If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror

by Caleb Stephens

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Pub Date Oct 03 2022 | Archive Date Sep 30 2022

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Horror

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Description

An unlikely friendship is born in the red clay dirt of a trailer park. Two latchkey kids who will do anything to hold onto one other, despite the consequences.

A disabled boy and his sister move into a house by the sea, one haunted by a demon living in the walls.

A father on a camping trip in a remote section of Appalachia wakes to find his daughter missing, taken by something not quite human.

A traumatized teenager stumbles across a strange slide at a waterpark—one only he can see.

If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror is a visceral collection of thirteen stories that explore what happens when we open ourselves to others and dare to let them in. There are monsters on these pages, yes, ones whose teeth cut deep, but never as deep as the teeth of the monsters in the mirror.

An unlikely friendship is born in the red clay dirt of a trailer park. Two latchkey kids who will do anything to hold onto one other, despite the consequences.

A disabled boy and his sister move...

Advance Praise

"“If Only A Heart is a series of rich and vivid nightmares. Caleb Stephens powerfully weaves inhuman terrors into all-too-human tales of fraught relationships and personal suffering. Gorgeous prose. A breathtaking collection.” — Christi Nogle, author of Beulah

“If Only A Heart, at its core, has many stories that focus on family—found families, chosen yet unwanted families, families that are not actually family—and drags us on journeys that are filled with tension and often also with betrayal. A chilling, heart-wrenching collection perfect for reading under the covers—but don’t forget to come up for air.” — Ai Jiang, author of Linghun

“Stephens is an emotional torture artist: he’s jabbed my heart full of hooks, secured them with string, then played upon my fears like some pernicious puppeteer.” — Solomon Forse, editor of HOWL Society

“A cinematic roller-coaster of frightening fun. With steep drops into gory terror that leave you breathless, sharp curves that whiplash between heart and horror, Caleb Stephens’ debut collection is an absolute thrill.” — C.B. Jones, author of The Rules of the Road"