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

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.

This is Writers on Writing – An Author’s Guide where your favorite authors share their ultimate secrets in becoming and being an author. 

Learn the craft of writing from those who know it best. 

This is Writers On Writing – An Author’s Guide Vol.2, where professional authors share their secrets in the ultimate guide to becoming – and being – an author. 

In this volume you’ll find the following in-depth On Writing essays:

• The Infrastructure of the Gods: 11 Signposts for Going all the Way by Brian Hodge
• Embracing Your Inner Shitness by James Everington
• The Forgotten Art of Short Story by Mark Allan Gunnells
• Well, That Escalated Quickly: Adventures in Teaching Creative Writing by Lucy A. Snyder
• Submit (to psychology) for Acceptance by Daniel I. Russell
• Character Building: How Not to be a Stalker by Theresa Derwin
• Heroes and Villains by Paul Kane
• Do Your Worst by Jonathan Winn

Writers On Writing gives young authors the guidance they need, but also has advice for all authors, from the interested newbie to the seasoned veteran.

The Writers on Writing series carries on the proud tradition of Stephen King's On Writing.

Are you ready to unleash the author in you?

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

Interview with one of the authors:

So what makes Writers on Writing so special?

Mark Allan Gunnells: When I was growing up as an aspiring writer, I would have given anything for this kind of advice from authors actually publishing. I think writers will find the essays interesting and helpful.

Tell us more about you essay in Writers on Writing.

Mark Allan Gunnells: I am passionate about short fiction, and was happy to provide an essay about how to create effective short stories, the unique pleasures of the form, and to encourage writers who enjoy short fiction not to be dissuaded from writing it.

Why should authors read Writers on Writing?

Mark Allan Gunnells: There's something for everyone. Many topics of writing and promotion and publishing from people who have experience with these things. 

Do you have other non-fiction books authors should try out?

Mark Allan Gunnells: I have written non-fiction articles for Apex Magazine, and I have nonfiction essays on horror films in the books HORROR 101 and HIDDEN HORROR, both edited by Aaron Christensen.

Writers on Writing eBook categories:

• Authorship
• Publishing and Books
• Writing Reference
• Writing Skills
• Education & Reference

Roxanne Dent: Each story is unique, different, and very well written.

Sergio Pereira: It’s an anthology series that promotes both established and upcoming authors, without ever compromising on the quality of the stories. The fact that Jack freakin’ Ketchum has a story in Volume 2 tells you enough: it’s an anthology series every horror writer should want to be a part of.

Harper Hull: The whole concept behind the series is a fascinating one - brand new scary campfire stories written by today's authors. Within this idea the range of stories varies wildly and each volume in the series takes the reader on a wild and creepy ride across all manner of places. I'd also add pay attention to the wonderful covers as they seem to be telling a story themselves.

Q: Why should readers give this series a try?
Mark Allan Gunnells: Because it's a lot of talented authors telling entertaining tales. Enough said.

Sumiko Saulson: It's an essential series of gripping horror tales in the classic camping trip fireside story telling tradition that will scare your socks off. The stories are written in diverse voices by an impressive array of authors from established masters like Graham Masterton to relative newcomers such as myself. I hope you'll check them out and give us a chance.

Sergio Pereira: In case you haven’t realised, Crystal Lake Publishing is taking over the horror scene. Not only is it attracting the new breed, but it’s also brought in the legends. Tales from the Lake is the perfect amalgamation, showcasing the classic, the new and the absolute best. To quote horror punk icon Wednesday 13: “Hey, you. Don’t be late. Till death do us party right here on Crystal Lake.

Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.

With 23 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.

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 (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as 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 (or gain access to our Still Water Bay series).

Volume five includes suspenseful stories of horror on the road, war, graveyards, Karma, and Halloween.

Includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Driving On” by Guy Medley (winner)
“Dichotomy” by Jason Parent
“Babysitting for Writers” by Kevin David Anderson (winner)
“The Good Samaritan” by L.F. Falconer
“Of Debris and Duty” by John Boden
“The Visitors” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Twenty Reasons to Stay and One to Leave” by Richard Thomas
“The Knights of Cold Days” by Dave Jeffery
“Travel Bag” by Bryan Miller
“In the Desert, In the Night” by Pedro Iniguez
“Grievance” by Christine Lajewski
“Fuel for My Fire” by Linsey Knerl
“The Dead Lands” by Anthony D Redden
“Welcome to Gothmart” by David Bernard
“The Mascot” by Jennifer K Carstens (winner)
“Wasteland” by Sheldon Woodbury
“All’s Fair” by Michelle Mellon
“Stay Away” by Michael Patrick Hicks
“The Road Home” by Rand Eastwood
“Midnight Sun” by James Dorr
“The Wind Stakes Its Claim” by Kris Kinsella
“The Forest of Skin” by Esteban Vargas
“Second Chance” by Alex Ebenstein (winner)

In this volume…

• Traveling can be a mixed bag...especially when something in your travel bag starts moving.
• A woman journeys north for survival.
• Sometimes, working retail is not the worst part of your day.
• In the desert of New Mexico, ancient Navajo legends emerge, only to discover the cruelty of Man.
• An overachieving woman uses twisted methods to feed her need for turmoil. 
• A trio of Halloween trick-or-treaters learn that sometimes things slip through.
• A cemetery caretaker with a secret gift, a dead body, and the hope of a second chance.
• Grief can change a person. Literally.
• Someone has a bone to pick with the Deacon.
• Sometimes what lies ahead is more frightening than what was left behind. 
• Babysitting can be a tough gig, especially on Halloween
• A father and son venture out into the dead lands to search for the night creatures feasting on the corpses.
• In the distant future an ancient warrior and his ghost ship battle for the fate of the universe.

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.

Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.

With 21 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.

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 (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as 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 four includes suspenseful stories of death, Halloween, twisted love, karma, and travel horror.

Includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Turkish Delight On the Blue Line” by Shoshana Edwards
“VII” by Mark Allan Gunnells (winner)
“Unfinished Education” by Jonah Buck
“Odor Mortis” by Red Lagoe
“Hook-Hand Man’s Last Night on Lovers’ Lane” by Patrick Barb
“A Table Set for One” by Dani Brown (winner)
“Love Letters” by Richard Thomas
“Mixed Marriage” by David Bernard
“Starlight and Fairy Dust” by Chloé Harper Gold (winner)
“Meme” by Michael Patrick Hicks (winner)
“As the Crow Flies” by Kevin Lucia
“I Didn’t Know What Love Was” by Ben Lathrop
“The Talk” by Lori Michelle
“Devour” by Austin James
“Sanctuary” by David J. Rank
“That Which Makes Me Happiest” by L. F. Falconer
“Reversal of Fortune” by Sheri White
“Thelma Takes the Devil” by Linda J. Marshall (winner)
“In That Dress” by Anthony D Redden
“What You’d Do for Love” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Sansara” by Oleg Hasanov
“Oppenheimer’s Door” by Alexander Zelenyj

In this volume…

• Russian horror comes out of the shadows
• A man, his dead wife, and a Great Emptiness…
• We often say we’d do anything for those we love...but do we mean it?
• As traffic to his killing grounds declines, a murderous figure from urban legend contemplates a change of scenery
• Come to the Crossroads. He’s waiting. So is she
• Friendships are fragile and rarely live up to expectation, as the kind elderly man with his lovely candies will soon learn
• Haunted by his daughter and promised a new one by his bride, Donnie can’t stop eating
• Some messes need to be left!
• A runaway witch won’t let her limited knowledge of hexes and spells deter her from her goals
• Karma’s a bitch when the latest internet craze leads to murder—or is it merely an elaborate hoax?
• What happens when desire becomes obsession?
• Meet-cute with a handsome single dad takes an unexpected turn
• They say love lost feels like death; love found can be so much worse

Take a Deep Breath and Dive Beneath the Surface of Shallow Waters—Where Nothing Stays Buried.

With 20 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.

Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by Crystal Lake Publishing, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as 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 (or gain access to our Still Water Bay series). Check out the Shallow Waters series page here on Amazon, where you’ll find volume 1 for free.

Volume six includes stories of Karma, travel horror, forgotten elder gods, being home alone or in lockdown, and a non-themed challenge.

Includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“The Offering” by Denver Grenell
“We All Scream” by A.J. Franks
“Whittling” by Michael Harris Cohen
“Fall to Frost” by Jonathan Winn
“Meadow for The Birdmen” by Guy Medley
“The Mottled Path” by Jennifer Carstens
“Gandaberunda” by Richard Thomas
“Nothing in There” by J. Brian Reed
“Anything for the Cause” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Father” by R. Leigh Hennig
“Rattled” by Madeline Mora-Summonte
“Judgment Call” by Erica Ruppert
“Molarthroat” by Jonathan Fortin
“Stupid Girl” by Michael Patrick Hicks
“Carmen’s a Bitch” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Hot Broth on a Cold Winter’s Night” by R.B. Wood
“Neighborhood Watch” by L.F. Falconer
“Tea for Two” by Amanda Hard
“The Man Who Fell from the Sky” by Esteban Vargas
“How Lovely Are Thy Branches” by Theresa Derwin

In this volume…

• In the dishonest quiet of a hanging moon, two strangers wrestle with the horrifying consequences of a ravenous war.
• Sometimes the gods hunger for more than a sit-down meal.
• What if your new ‘god’ could do anything he wanted? What if he no longer allowed Christmas?
• Death was supposed to find the old woman forced to walk the mottled path.
• A grandfather has mere minutes to prepare his granddaughter for the arrival of the Old Gods and ensure the survival of the human race.
• A newly single woman celebrates her divorce with an impromptu drive north, but the woods hold horrors worse than her failed marriage.
• Peter knows the President has to be stopped, but to what lengths will he go to accomplish this?
• She’d never let her boy starve twice.
• How many ways can evil enter your house?
• With help from her Stuffies, young Emmy organizes a tea party that guarantees to put her back in the family spotlight.
• Sometimes, what’s outside the box is scarier than what's hiding inside.
• Hear the song once, the cold sets in, he now lives underneath your skin.

Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.

With twenty-one 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 three includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of hauntings, monsters, clowns, twisted love, and the beauty beneath it all.

Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Piece Meal” by Madeline Mora-Summonte
“The Anonymous Dark” by Jonathan Winn
“Number Seventeen” by Monique Snyman
“For Her” by Jo-Anne Russell
“Second Chances” by Rob Smales
“Maker of Flight” by Richard Thomas
“Inertia” by Joshua Hair
“Malignant Roots” by Red Lagoe
“Two to a Desk” by Dani Brown
“The Comb” by Theresa Derwin
“Echoes” by Megan Hart
“Haunted Places” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Hallways, Long and Dark” by Dale Elster
“The Chance of a Lifetime” by Pete Mesling
“GOGGINS” by Stephen Crowley
“Caoine” by Jennifer Loring
“Hacked” By Mark Cassell & Patrick R. McDonough
“Ghosts of the Wood” by Tim Meyer
“Paid in Full” by Roberta Codemo
“This Other Door” by Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray
“Always and Forever” by Jay Faulkner

In this volume…

• This Halloween, the girl might just get more than she bargained for.
• A gumball machine dispenses something far more sinister—and sweeter—than candy.
• Lessons don’t always have to be taught in school.
• You never know what you’ll find at the end of a dark hallway…
• A serial killer reminisces over his last victim.
• An Irish-American man come to terms with the legacy he leaves, thanks to the ancestral apparition that has haunted his family for centuries.
• Some relationships leave scars that linger even beyond death.
• When a Victorian actor’s career comes to a sudden end due to a flare-up of gout during an opening-night performance at the Delphi Theatre, he is left with only one chance to exact revenge on the inflexible house manager.
• Stalked by shadows, a woman prowls the darkened halls of her longtime home.
• Her body found mutilated down the tin mines and pursued by her step sister, she scratches her hooks against the wall as her classmates disappear.
• Some curses are eternal and unbreakable.
• Inertia—a property of matter in which something moves at a set speed and direction until made to change by another force.
• After his dark soul took to the soil, evil plagued the roots of the family tree.
• Houses aren’t the only places that can be haunted...