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The Impostor and Other Dark Tales
The beautiful and the bizarre
Something watches from the corner of the room, peeking through a crack, existing within an impossible space—what does it want?
The ghost of a lover returns at the end of a lifetime, carrying a dark secret—what will she say?
A woman struggling with identity finds herself in the arms of a dangerous woman with a mysterious curse—what will she find?
The beautiful and the bizarre exist side by side in this collection of fantastic and strange tales by prolific short story author, Marlena Frank. From dark fantasy stories of sharp-toothed mermaids and bewitched sorceresses to horror stories with ferocious bird beasts and golden-eyed monsters that live in the peripheral of human existence, these stories bring to life the creatures that haunt the nightmare world.
From heart-rending to heart-pounding, these tales will linger long after reading them.
Something watches from the corner of the room, peeking through a crack, existing within an impossible space—what does it want?
The ghost of a lover returns at the end of a lifetime, carrying a dark secret—what will she say?
A woman struggling with identity finds herself in the arms of a dangerous woman with a mysterious curse—what will she find?
The beautiful and the bizarre exist side by side in this collection of fantastic and strange tales by prolific short story author, Marlena Frank. From dark fantasy stories of sharp-toothed mermaids and bewitched sorceresses to horror stories with ferocious bird beasts and golden-eyed monsters that live in the peripheral of human existence, these stories bring to life the creatures that haunt the nightmare world.
From heart-rending to heart-pounding, these tales will linger long after reading them.
About the author
Marlena Frank
34 books230 followersMarlena Frank has always been fascinated by monsters, and now gets to write about them. She is the author of young adult fantasy and horror standalone novels, short stories, novellas, and series. Many of her books have hit the Amazon bestseller charts, including her debut novel, Stolen, and her latest release, The Impostor and Other Dark Tales. In 2022, she will be kicking off her young adult dark fantasy series The Wolves of Kanta featuring werewolves, steampunk, and mad scientists. She also has shorter work coming out in several anthologies.
Although she was born in Tennessee, Marlena has spent most of her life in Georgia. She lives with her sister and three spoiled adopted cats. She is an affiliate of the Atlanta Chapter of the Horror Writers Association and is an avid member of the Atlanta cosplay community.
She is also an INFJ, a tea drinker, and a wildlife enthusiast.
She is also a Hufflepuff, an INFJ, a tea drinker, and a wildlife enthusiast.
Although she was born in Tennessee, Marlena has spent most of her life in Georgia. She lives with her sister and three spoiled adopted cats. She is an affiliate of the Atlanta Chapter of the Horror Writers Association and is an avid member of the Atlanta cosplay community.
She is also an INFJ, a tea drinker, and a wildlife enthusiast.
She is also a Hufflepuff, an INFJ, a tea drinker, and a wildlife enthusiast.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 31, 2021
This was the perfect little collection that I needed. Wonderful writing, dark tales with creative twists. It’s hard to pick a favorite because I loved them all, but I would probably have to say The Mermaid’s Kiss!
August 18, 2021
Huge thanks to the author for the review copy of this book!
Marlena Frank jolted me when she told me had published a series of short stories. If you don't know the author's works, get familiar. The STOLEN series grabbed me by the heart while THE SEEKING had me screaming. She has a way with words and when you read them, you will find yourself realizing something about yourself that you never knew existed. That being said, THE IMPOSTER AND OTHER DARK TALES will give you exactly what it promises and each story will tug at your heartstrings and creep you the eff out. Trust me.
I won't get too deep into each story because I want you all to be as surprised as me, but my favorite has to be La Femme En Rouge. The story is about a person struggling with their identity while living with a father who doesn't understand. I will continue to be amazed at how authors can fit such stories into only a few pages (this is one of the longer ones though) and still manage to wow me, but I digress. This particular story is going to stick with me for a long time to come. It's thought-provoking, sad, and hopeful all in one.
Oh my God. So, if you want a zombie story that's gruesome and incredible, Dead Man's Hill will have your jaw on the floor in just under eight pages.
A Slippery Customer...I did not see that coming. I'm still anxiously scratching the back of my head.
Those Terrible Golden Eyes reminded me so much of interstate 16. When I lived in GA we would go to Savannah quite a lot and that road...UGH If you drive it, be sure not to go into any creepy houses along the way ;)
Just Too Sweet has me cutting off sugar for the remainder of my life.
Okay, so those were my favorites. The book doesn't come out until September 28th, but if you're awesome, you'll swing on over to Amazon and preorder it. Support indie authors. Support creepy tales to keep you up at night.
*waves slowly and then retreats into the shadows*
Marlena Frank jolted me when she told me had published a series of short stories. If you don't know the author's works, get familiar. The STOLEN series grabbed me by the heart while THE SEEKING had me screaming. She has a way with words and when you read them, you will find yourself realizing something about yourself that you never knew existed. That being said, THE IMPOSTER AND OTHER DARK TALES will give you exactly what it promises and each story will tug at your heartstrings and creep you the eff out. Trust me.
I won't get too deep into each story because I want you all to be as surprised as me, but my favorite has to be La Femme En Rouge. The story is about a person struggling with their identity while living with a father who doesn't understand. I will continue to be amazed at how authors can fit such stories into only a few pages (this is one of the longer ones though) and still manage to wow me, but I digress. This particular story is going to stick with me for a long time to come. It's thought-provoking, sad, and hopeful all in one.
Oh my God. So, if you want a zombie story that's gruesome and incredible, Dead Man's Hill will have your jaw on the floor in just under eight pages.
A Slippery Customer...I did not see that coming. I'm still anxiously scratching the back of my head.
Those Terrible Golden Eyes reminded me so much of interstate 16. When I lived in GA we would go to Savannah quite a lot and that road...UGH If you drive it, be sure not to go into any creepy houses along the way ;)
Just Too Sweet has me cutting off sugar for the remainder of my life.
Okay, so those were my favorites. The book doesn't come out until September 28th, but if you're awesome, you'll swing on over to Amazon and preorder it. Support indie authors. Support creepy tales to keep you up at night.
*waves slowly and then retreats into the shadows*
September 27, 2021
Little snippets of gold; stories that are heart wrenching at times and beautiful even in their darkness, at others. Smooth, easy reading. Short stories with a great depth of meaning. Guaranteed to stay hooked with every one. A waiting room, coffee table classic.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 8, 2021
I absolutely LOVE this author’s writing!! Her dark, creepy short stories are always so awesome!!! This collection is fantastic, I loved all of the stories. They are so twisted and twilight zone-ish!! If you enjoy creepy, horror, then you will love this collection!!
September 28, 2021
This is one engaging anthology! Truly you will find a juicy nugget or two between these dark pages. I love ALL OF THE STORIES and can’t recommend the book enough. But let’s highlight a few of my favorites! 😊
Curse of Beauty: I cried, ya’ll. Seriously. This story hit a note of sadness that I didn’t see coming. I wanted the beautiful one (you will need to read this to understand) to get some (spoiler) but alas. It is a story of darkness so…
La Femme En Rouge: I FREAKING LOVE THIS STORY!!! I felt the streets of New Orleans. Smelled it’s heat and delicious food. But most of all, I felt Josie. She JUMPED OFF THE PAGE! And the little twist at the end…I am here for it!
The Dirty Floor: Was symbolic to the entire anthology. That is just my opinion. A short piece of fiction to get your mind moving.
Tiny Necks: This story scared the hell out of me. THAT IS ALL!!!!
A Slippery Customer: This is a story straight out of the Twilight Zone and should have been on that damn show. SERIOUSLY!! I have begged the author to continue this lovely nugget and when you read it, you will understand. I mean I even heard theme music playing with this one. Such a twisty, dark tale.
The Imposter: My first impulse with this story was to cry. Then I thought, that’s what the hell you get. Then I thought, OMG!!! Like I was left with my mouth hanging open trying to wrap my head around it. Be prepared with this one. BE PREPARED!
Like I said before, you will find some darkness and delight in this anthology. So make sure you grab your copy today!
Curse of Beauty: I cried, ya’ll. Seriously. This story hit a note of sadness that I didn’t see coming. I wanted the beautiful one (you will need to read this to understand) to get some (spoiler) but alas. It is a story of darkness so…
La Femme En Rouge: I FREAKING LOVE THIS STORY!!! I felt the streets of New Orleans. Smelled it’s heat and delicious food. But most of all, I felt Josie. She JUMPED OFF THE PAGE! And the little twist at the end…I am here for it!
The Dirty Floor: Was symbolic to the entire anthology. That is just my opinion. A short piece of fiction to get your mind moving.
Tiny Necks: This story scared the hell out of me. THAT IS ALL!!!!
A Slippery Customer: This is a story straight out of the Twilight Zone and should have been on that damn show. SERIOUSLY!! I have begged the author to continue this lovely nugget and when you read it, you will understand. I mean I even heard theme music playing with this one. Such a twisty, dark tale.
The Imposter: My first impulse with this story was to cry. Then I thought, that’s what the hell you get. Then I thought, OMG!!! Like I was left with my mouth hanging open trying to wrap my head around it. Be prepared with this one. BE PREPARED!
Like I said before, you will find some darkness and delight in this anthology. So make sure you grab your copy today!
February 25, 2022
The Imposter and other Dark Tales by Marlena Frank
🌟🌟🌟
I will preface this review by pointing out that I am often not a big fan of short stories. I like long books because I expect hard core world building when I read fantasy or anything, and that is a real challenge to accomplish in a short story.
So this book had 18 short stories in it. Two of them I really liked and several more I liked, but a few were just weird and I didn’t like them at all, which I think soured the story for me a bit.
The stories were a real mix. Some were darker than others. Some were based off of things, and some were entirely invented. Some were urban and some fantastical.
So if you enjoy dark and twisted short stories I would say give this book a try. My dislike of short writing probably impacted my review of this, but the dark and twisty part was interesting for the most part. So if short is your thing, I would suggest you check this book out.
🌟🌟🌟
I will preface this review by pointing out that I am often not a big fan of short stories. I like long books because I expect hard core world building when I read fantasy or anything, and that is a real challenge to accomplish in a short story.
So this book had 18 short stories in it. Two of them I really liked and several more I liked, but a few were just weird and I didn’t like them at all, which I think soured the story for me a bit.
The stories were a real mix. Some were darker than others. Some were based off of things, and some were entirely invented. Some were urban and some fantastical.
So if you enjoy dark and twisted short stories I would say give this book a try. My dislike of short writing probably impacted my review of this, but the dark and twisty part was interesting for the most part. So if short is your thing, I would suggest you check this book out.
November 22, 2021
A cool and creepy collection of short stories I highly recommend.
October 22, 2021
It's spooky season! If you're in the mood for some creepy stories I have one for you!
These stories are not super scary so don't expect that. They're the kind of stories that will have you looking in that dark corner of your room just to be sure you know?
18 dark tales of different lengths but all great in their own way. My first read by Marlena Frank and I highly enjoyed it.
I recommend it for this Halloween season!
These stories are not super scary so don't expect that. They're the kind of stories that will have you looking in that dark corner of your room just to be sure you know?
18 dark tales of different lengths but all great in their own way. My first read by Marlena Frank and I highly enjoyed it.
I recommend it for this Halloween season!
October 4, 2021
I received an ARC free from VRO and this is my voluntary honest review.
Be prepared for horror!
Dark! Twisted! Creepy!
Tales with a creative, smooth, easy read!
Wow!
Be prepared for horror!
Dark! Twisted! Creepy!
Tales with a creative, smooth, easy read!
Wow!
October 24, 2021
Great collection of dark tales. I enjoyed it and would recommend to others who enjoy these types of stories.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews