Terrifying Towns: Haunted Hollow Vol. 1 - Creepy Small Town Horror Stories

by Steve Hudgins

One town. One nightmare per night.

Welcome to Haunted Hollow, where each night a new nightmare unfolds.

Abandoned mines filled with mysterious whispers, hotels that don’t want you to check out, bloody Valentine’s Day gifts that you’ll wish you never opened.

An assortment of chilling short stories await—bite-sized horrors told in a gripping, "true story" style that will make you question the quiet towns around you.

Read one per night... or devour them all at once.

Ready for your first night in Haunted Hollow?

"Hudgins is a Horror-Meister to reckon with!"—VICTOR MILLER, Writer of Friday the 13th

83 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2026

About the author

"Steve Hudgins is a Horror-Meister to reckon with!"
VICTOR MILLER - Writer of Friday the 13th

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Keep up on all the latest crazy things Steve has in the works and get some FREE stuff by signing up for his Newsletter at:
www.maniacontheloose.com

Steve is a best-selling and award-winning writer who specializes in horror, thrillers, suspense, serial killers, escaped mental patients, things that go bump in the night, ghosts, spirits, zombies, vampires, blood, guts, maniacs, monsters, murder and mayhem!

Steve is considered one of the most prolific writers in the world, with a wide range of works, including multiple interconnected series and his short horror story anthologies.

He's also one of the few authors who narrates all of his audiobooks himself.

Additionally, Steve founded the Maniac on the Loose Scary Stories Podcast, delivering a weekly dose of terrifying tales he writes and narrates.

He also founded Big Biting Pig Productions, a movie production company known for unpredictable storytelling and for producing multiple award-winning, feature-length horror films with virtually no budget.

www.maniacontheloose.com

Reviews

[Sassy Mystic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

[Carolyn Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid anthology

This is a horror anthology, not a gore fest. I enjoyed reading all of the stories, but the nursing home and the hotel were special destinations. Just be careful in the forest.

[Rose Haskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

These short stories were interesting to say the least. The last two were different. The hotel was spooky. And the Mystery Hair was a whole new spin of fear.

[Kacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars ⭐️

Collection of mini creepy pasta/ horror stories

[Megan Wintrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved Steve Hudgins books, from the moment I first read one of his books which was Maniac on the Loose back in July of 2023!

I absolutely loved that "Platinum" one of the characters from Maniac on the Loose/ 9 Lives of Ski Mask was in this! I love when he drops old characters in like this!

I loved the short stories and some of my favorites were the Valentine's one and the Mystery Hair one 🫣.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A town which is obscure. A town which no human should live in. Most people who visit the town are never the same. An investigator searching for a missing man nearly ends up losing his life. Some Valentine gifts are too bizarre. Exploring abandoned mines is foolhardy. A riveting bunch of short stories which highlights the weird and unimaginable. Good world building.

[Lila Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a Steve Hudgins fan it sucks to leave a negative review but this was not it.

Not scary at all. The only thing was slightly chilling was the single mother who thought old ppl were creepy. It started well until granny raced her wheelchair against the escaped asylum patient. I was like wtf did I just read?

Please don’t rush new volumes out, take your time because earlier novels were way better than this. Some stories from previous work were hit or miss but this whole book is a complete miss.

[Stacy T · Rating 4 out of 5]

wasn't sure about this as I listened to the first story on audible. I wasn't taken with it at all but knowing it was a mix of stroies I kept going. glad I did! as I enjoyed alot of the other ones! just the first was... over done for no reason, I guess is a way to explain it
I really enjoyed a few of the others though and am gonna listen to all 4 books

[Alex Eouzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!

I have been reading anything and everything written by Steve Hudgins for a long time and honestly he never disappoints! I was gripped from the very start until the very end and I can’t wait to read the next in the series! If you haven’t read anything by Steve Hudgins yet then you’re missing out! 5 stars well deserved! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories

This was a collection of short stories all surrounding a creepy little town. I chose this as a kick off to spooky season this year and it was definitely a good start. Some stories were better than others but overall a good read.

[HalloweenSpoonster · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎧 This was a fun, Halloweeny anthology. Some stories were better than others, but overall it was enjoyable. It was the perfect thing to listen to while putting up my Halloween decs! I definitely plan to listen to the other anthologies.

[Gabrielle Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely fun, quick read, and not too spooky. It was perfect for fall and I am happy I picked it. The only stories that seemed a little off from the others were the hair one and the elderly home one. Still a great collection.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable, but entertaining nonetheless.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

*audiobook

This was fun. I'm going to check out the rest of these books. I wouldn't recommend it for younger kids because of some of the language and imagery, but otherwise, it's nothing too dark.

[Patricia Mays · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t overly impressed. Expected something scary or at least not cheesy. Got the cheese.

[Andrea Jenness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!!

Great little read, goes about short stories in a new way!! Loved it, cant wait for the next book in a few days.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy horror stories that tie together. Interesting perspectives and stories of a haunting hollow.

[Katrina Liddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection of stories.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun quick read

Fun quick read for when you need just a little escape from the world and like a little horror read.

[Caitlyn Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick short stories ! Really good for Halloween time. 🦇👻

[Sherie Miklas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hudgins has once again come up with a great collection of scary stories. The Excavation is told from multiple points of view, which builds the horror in the best possible way. I can’t resist a good time slip story, and Hudgins delivers with The Haunted Hotel. My favorite was Old People Scare Me, a sweet story with a healthy dose of horror thrown in for good measure. Can’t wait for the next volume!