As on the old MWC forum, I'll use one thread to post about everything Crystal Lake.

For those who weren't there, or don't remember, I started my writing journey in 2008 when I joined so many of you on My Writers Circle. I learned to write, got feedback, took part in those flash challenges, got a few short stories published, and eventually went into the publishing business myself in 2012. In August of 2012 I founded Crystal Lake Publishing. In 2016 I quit my day job and became a full time work from home publisher. In 2018 I became a full time work from home dad, as well.  ;D

I won the HWA's (Horror Writers Association) Bram Stoker Award a few years ago for editing non-fiction. This year I received the company received the HWA's Specialty Press Award.

Right now we're on the verge of launching our very own magazine and comic books, which has always been a dream of mine.

Onward and upward!

Out today! Another haunting anthology release from Crystal Lake Publishing!

The spirits of the dead exist, and they want to communicate.



There Is No Death, There Are No Dead includes new work from some of the most talented and respected authors in the horror and dark fantasy genres, featuring stories from Gemma Files, Helen Marshall, Kathe Koja, Lee Murray, David Demchuk, Lisa Morton, Gwendolyn Kiste, S.P. Miskowski, Seanan McGuire, Catherine Lord, Chesya Burke, Nadia Bulkin, Michelle Belanger, and Laird Barron, and edited by Bram Stoker Award winner Jess Landry and Aaron J. French.

There Is No Death, There Are No Dead is a horror anthology that tackles all aspects of the spiritualist movement: from the true believers to the nay-sayers, the hoaxes to hauntings, the real mediums to the scam artists. From ghosts to possessions, from profound loss to insurmountable grief, these short stories explore limitless genres (historical fiction, Gaslamp mystery, modern horror, and everything in between) with a diverse cast of characters challenged at every corner.

The dead are speaking. Will you hear: https://geni.us/NoDeath

Read a sample: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?&asin=B09CNR3XSD
Add (and recommend) it on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3jl6dqb

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Best of luck with it, Joe!

Thank you.

This looks awesome, Joe! And good to see you  :)

Quote from: Laura on August 28, 2021, 12:48:23 AM
This looks awesome, Joe! And good to see you  :)

Thank you, Laura. So many familiar names. Wish I had more time to hang out with all of you.

Well done, Joe!

Here's to your continued and growing success.

~Deb

Good to see tings are still going well, Joe.  (I bet the 'Ghost of Bloemfontein' is smiling approvingly somewhere in the background.)

Gyppo

Quote from: Gyppo on September 01, 2021, 11:29:09 AM
Good to see tings are still going well, Joe.  (I bet the 'Ghost of Bloemfontein' is smiling approvingly somewhere in the background.)

Gyppo

I hope so.  :D

On to the next one. We released this Historical Horror novella just last week. Be sure to check it out...



"Garrett Boatman's Floaters is like Peaky Blinders meets Return of the Living Dead. The story hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the explosive end. Bloody, violent fun!"—Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of Devil's Creek

"A tale of London's scum that is visceral, shocking, and fast, Boatman's Floaters is historical horror at its best."—Multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author Lee Murray

London 1890s. Out of the Thames' fetid depths the undead rise to feast upon the living. While floaters seek blood, another army takes advantage of the chaos. Boiling out of their rookeries of crime, marauders swarm through London's affluent neighborhoods looting and burning.

While the beleaguered police and the Queen's army battle twin plagues—human and inhuman—London's criminal youth gangs join forces to save their city. Will Tagget, leader of the Lambeth Lads, together with his enemies Bill Drummond of the Drury Lane Gang, bull-necked George Fish of the Elephant and Castle Gang, shillelagh-wielding Dirk Bogart of the New Cut Gang, Quincy Bird of City Road, along with their female counterparts—Lambeth Kate, Queen Jane, New Cut Beth, Razor Lil and Dirty Deidre—set out on an adventure the telling of which might earn a man a lifetime of free drinks. If he lives to tell it.

Will these violent youths be able to put aside their rivalries long enough to get the job done? 

"The scum of the Earth are brought face to face with the spawn of Hell in this fast-paced historical horror. A visceral, action packed pageturner."—Gavin, Kendall Reviews

Come Dive Beneath the Surface: https://geni.us/Floaters

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

It's book launch day over at Crystal Lake Publishing: https://geni.us/Followers

You never know who is on the other side of the screen.



Sidney, a single mother with a dull day job, has big dreams of becoming a full-time horror reviewer and risqué gore model. She's determined to make her website a success, and if her growing pool of online followers is any indication, things are looking good for her Elvira-esque aspirations. In fact, Sidney has so many followers that chatting with them is getting to be a job in itself. More than a job, it might be getting a little risky....

When Sidney is attacked on a dark trail late one night, it becomes clear that the horror she loves is bleeding into her real life. She learns that real-life horror is not a game, and being stalked isn't flattering—it's terrifying, and it could get her killed.

Sidney—and her loved ones—are now in serious danger. This stalker isn't just another online fan: he knows her movements, and he knows her routine. In fact, he's right behind her... and when he gets close enough, he won't take no for an answer.

Followers is a mystery and thriller with a strong female protagonist that blends women's fiction with horror.

Grab one now on paperback and Kindle: https://geni.us/Followers

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths

Be sure to check out our Historical Fantasy release, out tomorrow:

A schoolgirl steps between a soldier and a ravening monster...



1943. Soviet Union is under attack as WW2 is raging. Fighting in the doomed battle of Kursk, Andrei finds himself in a strange city where Svetlana, a girl he has never seen but who looks eerily familiar, saves him from a fist-faced creature. When Svetlana's family is lost, the two embark on a harrowing odyssey across the snow-covered plain, battling deformed former humans and taken prisoners by the army of black stars. Against impossible odds, they reach their destination where they discover a secret that will change history.

Little Sister is a dystopian historical fantasy set in the Soviet Era. Presenting a richly imagined alternative history world, this is a tale of friendship, survival, and heartbreak. Fans of The Book Thief and The Wolfhound Century will enjoy this striking fantasy rooted in Russian fiction.

Pre-order today: https://geni.us/LittleSister

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Pre-order today for only 99c, before the price goes up to $3.99 on launch day: https://geni.us/OctoberNights
Also available on paperback!



This Halloween...
On a night when anything seems possible...
We dare you to spend an evening in the small town of Clifton Heights.

October nights here are long and strange, filled with both dread and transformation, and in these four shared-world tales of small-town Halloween horror, you'll encounter things both wondrous and terrifying, in equal measure:
- A priest hears a ghostly confession on Halloween night which will mark him forever.
- A young man is offered a supernatural chance to remake his fortune, at the risk of losing everything.
- A pastor fleeing the death of his daughter comes to Clifton Heights to face his fears, but finds himself living a nightmare instead.
- Two people with supernatural talents face-off with an engine of darkness and pain on Halloween night.

Four connected Halloween tales, evoking echoes of Ray Bradbury and Charles L. Grant, taking place in a town where every day is All Hallow's Eve.

Pre-order today for only 99c (paperback already available): https://geni.us/OctoberNights

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

hope theres a real life story coming out

Out November 5th from Crystal Lake Publishing...



"Caveat: This beguiling horror primer from insider Alessandro Manzetti, will have you reaching for your wallet. Including insights from the genre's best-known crypt-keepers, 150 Exquisite Horror Books is a must-have resource for connoisseurs of contemporary horror." —Lee Murray, double Bram Stoker Award®-winner and author of Grotesque: Monster Stories

Compiled and edited by the Bram Stoker Award-winning author Alessandro Manzetti, this is a guide to the best 150 books of modern horror, weird, and dark fantasy fiction (single author novels, novellas, and collections of short stories) published between 1986 and 2020.

This captivating book includes publication details, reading notes and ratings for each work, as well as top-ten lists contributed by well-known writers, editors, critics, and essayists, including Joe R. Lansdale, Ramsey Campbell, John Skipp, Ellen Datlow, Stephen Jones, Linda D. Addison, Jack Bantry, David Barnett, Mort Castle, Randy Chandler, Brian Evenson, Owl Goingback, Eric J. Guignard, Paula Guran, Grady Hendrix, Kate Jonez, S.T. Joshi, Edward Lee, RC Matheson, Lisa Morton, Steve Rasnic Tem, David J. Schow, Craig Spector, Angela Yuriko Smith, Dacre Stoker, and Lucy Taylor.

This guide is an essential resource for readers and fans of 20th century horror and supernatural books, in a modern and easy-to-read format, to discover the best books of the horror genre. Come take a look at the best horror books around. Come dive into 150 books of must read horror.

Pre-order on Kindle for $4.99: https://geni.us/150Horrors (price goes up to $5.99 after the launch)
$15.99 for the paperback.

Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths.