Chad Lutzke

OK
About Chad Lutzke
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
Customers Also Bought Items By
Are you an author?
Author Updates
Titles By Chad Lutzke
Liminal Spaces is a quiet horror anthology from Cemetery Gates Media featuring stories from well-known dark fiction writers such as: Joanna Koch, Jessica McHugh, Mark Allan Gunnells, Anthony J. Rapino, Gwendolyn Kiste, Michael Wehunt, Bob Ford, Kelli Owen, Richard Thomas, Todd Keisling, Chad Lutzke, Kristi DeMeester, Joshua Palmatier, and Norman Prentiss.
“The word ‘liminal’ comes from the Latin root limen. It means ‘threshold.’ A liminal space is a ‘crossing over’ space–a space where you have left something behind, yet you are not fully in something else. It’s a transition space.
“This is my favorite kind of horror and speculative fiction. Fiction which takes place in that ‘crossing over’ space. Stories about characters who have–wittingly or unwittingly–crossed a threshold. Those who have left something behind, yet are not quite somewhere or something else. They are in-between, and are neither one thing, nor another. Classic anthologies like Shadows, edited by Charles L. Grant epitomize these kinds of stories, as did Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, the work of Charles Beaumont and T. M Wright, Joyce Carol Oates, Shirley Jackson, and the ‘strange stories’ of Robert Aickman.”
-Kevin Lucia, Editor
"She got someone!"
Both children grinned and settled in their beds, eyes fixed to the ceiling.
This was family growth.
"Boden and Lutzke weave heartache and a backwoods tale as easily as telling a story around a campfire, delivered in an incredible voice."
~ Robert Ford, author of BORDERTOWN
"Poetic, unnerving, and heartbreaking. The partnership between Boden and Lutzke yields the kind of story that leaves you aching and unsettled. Long after finishing, I couldn’t stop thinking about Maggie, her boys, and what happens out behind the barn."
~ Kristi DeMeester, Author of BENEATH
"Lawdy mercy. This story was amazing. There's something magical and sad about it. I dig it a lot."
~ Michelle Garza (half of the Sisters of Slaughter) authors of MAYAN BLUE & THOSE WHO FOLLOW
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With twenty-two dark tales diving beneath the surface of loss, love, and life.
Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing. Every month a new challenge is posted online, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page, where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the most popular of our finalists.
Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.
Volume one includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of love lost, death, 2nd chances, the monsters within, and the beauty beneath it all.
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Closure on a Bed of Nails” by Chad Lutzke
“Fast Car” by Tracy Fahey
“Tears of Buddy” by Patrick R. McDonough
“Puzzle Pieces” by Armand Rosamilia
“Pretty Like Butterflies” by Tim Waggoner
“S1:E7” by Robert Ford
“Pain is Your Teacher” by Michael Harris Cohen
“Memory Lane” by Red Lagoe
“The Silence of the Sirens” by Loren Rhoads
“It’s Me Not You” by Jonathan Winn
“Sisters of Loss” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Talisman” by Jezzy Wolfe
“The Melting of Your Gods” by Mercedes M. Yardley
“Charms” by Dino Parenti
“Not Your Average Monster” by Kenneth W. Cain
“Where the Children Run in Darkness” by Guy Medley
“Tunnels” by Tom Over (winner)
“The Truth about Dani” by Joe Mercer
“Baby Savannah” by M.J. Sydney
“Rats Scratched in the Linen Cupboard” by Dani Brown
“Raining” by John Boden
“The Death Experience” by L.A. Story
In this volume…
- Taunted by a cactus, a man copes with grief after the loss of his wife.
- Alondra DeCourval visits Franz Kafka’s grave to think about death.
- A lovestruck woman strives to connect with a man she’s convinced is The One.
- The perfect funeral for a child—all according to a Mother’s well-crafted plan. The exception is one small, unexpected development no one could have ever prepared for.
- A short meditation on the haunting nature of love and loss, and the aftermath of both.
- Victor’s sanity has been threaded together by the memory of his daughter’s voice, until now, when her laughter falls silent.
- An adrenaline junkie believes he can take on the ultimate challenge—coming back from the dead.
- Sisters share everything. The good...and the bad.
- Sometimes being a hoarder is dangerous...
- In our ever-changing world, what we view as a monster is constantly evolving…but at what cost?
- Buddy's heart aches for his family’s arrival.
- Bright colors may be beautiful, but sometimes they can be dangerous.
- Sometimes the darkness we harbor within is best left behind closed doors.
- Rats scratch in the children's ward.
- A surprise wedding present from daughter to father, built over a lifetime, reveals his true nature to all his guests.
NO! A small carousel is moving beside you, its once colorful horses bobbing in time. You look about. There are toys everywhere! Old, broken, forgotten toys fill this attic room. A doll, cracked skull, hairless, limbs askew, stares from behind one eye, the other an empty, hollow socket. A rocking horse begins to sway in the corner. Toy soldiers, their green metal chipped and rusted. How odd; they appear in battle stance, staring… Suddenly, the trap door closes. Darkness… the stirring… These toys… You know why they have been locked away. You stand among evil incarnate. The melody stops. No one hears your final cries…
TOYS IN THE ATTIC: A COLLECTION OF EVIL PLAYTHINGS is an anthology of horror like no other. Step inside…WELCOME TO THE ATTIC
"SPINAL REMAINS is the perfect illustration of why collections are so important. If you think you know Chad Lutzke, travel down these paths that take you far from expectations. At turns nostalgic, horrifying and downright disgusting, but always intensely human and gorgeously written. My favorite Lutzke so far."
-Laurel Hightower, author of CROSSROADS and BELOW
We have assembled some of the very best in the business from whom you can learn so much about the craft of horror writing: Bram Stoker Award© winners, bestselling authors, a President of the Horror Writers' Association, and myriad contemporary horror authors of distinction.
The Horror Writer covers how to connect with your market and carve out a sustainable niche in the independent horror genre, how to tackle the writer's ever-lurking nemesis of productivity, writing good horror stories with powerful, effective scenes, realistic, flowing dialogue and relatable characters without resorting to clichéd jump scares and well-worn gimmicks. Also covered is the delicate subject of handling rejection with good grace, and how to use those inevitable "not quite the right fit for us at this time" letters as an opportunity to hone your craft.
Plus... perceptive interviews to provide an intimate peek into the psyche of the horror author and the challenges they work through to bring their nefarious ideas to the page.
And, as if that – and so much more – was not enough, we have for your delectation Ramsey Campbell's beautifully insightful analysis of the tales of HP Lovecraft.
Featuring:
Ramsey Campbell, John Palisano, Chad Lutzke, Lisa Morton,
Kenneth W. Cain, Kevin J. Kennedy, Monique Snyman, Scott Nicholson,
Lucy A. Snyder, Richard Thomas, Gene O'Neill, Jess Landry, Luke Walker, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Marie O'Regan, Armand Rosamilia, Kevin Lucia,
Ben Eads, Kelli Owen, Jasper Bark, and Bret McCormick
And interviews with:
Steve Rasnic Tem, Stephen Graham Jones, David Owain Hughes,
Tim Waggoner, and Mort Castle
*Winner of the 2019 This Is Horror Awards ‘Novella of the Year’*
A coming-of-age tale of revenge and survival that explores a friendship and the desperate measures taken to ensure they stay united, held together by the scars that bind them.
After being held against their will in a house used for trafficking, three girls plan their escape.
Alex: A hardened goth-punk who’s convinced she’s a vampire with a penchant for blood.
Stacia: A seventeen-year-old raised by an alcoholic mother, her fellow captives the only family she’s ever truly had.
Kammie: The youngest of the three—a mute who finds solace in a houseplant.
But does life outside the house offer the freedom they’d envisioned? Or is it too late, the scars too deep?
This contemporary Suspense Thriller / Horror novella with an all-female cast is the perfect read for fans of Robert R. McCammon, Stephen King, and Jack Ketchum.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Interview with the author:
What makes this Suspense Thriller so special?
Taking into consideration the predicament of the three girls in the book, rather than reading as a typical thriller where most of the time is spent in a cat & mouse chase or building to the climax of escape, the book focuses on the psychological aftermath of the trauma and explores the bittersweet feeling of being free and whether the joy of freedom can be truly celebrated alone. Also, there aren't enough female-centric coming-of-age stories out there.
Tell us more about your lead character.
Stacia is a 17-year-old, everyday, teenage girl who was raised in a very dysfunctional home where the front door is left revolving by myriad of temporary father figures brought home by her alcoholic mother. She's never truly felt what it means to be loved, until she meets the other girls in the house on Seaside Lane.
Why should readers give your work a try?
Because I try my hardest to write stories using concepts that I feel haven't been done before. Originality is my primary concern, followed by a huge dose of empathy for characters the reader will care for deeply, darkness, and often times hope, but never in an unrealistic manner.
Over 100 drabbles by some of the finest horror authors writing today.
Edited by Brandy Yassa
T.O.C.
Andrew Lennon - Enter Night
P. Mattern - The Fungus Among Us
RJ Meldrum - Invasion
RJ Meldrum - One Night Stand
C.A. Verstraete - A Mother's Love
Valerie Lioudis - Too Many
Steve Stred - Click
Steve Stred - Cursed
D.E. McCluskey - Work
Mark Matthews - A Vampire and Her Jar Full of Leeches
Dennis Mombauer - The Rusted Island
Theresa Jacobs - The Muse
Michael D. Davis - June Bug
Michael D. Davis - The Doctor's Hobbies
Chad Lutzke - Nothing
J.C. Michael - True Potential
DS Ullery - Number Thirteen
Scott Paul Hallam - The Crate
Anthony Giordano - La Lamentación
Kevin Cathy - The Tree
Kevin Cathy - Narrative
Kevin Cathy - Admitted
Ellen A. Easton - Into the Woods
Sheldon Woodbury - The Altar of Bones
Sheldon Woodbury - Halloween Ride
Sheldon Woodbury - The Midnight Circus
P.J. Blakey-Novis - Stray
Chris Hall - The Evacuation
Larry Hinkle - Three Wishes
J.C. Michael - The Dead that Lived
Joe X. Young - Black Light
Terry Miller - Dollface
Evans Light - That'll Show Her
C.S. Anderson - The Difference
Alyson Faye - The Necklace
RJ Roles - Tits to Die for
RJ Roles - Passing the Torch
RJ Roles - Delicious
RJ Meldrum - The Apocalypse Will Be Televised
Kerry E.B. Black - Blood and Ashes
Ron Davis - Crimson and Clover
Rhys Hughes - The Special Day
Tristan Drue Rogers - Flightless
John Boden - A Fleeting Thing
John Boden - After
Ryan Colley - Masks
Ryan Colley - Operation
Kerry E.B. Black - Flames
Kerry E.B. Black - As He Was
Toneye Eyenot - Sleep, My Darling
David Owain Hughes - The Rich Get Richer
Simon Cluett - Bait
Toneye Eyenot - Dirt Nap
John T. M. Herres - A Place I Know
Ryan Woods - The Room Upstairs
Howard Carlyle - Painting the Walls
James Matthew Byers - A Penny’s Penance
Andrew Lennon - Possessed
Terry Miller - Death Rattles
Dean M. King - Too Late
Terry Miller - Dead Girl Speak
Jason M. Light - Gun Control
Justin M. Woodward - Gravemakers and Gunslingers
Aron Beauregard - Hot Car
Matthew Cash - My God Lives on the Mountain Top
David Owain Hughes - Tribal Beard
Hazel Lennon - Picnic
Martin P. Fuller - Die, Die, Dead
Howard Carlyle - The Tools of His Trade
Duncan Thompson - A Bedtime Story
Jim Goforth - Hack
Stuart Conover - Be Careful What You Wish For
S P Oldham - Noisy Neighbours
Ron Davis - Machines of War
Becky Narron - Mistaken Identity
Chris Miller - The Thing Beyond the Veil
Norbert Góra - Houston, I Have a Circus Here
Leigha Desmond - The Call
Patrick Winters - The Dolmen of Austburg
Paul Wennersberg-Løvholen - The Dead Don’t Die
Paul Wennersberg-Løvholen - 158 Days Later
Andrew Lennon - Honey, I’m Home
C.M. Saunders - Naughty Step
Zoey Xolton - The Arena
Theresa Derwin - Used Parts
Martin Zeigler - Blackout
Andrew Lennon - Dreams
Robin Braid - Loch
Robin Braid - Next Door
Suzanne Fox - Sweet Dreams
Essel Pratt - Somniphobia
Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason - Wooden Suit
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With 25 dark tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the pain between them.
Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing. Every month a new challenge is posted online, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page, where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the most popular of our finalists.
Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.
Volume two includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of life after death, the supernatural, murder, and the beauty beneath it all.
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Night Swimming” by Michael O’Brien
“Hush Little Baby” by Matt Shaw
“The Vessel” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“The Southland” by Pedro Iniguez
“Biter of Dust” by Austin James (winner)
“Gently Used” by Jonah Buck
“Ollie Visits Grandma” by Mark Cassell
“The Water Tower Ghost” by Darryl Foster
“Standing Tall” by Kenneth W. Cain
“The Only Thing That Remains” by Jess Landry
“(Almost) Joined at The Hip” by Dan Weatherer
“Remy and the Elephant” by Linsey Knerl
“She Fluttered” by Andrew Garvey
“Just A Cup of Coffee” by Theresa Derwin
“Malignant” by Steve Thompson & Kenneth W. Cain
“Welcome to the Future” by Diana Grove
“Makes Three” by Michael Harris Cohen & Mark Allan Gunnells (winner)
“A Tea Party for the Dead” by Dani Brown & David Charlesworth
“A Game of Hide and Seek” by Joe X Young
“The Allotment” by Theresa Derwin
“Hourglass” by Chad Lutzke & John Boden
“The End of the War” by Joseph Mulak
“Long Distance Cull” by Tony Logan & Red Lagoe
“To Stop Further Slaughter” by Raymond Gates
“Baited” by Chad A. Clark
“Curtain Call” by Raven Dane (winner)
In this volume…
- A man is visited by his wife the night before her funeral.
- A tale of brotherly love turns sour.
- What happens when the ghosts of our past refuse to forget?
- A man contemplates the sacrifice he must make to stop a killer.
- When popping in to see a grandparent, don't always expect biscuits and tea.
- She rose from the dead, but by cheating death she must gamble again with life.
- A grieving mother preserves the memory of her son in a very curious manner.
- During an interrogation in the sweltering summer heat, a Los Angeles detective struggles as he loses his grasp between reality and madness.
- A bizarre black mold problem leads to the most extreme of solutions.
- Dawn comes for the dead locked in a forgotten room inside the Neon Dream.
- An ancient soul finds himself and his people threatened by an ever-growing hostile race.
Today’s top Horror and Science Fiction authors pay tribute to C.H.U.D...
The cult classic movie of 80s...
In this anthology of original fiction.
C.H.U.D. is a genre defying, cult classic film featuring monsters living in the sewers below New York. The stories in this anthology expand the world created by the film and add depth to the C.H.U.D. universe like never before. From stories of apocalyptic horror and all out monster action, to tales of underground parties interrupted by uninvited guests and evening strolls that end in death, this anthology will leave you both smiling and breathless.
Relive the fear as these original stories take you beyond the movie to events that occurred before, during, and after the scenes we remember so well.
Includes C.H.U.D. related stories by Jonathan Maberry, Tim Waggoner, JG Faherty, Mort Castle, Michael H. Hanson, Martin Powell, Ben Fisher, Jason White, Chad Lutzke, Ross Baxter, Philip C Perron, David Bernstein, Nick Cato, Alex Laybourne, Christopher Fulbright, Angeline Hawkes, David Robbins, Robert Waters, Greg Mitchell, Ryan C. Thomas, and Eugene Johnson.
With an introduction by David Drake. Compiled by Eric S. Brown.
C.H.U.D. Lives! also features in-depth interviews with Andrew Bonime (producer) and Parnell Hall (screenwriter), as well as never before seen behind-the-scenes photos from the classic 80s horror film.
Lineup:
- Introduction by David Drake
- Interview with the late Andrew Bonime
- “Dog Walker” by Robert E Waters
- “The Dwellers” by Nick Cato
- “The City Will Eat You Alive” by Ryan C. Thomas
- “Date Night” by David Robbins
- “Strange Gods” by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes
- “Lost and Found” by Greg Mitchell
- “They Are C.H.U.D” by Alex Laybourne
- “C.H.A.D.” by Michael H. Hanson
- “Samsa’s Party” by Ben Fisher
- “The Way to a Man’s Heart” by Tim Waggoner
- “Dweller Messiah” by Jason White
- “That’s Entertainment!” by Mort Castle
- “Toxic Disposal” by David Bernstein
- “Monstrous Me” by Martin Powell
- “Step Ate” by Chad Lutzke
- “Zero Hour” by JG Faherty
- “The Deuce” by Philip C. Perron
- “All at Sea” by Ross Baxter
- “You Will Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Jonathan Maberry and Eugene Johnson
- Interview with Parnell Hall (screenwriter) by Eric S Brown
This book is dedicated in loving memory to Andrew Bonime, the producer of the C.H.U.D. film.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Interview with the publisher/editor:
What makes this horror anthology so special?
Joe Mynhardt: It’s based on a classic film, and written from the perspective of professional authors who grew up watching this movie. Its locations vary from the New York scenes used in the movie (including those claustrophobic tunnels) to the countryside and even aboard a ship off the coast of England.
Tell us more about the CHUD movie and how you got involved.
- ←Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- ...
- 5
- Next Page→