Welcome to the world of John McIlveen. Enter, please, but be warned… here you will find tales that blur the lines of horror, vengeance, humor, sorrow, and humanity. You will encounter broken people with dark secrets and darker desires. Meet Justice, whose art exposes your soul. Ride along as a man’s search for his daughter reveals that sometimes the best way to heal old scars is to make new ones. Go on vacation with the Seth’s, who are forced to play a game that is every parent’s nightmare. Play a Sunday game of softball with the most unusual team imaginable. You will experience the foulest parts of humanity, as well as the funniest and sweetest. Some of these stories will make you laugh, some will anger or shock you, but all of them will affect you. You will love, hate, and sympathize with the characters, possibly at the same time. "A disturbing and thoroughly entertaining creepfest. So much wicked fun." — By Jonathan Maberry -NY Times Bestseller "John’s not afraid... he pulls no punches." — New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden “McIlveen paints with a broad palette of colors, and he blends them and highlights them with a master’s touch. Tragedy and comedy, vengeance and salvation, hope and horror, the absurd and the sublime, all skillfully worked into the same pages and presented here for our enjoyment.” -– James A. Moore, Author of The Seven Forges series 'Shocking, moving, and always surprising, John McIlveen's Inflictions will delight and terrify the reader in equal measures. A solid collection from a talented writer.' — Tim Lebbon, author of Coldbrook Contents of this collection: Paint It Black Infliction Jerks Make a Choice A Mother’s Love Smokey Roundabout Succumb Portraits Nina The Confession of a Confirmed Has Been Signs Simon Says Desolation Hope Saddled Vengeance Finding Forever Hell to Pay What If … Devotion The Bore A Perfect Man In Defense of … Playing the Huddys