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Nocturnal Screams
Series · 7 books · 2017-2018

Books in series

Night Cries book cover
#1

Night Cries

2017

Screams echo through the thick darkness of night in this collection of three short horror tales from the dark mind of Mark Leslie. TASTE OF DARKNESS: Sensory deprivation takes on a new meaning when you let the darkness completely consume your senses of sight, sound, touch and smell, leaving you with the bitter taste of the encroaching darkness. And you'll be surprised what you find lurking there just beneath the surface and the cold, clear light of day. THE PIZZA MAN: A group of students keep getting pizza deliveries that they never ordered. Is it a strange prank, or is there something more to the mysterious man who keeps showing up at their door? LITTLE THINGS: Strange little creatures appear in the middle of the night, but Daniel is the only one who can see them. His wife, Joy, becomes distraught at the bizarre way her husband is acting, but, more horrifying is what the tiny little things are doing to her. If you're looking for three quick jaunts into worlds where darkness mingles with the echoes of cries in the night, you'll want to crack open the pages and start listening for the nocturnal screams. The stories and accompanying "behind the screams" notes from the author come to approximately 15,700 words.
Ode to Classics book cover
#2

Ode to Classics

2017

Screams echo through the thick darkness of night in this second short collection of three horror tales from the dark mind of Mark Leslie. This time the screams are an ode to the classic masters of short fiction and horrific tales. MEMENTO MORI: A CURIOUS NIGHTMARE: Inspired by the short story "A Curious Dream" this tale draws from the same sentiment Twain was projecting regarding the ill regard the living have with "taking of the deceased." Only, in this tale, the repercussions of such neglect are far more serious. THE RITUAL OF THE DRAWING: Inspired by the small-town rituals that made Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" such a memorably chilling tale, this tale explores how a town might attempt to survive in peace and prosperity with a monster in their midst. PROSPERO'S GHOST: When, decades after his death, university employees begin to digitally replicate the precious copy of Shakespeare's 1861 folio edition, renowned scholar Dr. Marshall Emerson returns from beyond the grave to put a stop to the blasphemy. Volume 2 of Nocturnal Screams contains three short tales of terror designed to both send a chill down your spine as well as allow you to reflect upon the original texts and storytellers who helped inspire them. The stories and the accompanying "behind the screams" notes from the author comprise approximately 13,500 words.
Dark Shadows book cover
#3

Dark Shadows

2017

THERE IS NO ESCAPING YOUR OWN SHADOW Dark shadows hide some of the horrors, but not all of the screams in this third collection in a series of short horror tales from the dark mind of Mark Leslie. THE SHADOW MEN : The bogeymen of the New Hampshire wilderness known as "The Shadow Men" lurk in the shadows of the trees and only come out at night in order to lure and trick children into their clutches. FOLLOW THE SHADOW : Isn't it funny how a person's shadow follows every single movement a person makes? Or could it perhaps be the other way around? What if a person was forced to follow the lead of their shadow? A MURDER OF SCARECROWS : A small east coast community becomes over-run in the middle of the night by a growing army of scarecrows that seem to appear out of nowhere. If you're looking for three quick jaunts into worlds where darkness mingles with the echoes of cries in the night, you'll want to crack open the pages and start listening for the nocturnal screams. The stories and accompanying "behind the screams" notes from the author come to approximately 14,000 words.
Literary Haunts book cover
#4

Literary Haunts

2017

The echo of screams haunt the night in this fourth collection in a series of short horror tales from the dark mind of Mark Leslie. SPIRITS : People who haven't died can still leave their spirit behind, tied to a place. Sally and Rob, two young lovers, are caught up in the legend of The Phoenix Baby, the ghostly crying that haunts a repertory cinema in Ottawa and, as they unravel the mystery they find themselves becoming inextricably entangled with the old abandoned building. FALL SPECTACLE : In the midst of a small northern community spiraling into the depths of fear and panic over an elusive dark figure rumored to be stalking the night, a young man attempts to reclaim both his innocence and the passion of his youthful first love. LESS OF A MAN : The horror of losing a loved one to a vicious wasting disease can lead a person to try almost anything to bring them back. If you're looking for three quick jaunts into worlds reminiscent of an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone, you'll want to crack open the pages and start listening for the nocturnal screams. The stories and accompanying "behind the screams" author notes come to approximately 14,300 words.
Unexpected Strangers book cover
#5

Unexpected Strangers

2018

Something Strange This Way Comes! We have been told, from the earliest days of our childhood, to be wary of strangers. From a fear of strangers who stalk their prey in their homes as darkness descends, and one mother's valiant attempt to protect her family, to an eerie encounter of two strangers in a seemingly innocent chance meeting on a lonely rural bus stop bench, and to an awkward transient who needs to avoid eye contact with the strangers he encounters lest they fall victim to his death curse, all three stand-alone shorts in this collection involve unexpected strangers meeting. Join Mark Leslie as he introduces you to Mary, to Rupert and to Peter; three people that he calls friends, but folks that are still strangers to you, and you should be weary of. At the end of the ficional jaunt, he also shares the inspiration and story behind each tale. If you enjoy weird and strange Twilight Zone, Outer Limits or Black Mirror styled dark and eerie tales, then you're sure to enjoy this collection of short tales that run about 12,000 words.
Z is for Zombie book cover
#6

Z is for Zombie

2018

Are you ready to be infected? The walking dead take center stage in these three decidedly different takes on the reanimated corpses of the recently deceased. These original tales are about mindless, flesh-seeking shells of former humans, about the still sentient undead, and about a unique and daring bet made on a boys' night out. THE ZOMBIE WHISPERER: Taking a dare and winning is everything to Robert LaChance. He lives up to his name by doing almost anything to win a bet; but what happens when his friends dare him to French-kiss a zombie? VENGEANCE IS A DELICACY BEST SERVED COLD: Martin Hecht no longer possessed a human consciousness; but all he knew is he could hear a woman screaming and it hurt his brain HIDE AND ZEKE: He was engaged in a high-stakes game of "Hide & Seek" when the zombie apocalypse began, but are his skills at hiding and evasion enough to keep Zeke alive against an army of the undead? If you enjoy weird and strange Twilight Zone, Outer Limits or Black Mirror styled dark and eerie tales, then you're sure to enjoy this collection of short tales from the dark mind of Mark Leslie. You can read the Nocturnal Screams story collection series in any order. Each volume is a stand-alone.
Something Wicked book cover
#7

Something Wicked

2018

Not For The Faint of Heart! Something wicked and slightly erotic this way comes. Four short horror tales infused with erotica result in tales designed to simultaneously arouse and disturb, to both amuse and abuse your senses. Feel an eager shiver of anticipation as you plunge into riveting tales of sex mingled with terror and marvel at the duality as your blood heats up and chills at the same time. An experimental therapy involving a man and woman being able to SWITCH bodies results in a unique sexual encounter unlike anything Dr. Watson or her patient has ever experienced. But it comes with a dark and disturbing side-effect that neither Watson nor her patient could anticipate. When a lonely single man becomes a HOUSE SITTER to look after the mansion and cat of his eclectic rich boss, his spying on the poolside sex-capades of the sensual young neighbor entices him into a lifestyle of erotic mayhem. In SOMETHING WICKED IN ME COMES, a woman's discovery that the insatiably deep dark hunger living within her might not be so much of a curse as it is a blessing. Her life as a phone-sex worker is not at all what she had wanted; but she is stuck fulfilling the fantasies of unseen men. An unpleasant memory is inadvertently unlocked as we learn the horrible truth of VICTORIA'S SECRET. These stories contain adult erotica and extremely graphic horror and are not for the faint of heart.

Author

Mark Leslie
Mark Leslie
Author · 38 books

Mark is a writer, editor and bookseller who was born and grew up in Sudbury, spent many years in Ottawa and Hamilton and currently lives in Waterloo, Ontario. When he is not writing, he tacks "Lefebvre" back onto his name and works as a book industry consultant, having been a bookseller since the 1992, the same year his first short story was published. Apart from publishing novels and non-fiction paranormal explorations under the name Mark Leslie, having works occasionally appearing on his mother's refrigerator door under the name Mark Lefebvre, and podcasting and consulting about the book industry under the name Mark Leslie Lefebvre for his Stark Publishing/Stark Reflections brand, Mark is a lover of craft beer. When he's not enjoying craft beer or playing around with his three given names, he can usually be found wandering, awestruck through bookstores or libraries.

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