Later today Cemetery Dance Publications will announce the signed Limited Edition hardcover of my new mini-collection, More Than Midnight, which features five of my short stories that fall squarely in the horror category. This is a “surprise in-stock” Limited Edition and the books will be arriving in the warehouse this afternoon. There are only 750 copies of the Limited Edition and 26 copies of the Deluxe Traycased Lettered Edition.
More Than Midnight was a lot of fun to put together and I absolutely love the cover artwork by Vincent Chong and the interiors by Glenn Chadbourne. New York Times bestselling author Michael Koryta had way too many nice things to say about my work in his introduction, including this:
“Brian James Freeman brings more to the table than the simple intent to horrify you… There’s clean, sharp prose, there’s a compelling, human heart to every tale, fine touches of humor, and an astute understanding of the more powerful emotions in life — terror, sure, but also loss, grief, struggle, endurance.”
Here is the cover:
Here is the sales copy:
This collection features five tales of horror by Brian James Freeman that deal with both real and supernatural terrors. It explores locations you would never think to look in because sometimes we find our darkest demons in the most unexpected places.
• In “What They Left Behind,” a young man discovers something lurking in the basement of the old office building his father-in-law has purchased in a last ditch effort to save the family business. This thing in the basement is evil and it’s very, very hungry.
• In “The Final Lesson” you’ll meet Ronald, a mild-mannered high school teacher who has never lifted his hand in anger, but there is a darkness inside him, which has been building and boiling since his wife was brutally murdered… and he might not be able to control himself when he learns more about why she died.
• A family man discovers there are monsters taking over the world in “Among Us,” but he also learns that a chosen few can fight back if they’re willing to sacrifice everything they’ve ever known and loved.
• As “Pulled Into Darkness” opens, Edward is certain of only one thing in life: eventually his wife will find a way to kill him. Her previous failures won’t stop her from trying again and again until she succeeds… and tonight one of them won’t be leaving the house alive.
• Finally, a lonely young man’s very unusual job is taking a heavy toll on him in “Answering the Call.” He stays in the homes of the deceased during their funerals to answer the phone, receive deliveries, and deter thieves who might have seen the obituary in the newspaper. The young man has witnessed a lot of strange things over the years in the homes of the dead, and today his job will truly become a matter of life and death…
These five stories showcase Freeman’s dazzling virtuosity and imagination as his characters descend into the depths of madness. Find out why Richard Matheson has called his writing “spooky stuff” and why Stewart O’Nan has said his stories have “great velocity and impact.” There is darkness all around us, and Freeman isn’t afraid to shine a light onto the things that scare us the most.
Read more or place your order on the Cemetery Dance Publications website!
I’ve already ordered mine! You all can’t go wrong with a little BJF in your life.
Thank you!
Great title Brian! Wow, what an awesome collection that showcase your talent. Looking forward to read it!
Thanks, Mike!
Brian.
Dind’t ” What they left behind ” a title for one of Stephen King story long time ago?
I get asked this a lot, actually:
“The Things They Left Behind” by Stephen King was published in Transgressions edited by Ed McBain in April 2005, I believe. (I think there’s a general belief that King’s story’s title was a play on “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.)
“What They Left Behind” was published in Shivers III in August 2004.
[…] the end of 2011 for Brian James Freeman’s mini-collection of five tales of horror, entitled More Than Midnight, published through Cemetery Dance. Rather than depict any particular imagery taken from the tales […]