with his own agenda. Royce offers a proposal too tempting to refuse: he’ll pose as ...

A fantasy, science fiction, and horror anthology featuring seven short stories by well-received authors. They may scare you, thrill you, and capture your imagination. If you enjoy high-quality short stories that will excite you, then this is for you! E. R. Robin Dover’s “The Trees” (horror): In a remote desert region of southwestern New Mexico, centered along the Rio Grande, is an ancient grove of trees permeated with an evil that has always existed.

Turns out my one-night stand is actually my best friend's wedding planner. He's hanging out in our small town for the next three months, meeting with my friends, negotiating deals, and oh, he's also the main suspect in my first police investigation - the case I must solve to become a detective. And the crux of it all? I'm falling head over heels for the guy. I've dreamed my whole life of this promotion. I thought I'd never find love. Now I'm afraid I might lose both.

A grisly murder leaves a haunted estate without an heir, and a powerful medium scrambles to find answers from beyond the grave. Determined to escape the nightmarish memories of her childhood, heiress and psychic Maribeth Sommerset pursues the adventurous life of a psychic investigator, beginning with a murder, and the spirits who hover behind at the haunted Chateau Swansea.

Online dating is a nightmare, but a chance kiss from her brother's best friend could turn Jordan’s life—and heart—upside down. Jordan Billette is determined to fulfill her Grannie’s dying wish: to watch Jordan walk down the aisle in a bridal gown. But finding the perfect groom proves to be far more difficult than finding the perfect dress. After a string of disastrous dates, she turns to her brother’s best friend for advice—and gets more than she bargained for when a kiss from JT Murphy sparks an undeniable connection. JT Murphy is doing his best to keep his life on track. ...