Book Spotlight: We All Go Into The Dark

Today I have a spotlight for the new Crystal Lake Publishing horror collection, We All Go Into The Dark by Kevin Lucia. Enjoy.

We All Go Into The Dark by Kevin Lucia

It's waiting for us, regardless of who we are. Banker. Lawyer. Teacher. Carpenter. No matter our station in life, someday, we will all go into the dark. And no town is more acquainted with darkness than Clifton Heights, NY. So take your chance and step into the dark throughout these four tales: 

Zootown: A lost man seeking a new purpose and life finds something ancient and sinister in the ruins of a carny town just outside Clifton Heights. 

The Man Who Sits in His Chair: There is a man who sits in his chair in front of his house, just across from The Motor Lodge in Clifton Heights. Why does he sit there? What does he see? A corporate lawyer on vacation will find out, much to his despair. 

In the Court of the Spider King: A photography enthusiast visits Clifton Heights to photograph the area’s spiders, and discovers a dark eldritch secret huddled in the ruins of the Freivald Health and Wellness Spa, out on Bassler Road. 

To Slip the Surly Bonds of Earth: The burned out and cynical host of the paranormal YouTube show Ghost Coasters finds something to believe in again as he searches the ruins of Raedeker Park Amusement Park for ghosts, and finds something much worse.

Book Link: https://geni.us/IntoDark

About the Author

Kevin Lucia’s short fiction has been published in many venues, most notably with Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, David Morell, Peter Straub, Bentley Little, and Robert McCammon. His first novel, The Horror at Pleasant Brook, was released from Crystal Lake Publishing, October 2023.

Book Spotlight: In Those Fading Stars

I forgot to post this last Friday on its launch, so here it is today, a spotlight on the sci-fi horror collection, In Those Fading Stars by Andrew Najberg. Enjoy.

In Those Fading Stars

A father whose son fades away every day unless he passes the boy a bit of his own life.

Three robots holding a séance.

A man who suffers the effects of an intergalactic portal opening in his stomach.

These stories exist at the intersection of science fiction, horror, and magic and explore both our humanity in the face of the weird as well as our most ordinary and fundamental relationships.

Whether attempting to voyage to a distant star on a generational craft whose destination is so far no living passengers will reach it or whether a daughter’s new friend is teaching her to break the trendiest of dimensional boundaries, the stories press humanity against the macro and the micro scales of the universe—but every one of them shines a light on a little piece of our souls at the core.

Book Link: https://getbook.at/FadingStars

About the Author

Andrew Najberg is the author of the best-selling (#1 US Horror Amazon) novels The Mobius Door (Wicked House Publishing, 2023) and Gollitok (Wicked House Publishing, 2023), as well as The Neverborn Thief (Olive-Ridley Press, 2024) and the collection of short fiction In Those Fading Stars (Crystal Lake Entertainment, 2024).  He is also the author of the forthcoming novels Extinction Dream (Wicked House Publishing, 2025), Try Not To Die in the Shadowlands (Vincere Press, 2025), and Eat the Light (Wicked House Publishing, 2026). His short fiction has appeared in Fusion Fragment, Khoreo, Translunar Travelers Lounge, Utopia Science Fiction, Prose Online, Psychopomp Review, Solar Press Horror Anthology, and is forthcoming in Make Your Presence Known Anthology, and the Gods and Globes III Anthology. Currently, he teaches for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Dark Dominions: An Anthology Preview and a Kickstarter

UPDATE: UNFORTUNATELY SINCE THIS WAS POSTED THE KICKSTARTER PROJECT WAS CANCELLED. 

Today I have something a bit different, a look at an upcoming fantasy anthology and its Kickstarter project. Enjoy.

A Fantasy Anthology.

Assassins. Knights. Crooks. And Villainous Heroes.

Fantasy storytelling at its best. Rich with 18 new and original tales by emerging and award-winning fantasy authors alike including MORGAN WRIGHT, DAVID COLLINS, NICOLE SCARANO, JAMES STEVENS, LUCY SPOONER, LIONEL RAY GREEN, JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER, and JOSHUA ROBERTSON, these stories bring us tales of fear, courage, love and sacrifice in worlds of death and tyranny.

Pave the way for indomitable male and female characters. Principled assassins, gifted orphans of fire-wielding warrior bloodlines, high priestesses in possession of magical ink, and sisters born of blood, war and cruelty.

Lies. Hidden secrets. Truths to be unravelled.

Join us in worlds where a forest is marked by death, both for those who enter and those who survive it. Where a warrior as old as time is resurrected to not only fight the darkest of foes but also to come to terms with whom she has now become. Where a prime assassin who has never missed a mark begins a dance with his most elusive target yet, a mysterious and alluring witch. Where an elf knight is able to influence real-life events through magical tapestries. And where a young princess encounters danger and deception amid a border war where defeat means the end of her freedom and the ruin of her kingdom.

Welcome to Dark Dominions

About the Project

1. Summary - What is Dark Dominions?

Dark Dominions is one of the first Fantasy short story anthologies in support of gender equality. Nine male and nine female authors present new and original tales of fiction featuring strong male and female characters. You’ll find no “damsels-in-distress” within its pages. Rather, Dark Dominions takes its readers on journeys of magic, self- discovery, war, love and betrayal in worlds concocted by the imagination of incredibly talented writers including Mike Jansen, Morgan Wright, Michael Mitchell Jr., Nicole Scarano, Joshua Robertson, Kristin Clarke and David Collins.
This anthology will be WriterWriter’s first official step into publishing with an epic collection of fantasy short stories from emerging and award-winning writers alike.
By backing their Kickstarter campaign you will not only be supporting one of the first anthologies in support of gender equality but you will be rewarded for your pledge by any number of special rewards available including: early release copies, limited edition copies, Kickstarter exclusive bookmarks, limited edition bookmarks, book acknowledgements, and a backers-only forum where backers will be directly involved with the creative process, converse with the creators and contributors and be the only ones to get “a-behind-the- scenes” in the making of Dark Dominions.


2. Why Gender Equality?

Because this is something they’re passionate about. In publishing, the idea remains that women can’t write as well as men, especially not male-dominated fields such as fantasy or science-fiction.
The Founders of WriterWriter want to prove them wrong.
How they’re going to do that:

- 50% of their authors will be male and 50% of their authors will be female.

- Both genders will be treated equally and paid equally (no preferential treatment).

- The anthology will feature both strong male and strong female characters.

- The Founders of WriterWriter (writer-writer.com) themselves are male and female, and both consider each other equals. As an extra, Morgan (the female founder) advocates for the “working woman” and some of our other female authors represent the “career mother”. We often hear people use these terms in a derogatory way, as if it’s wrong for a woman to strive for a successful career. This is a traditional bias that still remains and they want to discard that. They believe a woman can have both a family and a successful career. You never hear people say things like this about men. As such, it shouldn’t be said at all.


3. Stretch Goals- What are they and what will these achieve?

Kickstarter stretch goals are goals you reach beyond your target goal, meaning that if one has a goal of say $8000 but they reach $9000 instead, the extra $1000 will go towards completing specific stretch goals.

These are the stretch goals for Dark Dominions:

• Pay Raise for all contributors

• Extra illustrations (means an image for each story in the anthology)

• Extra Stories (one stretch goal for every 2 unlocked stories- means an even bigger an anthology)

• Audiobook

• Small Print Run (200-500 copies)

• Translations (in 4 languages- Spanish, Dutch, French and German)


4. Publishing the Anthology

If there are no unforeseen delays, these are the current publishing dates they have in mind.

- Preorder: September 9

- Official Launch when the book becomes available in ebook, paperback and hardback: November 5


5. Key Dates

Kickstarter Launch Date: March 1, 2019

Kickstarter End Date: April 2, 2019


6. Featured Authors

Women:

- Morgan Wright

- Nicole Scarano

- L. Spooner

- Toni Adwell

- Jessica Marie Baumgartner

- Sherry Leclerc

- Kristin Clarke

- (Two Women Still Undecided)


Men:

- David Collins

- Lionel Ray Green

- Cal P. Logan

- Michael Mitchell Junior

- James Stevens

- Mike Jansen

- Kevin Potter

- Darren Edden

- Joshua Robertson


7. Book Illustrations by

- Mike Cook (also our Cover Artist)

- Inya Serban

- Michael Mitchell

- Lara Calleja

Check out the Kickstarter Project

What Is WriterWriter?

WriterWriter was launched in September 2018, born through the friendship of two like-minded writers who wanted to offer more to the writing community than what was currently available.
And the thing WriterWriter is most known for is its writing competitions with no limits, allowing multiple submissions to other publications so writers aren’t bound by the metaphorical chains of time (raising their chances of gaining publication faster), allowing simultaneous submissions to increase writers’ chances of winning.
Morgan Wright and David Collins teamed up to create a platform to share writer’s works- publishing short stories on their website, offering advice and inspiration for aspiring authors, offering unlimited opportunities for author interviews and book promotions and provide regular writing competitions to keep writers writing.
WriterWriter is most active on Twitter as @byWriterWriter.

Halloween Week: Forsaken

In keeping with the monster theme this Halloween Week, I bring you the strange world of lost Egyptian tombs and mummies. I have a spotlight on my horror story, Forsaken, published in the anthology, Abandon: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal. Enjoy.

Forsaken

Greed meets magic under the sands of Egypt as a lost tomb is discovered. Betrayal and danger lurk in the dark tunnels and something powerful waits to be awakened.

A short snippet from the story.

Forsaken by A. F. Stewart

A hot desert wind blew down a dark London street, and fine grains of sand sputtered against the street lamps. A cloaked figure of a woman shimmered out of air and shadows, thrust into the lonely night, seemingly from nowhere. Sirocco and the ancient world travelled with her, clinging to the folds of her garments.
The edge of loneliness stole out from her mind’s dark recesses, a sense of displacement she carried whenever she ventured into the bastions of civilization. Cities such as London were not her home; that had been taken from her a long time ago.
She paused, staring down the empty street to get her bearings and drew in a breath. She heard the wind tickling at her ear; the whoosh of the air, mixed with a hint of the desert, stirred her thoughts. Long buried, ever festering words conjured themselves into her consciousness.
May the desert claim you for your transgressions.
Memories flickered, of being left in the sand dunes to die. Of surviving.
Cast out because I would not renounce my loyalties.
With a sigh, she squeezed the pain back into its box and returned to the present.
She walked with quiet footfalls, and the agility of a cat, to the entrance of a large house nestled on the street. Its windows reflected a murky interior, and no sign of life offered welcome; a foreboding place most would avoid. Yet, the woman rapped on the door, the echo of the brass knocker breaking the night’s peace. Moments later, a tall lanky man answered, his sallow face and grin peering out from beneath a bowler hat.
The woman smiled, repressing the upsurge of revulsion. “Jackal. Is your master at home?”
“Hello to you too, Hagar. He’s here waiting for you. Come in.”

You can find the story (plus many more fabulous tales) in the horror anthology, Abandon: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal

ABANDON: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal

To act with abandon, in any sense of the word, is human. Whether it’s the sudden, strong urge to do something, either good or bad, or the act of betraying someone you love, we make choices that forever change our lives. Do you give into something or someone completely, or withdraw wholly into yourself? These thirteen stories run the gamut of emotions and express horror as you’ve never imagined it.

The story of a woman alone at the end of the world and the small lifeline she hopes will prove humanity still exists challenges the search for anything left behind after the death of a child. What if you hid a secret you’d thought no one else knew? Would its revelation spark the monster hiding within? A downward spiral into madness juxtaposes the ultimate, but impossible, (re)birth. Would you choose the frigid winds of winter over the warmth and safety of your lover’s arms?

Abandon hope, all who enter here…

Halloween Week Book Spotlight: Wolves In The Desert

Today, I have a treat with werewolves in the spotlight. I'm featuring a new release, Wolves In The Desert, another prequel story for Timothy Bateson's Shadows over Seattle: Prequels series. Enjoy.

Wolves In The Desert by Timothy Bateson 

When his squad is deployed to Iraq, Gunnery Sergeant Garfield Feldman leads them in a series of operations against forces loyal to Saddam Hussein. 

Recently rumors have been flying around base that the enemy has learned a few new tricks, and found ways to ambush Marine units from buildings that had been declared clear. 

Now Feldman's team has received orders to conduct a snatch-and-grab mission deep in enemy-held territory. But what lies behind the walls, and what can Feldman do to ensure the success of the mission?

Available At

Smashwords

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Book Webpage

https://timothybatesonauthor.weebly.com/prequel-three---wolves-in-the-desert.html

Series Link

Shadows Over Seattle: Prequels

Author Bio

Timothy Bateson is a writer who broke into the market in 2014, with three short stories being featured in Halloween and science-fiction anthologies. In 2016, Bateson self-published a re-release of “Under A Hunter’s Moon”, the first of several stories set in the “Shadows Over Seattle” world, which he co-writes with his wife, Sandi.

Bateson is also a blogger who often spotlights books and fellow indie authors, alongside his other interests, such as the Brain to Books Cyber Convention events, falconry, journaling, quotes, and reading.    

Author Links

Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Website

Blog ("Ramblings of an Author")



Also, check out Timothy's 31 Days of Halloween on his blog 

#OctoberFrights Day Three: The Subtlety of Terror

Today I bring you a look at the talented author, Christie Stratos. I'm featuring her new horror short story, The Subtlety of Terror, her first foray in pure horror, as well as her great historical thrillers the Dark Victoriana Collection. Enjoy...

 

The Subtlety of Terror: A Short Horror Read by Christie Stratos 

It's the quietest evils that are the most horrifying—their persistence, constant presence, and unyielding terror. Real horror flourishes in its perpetual infliction of fear.

Available from
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

The Dark Victoriana Collection

Anatomy of a Darkened Heart

Abigail Delilah is the firstborn of three Whitestone children - and she is the most regretted.

But is it really her fault?

She can't help that the revelation of Father's wretched secret coincides with her birth. She can't help the fear she feels during Mother's psychological - and physical - assaults. As the shadows grow stronger over her soul and the noose of pain tightens around her neck, Abigail will find out which is stronger: her family's wicked assumptions about her or her true self.

Available at
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

Brotherhood of Secrets

"Brothers in the art of keeping secrets." 

This is the mantra Mr. Locke's carefully chosen five employees must repeat together every day before starting work.

If you won't tell them your name for Locke and Keye's ledger, they'll find out. They have their ways--and many of them. Yes, these talented locksmiths can make a new lock and key set for you. They can even make a special padlock for a diary you never want to share with anyone. But just remember: when they make the lock, they keep a key--and it's only a matter of time until they use it.

Day by day, each of these young, single, alone-in-the-world workers is being molded into the family they crave. A family in which each member has his use toward an end he doesn't even know exists.

How do the brotherhood and the town's secrets interlock? Only Mr. Locke holds the key. 

Available on 
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

About the Author

Christie Stratos is an award-winning writer who holds a degree in English Literature. She is the author of Anatomy of a Darkened Heart and Brotherhood of Secrets, the first two books in the Dark Victoriana Collection. Christie has had short stories and poetry published in Ginosko Literary Journal, Andromedae Review, 99Fiction, and various anthologies. An avid reader of all genres and world literature, Christie reads everything from bestsellers to classics to indies.

Website  Newsletter  Amazon Page  Author YouTube

Instagram  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads  Pinterest

The Writer’s Edge YouTube 

Creative Edge Writer’s Showcase

And now for the October Frights giveaway!

The October Frights Giveaway

For more October Frights Blog Hop

Interview With Author Glenn McGoldrick

Today I have a great interview with horror and thriller author Glenn McGoldrick. He stops by to chat about writing and his short story collections. Enjoy.

Interview With Author Glenn McGoldrick

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

English was my favourite lesson during my school days, and I always enjoyed writing stories.

Then I grew up and worked in Casinos for twenty years, and spent fifteen of those years travelling on cruise ships.

Leaving ships in 2011, I now live in the North East of England. When I’m not busy writing, I enjoy music, movies, beach walks and beer.

How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published to date?

I have been writing for four years. I have published two collections of short stories, available on Amazon.

What did you hope to accomplish by publishing your book?

In February 2017 I published a collection of some of my stories on Amazon Kindle. Researched for a couple of months, did all the work, even the cover photo. I wanted to be able to say that I’d done absolutely every part of the process myself. It turned out quite well, I think; it was stressful at times, but very rewarding, and it’s great to see my book on Amazon. Then I went and did it all again with my second collection!

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I enjoyed writing stories as a young kid at school. Then I grew up, had a career and did some travelling. I saved some money, took some time off and thought about what I really wanted to do in life.

I’d always enjoyed reading, and I read some books about writing professionally. Then I took a writing course, wrote some stories of my own and enjoyed it. Then I just carried on writing stories, hoping to improve a little each time. And I still like to read a lot.

Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?

I get lots of ideas from newspaper articles. I expand the original idea, work on it for three or four days, ending up with lots of notes on paper. Then when I’ve got most of the story figured out, I’ll get to my laptop, start typing it up, breaking it down by scene, in random order. I usually find that the first and last scenes are the easiest ones for me.

What is your greatest challenge as a writer?

Finding the time to write. Or, setting aside the other stuff, everyday stuff, all the little mundane jobs that need attending to – sometimes it’s a challenge to put it all out of my mind, leaving me able to focus exclusively on writing.

Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?

I’m an avid reader, particularly enjoying James Lee Burke (Robicheaux series), Robert B Parker (Spenser series) and Lawrence Block (Scudder series).

I usually bookmark my favourite passages from their books, then revisit them later, hoping to soak up some of their skills!

What advice would you give beginning writers?

Just sit down and write. Never mind the laundry, or making a snack, or going for a bike ride – sit your butt down and write. There’ll always be other stuff to do, so get to it after you write.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?

I like movies and music, and I’m very interested in politics. I’m out on my bicycle most days, and I like going for walks in the country. And you can’t beat sitting by the sea, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper!

Glenn McGoldrick's books are available on Amazon: 

Nightmare Waiting

Little Dramas   

Glenn McGoldrick worked in casinos for 20 years, and 15 of those 20 years were spent on cruise ships, seeing the world. He's now settled back home, in the Northeast of England. He writes in the horror/thriller genre.

For more on the author check out his Website.

You can also find him on Twitter: @G_T_McGoldrick

Cover Reveal: Camp Nightmare

Today I have a cover reveal, for the horror thriller short story, Camp Nightmare by Franny Marie. Enjoy!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
CAMP NIGHTMARE COVER REVEAL 
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Isn't it great?

Now here's the info on the book

Release Date: Friday March 10th, 2017

Blurb:  Six Friends head out to an annual Camping Trip for a week... Will it be a fun filled week or will they land in a house of Horror fighting for their lives?

Genre: Horror/Thriller 

Add it to you TBR list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33951085-camp-nightmare

Follow Franny Marie

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Franny-Marie/e/B00NB5N3VE/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8532055.Franny_Marie

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/FrannyMarieAuthor/

#Horror #Thriller #shortstories #IndieBooksBeSeen #coverreveal 

#OctoberFrights Begins! Blog Hop Day 1

Greetings my minions, and welcome to another October Frights Blog Hop!

And a Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!

Salutations All and Beware the Monsters!

2016 OCTOBER FRIGHTS BLOG HOP

A Frightful Blog Hop Celebrating

All Things That Go Bump in the Night

This event of spooky chills will run from October 10^th until the 15^th, where a rabid horde (don’t worry we don’t bite) of paranormal and horror writers are serving up dark delights to scare and thrill you.

Here’s what coming this week on Are You Afraid of the Dark?

• October 10^th: The introduction to the blog hop and the flash fiction story How To Prepare A Feast For Unusual Guests
• October 11^th: A book spotlight for my new release, the poetry book Horror Haiku and Other Poems
• October 12^th: An October Frights version of Drabble Wednesday
• October 13^th: A folklore post on the number 13
• October 14^th: A flash fiction story, The Horseman
• October 15^th: A peek at the Brain to Books Cyber Convention and Book Expo, with a focus on their horror event spectacular Blood Spring. Also, there will be a bit of short fiction called Salt Wind and Bones to see off the end of the hop.

Plus, I have not one but two Rafflecopter giveaways for copies of my new book and a poster of the book cover. Check them out at the bottom of the post, after the story.

So now on with the story...

How To Prepare A Feast For Unusual Guests

“No, no, no! I want iced monkey brains for dessert! Not monkey brain soufflé!” These chefs were idiots. “If I serve monkey brain soufflé I’ll be eaten alive.” Literally. “If you can’t get it right I’ll change the menu to iced chef’s brains!”

I took satisfaction in watching the colour drain from his face and shocked fear pervade his eyes. He scurried back to the kitchen, hopefully to prepare the correct dish.

I turned my attention back to the décor. The black candles awaited lighting, placed strategically along the table in gold candlesticks. Pure gold, no iron or silver allowed at this dinner party. Which made acquiring cutlery difficult, but luckily I found some gold sets in storage. Storage also produced an exquisite black and gold set of china dishware. It looked sumptuous against the crimson table cloth with matching placemats and napkins.

Thankfully, my predecessor was a pack rat.

I walked the long table, eyeing the centerpieces, checking their proper positioning. The florist did a magnificent job of arranging the dead roses and dried leaves. They looked as if they had been moldering on a grave for weeks, and smelled as bad.

The guests will adore them. At least I hope they will. They are so mercurial.

Next I checked the curtains, making certain the heavy red velvet drapes were drawn tight, and then turned each sconce down to the lowest light setting. I stepped back and surveyed that the room for the ideal ambience.

Perfect. Dim, but not too dark, with enough shadows to set the mood. Now for the last menu check.

I scanned my copy.

Appetizers

Sautéed Eyeballs on Sliced Mozzarella

Rice Cakes in Garlic Bile Salsa

Salad

Radicchio and Arugula with Goat Cheese, Toasted Fingernails and Almonds

Topped with Berry Balsamic Dressing

Entrée

Seared Lung with Roasted Garlic

Braised Heart with Wild Mushrooms

Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans Almandine

Dessert

Iced Monkey Brains with Blood Sauce

Everything looked suitable.

And the meat would be fresh killed. They always appreciated that touch. Last night’s delivery of those unfortunate ladies topped off our larder. Thank heaven for seedy bars. People are so much easier to kidnap when they’re drunk. Not to mention alcohol creates a nice marinade to tenderize the meat.

As I mused, satisfied everything was perfect, the hotel’s internal bell chimed.

Ah, the first of the guests have awakened. Wonderful. You can always count on the monsters to be prompt…

~*~

And now for the Giveaways!

You can check out my Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway! (live until October 31st) by clicking on the Giveaway Tab at the top of the blog or this link: Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway!

And here's my October Frights Book Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now you can continue on your journey, and check out the rest of the Blog Hop and the delights these wonderful people have in store.

An InLinkz Link-up