An Assembly of Monsters

Monstrous Is a Matter of Perspective...

Classic tales throughout time pit humanity against creatures of the night, beyond mortal understanding. But what-or who-makes a monster? Folklore has its tales to tell, but might there be a different view? We present fifteen tales inspired by the masters of the macabre, Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, paying tribute to their vision of Gothic horror.

In conjunction with the Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival, we bring you stories by:

James Chambers * David Lee Summers * Aaron Rosenberg * Keith R.A. DeCandido * Hildy Silverman * Doc Coleman * Jessica Lucci * Dana Fraedrich * Ef Deal * Teel James Glenn * Christine Norris * Danielle Ackley-McPhail * Rachel A. Brune * Michelle D. Sonnier * John L. French

With an introduction by bestselling author, Dacre Stoker, great grandnephew of Bram Stoker

Award-winning author, editor, and publisher Danielle Ackley-McPhail has worked both sides of the publishing industry for longer than she cares to admit. In 2014 she joined forces with Mike McPhail and Greg Schauer to form eSpec Books. Her published works include eight novels, Yesterday's Dreams, Tomorrow's Memories, Today's Promise, The Halfling's Court, The Redcaps' Queen, Daire's Devils, The Play of Light, and Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, written with Day Al-Mohamed. She is also the author of the solo collections Eternal Wanderings, A Legacy of Stars, Consigned to the Sea, Flash in the Can, Transcendence, The Kindly Ones, Dawns a New Day, The Fox's Fire, Between Darkness and Light, Echoes of the Divine, and the non-fiction writers' guides The Literary Handyman, More Tips from the Handyman, and LH: Build-A-Book Workshop. She is the senior editor of the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series, No Longer Dreams, Heroes of the Realm, Clockwork Chaos, Gaslight & Grimm, Grimm Machinations, A Cast of Crows, A Cry of Hounds, Other Aether, The Chaos Clock, Grease Monkeys, Side of Good/Side of Evil, After Punk, and Footprints in the Stars. Her short stories are included in numerous other anthologies and collections. She is a full member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.In addition to her literary acclaim, she crafts and sells original costume horns under the moniker The Hornie Lady Custom Costume Horns, and homemade flavor-infused candied ginger under the brand of Ginger KICK! at literary conventions, on commission, and wholesale.Danielle lives in New Jersey with husband and fellow writer, Mike McPhail and four extremely spoiled cats.