"THE TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC and Other Horror Stories" is a collection of original short stories some of which are based on legends of Latin America. Three of the stories are set in El Salvador, Central America's smallest democracy and a country with a history of political volatility. It also happens to be the author's birthplace. The other stories are set in Santa Barbara, Ca., and San Francisco, CA. Some of the themes of the stories are, "The jungle spawns evil in the form of... An 80-year old, bloody legend takes human form... The faint smell of sulfur and the spine-tingling presence... The blood in the sink, and the mirror's reflection... The darkness is deceptive, very deceptive." With regard to the pure enjoyment of the macabre, these stories may help.