Small Town Ghosts

by Shannon Celebi

In this collection of short stories, a young woman discovers the truth behind family secrets, another guards her secrets well, a leopard becomes a lion with a sadist's whip and a stripper's pole, and a little girl must choose in a sinister trade: life for death. Five spine-tingling tales of small town terror...

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2013

About the author

Shannon Celebi writes speculative fiction in all its weird and wonderful forms. She lives in Medford, Oregon with her neurotic gray kitty, Buggy, and a dilapidated laptop named Persephone. Her short story collections, Small Town Ghosts, and Small Town Demons are available for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and also in paperback.

Reviews

[Janet Totten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this author on facebook and I'm glad I did! While this is not my usual genre of reading, I will definitely be looking forward to more of Shannon's stories! I sat down with kindle and coffee and before I knew, I had read the entire book! I was just that hooked. While I did not find this scarey, what I did find is that it made me think, because you see, sometimes it's not things that go bump in the night that terrify us, it's what is in our past that comes back to haunt us. You will not go wrong in picking this book up today ... and trust me .. I am very picky about what I read ... I am off to get more of Ms Celebi and curl up in my favorite chair and read the night away!

[Sarah Fitting-mcpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun yet scary read. There is a Stephen King like quality to the writing and yet it is distinctly feminine. I highly suggest it!

[Kimberly Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short stories. For me, it's like ordering a sample platter. Some things you find yourself gobbling down, greedy for more...other things you taste but leave you uncertain about how you feel about it.
These stories are no exception.
From supernatural excitement of "Papa Was a Gypsy" to an almost faustian type "1:32PM" I never knew what to expect on the next page.
Some compared the stories to Stephen King and I agree to a point...but I felt more of his "Bachman side". I haven't experienced the brutal, gritty, 'in your face' honesty of an "emotionally disturbed" teenage mind ("After Spring Comes") since I read "Rage" (The Bachman Books - now out of print).
"Driving Off Bridges" and "The Lion Lies Down with the Lamb" both would have been right at home as Twilight Zone episodes.
As far as other comparisons go, these stories can easily hold their own beside authors such as Matheson, Bradbury and Gaimon.
A quick enjoyable read. I also enjoyed the author's notes at the end of each story!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Celebi did her job well as an author by taking this reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Short stories are tricky little beasts to write, you only have a minimal amount of time to get your reader invested and the author nails it with this book. I went from being mortified as well as sickened by the injustice of Papa was a Gypsy (the best story in the book in my opinion); to enraged at the protagonist's lack of confidence in Driving Off Bridges; then lulled into submission by After Spring Comes; confused and dazed over The Lion Lies Down With the Lamb (I did not know if the protagonist was crazy or if her reality was shifting); and finally completely creeped out by 1:32 P.M. All these stories are superb and I can honestly say it has been a long time since one book, let alone one that is only 70 pages long, has taken me on such a strong tidal wave of emotion. I really would not consider this a horror book or even a book about ghosts, but more of a book on human nature. It's a good read!

[Peter Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

These aren’t your typical ghost stories. Sometimes the things that haunt you most aren’t the spirits in the closet or the monsters under the bed. Sometimes, the ghosts are in your past and the monsters all in your mind. I highly recommend these short stories to anyone who enjoys a good old fashioned scary read and to those looking for a fresh perspective on what ghosts really are.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a can't put it down until it's done kind of book. Wonderful stories. I'll never again see an apple without thinking Elma.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy fun. Quick stories!!

[J.J. Tuite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stories

The stories were written well! I love the reasons for the stories that are explained after each one. Can't wait to read more by this author!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author and book caught my eye due to the title "Small Town Ghosts". Damn good title right there. I'm always a bit wary of indie authors and ebooks given the veritable Mos Eisley (sp?) of unedited and downright terrible works out there, so I put the book on my wish list to investigate later. However, when I saw that both Small Town Ghosts and Small Town Demons were free for Halloween, I jumped at the chance to check them out risk-free, as it were. I love unsettling Urban Fantasy/Horror type stories, so this was right up my alley. Overall, I found the short stories to be addictively readable and just the right amount of unsettling. The book was a quick read, perfect for reading in short sittings (or one sitting). Celebi has a great sense of tone and voice and immediately paints a stark yet vivid picture of, well, small towns and lost souls. A few of the stories seemed a bit unpolished (the one with the dancer especially could have benefitted from another draft). There were also some too-oft reoccurring themes such as the dead or dying mother, especially noticeable as mom-dies-of-cancer stories are somewhat triggering for me. Don't get me wrong, it was poignant and raw, but perhaps not every story needs to deal with that same wound, at the risk of a varied collection turning into the literary stable of a one-trick pony. In addition to these drawbacks, there were a few typos, but I still highly recommend the book to lovers of American Gothic, Urban Fantasy, Horror, and solid short stories, as well as people who want a quick read (I've already started Small Town Demons). I look forward to seeing where Shannon Celebi's career takes her and her work.

[Ms.Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

what an amazing read of short stories, although to me they were not scary but still held some mystery and I enjoyed reading, looking forward to the next book of short stories..If your wanting something lite to read to pass a few hours, I suggest picking up this book....Happy Reading

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully woven tales of fascinating characters. Every story seems real and possible, even when they're not. Shannon Celebi is an incredible writer. Not my genre but definitely my taste!

[P.S. Winn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't reall impressed by this book, hard to follow. It was a quick read, but not one I would keep on my bookshelf.

[Jennifer Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fabulous. I'm not even sure how I came across this book, I'm guessing Facebook, but I'm glad I did. All the stories captured my attention and left me wanting more. Definitely will read more!

[Shellie Uchtman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book kept me on my toes and made me want to keep reading. The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the ending. However, I can see a squeal in the making which I will read.

[Eileen Acosta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just okay for me. The only story that I really liked was the last one titled 1:32 PM.

[D.L. Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of 5 stories, usually mixed with murder or suicide with some voodoo thrown in for flavor. The first one has lots of murder and is the most supernatural of the group. Stories two and three are about mentally ill people fighting with their private ghosts. Number four is about a stripper, and truthfully, I didn't understand it even though I read it twice. Number five was about a child in a time warp.
Rather than scary, the stories were unsettling. It didn't take long to read, but I came away with a weird, hard to describe feeling. I'm sure the author is a great writer. I just feel that I didn't understand.

[Jeanette Marie Van Kleeck]

Loved it!

I don't normally read short stories. I really enjoyed these. Very thought provoking. A little weird, but I had to finish each one.