The 12 Terrors of Christmas by Claudette Melanson

The 12 Terrors of Christmasby Claudette MelansonGenre: Horror Short StoriesAward-winning author Claudette Melanson offers eleven new and original stories to
make your skin crawl at any time of the year. This horror anthology
also includes an original short by Amazon International Best-Selling
Author, Lynn Lamb, titled "Bring Me Flesh and Bring Me Wine."
A special bonus story is also included by Melanson, "Mislead,"
previously published only on the Halloweenpalooza blog. Grab a cup of
cocoa and make sure the windows and doors are locked tight as you
settle in by the fire to enjoy these tales of terror, but be
warned...locks have never succeeded at keeping Santa from gaining
entry. If you enjoy a slice of horror with your holiday cheer, this
collection of Christmas horror shorts will satisfy all your dark
cravings during the holidays...and beyond.

Terror One:Who is Santa really? Does something sinister lurk beneath the red suit
and apple-cheeked visage? More importantly, what does Santa want for
Christmas?

Terror Two:It is said that every wish bears a cost...even a wish of good intent.
What do Detective Talbot and his son, Mallory, stand to lose when the
pair seek to right a wrong on Christmas Eve?
Terror Three:Christmas can be a time for great joy...but also for heart-wrenching regret.
Can the magic of Christmas Eve turn back the clock before time runs
out for Morana and her family?
Terror Four:Snow falls white and clean, seeming to purify the small town of Moon,
Pennsylvania, but the woods behind Vaughn's home have taken on a
sinister cast. The snow keeps falling in record-breaking depths, but
does evil lay hidden beneath its seemingly-innocent luster?
Terror Five:As his elves scurry to fill the toy orders for the busy season, unknown
terror creeps toward the workshop intent on releasing an evil meant
to cancel Santa's yearly deliveries forever.
Terror Six:A well-meaning elf casts a spell which could inadvertently reveal the
dark truth about Santa's workshop and its inhabitants. The world's
children may end up paying a terrifying price, proving that the path
of good intention oftentimes does indeed lead to hell.
Terror Seven:A scary twist on a classic Christmas poem
Terror Eight:Santa's sleigh plummets to the ground, tearing all hope of a merry Christmas
to bits and pieces. Will the elves be able to employ enough magic to
stitch together some sort of solution? Or will their efforts only
deliver greater horror and loss?
Terror Nine:Trinette is preparing to celebrate her first Christmas in love. Her boyfriend
says he found the perfect gift for her, but beneath the shiny red
paper and ribbon lies a secret he's kept hidden during all the months
of their courtship...
Terror Ten:The world's population explosion means business is booming at Santa's
workshop, with the need to expand making a difficult excavation below
the permafrost necessary. But the elves should use caution lest they
dig up an evil best left buried.
Terror Eleven:A special holiday treat for Maura DeLuca fans! Riptide ended on a happy
note, but how did Maura's extended family celebrate Christmas? Could
it be that the holiday didn't quite play out the way the vampires planned?
Terror Twelve:It's a dangerous time to call oneself a non-believer. Those who scoff at
Santa's existence are melting all over the world. But could the
benevolent head elf turn out to be the murderer?
Vampires, ghosts, demons, elves, werewolves, serial killers and a rampaging
Krampus are just a few of the monsters creeping amongst the pages
of The 12 Terrors of Christmas

Are you brave enough to venture inside to experience the flip side of
the typical Hallmark-themed Christmas?

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Claudette Melanson writes dark fantasy, horror and children’s books in
Kitchener, Ontario with seven bun babies at her side: Tegan, Pepper,
Butters, Beckett, Sansa, Daenerys & Caramel. She graduated from
Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BA in English, BS in
English Education and an MA in Literature. Harboring a deep
admiration of vampires since the age of five left her with the desire
to eventually become one, and now fuels the creation of her favorite
paranormal characters. She hopes to one day work full time as an
author, since there are many, many stories playing out inside her head.Inher very scant spare time, she enjoys watching Japanese Anime and
reading vampire stories...along with other genres of great fiction,
as well as riding every roller coaster she encounters in both her
hometown and away at signings. An advocate for good health and
ketogenic eating, her favorite foods are bulletproof coffee,
cashew-flour crust pizza and treats made with xylitol and almond,
coconut or cashew flours.Future dreams include a cabin boasting a roaring fire, isolated inside a
snow-filled wood in the Yukon—the perfect writing spot—and the
completion of dozens of future novels and stories. A Rabbit Rescue
fanatic and loving bunmom, she also hopes to help rescues all over
the world save many innocent lives.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * InstagramGoogle+ * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Vixen stood, legs splayed outward in panic as if she were fighting a losing battle with gravity on a sheet of ice. The witnesses each knew she was warring with the newly-acquired beast within. Her face thickened, doubled in size, snout extending to accommodate her new compliment of teeth of the same size and sharpness as a cutlet knife. Thick arctic fur sprouted out in dense, shaggy patches all over her body, spiking upward and then falling around her neck and antlers as wild and unruly as a lion’s mane. The sand-colored velvet encasing her antlers stretched to its limit before exploding forth in a cloud of feathery tatters, unable to accommodate the twist and rise of new bone replacing the old. Curving reaches of antler doubling in mass and length as they spiraled and blackened, the once rounded edges mutating into oversized, deadly thorns. Four of the same spiky extensions shot out from each hoof, adding to the were-deer’s growing arsenal of lethal weaponry. Her lengthened coat of shaggy fur rose and flared as the muscles beneath swelled and bulged, tripling in size. She threw back her enlarged head and brayed out a noise akin to a howl, one with a dark timbre intermixed, as if Vixen had drawn her own sense of horror at the situation into her voice.Cupid backpedaled away from his transformed mate, eyes bulging in fear, his hooves scraping against the stone beneath the straw even after the back corner prevented him from gaining any further ground. When this realization finally struck him, the panicked reindeer sought the closest exit and leapt to the top of the enclosure’s wall, his back feet fighting for purchase against the wood while his front hooves struggled to propel him over the barrier and into the pen next door.“Cupid!” Santa called out when Vixen lunged forward. The mad deer didn’t even roll a reddened eye in his direction; her focus was so singularly trained on Cupid’s backside. Elves came running in streams from the workshop after she sank both rows of newly-formed razors into his meaty left flank, calling forth a thundering wail of agony from Cupid’s throat. Blood spilled down his leg as the poor animal flailed and kicked, trying to break free.

Pax yanked at the red cloth of Santa’s sleeve. “Do something! Vixen will kill him if we do not stop her.” He’d no sooner finished speaking than the vicious were-deer tore loose a considerable mouthful of Cupid’s flesh, calling forth a fresh torrent of crimson from the ugly, gaping canyon of torn skin and muscle. His struggles slowed, became feeble scrapes of hoof against the unpainted pine boards.Follow the tour HERE
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