By Kelli A. Wilkins
Happy October Everyone!
Halloween will be here soon, so why not celebrate the spooky season by curling up with a horror story—or several horror stories?
To celebrate my favorite time of the year, I’m sharing a look at my short story anthology, Surreal Escapes. The stories in this collection don’t fall into one set category and range from spooky, to scary, to a bit humorous, to… just about anything I can imagine.
In this collection of seven speculative stories, ordinary people start off having an average, normal day… until they encounter the world of the surreal. They’ve entered another realm where anything can—and does—happen.
My horror stories have always been a bit different from the norm. They’re more psychologically scary than gory. And some of my “horror” stories aren’t intended to scare at all—they just happen to have main characters who are a little bit… dead.
When I decided to put this collection together, I wanted to feature a broad spectrum of stories that would appeal to a variety of readers. (I also liked the idea of having several of my short stories available to readers all in one place.) They’re not all ghost stories (although several stories feature ghosts in some way) and they’re not all about Halloween. (But of course some are—after all, it is my favorite holiday!)
Authors are always asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” so I decided to share a peek at my writing process. I’ve included a brief note at the end of each story (as I did in my sci-fi anthology, Extraterrestrial Encounters), explaining what inspired me to write it, where I got the idea, or general comments about the plot or the characters.
I hope you enjoy these stories. Some are humorous, some will make you think, and others might unnerve you a bit, but they will all take you on a journey into the surreal for a little while.
Here’s the book summary and links:
Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories
Are you ready to take a journey into the unexpected?
In these 7 speculative stories, ordinary people start off having an average, normal day… until they encounter the world of the surreal. They quickly realize they’re in another realm where anything can—and does—happen.
Some of these tales include:
“Holiday Havoc” – The night shift in a retail store hosts the ultimate Halloween vs. Christmas showdown
“Little Boy Lost” – After several strange incidents, Beverly suspects her son’s imaginary friend isn’t so imaginary
“The Man in Apt. 3-A” – What do you do when you discover your neighbor is a vampire?
“Whispers from the Past” – Not all ghosts are scary… or strangers
This collection of short fiction will unnerve you, spark your imagination, and make you wonder what else is possible in the world of the surreal.
Order your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBWRLCB3
Other Platforms: https://books2read.com/u/b5ge7O
Read a great review here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror/surreal-escapes
If you love horror and are celebrating all things scary this month, visit the Horror, Mystery & More page on my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror to read about all of my spooky stories!
AND don’t miss my new short story “Neighborhood Watch” in the Witches Save the World: Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right anthology. (Links are on my site.)
Happy Haunting!
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9 mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.
Kelli’s story “Neighborhood Watch” was published in the Witches Save the World: Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right anthology, released by Gorgon’s Gaze Press.
Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was published in January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9 Killer.
Kelli’s 24th romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.
In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media l