Norman Prentiss

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About Norman Prentiss

NORMAN PRENTISS is the author of ODD ADVENTURES WITH YOUR OTHER FATHER, THE APOCALYPSE-A-DAY DESK CALENDAR, and LIFE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE, and he won the 2010 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for INVISIBLE FENCES, published by Cemetery Dance (www.cemeterydance.com). He also won a 2009 Stoker for his short story, "In the Porches of My Ears," published in POSTSCRIPTS 18. Other publications include THE BOOK OF BABY NAMES, THE FLESHLESS MAN, FOUR LEGS IN THE MORNING, THE HALLOWEEN CHILDREN (written with Brian James Freeman), and THE NARRATOR (written with Michael McBride), with story appearances in BLACK STATIC, DARK SCREAMS, BLOOD LITE 3, BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR, THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR, and in five editions of the SHIVERS anthology series. His poetry has appeared in WRITER ONLINE, SOUTHERN POETRY REVIEW, Baltimore's CITY PAPER, and A SEA OF ALONE: POEMS FOR ALFRED HITCHCOCK.

Visit him online at www.normanprentiss.com.

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Titles By Norman Prentiss

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Haunted Attractions with your Other Father May 10, 2022

by Norman Prentiss

$0.99

Death separates people from each other. For a time.

This follow-up to ODD ADVENTURES WITH YOUR OTHER FATHER continues Jack and Shawn's horror/fantasy/LGBTQA+ roadtrip, chronicling their 1980s visits to out-of-the way attractions that amplify Jack's mind-projecting powers:

- A theater where the performance of a classical tragedy leaves a disturbing aftertaste.

- A haunted house that targets a specific type of victim.

- A life-size concrete replica of Stonehenge that enacts a gender bending transformation to punish a disrespecting visitor.

- And a boardwalk funhouse ride that brings about the end of the world -- in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, in the present day, their daughter Celia confronts challenges at her summer camp job, while Shawn arranges visits to his dead lover's spirit in a house he doesn't own. The lovers could be reunited permanently, If only Jack's parents could be coerced into selling their home....

With this Haunted sequel, Bram Stoker Award winner Norman Prentiss offers horror, humor, and heart in an unforgettable collision of bizarre adventures, past and present.

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Odd Adventures with your Other Father May 31, 2016

by Norman Prentiss

( 107 )

$2.99

Because one of her fathers died when she was very young, much of Celia's family knowledge comes from stories her surviving father narrates—road-trip adventures from the mid-80s that explore homophobia in a supernatural context. As she considers these adventures (a rescue mission aided by ghostly hallucinations; a secluded town of strangely shaped inhabitants; a movie star with a monstrous secret), Celia uncovers startling new truths about her family's past.

"Beautifully un-categorizable but wholly delightful, Odd Adventures With Your Other Father is a heady mix of the surreal, the poignant, the scary, and the heartwarming. A gleeful mash-up of genres, highly recommended!"

- Peter Atkins, author of Morningstar and Big Thunder, screenwriter of Hellraiser II and III, creator of Wishmaster

"Strange, darkly comic, wonderful book of two fathers and one daughter and just how weird and bright the world can be in the shadows of life."

- Douglas Clegg, New York Times bestselling author

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

The Best Horror of the Year Volume 2 Mar 1, 2010

by Ellen Datlow

( 74 )

$11.99

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.

Other Formats: Paperback

Shivers VII Nov 19, 2014

by Clive Barker, Bill Pronzini, Graham Masterton, Stephen King, Rick Hautala, Rio Youers, Ed Gorman, Norman Partridge, Norman Prentiss, Richard Chizmar

( 40 )

$4.99

Cemetery Dance Publications is proud to announce the seventh entry in this award-nominated and best-selling anthology series! In addition to the affordable trade paperback edition for general readers, this volume will also be published as a signed Limited Edition hardcover and a signed and traycased Lettered Edition hardcover, both of which will signed by the editor for the collectors!

Shivers VII contains more than 100,000 words of chilling fiction from more than two dozen of today's most popular authors of horror and suspense including Stephen King, Clive Barker, Graham Masterton, Ed Gorman, Bill Pronzini, Lisa Tuttle, Kaaron Warren, Del James, Lisa Morton, Roberta Lannes, Scott Nicholson, Bev Vincent, Brian James Freeman, Norman Prentiss, and many others.

Of special note to collectors: "Weeds" by Stephen King was originally published in Cavalier magazine in May 1976 and in Nugget magazine in April 1979, but has not been reprinted since, although it was adapted as "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" for Creepshow in 1982. "The Departed" by Clive Barker was originally published as "Hermione and the Moon" in The New York Times on October 30, 1992.

Featuring original dark fiction with a handful of rare reprints, Shivers VII is available only from Cemetery Dance Publications.

Dark Screams: Volume Six Apr 25, 2017

by Stephen King, Norman Prentiss, Joyce Carol Oates, Brian James Freeman, Richard Chizmar

( 140 )

$5.99

Stephen King, Lisa Morton, Nell Quinn-Gibney, Norman Prentiss, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tim Curran plunge readers into the dark side in this deeply unsettling short-story collection curated by legendary horror editors Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar.

THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King
Richard Drogan has been spooked ever since he came back from Nam, but he’s no head case, dig? He just knows the old dude needs to die.

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton
Even though she made her name revealing the private lives of the rich and famous, Sara Peck has no idea how deep their secrets really go . . . or the price they’ll pay to get what they desire.

THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney
A trip to the nail salon is supposed to be relaxing. But as the demons of the past creep closer with every clip, even the most serene day of pampering can become a nightmare.

THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss
It’s a little strange how baby Lydia can only be soothed by her grandfather’s unnatural voice, ravaged by throat cancer. The weirdest part? What he’s saying is more disturbing than how he says it.

THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates
There are certain lessons children must learn, rules they must follow, scars they must bear. No lesson is more important than this: Never question Daddy. Or else.

THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran
Grave robbers Kierney and Clow keep one step ahead of the law as they ply their ghoulish trade, but there’s no outrunning a far more frightening enemy that hungers for the dead.

Praise for the Dark Screams series

“A wicked treat [featuring] . . . some of the genre’s best.”—Hellnotes, on Volume One

“Five fun-to-read stories by top-notch horror scribes. How can you lose? The answer: you can’t.”—Atomic Fangirl, on Volume Two

“If you have not tried the series yet, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of any (or all) of the books for yourself.”—Examiner.com, on Volume Three

“Fans of horror of every variety will find something to love in these pages.”—LitReactor, on Volume Four

“[Volume Five] runs the gamut from throwback horror to lyrical and heartbreaking tales.”—Publishers Weekly

Dark Screams: Volume Two Mar 3, 2015

by Robert R. McCammon, Richard Christian Matheson, Graham Masterton, Brian James Freeman, Richard Chizmar

( 178 )

$3.99

Robert McCammon, Norman Prentiss, Shawntelle Madison, Graham Masterton, and Richard Christian Matheson scale new heights of horror, suspense, and grimmest fantasy in Dark Screams: Volume Two, from Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the renowned Cemetery Dance Publications.

THE DEEP END by Robert McCammon
Everyone thinks the drowning death of Neil Calder in the local swimming pool was a tragic accident. Only his father knows better. Now, on the last night of summer, Neil returns in search of revenge.

INTERVAL by Norman Prentiss
Flight 1137 from St. Louis by way of Nashville has gone missing. As anxious friends and family gather around the gate, a ticket clerk finds herself eyewitness to a moment of inhuman evil.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK by Shawntelle Madison
Eleanor has come from New York City to prep an old Victorian house in Maine for America’s Mysterious Hotspots. Although she’s always thrown herself into her work, this job will take her places she’s never dreamed of going.

THE NIGHT HIDER by Graham Masterton
C. S. Lewis wrote about a portal that led to a world of magic and enchantment. But the wardrobe in Dawn’s room holds only death—until she solves its grisly mystery.

WHATEVER by Richard Christian Matheson
A 1970s rock ’n’ roll band that never was—in a world that is clearly our own . . . but perhaps isn’t, not anymore . . . or, at least, not yet—takes one hell of a trip.

Praise for Dark Screams: Volume Two

“Dark Screams: Volume Two [is] a worthwhile read and a great entry to this series. If this upward trend in quality continues, we are sure to see amazing things in the volumes to come.”—LitReactor

“[Brian James Freeman] and Richard Chizmar set themselves a high standard with the first volume, and it’s good to see that they have maintained that level of excellence. . . . If you like good, solid horror, check it out. I’ve found some new authors to read.”—Adventures Fantastic

“Five fun-to-read stories by top-notch horror scribes. How can you lose? The answer: you can’t.”—Atomic Fangirl

“Once I started this book, I didn’t want to read anything else.”—Carole’s Random Life

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , MP3 CD

Apocalypse-a-Day Desk Calendar, Volume 1 Dec 13, 2017

by Norman Prentiss

( 9 )

$0.99

Destroying the World, One Day at a Time...

In this eclectic assortment of flash fiction, Bram Stoker Award-winner Norman Prentiss concocts a different end-of-the-world scenario for each calendar day (Volume 1 covers January through March). The stories range from humorous to bizarre to unsettling, commemorating holiday and observance days (New Year's or Valentine's Day, National Pig Day), famous birthdays (Robert Frost, Charles Dickens), or notable historical events (the first computer...and the first computer virus). Other daily entries include a riff on the first (and only) golf game on the moon; and "The Milking of Elm Farm Ollie," which reinvigorates an in-flight publicity stunt by adding apocalyptic results.

Volume 1 includes more than 40,000 words of doomsday fiction, ready to be sampled in small doses just like the pages of those desk calendars you buy for 50%-off in February...or available all at once for your immediate binge-reading pleasure!

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Halloween Carnival Volume 5 Oct 31, 2017

by Richard Chizmar, Lisa Tuttle, Norman Prentiss, Kevin Quigley, Brian James Freeman

( 33 )

$2.99

Richard Chizmar, Lisa Tuttle, Norman Prentiss, Kevin Quigley, and Peter Straub unmask monsters hiding in plain sight in an anthology of heart-pounding short fiction assembled by horror author and editor Brian James Freeman.

DEVIL’S NIGHT by Richard Chizmar
You’ve read about what happened that night. What you don’t know is the true extent of the damage. The papers got it wrong—and the truth is so much worse than you thought.

THE LAST DARE by Lisa Tuttle
Elaine hasn’t been back to her hometown in years. The house she lived in is gone. The tower house isn’t—nor are the stories of the fate that befalls whoever dares to go there.

THE HALLOWEEN BLEED by Norman Prentiss
People think there’s some sort of mystical power that allows enchantments and witchcraft to come to life on Halloween night. But real magic obeys no calendar—and true evil strikes whenever it’s least expected.

SWING by Kevin Quigley
In Hollywood, everyone lives forever. At least that’s what I used to think . . . before Jessica. But no one seems to live long when they’re around me.

PORK PIE HAT by Peter Straub
When it comes to jazz, there are players, and there are legends. “Hat” was a legend. His real name didn’t even matter. Still, he had his secrets—secrets best left buried in the past.

Praise for Halloween Carnival Volume 5

“This miniature cavalcade of spine-tingling and thought-provoking horrors lives up to its name and is the perfect Halloween treat.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Life in a Haunted House May 15, 2017

by Norman Prentiss

( 22 )

$0.99

Brendan has always been fascinated by the low-budget horror films of Bud Preston. Imagine his surprise when he moves to a new town and discovers a high school classmate is the daughter of his favorite director. Melissa Preston’s home contains exciting secrets about such strange films as THE STONE STAIRWAY and THE DUNGEON OF COUNT VERLOCK. But Brendan’s film-fan obsessions threaten to undermine his new friendship...before he can truly understand what it means to spend LIFE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE.

"Prentiss continues to chart his own path through the horror genre...A poignantly moving, sometimes funny and oftentimes bittersweet human portrayal of a young man trying to make sense of his parents’ divorce, his place in the world, and the true meaning of friendship...I can do no less than give Life in a Haunted House my highest recommendation." -- Cemetery Dance Online

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2010 Dec 18, 2010

by Paula Guran

( 24 )

$6.99

Darkness surrounds us. We can find darkness anywhere: in a strange green stone etched with mysterious symbols; at a small town's annual picnic; in a ghostly house that is easy to enter but not so easy to leave; behind the dumpster in the alley where a harpy lives; in The Nowhere, a place where car keys, toys, people disappear to; among Polar explorers; and, most definitely, within ourselves. Darkness flies from mysterious crates; surrounds children whose nightlights have vanished; and flickers between us at the movie theater. Darkness crawls from the past and is waiting in our future; and there's always a chance that Halloween really is a door opening directly into endless shadow. Welcome to the dark. You may never want to leave. This inaugural volume of the year's best dark fantasy and horror features more than 500 pages of dark tales from some of today's finest writers of the fantastique. Chosen from a variety of sources, these stories are as eclectic and varied as the genre itself.

Other Formats: Paperback

Quiet House: A Halloween Short Story Oct 8, 2012

by Norman Prentiss

( 10 )

$0.99

On October 29, the Halloween decorations disappeared from the Myrick lawn. Instead, an official sign appeared at the edge of the property: "Quiet Zone: Death in the Family."

This year, Jeremy would finally be allowed to trick or treat without his parents' supervision, and he'd been looking forward to visiting the neighborhood¹s most famous October attraction. Now, after all his anticipation, it felt like Halloween had been cancelled. To his young mind, even a grieving family deserves some version of the traditional "trick" but Jeremy's impulsive act of revenge has far-reaching, terrifying consequences.

Invisible Fences Aug 28, 2011

by Norman Prentiss

( 96 )

$0.00

**Bram Stoker Award-winner for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction**

Do you see the point of the story, Nathan? We all cut parts of ourselves away, but we never lose them. Things stay with us--souvenirs with memories attached. We can't always choose what to keep, what to throw away.

Nathan's parents devised cautionary tales for him and his sister--gruesome stories about predatory cars racing along the "Big Street" at one end of their neighborhood, or dope fiends lurking in the woods behind their house and ready to plunge hypodermics into the skin of foolish young trespassers. These stories served their purpose during Nathan's gullible childhood, essentially constructing an invisible fence around the yard and keeping the boy close to home where he'd be safe.

Such barriers are not so easy to discard in later life. As an adult, Nathan no longer believes his parents' stories, and yet they still confine him. He lives cautiously, avoiding serious relationships, avoiding risk. But despite his efforts, something from his parents' cautionary tales threatens to creep beneath that invisible border...and the enclosed yard might not be as safe and secure as it always seemed...

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

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