Mannison Minibooks

These small publications range in length from short story to novelette, available in e-book format as well as a convenient (and, if we may say, adorable) 4×7 pocket-sized paperback. But don’t let their diminutive size fool you…some of these tales pack a punch!

See listings below for buy links. Visit our NEWS PAGE for release articles and full author bios.

---

A doorless room, alien drawings, and a lingering presence greet Gervase upon waking. To exit the room and recover his freedom, Gervase will need to prove himself worthy through a singular task: a puzzle. Dreadful consequences await him if he fails, though death might not be the worst outcome.

The novella “Terminal Faults” explores the tragic story of Civic-1916 and, through his eyes, conveys the experiences and the events which led to his condemnation. Now, in this BONUS short story, find out what truly happened to his arch nemesis, Domestic-212, and how the two Qubots came to blows, doomed to fall together…doomed to eternal exile in the Obsidian Rooms.

Modern or antique; benign or malevolent; porcelain, stuffed, articulated, or life-size, dolls have long been a subject of fascination. This eclectic collection of diminutive tales explores the many enchanting facets of these inanimate curiosities and their secret ways. But then again, “inanimate” is just the assumption…

A lonely young girl helps a lost skeleton boy find his way. A man and his inner child fall in love with an apparition. And an eerie new playmate draws them all together. These three delightful tales are sure to charm their way into your heart! 

When Dallas homicide cops are called to Fat Sal’s Deli, they are greeted by a slaughterhouse littered with bodies, gore, and a slew of spent cartridges. The volatile mixture of deception, treachery, sex, and love has ignited into mayhem by machine gun fire…leaving behind a baffling crime scene.

From the shabby nickel-gray suit to an average physique to the fact that he sleeps on a park bench, nothing about Bartholomew Bleak would suggest he is a superhero. Only…he is. And he is looked down upon by his superpowered peers. But when an alien menace invades his hometown of Capstone—a threat which not even the National League of Heroes can defend against—Mr. Bleak may just prove that sometimes the greatest heroes are cut from the unlikeliest cloth. 

Wounded in a fire fight during World War II, a young Kentucky farmer spends nearly a year convalescing in the Philippines, nursing injuries of the body, mind, and soul. The reluctant war hero—scarred and in pain—then embarks on the long, arduous journey home…the journey ‘upriver’ to Burnside.

When Gregori Dragan’s carnival of the bizarre rolls into the dusty desert town of Snake Falls, one thing is for sure—there will be repercussions. Lives will be changed forever, some for the good, and some…maybe not so much.

Magic. Mayhem. Mythology. A short collection of ancient myths reimagined! Rhiannon Lotze brings you four entertaining tales packed with adventure and mischief…and laced with humor. This little collection of tales will find you rapt! 

The night of Christmas Eve finds aging and embittered playwright Preston Drossel on the cusp of the unthinkable: taking his own life. He is diverted from this moment of despair, however, by a visit from a mystifying “muse” who claims she was sent to help him finish an important play. Drossel resentfully accepts, but as the night deepens, it soon dawns on him that there is more behind this visit than he could ever have expected—a visit whose purpose will remind him, however belatedly, of his own value. 

Young Peter Hackles has never lacked for anything, having been raised in the household of his mysterious Uncle Rackham: the wealthiest landowner in Egbert Valley. But that all changes on the day Peter and his friends discover a savaged corpse in their village. Thereafter, frightful howls begin to echo through the woods and the moors, and a single act of compassion draws the boy unwittingly into the lair of an unimaginable beast…and into the heart of a terrible secret that no amount of earthly riches can spare him from.

Beth Gilroy was abducted from her bed in the middle of the night. Her brother, Mike, had a chance to save her, but failed. Months go by and Dayton residents lose hope…all except Mike. Armed with that unwavering hope, his best buddy Andy, and his 1938 Daisy air rifle, Mike waits and practices his shooting in hopes of finding redemption and his beloved sister. 

Staring down the barrel of university, Logan Diaz faces a choice: choose a program that follows his passion for cooking, or one that will benefit humanity, which is in desperate need of assistance. When the choice becomes impossible, Logan hires a cut-rate “non-prophet” to give him a glimpse into his future. Unfortunately, the future is never exactly what one expects.

Ralph Goodman has been sentenced to five years hard time. Imprisoned in the past — no bars, no walls — he wonders if this was, in fact, a death sentence. However, with a little unexpected assistance, Ralph might just make it back alive.

An isolated and troubled teen finds her life shredded after a mysterious figure crashes her thirteenth birthday party. This uninvited guest grants the teen her fondest wishes…whether she wants them granted or not.

Bridging the gaps between classic fantasy, low fantasy, and speculative realism, these six tales show that sometimes our own preconceptions, doubts, and self-delusions can prove more troublesome than any magical or sword-wielding foe.

Avery is your average teenager with the usual teenage problems…until a seemingly mundane creature gets into her head. This meek and defenseless-looking animal reveals to her the startling cost for the abuse of its kind. Avery quickly learns that this mysterious animal means business, and that the punishment it metes out is no joke!

In Ballantine Bay, there are whispers of an enchanter called the Matchmaker who can bring love to the unrequited. So when lovesick young Aggie Lovett learns of this legend, inevitably she is unable to resist is allure. But after an unsettling pact is made, Aggie soon discovers the horrifying cost of love without limits.

Panda McMann is a patient at St. Margaret’s Hospital, but she and her fellow inmates aren’t sick. Not anymore. Contained within the walls of the hospital and treated as lab rats, they undergo experiments as doctors search for a cure…tests the patients don’t always survive. Panda is convinced she’ll never see the outside world again, but there is more at work in St. Margaret’s.

Temporal Agent Hideki Nara is sent back in time to prevent a mass murder/suicide. When the shooter unexpectedly dies, however, Hideki discovers the man is trapped in a freakish twist of time. Regardless of any efforts to correct the mistake, the man is doomed to die that same day…every time. The plan to address the anomaly is complicated. Improbable. Dangerous. Can Hideki and his team save both the man and the timeline?

A group of teenagers find themselves challenged by a silent but disturbing figure. The tasks they are given seem simple enough, but when things go wrong and requirements aren’t met, the White Mannequin’s consequences are brutal!

A group of ghost hunters sets out to investigate an abandoned cabin deep in the woods of North Carolina.
They knew about the history.
They knew about the deaths.
It’s too bad they didn’t take the botched exorcism more seriously.

Do you have crazy dreams? Because I have crazy dreams. Occasionally, my dreams are reality-based, like bounty hunters tracking a cold case or a shunned college student on a rampage. But more often, they are fantastical: a tournament with an ogre, an encapsulated city, or suddenly tiny monsters! Come and read about the crazy nonsense that goes on in my head while I sleep.

Law student Joshua Jacobs is exhausted! He’s deep into his final semester, the Bar Exam looms large on the horizon, and the family drama just won’t quit…why did he think he could work part time, too? Another night of study and he might just lose his mind!

---

THIS WEBSITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE COPYRIGHT OF MANNISON PRESS, LLC © 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.