Books in Strange Matter, series

Curtis Chatman and Shelly Miller didn't plan for trouble. They expected a quiet sixth period in the library reading their favorite supernatural tales after Mr. Mayfield's dull biology class. They didn't expect suspension. Fairfield Junior High welcomes Stacy Calhoun, the new substitute. He holds an unnatural power over his class. An appearance as unsettling as his lesson plan, his silvery eyes catch every movement, his pointy ears every whisper. After a terrifying encounter in the library, Curtis and Shelly discover a shocking secret about their temporary teacher, a secret that could cost them their lives. Now, after a lifetime of avoiding trouble, it howled outside their window, simply dying to get in.

Tyler Webb has been invited to attend a very special game. Someone has left him a ticket for a final showdown between two old football teams from Fairfield's past. The only problem is, the game is scheduled for midnight, and there's no way Tyler's parents will let him go. Curiosity gets the best of him, and Tyler sneaks out to see the game. Now he's sitting in the bleachers under the moonlight, waiting for the arrival of both sides. But the players are not running onto the field. They're crawling. Straight up from the ground. And they know they're being watched.

Skinny Joe Alister loves collecting rocks. He's a total fanatic about precious gems and rare stones. From kicking around fields, to scouring construction sites, Joe is always on the lookout for something special to add to his collection. Joe and his little brother Gary often prowl the underground walkways of Fairfield Caverns hunting for rocks, staying only in the areas open to the public. Today, Joe ignores his brother's warning and explores a dangerous, little-known section of Fairfield Caverns, a half-completed expansion site, far from the main path. Joe's heart pounds and his eyes widen as he unearths the horrible fate of the missing owner, and makes the most shocking discovery of all. Joe was looking for something special. He finds something rotten.

How could things get worse? First the frantic call from Mom saying that she and Dad would be late getting home, and that the clueless sitter would be over soon to watch us. Then the worst storm in Fairfield history pounds our house, knocking out our power, lights, and phone. And now a hideous man is lurking at our door and won't go away! He is frantically peering in the windows and ringing the doorbell over and over. . . It's a special, late night delivery for Simon and Sarah White. A deadly delivery. A package of disaster that sends them screaming through the wildest, scariest, most dangerous night of their lives. . . in their very own house. At least, it was their house. Then they opened the box, flipped the latches and peeked under the lid. Now it's loose and planning on a little. . . redecorating. And once it's out, getting it back in is murder.

A monster is coming after Shane Reece. An earthquake two hundred miles from Fairfield has unleashed something terrible - Clayton T. Motley, a zombie gunslinger looking for revenge. Back in the middle 1800s, one of Shane's ancestors ran Motley out of Fairfield by putting a bullet in his hide. A posse chased the fleeing bandit for weeks until Motley holed up in a cave, where he eventually succumbed to his gunshot wound. The bullet inside him, however, was made out of something . . . strange. Now, almost one hundred and fifty years later, the earthquake has freed the undead gunfighter from his rocky prison - and he wants revenge. He's coming after the only Reece left in Fairfield - Shane. . . . and this town's not big enough for the both of them.

Michelle Boyd enjoyed her first time water-skiing on beautiful Lake Wataga. She floated peacefully, waiting for the boat to rocket off, pulling her into another thrilling ride. Then her sister saw the dark shape gliding through the water, relentless, large and powerful. It broke the surface with a tremendous splash, a large brown hump as wrinkled as an elephant... and as fast as a ski boat. Watched through the sinister eyes of the oldest living resident of the lake, Michelle and Erin learn a dark and terrible secret. A secret submerged in the murky depths of Lake Wataga for forty years has returned to watch, to wait... and to feed.