Caleb Stephens

"A captivating collection of creepy tales, infused with loss and pathos, about the most terrifying organ in the body—the human heart." — Brian Asman, author of Man, Fuck This House “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 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.

A dad will do anything to keep his daughters safe. But the phone lines are down. The roads are blocked. And the woman in the cabin is hiding a terrible secret . . . This camping trip is Chris’s last chance to repair his relationship with his daughters, Kayla and Emma. Nothing’s been the same since they lost their mom. But things go wrong as soon as they get to the mountains. When they make camp, nine-year-old Emma runs off into the woods. By the time they find her, there’s a snowstorm rolling in. And Emma’s leg is badly broken. They need to find shelter, fast. They think they’re safe when they come across an old farmstead. The woman inside welcomes them in from the howling blizzard and straps up Emma’s leg. They settle down for the night, but when Chris wakes at dawn and looks over . . . Emma is gone. And this family’s nightmare is only just beginning.

A buried past. A new-age cult. A floating prison with no way off. Seven years ago, Olivia woke up in the trunk of a stranger’s car—and barely escaped with her life. She’s been looking over her shoulder ever since.Now, Olivia is a true-crime podcaster on a mission to help other women avoid her fate. But years spent covering violence and crime have left her burned out. So when Olivia’s estranged sister Quinn invites her to reconnect on an exclusive cruise, she jumps at the chance for a break…only this trip won’t be the relaxing vacation she’s hoping for.The ship is elegant, the meals are divine, and the people are friendly—maybe too friendly. But Quinn isn’t the sister Olivia remembers. And strange things are starting to happen that echo Olivia's past in unsettling ways.When someone on the ship goes missing, Olivia realizes she’s playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Only this time, she might not survive.