If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror

By: Caleb Stephens

Narrated by: Dr. NoSleep

Includes the Story "The Wallpaper Man", now a short film from Falconer Film and Media.

An unlikely friendship is born in the red clay dirt of a trailer park. Two latchkey kids who will do anything to hold onto one other, despite the consequences.

A disabled boy and his sister move into a house by the sea, one haunted by a demon living in the walls.

A father on a camping trip in a remote section of Appalachia wakes to find his daughter missing, taken by something not quite human.

A traumatized teenager stumbles across a strange slide at a waterpark—one only he can see.

If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror is a visceral collection of 13 stories that explore what happens when we open ourselves to others and dare to let them in. There are monsters in this book, yes, ones whose teeth cut deep, but never as deep as the teeth of the monsters in the mirror.

©2022 Caleb Stephens (P)2023 Caleb Stephens

Critic reviews

"A captivating collection of creepy tales, infused with loss and pathos, about the most terrifying organ in the body—the human heart." (Brian Asman, author of Man, F--k This House)

“Caleb Stephens is a hell of a writer, certainly. But he’s also a diabolical magician. In If Only a Heart, he populates his tales with characters so familiar at first glance, so seemingly comforting, you’d swear they were your own family, friends, neighbors…even yourself. But while you’re distracted, he lets dread and terror seep in until they’ve sawed your heart in half. ‘How’d he do it?’ you ask; but it’s too late, the next trick’s about to begin.” (Patrick Barb, author of Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare and Gargantuana’s Ghost)

“If Only a Heart is a series of rich and vivid nightmares. Caleb Stephens powerfully weaves inhuman terrors into all-too-human tales of fraught relationships and personal suffering. Gorgeous prose. A breathtaking collection.” (Christi Nogle, Bram Stoker award-winning author of Beulah)

4.5 ⭐ Great spooky stories for horror fans

If you like horror stories, this is a perfect book for you. 13 short stories, full of creepiness, terror, and scares. Easy enough to read/listen one at a time, or engulf yourself in all of them at once.

Caleb's stories are quite different from each other, yet they give you a foreboding sense of fright through them all. If you like Stephen King, Peter Straub, or even Edgar Allen Poe, you'll enjoy this one too.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and the narrator, Dr. NoSleep, was great too. His voice definitely fit the stories well.

I look forward to reading more from Caleb Stephens.

This author has the best audiobooks

If you enjoy horror stories that are chock-full of unease, gore and both physical and mental reactions to insane storylines… you have GOT to snag this one. These stories are heartbreaking and terrifying and live with me now. The audiobook is a real treat, sound effects and a great narrator — easily draws you into the horrors.

4 1/2 stars. Enjoyed all the tales.

4 1/2 stars for me. A series of spooky tales with monsters within and without, creepy scenarios, and more. I enjoyed each one. Some made me think of the old psychological thrill. This was a wonderful collection of fright.

The narration by Dr. NoSleep was intriguing as he played around with different voices. Great job.

This is my unsolicited review.

Holy cow. Amazing.

This was such a great experience on audio. They did a wonderful job and actually scared the bejeezus out of me. The noises the stories the descriptions. Eek it was so good. Highly recommend

The Book I Never Knew I Needed

If you enjoy short, narrated stories, Jackpot! A wonderful collection of short stories, narrated by one of my favorite narrators Dr., NoSleep. I really enjoyed the stories. You will definitely find something that you like.
Bravo!!!!