When I Make Love to the Bug Man: Collected Stories

Eleven celebrated short stories—from the darkly criminal to the twisted depths of the supernatural—by the writer whose work USA Today Bestselling writer Alison Gaylin called "Absorbing, addictive, and chilling." A Paler Shade of Death—Tragedy has destroyed Becca's marriage and driven her to live among strangers. Her unraveling sanity exposes the truth of her past and deadly state of mind. (Edgar Short Story Award nomination) Witches, All – A has-been rocker's hookup with a groupie spirals into a brutal dream of sex, monsters, and a feverish run for his life. When I Make Love to the Bug Man – He's not the handsomest bug man, but when Robert's wife falls under the bug man's intoxicating spell, she learns there are things more terrifying than a few spiders hiding in the dark. The Erstwhile Groom – A hidden room whose tragic history turns deadly at the hands of two people who love too much. The Christmas Gnome – The mother-in-law from hell sends a Christmas gift with a bloody life of its own. The Peter Rabbit Killers – Some little girls are mean, and sleepovers can be murder-y. (lTW Short Story Award nomination) And more… Praise for Laura Benedict: "Laura Benedict's stories beckon you deeper and deeper down the dark halls of the mind. Yet they're somehow warming to the heart—populated with characters you can't help but love, however disturbed, and set in places you desperately want to explore, however dangerous. This is true storytelling." -- Josh Woods, Author of O MONSTROUS WORLD!, and host of The Monster Professor podcast on WHEN I MAKE LOVE TO THE BUG MAN "Suspenseful and moving, THE STRANGER INSIDE gripped me from the first page. Laura Benedict is at the top of her game." —MEG GARDINER, Edgar-winning author of INTO THE BLACK NOWHERE "THE STRANGER INSIDE is an intense, fascinating character study that will have you rooting for Kimber while she turns her life around and tries to stay alive. " —CATHERINE COULTER, NYT bestselling author of VORTEX "Ever-twisting, surprise-filled . . . Kimber is the epitome of the unreliable narrator. Readers will enjoy vicarious chills in her company." --Publishers Weekly, starred review, THE STRANGER INSIDE "Reader be warned! Laura Benedict has written a novel that may well keep you awake at night, and not only because Bliss House is flat-out scary. Benedict knows how to craft a story in such a way that, once begun, it is nearly impossible to put down." --Ron Rash, author of SERENA "Benedict's writing is lush and seamless, catapulting the reader into the gripping story from the opening line and holding them, taut and breathless, to the very last." –J.T. Ellison, NYT Bestselling author of HER DARK LIES on BLISS HOUSE "A skillfully rendered mixture of ghost story and mystery that draws on the spirits of du Maurier, Stephen King and - in its depiction of a tormented family - Joyce Carol Oates." --Richmond Times-Dispatch on CHARLOTTE'S STORY