| Title | : | Autumn Nights: 12 Chilling Tales for Midnight (Autumn Nights, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 350 |
| Publication | : | First published August 25, 2020 |
From witches and demons to haunted circuses and deals made with hidden consequences, to ghosts and secrets buried in the past... "Autumn Nights: 12 Chilling Tales for Midnight" brings together the very best in spooky tales to tell under a harvest moon.
Created for those who get excited for Halloween, pumpkin carving, and crisp Fall weather. For those that love the things that go bump in the dark. Do you dream of windy nights and tumbling leaves even while summer days stretch on? Do you want scary bonfire stories with a wide variety of lore? This collection is perfect for you.
Even better- your purchase helps your fellow humans. All profits generated through the sales of this volume of Autumn Nights will be donated to the Feeding America's network of food banks, pantries and meal programs that serve almost every community in the United States -- 40 million people, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors.
These twelve spooky short stories originate from ten outstanding authors to delight your love of Autumn and get the hairs on the back of your neck standing at alert.
"Aurora Borealis" by Cass Kim - The waters of Lake Superior are dark, deep and cold. What secrets come out as the Northern Lights dance in the sky?
"The Glimmerseed" by Jacob Klop - Be wary good folk, for there's no turning back, after a bargain with Carnival Jack.
"Reaper" by Mallory Kelly - Leah is determined to find her four-legged pal and only friend after he vanishes in a cave, but there are demons in the dark, and not all of them are in her head.
"An Unfinished Song" by Nicole Scarano - When the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, Hanna both celebrates her birthday and mourns the anniversary of her mother's death. She believes her life could not grow grimmer, but when hooded figures suddenly surround her house, she realizes the nightmare has only just begun.
"It's the End of the World" by Martin Shannon - Things just don't add up in these unexpected end times.
"The Price" by Helen Whistberry - Everything has a price. Sometimes you just don't know what the price will be until it is too late.
"Candle and Bell" - A Short Story of Salem by K. A. Miltimore - Chloe tries to put the pieces of her life together when she has lost the magic of her mother. A fateful visit to the House of the Seven Gables makes her question what exactly it means to be a witch.
"Nothing but Red" by Meg Holeva - A girl learns some fascinating family history of meddling by a goddess only to transform into something incredible.
"The Summoning" by A.W. Wang - "With apologies to the British and presented for amusement only: one demon lord, one great horned owl, and a night-furred feline..."
"Rings" by E. H. Night - Revenge is worth an eternity.
"A Tenacious Soul" by Jacob Klop - Samuel Florence can sell water to a well, but the Waltons are stubborn as a two-headed mule. If only they had a secret he could use against them...
"The Dirt is Thirsty" by Mallory Kelly - Nic has found a secluded desert home where his mother can die in peace, but in this ghost town, the dead don't stay peaceful.
* All stories do not contain explicit gore or sex, and are meant to be safe reading for both Young Adult and Adult audiences.
Autumn Nights: 12 Chilling Tales for Midnight (Autumn Nights, #2) Reviews
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I’m always on the lookout for great Halloween and autumn themed novels as it’s my favorite season of the year, so I was thrilled to find this anthology of short stories, which not only contains wonderfully seasonal ghostly tales, but is also written for charity, with all proceeds donated to the Feeding America food banks.
In this delightful collection you can expect spooky ghosts stories, shipwrecks from long ago, a trip to see the Aurelia borealis by a chilly lake on a bitterly cold night, an eerie underwater cave where you might not make it out alive, supernatural beings lurking at every turn, a bully you want to wish away, but then everything turns out so, so wrong, a witch manifesting her powers for the first time, children lost in an enchanted wood ruled by an evil witch, a glimpse at the Salem witch trials… just everything spooky and witchy and delightful about Halloween wrapped up into a collection of well-told stories. And you can support a wonderful charity while enjoying a great read!
And owls. LOTS of owls. I loved every word. Can’t wait to read next year’s anthology.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. -
Spooky
This is a great little collection of spooky, fall-themed reads that will keep you turning the pages. The proceeds of this book go to a great cause. -
Autumn Nights: 12 Chilling Tales for Midnight is a horrifyingly wonderful collection of 12 tales of deliciously taunting fear.
Beginning with “Aurora Borealis” by Cass Kim, the stories have that underlying psychological tension that rubs up the back of your neck from the first words. These stories make you nervous from the start.
From supernatural spirit guides, to ancient wrongs needing to be righted, to witches and possessed animals, each story is unique in its telling, and its torment. These are tales you would tell around a campfire – urban myth type creations infused with just enough to make them – believable; touches of humour, moral repercussions, revisionist fairy tales, and the simple horrifying. Autumn Nights has something for everyone looking for a good scare.
So enjoyed the talent and variety of each of the writers – every story in the book is rave-worthy. Grateful to see shorts by some of my favourite talented writers, and just as grateful to have found several writers I didn’t know before.
Autumn Nights is witty, well-written, and wonderfully disturbing. Congratulations to Cass Kim, and all who contributed to the collection (including cover and formatting) – and to the wonderful cause proceeds will support. Looking so forward to the next installment! -
Perfect compilation of scary stories just in time for fall and Halloween
Loved all the different takes on the spooky stories involving owls. All of the stories are great — I especially loved Aurora Borealis by Cass Kim, which involved a young nursing aide who may have gotten more when she agrees to a private nursing gig at a remote lake house. I also loved the tragic school boy bully story, The Glimmerseed, by Jacob Klop that focused on how wishes sometimes don’t turn out the way you intended. Jacob also had another spooky story in the book, A Tenacious Soul, which examines a robbery that went awry with deadly consequences. The Price, by Helen Whistberry, reminded me of a cautionary fairy tale that starts out “Disney” but spirals into a far darker place.
Those are just a few of the great stories in the book. If you are a fan of well-written, spooky stories, this is the book for you. -
I liked this set of stories SO MUCH better than the first book (the 13 one with the cat). The theme felt better incorporated and the bulk of the stories were higher quality, imo. I'm still catching up on all my reading from the past year or two, but I want to read the 2021 book from this series very soon to get me in the fall mood. Will be adding a few of these authors to my to-read list as well (Personal faves: Klop, Whistberry, Kim, and Kelly).
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When you find yourself wearing jeans, flannel button-downs, and boots again, this is the perfect book for you to read! 'Autumn Nights' is a wonderful collection of dark YA stories meant that will immerse you into all the feels of autumn.
'Aurora Borealis' - A perfect starter to the collection. This story has a haunting feel as you read, not knowing if the strange events are real or are Kelly's nerves getting to her, making her paranoid?
'The Glimmerseed' - Life is hard for Kyle and all he wants is to feel better. A mysterious character arrives with promises of an interesting trade. This is a Rumpelstiltskin-esque story that sucks you right in.
'Reaper' - Don't hurt the dog! Kelly tells a dark tale that keeps moving. Throughout, you worry for Leah and her dog Reaper as the strange just keeps getting stranger, leaving the reader to finally take a breath after the last word.
'An Unfinished Song' - Some birthdays suck more than others and for Leah, the one after her mother's death is anything but celebratory. A fast-paced tale where Leah learns what she thought had been is very different than what it was.
'It's the End of the World' - "...and I feel fine." At least Ed Lovely does as he's a demon hunter and well-trained to handle things like the apocalypse. In this comical tale, Ed is thrown for twists and turns, taking them in stride and with humor as he babysits neatness obsessed tween Scotland, all while trying to save the world from ending.
'The Price' - A fairy tale feel of a story, Marta and her younger brothers are lured into the woods due to childish curiosities. They discover wrongs that they wish to right, but as with everything, there is a price to pay and Marta must choose if she's willing to pay without knowing the costs.
'Candle and Bell' - Salem witches are a staple of American autumn folklore and Miltimore takes a historical fictional twist in her tale, giving the reader insight as to some of the lesser known aspects of the infamous accusations. A lovely tale that will make you want to go watch 'Hocus Pocus' when you're done reading.
'Nothing But Red' - Amara's womanhood becomes a much more difficult transition as she learns in her lineage, there are supernatural monthlies to contend with. A well-done story filled with all the frustrations of learning what it's like to have your body do what comes naturally while you're trying to figure out who you are.
'The Summoning' - Demons are summoned and evil tasks will occur. Or, something will go very wrong and both demon and summoner are screwed. A hilarious tale where you don't know if you should be rooting for the demon, but you find yourself doing so anyway.
'Rings' - Could Bo just get a win? Bo struggles with being so 'Bo-ring' in his life, such a doormat, that he doesn't just crave adventure, he's going to fight to have one. As he and his bff Brady find themselves in a haunted house, Bo has to decide how much he really wants to be something other than boring.
'A Tenacious Soul' - A grifter wanders into The Bent Owl on a dark and stormy night, hoping to dry out and maybe take the proprietors for a bit of their coin. However, Samuel has no idea that the so-called bumpkins are not like his usual marks. This is a dark tale that will leave you screaming, 'Gah!'
'The Dirt is Thirsty' - And throughout the story, so is the reader. As Nic establishes himself in his new home off the grid, he tries to figure out if Rockwell is a deserted ghost town or a town of ghosts in the desert. As you read, make sure you have a glass of water beside you!
These twelve stories, each incorporating an owl as a part of the story, were absolutely a delightful read. I highly recommend 'Autumn Nights' for any before-bedtime chills you might crave. -
*3.75/5 stars*
**I received a physical copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
This is my second year receiving a copy of these creepy stories from Cass Kim, and let me just tell you, these are so fun!! I’ll just speak about each story.
Aurora Borealis by Cass Kim
-4/5 stars. Nice, creepy start to this book of stories! I liked this story. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of being a live-in nurse, but also terrified by the thought of it. This was eerie. It just made me so excited for this October and to get to the rest of these spookies!
The Glimmerseed by Jacob Klop
-3.5/5 stars. Very strange little story. I don’t think I understand? Maybe like don’t take for granted what you do have, and appreciate the life you have instead of doing whatever it takes to get the life you want? I don’t know. It was interesting, but confusing a bit.
Reaper by Mallory Kelly
-5/5 stars. Man, this one gave me so much anxiety in the best way. I was on edge the whole time. We really don’t deserve dogs at all, do we? So good.
An Unfinished Song by Nicole Scarano
-2.5/5 stars. Ehh I didn’t really care for this one. The very ending was good and made me want to give it 2.5 stars instead of 2 stars. I didn’t believe the story, it just felt rushed into.
It’s the End of the World by Martin Shannon
-2/5 stars. I didn’t like this one. I remember not really enjoying the story from last years edition from this author either, so maybe it’s just not a great writing style for me. This one just didn’t grab my attention.
The Price by Helen Whistberry
-3.5/5 stars. I liked this one! It did take me a while to get into it, but once I did, I liked it! I love a good witchy story with a twist.
Candle and Bell by K.A. Miltimore
-5/5 stars. I loved this one!! Salem is on my bucket list to visit, so this was such a fun story to visit through. I love all things witchy, so loved this one. The story was really interesting too, with a good meaning!
Nothing but Red by Meg Holeva
-4/5 stars. This one was good! It felt a bit rushed, but I mean, it is a short story, sooo. I wish it had been a bit longer, but otherwise loved the story! Shapeshifters are way creepy to me, so enjoyed that!
The Summoning by A.W. Wang
-3.5/5 stars. I was enjoying this one. It was really entertaining, but then the end just kind of lost me. I thought it was a strange way for the story to end.
Rings by E.H. Night
-4/5 stars. I liked this one! It was really interesting with a creepy twist. I didn’t expect the dark turn of the end. Really enjoyed it!
A Tenacious Soul by Jacob Klop
-4/5 stars. This one was dark! I didn’t expect it in the beginning, but it just got more strange as it went on. I did enjoy it better than the last story by this author.
The Dirt is Thirsty by Mallory Kelly
-4/5 stars. This was good! Eerie and creepy. A really good ending to the short story collection. I really loved both this author’s stories!
So, overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I took my time with it and read it over the course of October, which is the same thing I did last year, and loved it! It was so much fun. I’m so looking forward to next year’s collection!
Review also posted here:
https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c... -
When Fall arrives, I read and listen to spooky, creepy, and scary tales. In the lead-up to Halloween, it gets dark earlier each day, and after dinner I seek out short stories with some spice (though not necessarily bloody/gory).
This annual anthology was mentioned on Twitter, so I checked it out. I liked that the stories came from a variety of authors (including several I Follow on social media), that all the stories had a common theme (owls!), and that proceeds went to charity.
I chose the Audible book and listened to "12 Chilling Tales for Midnight" (last year's anthology). Each story is about an hour long; I listened to a few hours of stories & saved more for the next night. Because different authors wrote them, I never knew what creepy happenings to expect. It turned out to be a lovely, broad range from humans making regrettable mistakes to evil monsters to time travel to the importance of math and so much more.
Each story was a gem. I'll be listening to them again, possibly next week, certainly next year. I'd recommend this anthology. I'm also looking forward to other anthologies by this publisher/group! -
Full disclosure - I wrote the first story, and curated the collection.
However, I re-read the stories a month or so after it was published, and I have to say - the authors did a fantastic job. This volume is slightly different than the first Autumn Nights - not just in the theme carried from story to story (there are two in this one - did anyone catch both of them? :) ), but in the tone. The first anthology focused more on being Halloween oriented and was overall more Young Adult in feel.
This anthology is still Young Adult appropriate, but I think it has a more mature tone in a lot of the writing that makes some of the stories feel less YA. There is a mix of young adult vs adult protagonists (more YA than not) as well as a wide variety of settings.
I love both anthologies, and I think if you're looking for a collection of shorts that will get you in a a creepy, Halloweeny, wondering what's next sort of mood...these are for you! -
Great Shorts for Halloween and Beyond
To be honest, i bought this anthology because I wanted some quick reads for October and All Hallows Reads, plus I like to support Feeding America so that was a bonus. I was not expecting to be blown away by such quality writing and intense stories. Not too scary, but still pretty freaky, plenty of variety and a good cause. Thank you to all the authors! -
Hmmm. Just what I was looking for
There were definitely some formulaic, corny stories, but this book still had exactly what I was looking for: atmospheric spooky tales for the fall nights.
I was happy.
And
The story about the world saving accountant made me laugh out loud! -
Fun bite sized scary stories! I love this anthology series and so hope they do it again this year!! 🎃
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Good Collection
Interesting read, with a variety of different stories. I enjoyed them and it was a great way to get scared and help a good cause.
