Creatures of the Night

by Jay Raven, Beth Caudill, Stef Donev

When the contest doors opened writers everywhere were challenged to write epic flash fiction stories. But we threw in a twist: each story had to tell the tale of a creature which haunted the night; lurked in the shadows; or hid in dark places. Writers from all over the USA, UK and Canada met the challenge and from the submissions received fourteen authors were selected; some with already established writing careers, others now breaking out for the first time. Within, you will find an eclectic collection of flash fiction stories covering everything from the horrific to the humorous. There are real gems here-all waiting to scare you, thrill you, and make you laugh. Perhaps they'll even make you wonder about what's really going on out there while you're asleep. There is more here than you've bargained for-and you'll think twice before extinguishing your lights tonight.

82 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2009

About the author

Jay Raven writes Gothic dark fantasy with bite.

From vampire-hunting adventures steeped in peril to witch-burning sagas laced with suspicion and sin, his stories are packed with action, dark twists, and tormented heroes who battle evil with blade, bullet, and black humour.

Raised on classic monster cinema and vintage pulp fiction, he draws on that tradition to bring old-school creatures and cursed magic to life for a modern audience—think Van Helsing meets The Crucible, with danger, intrigue, and heart.

When not dreaming up new tales of the uncanny, he lives on the edge of 500 acres of bat-haunted woodland—perfect for conjuring whispers, secrets, and things best left buried.

Reviews

[DelGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mixed collection of well written horror stories, some with hints of gore, some a smattering of science fiction, and still others contain bits of humor. What's truly fun about this collection is that not all of the authors have been published before, so it's giving new writers a chance showcase their works in an otherwise "hard to break in", horror market. Who knows, the next Stephen King may be lurking amongst these creepy pages.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of these short horror stories were great - some of them a little off the wall!
Of course if you're a cat lover you'll have to partake in the "Nightly Appetizer" section. It's the cats' meow! I should know - I'm the author.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the stories. Love flash fiction but it is hard to compile a lot of good ones and they did a great job. My favorites were Blood Money by Jay Raven, When I'm Sixty Four by Matthew Stroescu, Paranoia by Marie Anderson & Quickening by Paul Monks.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Discover new and unusual writers--the new creatures of the literary night. Creatures of the Night is a nice anthology of flash fiction. Each story is original. Female writers truly represent within these pages. Look out guys, there are a lot of talented female writers lurking in the shadows ready to burst onto the scene!

[Heather Wildman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book holds one of my stories, and I'm proud of that, but even though it served up a fine mix of creativity in a variety of styles, I have to give it a three. I'm a terribly picky reader, and a three is pretty darn good coming from me. :) If you like short bursts of creative fiction, this book is for you.