Book excerpt: The title explains it all. A Short Story Collection of Horrors, the Bizarre, and the Mysterious is a 22-story horror collection ranging from the traditional Halloween story to the very bizarre. There is a vast variety of characters, from the criminal mind to black cats, witches, the insane, Satan, and the grim reaper. If you are a horror fan, get ready for a journey loaded with twists and turns. One thing these stories all have in common is that each one has an exceptional surprise ending. The other thing they all possess is the ability to keep readers on the edge of their seat. By the time you reach the very last story, you will be left breathless and terrified. Two of these stories have won writing contests. See if you can figure out which ones. "As the author, I must be honest. Once these stories were on paper and I was removed, when I went back to read them, some of these tales even scared me." .