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WHEN DARKNESS LOVES US by Elizabeth Engstrom, introduced by Grady Hendrix Sally Ann and Martha. Two Women, searching for love. Finding Terror. During a terrifying storm, a gentle childhood is destroyed by a twisted man who promises love but delivers nightmare. In the lightless depths of an underground labyrinth, unseen creatures lie in wait for an innocent traveler, cold skeletal hands stretched out in welcome.

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THE NEST by Gregory A. Douglas, introduced by Will Errickson It was just an ordinary garbage dump on peaceful Cape Cod. No one ever imagined that conditions were perfect for breeding, that it was a warm womb, fetid, moist, and with food so plentiful that everything creeping, crawling, and slithering could gorge to satiation. Then a change in poison control was made, resulting in an unforeseen mutation. Now the giant mutant cockroaches are ready to leave their nest--in search of human flesh!

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From the pages of Grady Hendrix's best-selling Paperbacks from Hell (Quirk Books, 2017), Valancourt Books is pleased to announce a new limited series of five long-unavailable paperback horror gems from the '70s and '80s, chosen by Grady Hendrix and Will Errickson (Too Much Horror Fiction).  All five titles will be available for a limited time in a special mass-market size format, and in some cases will feature their original glorious paperback cover art. Each book will feature a brand-new introduction written specially for this edition by either Hendrix or Errickson. VISIT OUT WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO!

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A torrential downpour forces Philip and Margaret Waverton and their friend Roger Penderel to seek shelter in an ancient, crumbling mansion inhabited by the strange and sinister Femm family. Determined to make the best of the circumstances, the benighted travellers drink and talk to pass the time while the storm rages outside. But as the night progresses and tensions rise, dangerous and unexpected secrets emerge. On the house’s top floor are two locked doors: behind one of them is the mysterious, unseen Sir Roderick Femm, while the other conceals something terrifying and deadly ... Benighted (1927), a classic ‘old dark house’ story of psychological terror, was the second novel by one of the most prolific and beloved British authors of the 20th century, J.B. Priestley (1894-1984). This edition includes an introduction by Orrin Grey, who discusses the connections between the novel and its film adaptation, James Whale’s The Old Dark House (1932).

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One of the finest and best-selling horror novels of the 1970s returns at last to chill a new generation of readers In the isolated farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, where life has changed little over the past several decades, John Moore and his wife Mim work the land that has been in his family for generations. But from the moment the charismatic Perly Dinsmore arrives in town and starts soliciting donations for his auctions, things begin slowly and insidiously to change in Harlowe. As the auctioneer carries out his terrible, inscrutable plan, the Moores and their neighbors will find themselves gradually but inexorably stripped of their freedom, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives ... ​ A chilling masterpiece of terror whose sense of creeping menace and dread increases page by page, Joan Samson’s The Auctioneer (1975) is a rediscovered classic of 20th-century fiction. With echoes of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Stephen King’s Needful Things, Samson’s novel returns to print at last in this long-awaited new edition, which features an introduction by Grady Hendrix (Horrorstör, Paperbacks from Hell) and an afterword by the author’s husband.

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Now available! Though best known for his classic novel of Edwardian childhood The Go-Between, L. P. Hartley was also a master of supernatural and macabre fiction, the best of which is collected in The Travelling Grave and Other Stories . This volume demonstrates Hartley’s versatility, ranging from traditional ghost stories like ‘Feet Foremost’ and ‘The Cotillon’ to the wickedly black humour of the horror masterpieces ‘The Travelling Grave’ and ‘The Killing Bottle’. Originally published in 1948 and long out of print, this collection features twelve of Hartley’s finest tales, presented in this edition with a new introduction by John Howard.

Now available: Hardcover Website | Amazon US | Amazon UK Paperback Website | Amazon US | Amazon UK eBook Website | Amazon US | Amazon UK   

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AUDIOBOOK now available! ‘An unsung classic of the bizarre that ranks with Crash and The Wasp Factory.’ - Fright.com. The basis for the acclaimed 1989 film Baxter, Ken Greenhall’s utterly chilling and long-unobtainable HELL HOUND (1977) has earned a reputation as a lost classic of horror fiction. Narrated by two-time Audie Award winning narrator R.C. Bray. #kengreenhall #hellhound  #baxter #horror #horrorfiction #horrorofinstagram #1970s #audiobooks #audible

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Coming. October. Blackwater.

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June is LGBT Pride Month, and to celebrate, we're offering a 2-for-1 deal all month long on all ebooks in our LGBT literature catalog! It's easy: purchase any LGBT ebook using our Paypal button, then send us an email or message to let us know which other ebook (of equal or lesser price) you'd like for free! Applies only to ebooks purchased from the Valancourt website (not Amazon). Complete list of titles here: http://www.valancourtbooks.com/rediscovered-lgbt-literature.html

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We have a bunch of Audible download codes to give away for one of our newest releases - just send us a message on our Facebook page with your email address, and whether you're in the US or UK. Once you've listened, we'd be grateful if you post a review to let us know what you think!

“A whirlwind of horror!” – Library Journal “An unsettling piece of work.” – New York Times

 Book Description “If you were to go into your bedroom tonight – perhaps by candlelight – and sit quietly before the large mirror, you might see what I have seen. Sit patiently, looking neither at yourself nor at the glass. You might notice that the image is not yours, but that of an exceptional person who lived at some other time . . .” The image in the mirror of fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Cuttner is that of the fey and long-dead Frances, who introduces Elizabeth to her chilling world of the supernatural. Through Frances, Elizabeth learns what it is to wield power – power of a kind that is malevolent and seemingly invincible. Power that begins with the killing of her parents . . .

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When Philip Callow’s Common People was first published in 1958, reviewer John Betjeman described it as “a genuine cry from a class usually silent in the literary world” and hailed it as one of the best books of the year. The story of a young working-class man from the Midlands who dreams of escaping to an exciting life in London but is torn between his desire for an artistic career and his need to be married and “know common joys”, Callow’s novel was widely praised for its originality and authenticity.

This first-ever reissue, featuring an introduction by Ben Clarke, will allow a new generation of readers to discover a work that deserves a place alongside its more famous contemporaries like John Braine’s Room at the Top and Alan Sillitoe’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

REVIEWS

“The most brilliantly successful account of English working-class life I have ever encountered in any medium.” – Penelope Mortimer, Sunday Times

“It is alive, the direct stuff of life, so direct it scarcely has the form of fiction, so present it is painful, so truthful it is cleansing, salutary and exhilarating.” – Isabel Quigly, Encounter

“Done beautifully, with fine economy.” – J. B. Priestley

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‘What are the possibilities of my strength? That is a thought I have never had before. What if some morning as the old woman stood at the head of the staircase she were suddenly to feel a weight thrusting against the back of her legs? What if she were to lunge forward, grasping at the air, striking her thin skull against the edge of a stair? What would become of me if she were found unmoving at the bottom of the stairway?’ Such are the thoughts of Baxter, a sociopathic bull terrier on the hunt for the perfect master, as he contemplates the demise of his first victim. The basis for the acclaimed 1989 film Baxter, Ken Greenhall’s utterly chilling and long-unobtainable Hell Hound (1977) has earned a reputation as a lost classic of horror fiction. This first-ever reissue includes a new introduction by Grady Hendrix.

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Eltonsbrody (1960) Edgar Mittelholzer With a new introduction by John Thieme Book Description When Woodsley, a young English painter, arrives in Barbados and finds no lodging available, he thinks himself fortunate to be invited to stay at Eltonsbrody, a mansion belonging to the eccentric widow Mrs Scaife. But behind the locked doors of the house’s disused rooms lurk terrible secrets, and soon strange and blood-curdling events begin to unfold. The tension builds towards a shocking and unforgettable conclusion, when the full horror of Eltonsbrody will be revealed. ​ One of the most prolific and important of 20th-century Caribbean writers, Edgar Mittelholzer (1909-1965) was at his best in Gothic novels like My Bones and My Flute (1955) and Eltonsbrody (1960). This first-ever reissue of Mittelholzer’s weird and chilling tale reproduces the original dust jacket art and includes a new introduction by John Thieme.  

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The audiobooks in our horror line have really been taking off and we're excited to announce we will have several more coming out soon, including two Michael McDowell titles! Visit our website for more information. 

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Do you think libraries can help in this epidemic of fake news and lack of trust in the media?

I think the good thing about the discussion is that there’s a discussion about what’s fake and what’s real. There’s an awareness that there is such a thing. Librarians have been pounding on this issue in a different way for a while — that just having computer literacy is great, but as information professionals, we’re always looking at what’s the most authoritative source for the information and teaching information literacy. It’s great to have all this stuff, but you need to teach how to use the library in schools. They need to be teaching information literacy as soon as the kid can push a button.

It seems as if you might need to teach information literacy to members of Congress.

If they start as children, I think there’s hope.

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COUNT RODERIC’S CASTLE (1794) by Anonymous

Winter, with its early sunsets and long, chilly nights, is the best season for reading an old-fashioned Gothic novel, so we're pleased to have a new one available: COUNT RODERIC'S CASTLE (1794), one of the most popular of the early Gothics published by the Minerva Press. This first new edition in over 150 years is available in hardcover, paperback & ebook worldwide and features a new introduction by Hannah Doherty Hudson.

Available worldwide: Hardcover Amazon US | Amazon UK Paperback Amazon US | Amazon UK eBook Amazon US | Amazon UK