<p><strong>THIS IS GOING TO HURT.</strong><br />
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The eleven stories in <em>Ugly Little Things</em> explore the depths of <strong>human suffering and ugliness</strong>, charting a course to the dark, horrific heart of the human condition. The<strong> terrors of everyday existence</strong> are laid bare in this eerie collection of short fiction from the twisted mind of Todd Keisling, author of the critically-acclaimed novels <em>A Life Transparent</em> and <em>The Liminal Man</em>.<br />
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Travel between the highways of America in “The Otherland Express,” where a <strong>tribe of the forsaken</strong> and forlorn meet to exchange identities. Witness the <strong>cold vacuum of space </strong>manifest in the flesh in “The Darkness Between Dead Stars.” Step into the scrub of rural Arizona and join Karen Singleton’s struggle to <strong>save her husband from a cult</strong> of religious fanatics in “When Karen Met Her Mountain.” Visit the small town of Dalton in “The Harbinger” and join Felix Proust as he uncovers the <strong>vile secrets</strong> rooted at the heart of Dalton Dollworks. And in the critically-acclaimed novella “The Final Reconciliation,” learn the horrifying truth behind the <strong>demise of the rock band The Yellow Kings</strong>.<br />
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With an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner <strong>Mercedes M. Yardley</strong> and illustrations by <strong>Luke Spooner</strong>, <em>Ugly Little Things</em> will be your atlas, guiding you along a lonely road of sorrow, loss, and regret. This is going to hurt—and you’re going to <em>like</em> it.<br />
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Proudly represented by <strong>Crystal Lake Publishing - Tales from the Darkest Depths.</strong><br />
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<strong><u>Interview with the Author:</u></strong><br />
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<u>What makes this collection of horror stories so special?</u><br />
<em>Todd Keisling:</em> These stories represent some of the darkest fiction I’ve ever written. I was in a bad place when I wrote most of them, and I put my thoughts to paper with the intention of sharing my dread with potential readers. These stories will cut deeply. They’ll make you weep and they’ll make you bleed.<br />
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<u>Tell us more about the theme you were going for in this horror collection?</u><br />
<em>Todd Keisling:</em> There’s a story in the collection, “The Harbinger,” which is about a doll maker who infuses her creations with the pain of her victims. The title “Ugly Little Things” comes from that story, as each tale in the collection is intended to be one of those dolls, each filled to the brim with the darker qualities of the human condition.<br />
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<strong><u>Categories:</u></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Horror</li>
<li>Horror Short Stories</li>
<li>Horror collection</li>
<li>Thriller</li>
<li>Suspense</li>
<li>Weird Fiction</li>
<li>Dark Fantasy</li>
<li>Short Fiction</li>
<li>Single Author Collection</li>
<li>Speculative</li>
<li>Literary Horror</li>
<li>Occult</li>
</ul>
