"Magic-dark and light-abounds in this second collection by Erica Ruppert, a rising star in the weird and wonderful firmament with stories rooted in folklore and fairytales with Ruppert's own inimitable takes on the familiar and the frightening. Every offering is dipped in chilling beauty and horror for your pleasure. Keep your eye on her. She's going places and taking us with her." -Can Wiggins Seven Stars: Collected Stories delves into the inescapable darkness inside our most closely-held beliefs. The twenty-three tales here explore the myths and folklore that shape the monsters we make of ourselves and those we hold dear. Within these pages old men find it's too late to go home again. Children discover that sibling rivalries will tear families apart in dangerous new ways. And friends, parents, and lovers learn that when the roots of what they believe draw from a place far outside the human heart, love is never, ever going to be enough. "Erica Ruppert's Seven Stars is a collection of extraordinary fantasy stories and poetry, which are rooted in fairy tales and folklore but are contemporary in their themes and (at times) dark subject matter-make no mistake, these are anything but whimsical fantasies! Ruppert draws one in with her descriptive prowess and evocative prose, causing this reader to stop and marvel at many points while reading at the artful unfolding of these enthralling tales. Highly recommended!" -Manuel Arenas, author of The Burning Ember Mission of Helldorado