If you came here to read short stories about tranquil lakes, run to the nearest exit. Run as far away as you can from Ramsey Campbell, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, and our array of international voices.

Tales from The Lake volume two also includes the three winners from Crystal Lake Publishing’s Tales from The Lake Horror Writing Competition:

1st: Descending by John Whalen

2nd: Forever Dark by Jonathan Winn

3rd: Ripperscape by Vincenzo Bilof

Beneath this lake you’ll find nothing but mystery and suspense, horror and dread. Not to mention death and misery – tales to share around the campfire or living room floor. Dive beneath a frozen lake with Rena Mason’s “Winter’s Dollhouse”; allow Tim Lebbon to introduce you to “The God of Rain”; don’t go into the lake when Jim Goforth takes you to the haunting sit of “Lago de los Perdidos”; and never get in an elevator again with John Whalen’s award-winning “Descending.”

So dive on in.

The water’s just…right.

Interview with the Authors:

So what makes Tales from The Lake so special?

Ben Eads: As a reader: Legends and up-and-comers in the field of horror consistently knock each volume out of the ball park. It’s a great anthology. As a writer: Aside from sharing the pages with some of the best writers in the biz? The open-theme affords me a broader canvas to write. And, of course, the recognition!

Raven Dane: Publisher Joe Mynhardt and his team of genre enthusiasts strive to bring the reader only the highest quality short fiction in the Tales From The Lake series. Whether the author is well established name or a bright future star, excellence and innovation is always foremost. This is a publishing house with great integrity and passion, a deep-rooted love of horror and total respect for both writer and reader. And no…I do not work for their PR department! This is my genuine experience as both contributor and reader of Crystal Lake books.

Tell us more about your story?

Lisa Morton: It was inspired by two separate ideas: 1) I enjoy weird westerns and wanted to try one; and 2) I was interested in writing something about a succubus, and I had this question: would a gay man be affected by a supernatural temptress who presents as an exotic woman? I started doing a little research on the Old West (train lines, towns, gunslingers, etc.), and the story started to coalesce from there.

Why should readers give this series a try?

Ben Eads: Everyone loves an end of the world story, right?

Raven Dane: The best reason of all, meticulously produced books packed with intriguing stories from an international collection of great writers. There are many horror anthologies available now, with a resurgence of enthusiasm for short fiction. Sadly not all are worth bothering with, to be brutally honest! A reader is in safe hands with a Tales from The Lake volume. Crystal Lake is fast becoming synonymous for high quality production and wonderful story telling.

Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing - Tales from the Darkest Depths

Tales from The Lake eBook categories:

• Horror short stories
• Horror anthologies
• Dark Fiction
• Speculative Fiction

Holmes and Watson Return in These New Sherlock Holmes Stories

“Sometimes a brief zap of great writing is just what you’re in the mood for or have time for. That’s when anthologies like his are ideal....intellectually outstanding.”—New York Journal of Books

Recognized as “the best short mystery and crime fiction of the year” by Leonard Carpenter, Maxim Jakubowski presents a collection of never before seen fiction short stories from some of the best mystery and thriller writers today.

Your favorite sleuths return. An icon of detective fiction, readers have come across Sherlock Holmes and his mythical stories of crime and adventure for generations. In this new short story anthology, literature reunites with the beloved British detective, his powers of deduction, and his unerring quest for the truth.

A cornucopia of British detectives, dark deeds, and derring-do. Collected by one of the genre's eminent editors, The Book of Extraordinary New Sherlock Holmes Stories features the timeless detective alongside favorite Sherlock Holmes characters, like Moriarty, Holmes, and Watson. Bringing together some of the most renowned American and British authors of crime today, this bumper volume of short stories for adults features:

• Jon Courtenay Grimwood
• Lavie Tidhar
• David Stuart Davies
• John Grant
• Rose Biggins
• David N.Smith
• O'Neil De Noux
• Rhys Hughes
• Catherine Lundoff
• Mark Mower
• Matthew Booth
• Martin Daley
• Jan Edwards
• Ashley Lister
• Keith Brooke
• Naching T.Kassa
• Phillip Vine
• Bev Vincent
• Keith Moray
• and Nick Sweet

If you’re looking for British historical mysteries, detective mystery books, or anthology bookss—or enjoy Anthony Horrowitz novels  The Complete Sherlock Holmes or The Best American Mystery Stories 2019—then you’ll love The Book of Extraordinary New Sherlock Holmes Stories.