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Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books in print, eBook, and audio formats.

While we strive to present only the highest quality fiction and entertainment, we also endeavour to support authors along their writing journey. We offer our time and experience in non-fiction projects, as well as author mentoring and services, at competitive prices.

With several Bram Stoker Award wins and many other wins and nominations, Crystal Lake Publishing puts integrity, honor, and respect at the forefront of our publishing operations.

We strive for each book and outreach program we spearhead to not only entertain and touch or comment on issues that affect our readers, but also to strengthen and support the Dark Fiction field and its authors.

Not only do we find and publish authors we believe are destined for greatness, but we strive to work with men and woman who endeavour to be decent human beings who care more for others than themselves, while still being hard working, driven, and passionate artists and storytellers.

Crystal Lake Publishing is and will always be a beacon of what passion and dedication, combined with overwhelming teamwork and respect, can accomplish. We endeavour to know each and every one of our readers, while building personal relationships with our authors, reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, bookstores, and libraries.

We will be as trustworthy, forthright, and transparent as any business can be, while also keeping most of the headaches away from our authors, since it’s our job to solve the problems so they can stay in a creative mind. Which of course also means paying our authors.

We do not just publish books, we present to you worlds within your world, doors within your mind, from talented authors who sacrifice so much for a moment of your time.

There are some amazing small presses out there, and through collaboration and open forums we will continue to support other presses in the goal of helping authors and showing the world what quality small presses are capable of accomplishing. No one wins when a small press goes down, so we will always be there to support hardworking, legitimate presses and their authors. We don’t see Crystal Lake as the best press out there, but we will always strive to be the best, strive to be the most interactive and grateful, and even blessed press around. No matter what happens over time, we will also take our mission very seriously while appreciating where we are and enjoying the journey.

What do we offer our authors that they can’t do for themselves through self-publishing?

We are big supporters of self-publishing (especially hybrid publishing), if done with care, patience, and planning. However, not every author has the time or inclination to do market research, advertise, and set up book launch strategies. Although a lot of authors are successful in doing it all, strong small presses will always be there for the authors who just want to do what they do best: write.

What we offer is experience, industry knowledge, contacts and trust built up over years. And due to our strong brand and trusting fanbase, every Crystal Lake Publishing book comes with weight of respect. In time our fans begin to trust our judgment and will try a new author purely based on our support of said author.

To date we’ve published around 100 books, and with each launch we strive to fine-tune our approach, learn from our mistakes, and increase our reach. We continue to assure our authors that we’re here for them and that we’ll carry the weight of the launch and dealing with third parties while they focus on their strengths—be it writing, interviews, blogs, signings, etc.

We also offer several mentoring packages to authors that include knowledge and skills they can use in both traditional and self-publishing endeavours.

We look forward to launching many new careers.

This is what we believe in. What we stand for. This will be our legacy.

Welcome to Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Kenneth W. Cain is an author of horror and dark fiction, and a Splatterpunk Award nominated freelance editor. He is also the publisher and editor-in-chief at Crystal Lake: Torrid Waters. Cain is an Active member of the HWA and a Full member of the SFWA. To date, he has had over one hundred short stories and thirteen novels/novellas, as well as a handful each of nonfiction pieces, books for children, and poems released by many great publishers such as Crystal Lake Publishing, JournalStone, and Cemetery Gates Media. He has also edited ten anthologies, with a new one coming in 2024. Cain suffers from chronic pain, and as such, likes to keep busy. He lives in Chester County PA with his family and two furbabies, Butterbean and Bodhi. His full publishing history is available on his website.

Chad has written for Famous Monsters of Filmland, Rue Morgue, Cemetery Dance, and Scream magazine. He's had dozens of short stories published, and some of his books include: OF FOSTER HOMES & FLIES, STIRRING THE SHEETS, THE PALE WHITE, SKULLFACE BOY, THE NEON OWL and OUT BEHIND THE BARN co-written with John Boden. Lutzke's work has been praised by authors Jack Ketchum, Richard Chizmar, Joe Lansdale, Stephen Graham Jones and his own mother.

He can be found lurking the internet at www.chadlutzke.com

Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he's not sleeping. He's happily married to a woman who helps his career and is supportive, which is all he ever wanted in life...

He's written over 200 stories that are currently available, including crime thrillers, supernatural thrillers, horror, zombies, contemporary fiction, nonfiction and more. His goal is to write a good story and not worry about genre labels.

He also loves to talk in third person... because he's really that cool. Maybe.

Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig A. Metcalf.

Robert Ford has written the novels Burner, The Compound, No Lipstick in Avalon, and Blood Roses, a horror-western. He also has a collection of his short fiction The God Beneath my Garden, a novella collection, Inner Demons, and the novella Larva Me Tender.

He collaborated, with John Boden, on the novellas Rattlesnake Kisses, Cattywampus, and Black Salve, in the Knucklebucket Thang series.

With author Matt Hayward, Robert co-wrote the novel A Penny for Your Thoughts.

Robert lives in Central Pennsylvania, and is usually hard at work on at least two projects at a time. You can find out more about his upcoming releases at www.robertfordauthor.com

Tom Over is a reptilian limbic system currently manipulating a hominid cortex somewhere in Manchester, UK. The Comfort Zone and Other Safe Spaces is his first book. He is not on Twitter.

John Boden was mostly raised in the mountains of Pennsylvania, in the small town of Orbisonia.

He is a bakery manager by trade and finds a regular sleep schedule overrated.

He currently resides with his beautiful wife and two sons, in a house sweetly haunted by the ghost of a beautician named, Darlene. He likes collecting lots of things and won't usually shut up about it.

His writing is fairly well received and has been called unique of style.

His work has been published in the form of stories in several anthologies and as novellas. He is slowly working on his first novel.

In addition to Eidolon Avenue: The Second Feast (Best Horror Collection 2021 - Audiobook Reviewers Awards), Jonathan Winn is the author of Eidolon Avenue: The First Feast (“a great read…powerful and jarring,” Cemetery Dance), Martuk…the Holy (A Highlight of the Year, 2012 Papyrus Independent Fiction Awards) and Martuk…the Holy: Proseuche (Top Twenty Horror Novels of 2014, Preditors & Editors Readers Poll) as well as The Realtor: an Eidolon Avenue Short Story, part of a series of free reads from Crystal Lake Publishing, and The Martuk Series, an ongoing collection of short fiction inspired by Martuk....

His work can also be found in Horror 201: The Silver Scream, Writers on Writing, Vol. 2, Tales from the Lake, Vol. 2 with his award-winning short story Forever Dark, and Shallow Waters, an ongoing collection of flash fiction, all from Crystal Lake Publishing.

Feel free to visit him at http://martuktheholy.com

Patrick R. McDonough is a writer, reviewer, and podcaster. He is the producer and one of the hosts of the Dead Headspace podcast.

Praised by Robert Coover for being a “noir master” and Brian Evenson for writing “transgressive fiction at its uncomfortable best,” Michael Harris Cohen is a recipient of the New Century Writer’s Scholarship from Zoetrope: All-Story, a Fulbright grant for literary translation, and fellowships from the OMI International Arts Center for Writers, Atlantic Center for the Arts, The Djerassi Foundation, The Jentel Artist’s Residency, The Blue Mountain Center and the Künstlerdorf Schöppingen Foundation.

At Brown University he received the Weston Award for best graduate fiction manuscript. He’s also won the Modern Grimmoire Literary Prize as well as Mixer Publishing’s Sex, Violence and Satire prize.

Michael lives with his wife and two daughters in Sofia. He teaches creative writing and literature at the American University in Bulgaria. Occasionally he tweets @fictionknot

Read more at MichaelHarrisCohen.net

Red Lagoe grew up on 80’s and 90’s horror and carried her fear of slashers, sewer creatures, and Hitchcockian birds into adulthood where she now purges her horror-ridden mind onto the page. She is the author of the upcoming novel "Bloodstains by Gaslight" (Brigids Gate Press 2025), "In Excess of Dark" (Sobelo Books), and three horror collections including "Impulses of a Necrotic Heart". Red has stories published in various anthologies and magazines, and she enjoyed her role as curator and editor of "Nightmare Sky: Stories of Astronomical Horror". Red also worked as a staff writer for Crystal Lake Publishing’s "Still Water Bay" series. In addition to writing, Red loves creating art using traditional fine art mediums like paint, ink, and charcoal. She is also the owner of Death Knell Press.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

M.J. Sydney is an all-things weird and twisted, horror-thriller-chiller writer living with a vampire, a werewolf, a Mogwai and various fairies, gnomes and woodland creatures in the Pacific Northwest.

Website ~ TheCrowsInMyAttic.blogspot.com

Facebook ~ facebook.com/WriterMJSydney

Google+ ~ google.com/+MJSydney

Twitter ~ twitter.com/MJSyd99

L.A. Story is a professional daydreamer and a naturalized Mississippian. She lives in an enchanted forest with her husband, a druid poet, and two dogs and one cat who believes they are the Keepers and we are the Pets. She lives near her four brilliant children, of whom she believes are scary smart with world domination potential. Among said children, two have managed to produce five grandchildren who are possessed of an equally frightening intellect.

L.A. has been creating stories in her head and attempting to put them on paper since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She has been an award-winning staff writer and columnist. Her poetry and fiction have also been widely published. She has been both a Rhysling and James Baker award nominee and a Darrell Award Finalist. She teaches poetry workshops for the Crossroads Poetry Project and is the former editor of the paranormal romance magazine -- Trysts of Fate (Alban Lake Publishing).

Suitably labelled “The Queen of Filth”, extremist author Dani Brown’s style of dark and twisted writing and deeply disturbing stories has amassed a worrying sized cult following featuring horrifying tales such as “56 Seconds”, “Becoming” and the hugely popular “Ketamine Addicted Pandas”. Merging eroticism with horror, torture and other areas that most authors wouldn’t dare, each of Dani’s titles will crawl under your skin, burrow inside you, and make you question why you are coming back for more.

Previous works are available online or via the second-hand market. Stageplays continue to be sold and performed worldwide.

Mark Cassell lives on the south-east coast of the United Kingdom with his wife and many animals. His jobs have included baker, lab technician, driving instructor, actor, and was once a spotlight operator for an Elvis Presley impersonator.

As the author of the best-selling Shadow Fabric mythos, he’s written under several pen names with over 150 stories published in magazines and anthologies. Though his passion remains embedded in dark fantasy and horror, he’s written steampunk, fantasy and sci-fi, and regularly crosses the blurry lines between genres.

Most recently he’s seen publication in the children’s market. In particular, a Would You Rather game book series that has proven popular, and a successful range of pirate activity books. Mark often says how the “Pirate Thing” is a latent interest that will always astonish him.

A proud addition to his bibliography is through Caffeine Nights Publishing with the horror novel, Parasite Crop. Since signing that contract, he remains humbled in the knowledge he now shares the same publisher as one of his literary heroes from the late-1980s, a bygone time when he sneakily read novels at the back of school classrooms.

Incidentally, Mark never got caught.

~

More about the author can be found at www.MarkCassell.co.uk

Pedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker and Elgin Award-nominated horror and science-fiction writer from Los Angeles, California. He is also a Rhysling Award finalist and a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee.

He is the author of MEXICANS ON THE MOON: SPECULATIVE POETRY FROM A POSSIBLE FUTURE, FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE, SYNTHETIC DAWNS & CRIMSON DUSKS, and the SF novel CONTROL THEORY.

His fiction and poetry has appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror, Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3, Qualia Nous Vol. 2, Beyond the Bounds of Infinity, Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers, Dark Spores, A Night of Screams: Latino Horror Stories, Speculative Fiction for Dreamers, Worlds of Possibility, Infinite Constellations, Tiny Nightmares, Shortwave Magazine, Star*Line, Eye to the Telescope, Space and Time Magazine, and Savage Realms Monthly, among others.

Apart from leading writing workshops and speaking at several colleges, he has also been a sensitivity reader and has ghostwritten for award-winning apps and online clients. He is currently a member of the editorial team at Galaxy Science Fiction and Worlds of IF as a proofreader.

Forthcoming projects include his horror comic, CATRINA’S CARAVAN: BLOOD CYCLES (Chispa Comics), his SFF collection, ECHOES AND EMBERS: SPECULATIVE STORIES (Stars and Sabers Publishing), and his debut picture book, THE FIB (Gloo Books), which are slated for 2025 releases.

Jonah Buck wanted to study eldritch knowledge and commune with pale, semi-human creatures that flit across the sunless landscape to terrorize the living, so he became an attorney in Oregon. His interests include history, professional stage magic, paleontology, and exotic poultry. He is the author of several novels, including Carrion Safari & Substratum, and over one hundred short stories.

Linsey Knerl is a mom of six who has been homeschooling since 2004. Her interest in small business and entrepreneurship led to a freelance writing career that complimented her own homeschool style. Linsey has been a trusted source for families since 2008. Her tips for families have appeared in various publications, including Time, Shape, Better Homes & Gardens, Reader’s Digest, Family Circle, All You, and Woman’s World. Her media company (Knerl Family Media) has grown to include her better half in life and business, Sam. Together Sam and Linsey work to educate and support their growing family.

Linsey is also working on several dark fiction projects. When she's not enjoying the beautiful Missouri River bottom landscape you can find her reading weird short stories, playing the piano, and recreating the Danish recipes her grandmother made long ago.

Steve Thompson is the author of 2 short and flash fiction collections. His First "Real Life, a Dream and a tall Tale" contains 4 non-fiction stories, one being a dream he had when he was 6 and his first fiction story. The second book "Forlorn" is a collection of Sci-Fi and horror.

Steve was born and still resides in Moncton New Brunswick Canada where he is currently working on publishing a horror anthology "When the Clock Strikes 13" from his In Your Face Books publication.

Diana is a West Australian writer of strange, dark short stories. A few have been published in Trembling With Fear collections, and she has micro fiction in the horror anthologies Shallow Waters Vol. 2 and Unravel. Night Parrot Press published three little oddities in the anthologies Once: A selection of short short stories and Twice Not Shy. She also writes children's stories. Balloons Lit. Journal published her story about a boy and his pet cockroach in its October 2021 issue. You can find her on Twitter: @ImaginaryGrove

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Four decades ago a black egg hatched and out sprang Tony Logan. Obsessed with horror stories and films, he devoured them all and eventually wanted to create his own. Now he twists and manipulates words intended to terrify. His hellhound Achilles and hellcat Stoker always at his side.

Chad A. Clark is an author of dark-leaning fiction, born and raised in the middle of the United States. His road began in Illinois, along the banks of the Mississippi and from there he moved to Iowa, where he has lived ever since. From an early age, he was brined in the glory that is science fiction and horror, from the fantastical of George Lucas, Gene Roddenberry and Steven Spielberg to the dark and gritty tales of Stephen King and George Romero. The way from there to here has been littered with no shortage of books and movies, all of which have and continue to inform his narrative style to this day. Chad has written horror, science fiction and non-fiction. He has been published by Crystal Lake Publishing, Dark Minds Press, Shadow Work Publishing, EyeCue Productions, Darker Worlds Publishing and Sirens Call Publications. His books have received critical praise from the Ginger Nuts of Horror, Ink Heist, Confessions of a Reviewer, Horror DNA and This is Horror.

For more, check out www.cclarkfiction.net

(Art by Erik Wilson) Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of seven books: three novels—Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), as well as Transubstantiate (Otherworld Publications); three short story collections—Staring into the Abyss (Kraken Press), Herniated Roots (Snubnose Press), and Tribulations (Cemetery Dance); and one novella in The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books). With over 150 stories published, his credits include The Best Horror of the Year (Volume Eleven), Cemetery Dance (twice), Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders (Bram Stoker winner), PANK, storySouth, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Shallow Creek, The Seven Deadliest, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), PRISMS, Pantheon, and Shivers VI (with Stephen King and Peter Straub). He has won contests at ChiZine and One Buck Horror, has received five Pushcart Prize nominations, and has been long-listed for Best Horror of the Year six times. He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller awards. In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor. He was the Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine. His agent is Paula Munier at Talcott Notch. For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com.

In addition to Eidolon Avenue: The Second Feast (Best Horror Collection 2021 - Audiobook Reviewers Awards), Jonathan Winn is the author of Eidolon Avenue: The First Feast (“a great read…powerful and jarring,” Cemetery Dance), Martuk…the Holy (A Highlight of the Year, 2012 Papyrus Independent Fiction Awards) and Martuk…the Holy: Proseuche (Top Twenty Horror Novels of 2014, Preditors & Editors Readers Poll) as well as The Realtor: an Eidolon Avenue Short Story, part of a series of free reads from Crystal Lake Publishing, and The Martuk Series, an ongoing collection of short fiction inspired by Martuk....

His work can also be found in Horror 201: The Silver Scream, Writers on Writing, Vol. 2, Tales from the Lake, Vol. 2 with his award-winning short story Forever Dark, and Shallow Waters, an ongoing collection of flash fiction, all from Crystal Lake Publishing.

Feel free to visit him at http://martuktheholy.com

Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading, or editing.

Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband, daughter, and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of the Bram Stoker Award® nominated novels, THE NIGHT WEAVER and THE BONE CARVER, and her South African horror series, DARK COUNTRY.

Lee Murray is an author, editor, poet, and screenwriter of speculative fiction and horror from Aotearoa-New Zealand. A USA Today Bestselling author and four-time Bram Stoker Award winner, she is her country's only recipient of the Shirley Jackson Award for psychological horror. She lives in the sunny Bay of Plenty with her well-behaved family and a naughty dog.

Madeline Mora-Summonte is a writer, a reader, a beach-comber and a tortoise-owner. Many of her creepy little tales are out prowling in print and lurking online. Visit www.MadelineMora-Summonte.com for a taste of her work. Just be careful something doesn't taste you back.

Red Lagoe grew up on 80’s and 90’s horror and carried her fear of slashers, sewer creatures, and Hitchcockian birds into adulthood where she now purges her horror-ridden mind onto the page. She is the author of the upcoming novel "Bloodstains by Gaslight" (Brigids Gate Press 2025), "In Excess of Dark" (Sobelo Books), and three horror collections including "Impulses of a Necrotic Heart". Red has stories published in various anthologies and magazines, and she enjoyed her role as curator and editor of "Nightmare Sky: Stories of Astronomical Horror". Red also worked as a staff writer for Crystal Lake Publishing’s "Still Water Bay" series. In addition to writing, Red loves creating art using traditional fine art mediums like paint, ink, and charcoal. She is also the owner of Death Knell Press.

Dale Elster is an American horror and dark fiction author living in upstate New York with his wife and two children.

His short fiction has appeared in anthologies by NorGus Press, Collaboration of the Dead, the Stealth Fiction anthology, "Daylight Dims, Volume 2" and DEADSVILLE - his first-ever collection of horror short fiction!

Dale invites you to connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest!

Also, his house may or may not be haunted.

But it most definitely is.

THE PORTABLE NINE: The Kirkus Review

A reinvigorated gang of nine fearless yet curiously likable villains springs into action.

Mesling’s rousing thriller features a clever hit man named Davenport, known in underworld arenas as the “Mad Marksman of Malta.” Readers first meet Davenport in Florence, Italy, hard at work discreetly vanquishing international cargo negotiator Max Brindle. But this time, a rare mechanical malfunction occurs, and the hit on Brindle is botched, which sets in motion a series of deadly revenge plots. Meanwhile, crime syndicate figurehead Black Phantom, believing Brindle to be slaughtered, makes Davenport his target in a retaliation scheme that threatens the hit man’s family and ignites a vicious battle between the two men. In order to arm himself to the fullest extent, Davenport contacts a bevy of slick, vicious evildoers who are part of a group known as “The Portable Nine.” All of them exhibit unique monikers and lethal specialties. With the formation of this team of lawless underdogs, the author’s multifaceted story shifts into high gear. Chapter by chapter, Davenport’s deadly band is individually unveiled, each with distinctive details and personality quirks that keep the action popping and readers turning pages; there is nary a dull moment in this novel. These warriors, though most “likely to be out of shape and out of practice,” are urgently summoned after years apart and recruited back into action from the comfort of hiding places ranging from Los Angeles and the Midwest to the Australian Outback.

In this top-notch tale, Mesling takes great care to ensure the group is comprised of a formidable lot: not the average “workaday thug and cookie-cutter hit man” but a posse of “outcasts, criminals, egotists, and lunatics” sharing a unifying code of ethics. When gathered together, they form “a country unto themselves.” Alongside kingpin Davenport, the Nine include the hatchet-brandishing Butcher; fidgety Twitch Markham; the intimidating, business-minded Robin Varnesse; and brutal Chicagoan Miranda Gissing, a fierce fighter. They are joined by cunning former porn actress Lovinia Dulcet, who brandishes two Japanese steel skewers as her “Twin Delights” weapons of choice; Australian motorcyclist and macho man Abel Hazard, who surgically removed the fear center from his brain in order to become an audacious killer; and sightless Mr. Bonnet and his integral psychiatrist sidekick, Dr. Intaglio, who are sketchy spies for the Black Phantom and rejoin the others to infiltrate and leak intelligence. All fearless and mercilessly primed, the group is assembled by Davenport to help him put an end to the Black Phantom’s revenge plot to capture and exterminate the Nine (and a larger, associated terrorist scheme as well). Electronic trackers, blow darts, and a desert showdown provide the riveting conclusion while leaving the door ajar for further adventures now that the team has regrouped and dusted off its talents. The author keeps all his characters spinning, though some naturally dominate, right through the rather rushed but satisfying ending.

A creatively conceived, over-the-top thriller with plenty of room for more delicious treachery.

Pete Mesling has published two novels (The Portable Nine for adults and The Maker-Man of Merryville for children); two short-story collections (Jagged Edges & Moving Parts and The Wages of Crime); and a volume of poetry (Imperfect Lodgings). He has had fiction appear in such publications as Independent Legions Publishing’s All-American Horror of the 21st Century, the First Decade: 2000 - 2010 and Shallow Waters, Vol. 3, from Crystal Lake Publishing. He also had the pleasure of working directly with the late Richard Matheson on an online retrospective of his career in film and television.

Mesling is the official Clive Barker proofreader for Gauntlet Press.

Mark Cassell lives on the south-east coast of the United Kingdom with his wife and many animals. His jobs have included baker, lab technician, driving instructor, actor, and was once a spotlight operator for an Elvis Presley impersonator.

As the author of the best-selling Shadow Fabric mythos, he’s written under several pen names with over 150 stories published in magazines and anthologies. Though his passion remains embedded in dark fantasy and horror, he’s written steampunk, fantasy and sci-fi, and regularly crosses the blurry lines between genres.

Most recently he’s seen publication in the children’s market. In particular, a Would You Rather game book series that has proven popular, and a successful range of pirate activity books. Mark often says how the “Pirate Thing” is a latent interest that will always astonish him.

A proud addition to his bibliography is through Caffeine Nights Publishing with the horror novel, Parasite Crop. Since signing that contract, he remains humbled in the knowledge he now shares the same publisher as one of his literary heroes from the late-1980s, a bygone time when he sneakily read novels at the back of school classrooms.

Incidentally, Mark never got caught.

~

More about the author can be found at www.MarkCassell.co.uk

Tim Meyer dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He’s the author of more than fifteen novels, including Malignant Summer, The Switch House, Dead Daughters, Limbs, and many other titles. When he's not working on the next book, he's usually hanging out with his wife and son, shooting around on the basketball court, playing video games, or messing with a new screenplay. He bleeds coffee and IPAs.

You can learn more about his books at timmeyerwrites.com.

Jay Faulkner is a disabled writer from Northern Ireland where he lives with his wife, Carole, and their two boys, Mackenzie and Nathaniel. He says that while he is a writer, gamer, martial artist, para-archer, sketcher, and dreamer he’s most importantly just a husband and father.

He writes speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and dark fiction. He also writes for games/ttrpg/rpg, comics, and scripts.

His work has been published widely, both online and in print, and has been nominated for the Penguin Ireland Short Story Competition, the Pushcart Prize, and Sundress Publication’s Best of the Net.

Jay founded, and edits, ‘With Painted Words’ – www.withpaintedwords.com – a creative writing site with inspiration from monthly image prompts, and ‘The WiFiles’ – www.thewifiles.com – an online speculative fiction magazine, published weekly.

He founded and runs Four Parts Press – www.fourpartspress.com – an independent small press which publishes print and e-book charity books and anthologies, single author collections, multi-author collections, online magazines and much more.

He was also a regular co-host on Ireland’s premiers alternative culture radio show Following The Nerd –www.followingthenerd.com

When not writing, Jay is cyber security specialist which he has been doing for far too many years.

Jay is a 5th Degree Black Sash Instructor with Imperial Dragon Kung Fu and while he has dabbled in a few other styles, including judo, shotokan karate, tai jitsu and tae kwon do and enjoyed some aspects of each one, he always returned to kung fu, which is where his spiritual home and way of life is.

He is a school governor for a local integrated school, integrated education being something he feels strongly about, and is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Arts and Disability Forum of Ireland.

Jay lives with – but refuses to suffer from – a rare genetic neuromuscular disability called congenital myasthenia which causes muscle weakness and restricted lung function, as well as diastematomyelia (split spinal cord) of the L2/ L3 vertebra with spina bifida occulta; he was hoping for some better mutations, maybe something that would allow him to join the X-Men but who knows, there’s still time …

He sometimes even finds time to sleep.

You can find out more at www.jayfaulkner.com

Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books in print, eBook, and audio formats.

While we strive to present only the highest quality fiction and entertainment, we also endeavour to support authors along their writing journey. We offer our time and experience in non-fiction projects, as well as author mentoring and services, at competitive prices.

With several Bram Stoker Award wins and many other wins and nominations, Crystal Lake Publishing puts integrity, honor, and respect at the forefront of our publishing operations.

We strive for each book and outreach program we spearhead to not only entertain and touch or comment on issues that affect our readers, but also to strengthen and support the Dark Fiction field and its authors.

Not only do we find and publish authors we believe are destined for greatness, but we strive to work with men and woman who endeavour to be decent human beings who care more for others than themselves, while still being hard working, driven, and passionate artists and storytellers.

Crystal Lake Publishing is and will always be a beacon of what passion and dedication, combined with overwhelming teamwork and respect, can accomplish. We endeavour to know each and every one of our readers, while building personal relationships with our authors, reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, bookstores, and libraries.

We will be as trustworthy, forthright, and transparent as any business can be, while also keeping most of the headaches away from our authors, since it’s our job to solve the problems so they can stay in a creative mind. Which of course also means paying our authors.

We do not just publish books, we present to you worlds within your world, doors within your mind, from talented authors who sacrifice so much for a moment of your time.

There are some amazing small presses out there, and through collaboration and open forums we will continue to support other presses in the goal of helping authors and showing the world what quality small presses are capable of accomplishing. No one wins when a small press goes down, so we will always be there to support hardworking, legitimate presses and their authors. We don’t see Crystal Lake as the best press out there, but we will always strive to be the best, strive to be the most interactive and grateful, and even blessed press around. No matter what happens over time, we will also take our mission very seriously while appreciating where we are and enjoying the journey.

What do we offer our authors that they can’t do for themselves through self-publishing?

We are big supporters of self-publishing (especially hybrid publishing), if done with care, patience, and planning. However, not every author has the time or inclination to do market research, advertise, and set up book launch strategies. Although a lot of authors are successful in doing it all, strong small presses will always be there for the authors who just want to do what they do best: write.

What we offer is experience, industry knowledge, contacts and trust built up over years. And due to our strong brand and trusting fanbase, every Crystal Lake Publishing book comes with weight of respect. In time our fans begin to trust our judgment and will try a new author purely based on our support of said author.

To date we’ve published around 100 books, and with each launch we strive to fine-tune our approach, learn from our mistakes, and increase our reach. We continue to assure our authors that we’re here for them and that we’ll carry the weight of the launch and dealing with third parties while they focus on their strengths—be it writing, interviews, blogs, signings, etc.

We also offer several mentoring packages to authors that include knowledge and skills they can use in both traditional and self-publishing endeavours.

We look forward to launching many new careers.

This is what we believe in. What we stand for. This will be our legacy.

Welcome to Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Michael Patrick Hicks is the author of several horror books, including the Salem Hawley series and Friday Night Massacre. His debut novel, Convergence, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist in science fiction, and his short stories have appeared in more than a dozen anthologies.

Connect with Michael at:

Substack: https://michaelpatrickhicks.substack.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeH5856

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7909523.Michael_Patrick_Hicks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mphicks79

PATRICK BARB is an author of weird, dark, and spooky tales, currently living (and trying not to freeze to death) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His published works include the dark fiction collections THE CHILDREN'S HORROR and PRE-APPROVED FOR HAUNTING, the novellas GARGANTUANA'S GHOST, TURN, and JK-LOL, as well as the novelette HELICOPTER PARENTING IN THE AGE OF DRONE WARFARE. He is the editor and publisher of the anthology AND ONE DAY WE WILL DIE: STRANGE STORIES INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF NEUTRAL MILK JOTEL. His forthcoming works include the Killer VHS novella NIGHT OF THE WITCH-HUNTER from Shortwave Publishing and his debut sci-fi/horror novel ABDUCTED from Dark Matter Ink. His 2023 short story "The Scare Groom" was selected for BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR VOLUME 16.

Ben Lathrop has written and taught on the history of cinema with a focus on the horror genre and cult audience behavior. He is a native Iowan, former television horror host and present librarian. He lives with his family in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Website: www.BenLathrop.com

Twitter: @BenLathrop13

Published author, editor, and recovering journalist, David J. Rank founded and is the executive director of the nonprofit Novel Bookcamp educational programs since 2014. His 33 dark fiction short stories have been published in regional publications, online magazines, and five anthologies. A member of the Horror Writers Association and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, he organized the HWA-Wisconsin (USA) Chapter in 2018. He also spies on things found only in deep shadows.

You can find a few of his stories online in Bewildering Stories, Every Day Fiction, and Daily Science Fiction.

He keeps trying to get a Big Five Publisher to look at his novels. An avid reader of fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery, Historical, and thrillers.

He has memberships in the Chicago Writers Association and the Wisconsin Writers Association. He was president of the WWA from 2013 to 2016 and judged the WWA’s Jade Ring Fiction Contest in 2022.

Dave and his wife of 50 years live in West Bend, Wisconsin. He enjoys reading, making guacamole and chili, and sharing life with his three grown children and four grandchildren.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

I am an author of science fiction and horror short stories, with work published by Sirens Call Publications, The Pygmy Giant, Savage Planet, Terror Tract, Bag of Bones Press, Schlock webzine, Kyanite publishing and Crystal Lake Publishing. I also appear in the anthologies 'Fugitives' by Sinister Saints, 'Weird Ales 2: Another Round' by Quantum Corsets, and 'Mummy Knows Best' by Terror Tree Books. I proudly hold a Master of Arts Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Teesside and am desperately trying to find the time to juggle a family, a mortgage, and some form of a writing career (although career suggests actually makes money from writing doesn't it? Maybe hobby is a better word). I have a particular interest in disability representation in fiction, alt-history fiction, drinking tea and eating cake.

Oleg Hasanov is a horror writer based in Russia. He lives in the city of Chelyabinsk, where men are so tough that they light cigarettes off meteorites. He mainly writes fiction in English.

Dave Jeffery is author of 15 novels, two collections, and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. His YA work features critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham supernatural mystery series and Finding Jericho, a contemporary mental health novel that was featured on the BBC Health and the Independent Schools Entrance Examination Board's recommended reading lists. A third edition of this book will be released by Demain Publishing in 2020.

Jeffery is a member of the Society of Authors, British Fantasy Society (where he is a regular book reviewer), and the Horror Writers Association. He is also a registered mental health professional with a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Health Studies.

Jeffery is married with two children and lives in Worcestershire, UK.

For more information please visit: www.davejeffery.webs.com

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Rhode Island.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he wanted a change, he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that's another story.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, and travel any place that will let him enter. And read and write, of course--he does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonParent?ref=hl, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.

I am an author of science fiction and horror short stories, with work published by Sirens Call Publications, The Pygmy Giant, Savage Planet, Terror Tract, Bag of Bones Press, Schlock webzine, Kyanite publishing and Crystal Lake Publishing. I also appear in the anthologies 'Fugitives' by Sinister Saints, 'Weird Ales 2: Another Round' by Quantum Corsets, and 'Mummy Knows Best' by Terror Tree Books. I proudly hold a Master of Arts Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Teesside and am desperately trying to find the time to juggle a family, a mortgage, and some form of a writing career (although career suggests actually makes money from writing doesn't it? Maybe hobby is a better word). I have a particular interest in disability representation in fiction, alt-history fiction, drinking tea and eating cake.

Kevin David Anderson’s debut novel the geeky, cult zombie classic, Night of the Living Trekkies, from Quirk Books, the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, is a funny, offbeat Zombie novel that explores the pop culture carnage that ensues when the undead crash a Star Trek convention. Publishers Weekly gave Night of the Living Trekkies a starred review and the Washington Post listed it as one of the top five Zombie novels of 2010.

Night of the Living Trekkies and Anderson’s follow-up, Night of the ZomBEEs were required reading in college courses, most notably a class designed for incoming freshmen, How to Survive Your Freshman Year by Studying the Zombie Apocalypse, at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.

Anderson’s short stories have appeared in almost a hundred publications, from anthologies and magazines to podcasts and radio dramas. His work has appeared in multiple languages and on every continent, excluding Antarctica - mostly because penguins and polar bears don’t read. Anderson was the first American to be published in the award-winning South African Horror Magazine, Something Wicked. He has contributed to many award-worthy publications including the British Fantasy Award-winning Magazine Murky Depths, and the Bram Stoker nominated anthology, The Beauty of Death from Independent Legions Publishing. Many of Anderson’s stories have been turned into audio productions with voice talents like Jason Hill, Rish Outfield, and Mur Lafferty, on Parsec Award-winning podcasts like Pseudopod, The Drabblecast, The Dunesteef and on the very popular Simply Scary Podcast and the No Sleep Podcast.

When not writing horror, comedy, or horror-comedy, Anderson likes spending time at the beach with his family, attending horror conventions and book festivals, and writing and telling bad, corny, nerdy jokes. Dad jokes with a geeky twist are his specialty and with the help of his son, he published The Geektastic Joke Book for Kids under the pseudonym, Giggles A. Lott and Nee Slapper. Giggles & Slapper have followed with STAR WARS: The Jokes Awaken, and JURASSIC JOKES: A Book 65 Million Years in the Making. STAR WARS: The Jokes AWAKEN was named one of the top 10 Star Wars gifts for kids by Best Deals For Kids (dot) com in 2020.

Anderson was born in Indiana, and currently lives and writes speculative fiction in Southern California. Before becoming a writer and active member of the HWA (Horror Writers Association), Anderson earned a B. A. in Mass Communication (TCOM) with a focus on Media Production from CSUF (Fresno State). He worked as a marketing professional for more than a decade, during which he managed award-winning campaigns for both television and radio. Currently, he is doing something much more rewarding. Anderson is a high school special education teacher.

Sheldon Woodbury worked for some of the top advertising agencies in New York City then returned to school to get an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from New York University where he also taught screenwriting and playwriting. He’s an award winning writer (screenplays, plays, books, short stories, and poems). His book “Cool Million” is considered the essential guide to writing high concept movies. His plays have been produced in New York City and his short stories and poems have appeared in many horror anthologies and magazines. His novel, The World on Fire, has been called a cult classic.