Is winning a writing contest worth risking your life?Nothing exciting ever happens in the town of Maplewood-that is, until famous thriller writer Ian Tremblin holds a short-story writing contest with a prize that seems to be the opportunity of a lifetime: five finalists will get to spend the evening with Tremblin himself in the haunted mansion Daemon Hall, and the winner of the best short story will see publication.Wade Reilly and the other finalists could never have imagined what they find lurking in the shadows of this demonic mansion. During a suspenseful night of tale-telling, strange incidents mix the realms of the real and the supernatural. What is Tremblin really up to, and can he be trusted? What about Daemon Hall-is it alive? And, more to the point, will any of the contestants make it out of this hall of horrors to tell their story? In the tradition of Stephen King, this chilling novel will have teen readers on edge in anticipation of what's to come with the next extinguished candle. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 7 Up-Maplewood is a quiet place until the legendary horror writer R. U. Tremblin comes to town. He is holding a short-story contest in which five finalists will read their entries during an overnight stay with him at Daemon Hall. The winning story will be nationally published, but only if its creator can survive a stint in the haunted house. So begins a night of tale-telling terror for teenagers Wade, Demarius, Chris, Chelsea, and Kara. Chapters include the events in the house and the finalists' bone-chilling tales of horror and suspense. People go missing or seem possessed. The contestants wonder whether the house might be truly alive, like the one in the story Tremblin tells to open the evening. They are also puzzled by their host, and don't know if he is trustworthy or not. The stories in this gripping page-turner, as well as the drama of the frightened teens dropping out one by one, will keep readers on the edge of their seats, but Nance's characters never become fully developed. Tremblin is a disappointment and is almost reckless in his responsibilities toward the finalists. There are some loose ends and Nance seems to be setting up a sequel.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

"Ian Tremblin, the King of Teen Scream, holds a short-story contest in which the five finalists spend the evening with him in a haunted mansion, Daemon Hall. The aspiring teenage authors, three boys and two girls, have to tell Tremblin their horror stories by candlelight. Any finalist who cannot make it through the night is automatically disqualified from the contest. The best of the stories is one involving ravenous human-spider hybrids. Another is a version of the familiar babysitter urban legends, updated to involve a chat room rather than the traditional telephone. Predictably, not everything is as it seems and suspense ensues when contestants begin disappearing. Whether the spooky goings-on are optical illusion or genuine supernatural malevolence is open to question, but one contestant does die tragically. Readers looking for creepy chills and thrills will find plenty of satisfaction in this fast-paced book."--"Sullivan, Ed" Copyright 2007 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.