​"WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CREEPY is a wonderful collection. The stories are subtle, almost gentle, and powerful at the same time...and they hit you like a punch you didn't see coming. Marianne Halbert has writing chops to spare." - New York Times best-selling author Rick Hautala, author of GLIMPSES and INDIAN SUMMER.

"Marianne Halbert slips out of these pages and into a dark corner of your mind to scare the hell out of you." - Gary Brandner, best-selling author of THE HOWLING trilogy​

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Praise for
​COLD COMFORTS:

"This is an author that just popped out of nowhere and now I'm completely hooked! My favourite tale has to be Papa's Wrench and the Wind Chime, it's up there with Adam Nevill's ability to completely terrify his readers and leave them traumatised." - S.J. Budd, reviewing for Aphotic Realm

*Listen to "Papa's Wrench and the Wind Chime" on PseudoPod, Episode 776. Author: Marianne Halbert; Narrator: Kitty Sarkozy; Audio Producer: Chelsea Davis; Host: Alasdair Stuart.

"The collection starts out with WHEN BETSY WHISPERS which ended up being my absolute favorite and is worthy of all five stars. It’s an eerie coming of age tale, of sorts. To say too much is to ruin the story. It’s SO unique and the prose is strangely sensual and beautiful and completely captivating. It’s dark as hell, sinister and lovely. This is the stuff I adore and you must all read it." - Bark's Reviews

"...the opener "When Betsy Whispers"...was one of the single best short stories I've ever read...If slow-burn horror and thrillers are your jam, Halbert is a master." - Steve Stred for Kendall Reviews

"While I find nothing comforting about the cold, I do seek solace in well written horror stories, and this anthology has plenty of them. Cold Comforts is a clever, creative collection." - Elaine Pascale, reviewing for Hellnotes and The Horror Review

"A solid collection! These horror stories have some unique settings and interesting ideas, and I really enjoyed discovering each one. Lost children, old relics, unwanted visitors all make an appearance. The scares come from realising the quiet terror of the unknown." - Aina, Read by Dusk

"Cold Comforts is a book that lives up to its name. The dread will wrap itself around you..." -Garrett Witt for Dead Head Reviews

"[When Betsty Whispers] ended up being one of the most eloquent and striking stories I’ve found in a horror collection...Perhaps the most notable aspect of Halbert’s writing is her ability to completely submerge you in the little worlds she’s created." - Will Blosser for Home Grown Horror

"...some of the best psychological horror I've read in a long time. Halbert unleashes a string of nightmares that range from weird and brooding to cold and deeply haunting. An absolute must for fans of the elegant and macabre" - Amazon review

"I devour many short story collections, and this batch of creepy, rural dread was delicious from start to finish." - Amazon review

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​Now available from
​Crossroad Press/
​Macabre Ink

​Cold Comforts

“If you’re a fan of literary horror, COLD COMFORTS ranks up there with the best of the genre. Halbert’s vivid descriptions, superbly defined characters, and imaginative plotting contribute to one of the best single author collections I’ve read in years. It’s that good." - Tony Tremblay, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of THE MOORE HOUSE.

About Marianne Halbert
I'm an author from central Indiana and I spend way too much time pondering the things that go bump in the night. I love creepy, atmospheric, unsettling horror. My biggest inspirations are Shirley Jackson, Rod Serling, Daphne du Maurier, and Ray Bradbury. I don't think about labels as I'm writing, but much of my work has been described as "literary horror" or "quiet horror". I rarely write gore, but strive to create a sense of dread, and shades-of-gray imperfect characters who break your heart and make you think of them long after the page has closed. My stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines on the cutting edge of dark speculative fiction. Keep your flashlight and blanket handy!

​I'm also a lawyer, mental health advocate, wife, mother of two young adult daughters, and wrangler of our mini-goldendoodle, Ripley.
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​Affiliate Member HWA
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​Member of SinC, including our local Speedy City chapter
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Upcoming Events



July 21-24, 2021: Necon (Northeastern Writers' Conference), Salem MA

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Past events:

July 15-18, 2021: V-Con (Northeastern Writers' Conference virtual event)
                                    Panel: "How to Haunt a House". Tananarive Due, Marianne Halbert, Weston Ochse, (M) Tony Tremblay

May 20-23, 2021: StokerCon 2021 (A virtual event)

March 7, 2020,  Booksigning 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Half Price Books Greenbriar, 1551 West 86th Street, Indianapolis

February 29, 2020, Booksigning 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Half Price Books Clearwater Village, 4709 East 82nd St., Indianapolis IN

December 2, 2019 Booksigning 6:30 p.m., Elwood Library, 1600 Main Street, Elwood IN

July 18-21, 2019: Necon (Northeastern Writers' Conference), Portsmouth, Rhode Island
                                    Panel: "I know I Made You, But I Don't Really Like You: Unreliable Narrators and Unlikeable Protagonists. Marianne Halbert, David                                          Demchuk, Tom Tessier, Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel, Dan Foley, (M) Craig Wolf

May 9-12, 2019: StokerCon, Grand Rapids, MI

July 2018: Necon (Northeastern Writer's Conference), Portsmouth, Rhode Island
July 2017: Necon (Northeastern Writer's Conference), Portsmouth, Rhode Island
July 2016: Necon (Northeastern Writers' Conference), Portsmouth, Rhode Island
                                    Panel: "Psychological and Physical Trauma". Marianne Halbert, Rena Mason, Mercedes Yardley, Karen Deal, Ellen Williams, (M) K.H. Vaughan

June 2015:     AnthoCon, Portsmouth, NH (AnthoJam's 2nd performance!)
November 2013:     AnthoCon, Portsmouth, NH (AnthoJam's first performance!)
November 2012:     AnthoCon, Portsmouth, NH  
November 2011: AnthoCon, Portsmouth, NH (Evil Jester Press panel)
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