Lauren Patzer

Unsettling. Disquieting. Unnerving.This fifth annual collection from Blue Forge Press gathers thirteen stories-a story for each month of the year plus one-from diverse, thought-provoking authors unafraid to provoke, rivet, and challenge brave readers. Explore the disconcerting with stories fromDaniel DiQuinzioD.L. FowlerJoe NastaDakoda FoxxSami RidgeEllen Jordis LewisMaxwell DiMarcoBree IndigoDiane M. McPheePauline UgaldeLauren PatzerMarshall MillerJennifer DiMarco

Martin Simon is an incredibly successful car salesman hiding a secret from the world. His greatest rival is a vengeful killer... who unleashes a sinister curse. Now Martin and his girlfriend, Bibi, find themselves in a heart-pounding race against time, pursued by far more than relentless authorities.Hordes of the undead are hell-bent on claiming Martin as one of their own and his desperate flight might not be enough to escape their rotting grip. As darkness closes in, Martin and Bibi must navigate a treacherous path through a world where death is not the end, and the past has a chilling way of catching up.

Killer and victim, predator and prey, the dichotomy of death.The traditional roles in murder and evil - what happens when the roles are reversed? These tales of vengeance and evil will thrill and disturb you on many levels-sometimes the line between good and evil gets blurred beyond recognition.Seventeen tales from the archives of The Dark Collective: Inner DemonAncestral RightTo Dream of DeathWinter of DisconnectionDog Eat Dog WorldDrowned SecretsThorn in My SideHanky CrankyPlanting Seeds of the Future

Revenge and murder, heaven and hell, and everything in between.From the Shadows is an exploration of the darker parts of humanity and our collective mythology, carefully crafted and wonderfully woven to delight and fright all at once. Sixteen chilling tales pulled from the shadows: RageThe Patchwork ManMasteredCrawliesPenanceComfortCollapseDysmorphiaBurden of GuiltLossProgenyHave a DrinkPaying the PriceLoopBroodThe Choice

Plunge into ice cold realities.Embark on a journey to experience the breadth of humanity from terror and despair to hope and justice. Lauren Patzer crafted thirteen stories in everyday settings as well as fantasy and dystopian fiction sure to make you think about the human condition. Take the plunge into ice cold realities written to entertain, tantalize, and maybe even horrify.Dissonance Junction collects all twelve stories written by Lauren Patzer for the first generation of the Prompt project plus a bonus story and an extensive interview with the author. Prompt collected nine diverse storytellers-a spectrum of style, ideology, politics, race, sexuality, and religion. For one year, authors were sent a monthly writing prompt, creating flashpoints to craft their best work. Explore Prompt Winter, Prompt Spring, Prompt Summer, Prompt Autumn, and The Prompt Guidebook to discover their original stories.

Tugville is a town full of secrets.Jemma, Mary, Dom, and Teek have been friends since elementary school, brought together by family trauma and their shared mutual outcast status at high school. Their fragile foundation is shattered when urban legend is proven to be local history rather than myth. They've stuck by each other through everything-bullies, murderous foster families, abusive stepfathers, alcoholic mothers, and more-but can they survive the wrath of Granny Bael?