Book one in Crystal Lake Publishing’s The Dream Weaver series...
Where Nightmares Come From focuses on the art of storytelling in the Horror genre, taking an idea from conception to reality—whether you prefer short stories, novels, films, or comics.

Featuring in-depth articles and interviews by Joe R. Lansdale (Hap & Leonard series), Clive Barker (Books of Blood), John Connolly (Charlie Parker series), Ramsey Campbell, Stephen King (IT), Christopher Golden (Ararat), Charlaine Harris (Midnight, Texas), Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger series), Kevin J. Anderson (Tales of Dune), Craig Engler (Z Nation), and many more.

The full non-fiction anthology lineup includes:

• Introduction by William F. Nolan
• IT’S THE STORY TELLER by Joe R. Lansdale
• A-Z OF HORROR of Clive Barker
• WHY HORROR? by Mark Alan Miller
• PIXELATED SHADOWS by Michael Paul Gonzalez
• LIKE CURSES by Ray Garton
• HOW TO GET YOUR SCARE ON by S.G. Browne
• STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES by Richard Thomas
• HORROR IS A STATE OF MIND by Tim Waggoner
• BRINGING AN IDEA TO LIFE by Mercedes M. Yardley
• THE PROCESS OF A TALE by Ramsey Campbell
• GREAT HORROR IS SOMETHING ALIEN by Michael Bailey
• A HORRIFICALLY HAPPY MEDIUM by Taylor Grant
• INTERVIEW WITH JOHN CONNOLLY by Marie O’Regan
• THE STORY OF A STORY by Mort Castle
• WRITING ROUNDTABLE INTERVIEW with Christopher Golden, Kevin J. Anderson, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• HOW I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD LOOKING FOR MONSTERS AND FOUND POETRY INSTEAD by Stephanie M. Wytovich
• BITS AND PIECES INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN MABERRY by Eugene Johnson
• THE REEL CREEPS by Lisa Morton
• THE MONSTER SQUAD by Jess Landry
• WHAT SCARES YOU by Marv Wolfman
• PLAYING IN SOMEONE ELSE’S HAUNTED HOUSE by Elizabeth Massie
• CREATING MAGIC FROM A BLANK PIECE OF PAPER: Del Howison interviews Tom Holland, Amber Benson, Fred Dekker, and Kevin Tenney
• Z NATION: HOW SYFY’S HIT SHOW CAME TO LIFE by Craig Engler
• LIFE IMITATING ART IMITATING LIFE: FILM AND ITS INFLUENCE ON REALITY by Jason V Brock
• WHERE NIGHTMARES COME FROM by Paul Moore
• STEPHEN KING AND RICHARD CHIZMAR DISCUSS COLLABORATING by Bev Vincent
• CHARLAINE HARRIS DISCUSSES STORYTELLING by Eugene Johnson
• WHAT NOW? by John Palisano

This collection is perfect for…

• writers of all genres
• authors looking for motivation and/or inspiration
• authors seeking guidance
• struggling authors searching for career advice
• authors interested in improving their craft
• writers interested in comics
• authors looking into screenwriting and films
• horror fans in general
• those looking to better understand the different story formats
• authors planning on infiltrating a different field in horror writing
• artists trying to establish a name brand
• authors looking to get published

A story collection that proves less is more.

A disturbing journey into the beauty that rests inside the very heart of darkness.

From the Bram Stoker Award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing and the editing duo who brought you the critically acclaimed small-town Lovecraftian horror anthology Shadows Over Main Street, comes Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories.

Fifteen short stories and one poem span nearly every twisted corner of the horror and dark fiction genres:

• A woman experiences an emotional reckoning inside a haunted house.
• A father sees his daughter rescued after a cold case is solved, only to learn the tragic limits of his love.
• A man awakens a vengeful spirit and learns the terrible price of settling scores.
• A boy comes of age into awareness of a secret universe of Lovecraftian scale.
• A young woman confronts the deathly price of existence inside a German concentration camp during the Holocaust.
• And much, much more…

Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories features the most celebrated voices in dark fiction, as well as a number of exciting new talents:

Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Tremblay, John F.D. Taff, Lisa Mannetti, Damien Angelica Walters, Josh Malerman, Christopher Coake, Mercedes M. Yardley, Brian Kirk, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Amanda Gowin, Richard Thomas, Maria Alexander and Kevin Lucia. Edited by Doug Murano and D. Alexander Ward.

With a foreword from Cemetery Dance magazine founder Richard Chizmar.

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

Interview with the Authors:

So what makes Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories so special?

John F.D. Taff: Usually, horror stories tell us the dark side of dark stories, the bad stuff that happens during bad times. It's expected that there will be horrors in the kinds of stories horror generally tells. But Gutted explores the other side of things, the darkness that's there in moments you might not otherwise expect; those moments that touch our hearts or resonate more strongly with our other emotions. It's that beauty—that unexpected emotional resonance that can reside comfortably, side by side with fear, in a good horror story—that separates the stories in Gutted and makes them quite unique.

Tell us more about your story.

Ramsey Campbell: Occasionally I try to repay my debt to specific writers. Midnight Sun was my attempt to scale the awesome peak of Algernon Blackwood’s achievement, while The Darkest Part of the Woods clambered the Lovecraftian. “The Place of Revelation” goes for another giant of the field. If anybody guesses which one, I’ll count the tale some kind of a success. The naïve voice can be a highly effective way to tell a tale of terror, creating a tension between what’s told and how.

John F.D. Taff: My story is a distillation of my childhood. I grew up in the '70s, and I wanted to capture that time period as much as anything else. I also wanted to explore one moment during my childhood, when I got my first 10-speed bike—the freedom that bought a kid like me. It opened so many doors, the ability to go out on my own, far beyond my neighborhood. To explore the world, to discover new things.

Bram Stoker Award-winner for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction!

Nightmares come to life in this comprehensive how-to guide for new and established authors…

Book two in Crystal Lake Publishing’s The Dream Weaver series picks up where the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Where Nightmares Come From left off.

It’s Alive focuses on learning the craft in order to take your story from concept to completion.

With an introduction by Richard Chizmar and cover art by Luke Spooner. Featuring interior artwork from horror master Clive Barker!

Table of Contents:

• Introduction by Richard Chizmar
• Confessions of a Professional Day Dreamer by Jonathan Maberry
• What is Writing and Why Write Horror by John Skipp
• Tribal Layers by Gene O’Neill
• Bake That Cake: One Writer’s Method by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale
• Ah-Ha: Beginning to End with Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Bailey (Discussing the Spark of Creativity)
• They Grow in the Shadows: Exploring the Roots of a Horror Story by Todd Keisling
• Sell Your Script, Keep Your Soul and Beware of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing by Paul Moore
• The Cult of Constraint (or To Outline or Not) by Yvonne Navarro
• Zombies, Ghosts and Vampires─Oh My! by Kelli Owen
• The Many Faces of Horror: Craft Techniques by Richard Thomas
• Giving Meaning to the Macabre by Rachel Autumn Deering
• The Horror Writer’s Ultimate Toolbox by Tim Waggoner
• Sarah Pinborough Interview by Marie O’Regan
• Conveying Character by F. Paul Wilson
• Sympathetic Characters Taste Better: Creating Empathy in Horror Fiction by Brian Kirk
• Virtue & Villainy: The Importance of Character by Kealan Patrick Burke
• How to write Descriptions in a story by Mercedes Yardley
• “Don’t Look Now, There’s a Head in That Box!” She Ejaculated Loudly (or Creating Effective Dialogue in Horror Fiction) by Elizabeth Massie
• Point of View by Lisa Mannetti
• What Came First the Monster or the Plot? In Conversation with Stephen Graham Jones by Vince A. Liaguno
• Building Suspense by David Wellington
• Conveying Horror by Ramsey Campbell
• Unveiling Theme Through Plot: An Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” by Stephanie M. Wytovich
• Interview with Clive Barker by Tim Chizmar
• World Building (Building a terrifying world) by Kevin J. Anderson
• Speak Up: The Writer’s Voice by Robert Ford
• Writing for a Better World by Christopher Golden
• Shaping the Ideas: Getting Things from Your Head to the Paper or on Screen. Interview with Steve Niles, Mick Garris, Heather Graham, Mark Savage, and Maria Alexander by Del Howison
• On Research by Bev Vincent
• Editing Through Fear: Cutting and Stitching Stories by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
• Leaping into the Abyss by Greg Chapman
• Edit Your Anthology in Your Basement for Fun and Profit! . . . or Not by Tom Monteleone
• When It’s Their World: Writing for the Themed Anthology by Lisa Morton
• Roundtable Interview by John Palisano
• The Tale of the Perfect Submissions by Jess Landry
• Turning the Next Page: Getting Started with the Business of Writing by James Chambe

• “The Infrastructure of the Gods: 11 Signposts for Going all the Way” by Brian Hodge
• “The Writer’s Purgatory: Between Finishing the First Draft and Submitting the Manuscript” by Monique Snyman
• “Why Rejection is Still Important” by Kevin Lucia
• “Real Writers Steal Time” by Mercedes M. Yardley
• “What Right Do I Have to Write” by Jasper Bark
• “Go Pace Yourself” by Jack Ketchum
• “A Little Infusion of Magic” by Dave-Brendon de Burgh
• “Never Look Away: Confronting Your Fears in Fiction” by Todd Keisling
• “Once More With Feeling” by Tim Waggoner

Writers On Writing give young authors the guidance they need, but has advice for all authors, from the interested newbie to the seasoned veteran (sounds delicious, right?).

Are you ready to be an author?

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

Interview with the Authors:

So what makes Writers on Writing so special?
Todd Keisling: Writers On Writing is unique in that it provides a collection of essays from both newcomers and established professionals, providing a wide range of perspectives on the art and craft of writing.

Tell us more about you essay in Writers on Writing.
Todd Keisling: My essay “Never Look Away: Confront Your Fears in Fiction” is an anecdotal look at an important lesson I learned early on in my writing career: That you shouldn’t look away from your subject matter, no matter how disturbing it is to you. Looking away does a disservice to your story, and by proxy, your reader.

Why should authors read Writers on Writing?
Jack Ketchum: It's rich in the variety of subjects discussed, written by people who know whereof they speak.

Todd Keisling: There are decades of experience contained within the book’s pages, covering multiple genres. I can’t think of a more diverse collection for the established—or aspiring—writing professional.

Do you have other non-fiction books authors should try out?
Jack Ketchum: Stephen King's ON WRITING and DANSE MACABRE. William Goldman's ADVENTURES IN THE SCREEN TRADE. Syd Field's SCREENPLAY.

Todd Keisling: A few come to mind: Stephen King’s On Writing, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, and Ariel Gore’s How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead.

Discover the lost supernatural stories behind some of the most famous people and events in history.

These Fantastic Tales explore the secret history that has been hidden in the shadows of the world, and even alternative histories from other worlds. Tales such as a young man seeking the secret of immortality from none other than Bela Lugosi. The tragic story of how the Titanic really sank. The horrifying lengths the people of New York city would go to raise above the Great Depression, rather in seeking fame or trying to feed the city. And many more Fantastic Tales of Terror.

Lineup:

• Introduction by Tony Todd
• “The Deep Delight of Blood” by Tim Waggoner
• “Unpretty Monster” by Mercedes Yardley
• “The Tell-Tale Mind” by Kevin J. Anderson
• “Topsy-Turvy” by Elizabeth Massie
• “Ray and the Martian” by Bev Vincent
• “The Girl with the Death Mask” by Stephanie M. Wytovich
• “On a Train Bound for Home” by Christopher Golden
• “The Custer Files” by Richard Chizmar
• “Red Moon” by Michael Paul Gonzalez
• “The Prince of Darkness and the Showgirl” by John Palisano
• “The Secret Engravings” by Lisa Morton
• “Mutter” by Jess Landry
• “La Llorona” by Cullen Bunn
• “The London Encounter” by Vince Liaguno
• “Bubba Ho-Tep” by Joe R. Lansdale
• “Gorilla my Dreams” by Jonathan Maberry
• “Articles of Teleforce” by Michael Bailey
• “Sic Olim Tyrannis” by David Wellington
• “The Washingtonians” by Bentley Little
• “Scent of Flesh” by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
• “Rotoscoping Toodies” by Mort Castle
• “Lone Wolves” by Paul Moore
• “The Great Stone Face vs. the Gargoyles” by Jeff Strand
• “The Return of the Thin White Duke” by Neil Gaiman

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

Categories:

• Horror Anthology
• Historical Fantasy
• Horror Short Stories
• Dark Fiction
• Anthologies & Collections
• Horror books
• Weird Tales
• Weird Fiction
• Alternative history
• Monsters
• Aliens
• Supernatural

Bryony Adams is destined to be murdered, but fortunately Fate has terrible marksmanship. In order to survive, she must run as far and as fast as she can. After arriving in Seattle, Bryony befriends a tortured musician, a market fish-thrower, and a starry-eyed hero who is secretly a serial killer bent on fulfilling Bryony’s dark destiny.

Mercedes M. Yardley’s Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy is a dark, lovely fairy tale with lyrical language and a high body count, and features a cover by Hugo award-winner Galen Dara. Pretty Little Dead Girls carries on the proud tradition of Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, and Aimee Bender

Includes “Oliver Bloom” by Ryan Johnson, a short story featuring characters from Pretty Little Dead Girls.

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

Interview with the Author:

How did you come up with such a unique character?

Mercedes: There’s a story to this. I was in line at a bank several years ago and a stranger grabbed my hand. He had tears in his eyes and said, “You’re the type of girl who gets murdered.”

Well. Well. I didn’t quite know what to say to that. I’m not certain there really is anything to say. I answered, “Yes, I know,” and to this day I’m not sure why.

That was the beginnings of Bryony Adams, a girl who is marked for murder. I wondered how a woman meant to die would choose to live. Would she regret it? Fear it? Would she take her own life because the waiting would drive her crazy? I very much wanted to explore her, and discovered a beautiful, caring girl. She’s quite a delight.

Are there more books in the Pretty Little Dead Girls universe?

Mercedes: Actually, there are! I love this world and the hungry, prowling desert so much that I have several stories that take place here. “Cactus Flowers and Bone Flutes” is a short story that takes place prior to Pretty Little Dead Girls. I have a short story called “The Container of Sorrows” that is an Easter Egg having to do with the serial killer. A spin-off of that, concerning the girl who never looks at him, is called “Black Eyes Broken.” One of the characters from Bryony’s high school makes a brief cameo in the second book in the Bone Angel Trilogy. And we meet Detective Ryan Bridger as a younger man in a book I have coming out titled Stormlight. These are fun things I do for me. I find a character and want them to live on. They have lives that continue outside of the original story and I want to explore that.

Why should readers give Pretty Little Dead Girls a shot?

Mercedes: Pretty Little Dead Girls is exceptionally unique. It’s a thriller/romance/horror/magical realism/lyrical story that breaks most literary rules. I usually explain it was a fairytale with a high body count. The prose is exceptionally lush, there’s a serial killer most people seem to be charmed by, and even though it’s about murder and loss, there’s something very innocent about it. It’s a book that makes you want to be a better friend. I recommend it when you want to read something that will make you feel better about society. When people seem cruel, read this book and realize the characters are based on people who stand up for what is right, and link their arms against a cruel fate in order to protect someone they love.

The Wolf is roaming the city in this Bram Stoker Award-winning Psychological Horror novella, and he must be stopped.

Grim Marie knows far too much about the wolves of the world, a world where little girls go missing. After all, she had married one before she/he showed his claws, and what that wolf did to her little girl was unforgiveable. Grim Marie isn’t certain if she can ever forgive herself for putting her Little Aleta in harm’s way.

When Grandmother becomes ill, Aleta offers to take the bus through the concrete forest to Grandmother’s house to bring her some goodies. She knows the way. What could possibly go wrong?

In this modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf takes to the city streets to capture his prey, but the hunter is close behind him. With Grim Marie on the prowl, the hunter becomes the hunted.

Wolves pad through the darkest kind of fairytale: one that can come true.

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

Interview with the Author:
Congrats on winning the Bram Stoker award for Little Dead Red, Mercedes. What does this mean for you as an author?

Mercedes: Thank you so much, Joe! This was my first nomination, and winning for my first nom simply blew me away. It’s validation for me. I have three small kids at home and I’m always trying to fit my writing in where I can. Writing is my own little luxury that is just for me, my own selfish pleasure, and I constantly feel torn spending that time on myself instead of doing something for somebody else. This award means that readers are aware of my work. It means they took the time to read and to vote, that my work was weighed, measured, and found valuable. It’s one of the most touching experiences of my life.

Did writing this book affect you personally in any way?

Mercedes: It affected me greatly. I tried to capture the horror of their situation (abuse/kidnapping/murder/quest for justice) without making it sensational or trivializing the importance. While Little Dead Red is a fictional story, it delves deep into very real, painful issues. I wanted to treat this tale with the respect it deserved. I cried in parts while I wrote it, and I cried when I finished it. I love Aleta and Grimm Marie so much. They deserve all of the beautiful things of the world for their bravery.

Why should readers give Little Dead Red a try?

Mercedes: It’s a very realistic story written with heart and care. While the subject matter is dark, it’s also very important. This story is a social statement. It’s an exploration. Hopefully it will make us want to do better, to be heroes and support for those who are grasping. It’s also written quite prettily, and I hope that will be a breath of fresh air to readers.

Little Dead Red eBook categories:

• Horror novella
• Twisted Fairytale
• Female protagonist
• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
• Crime Serial Killers
• Dark Fantasy
• Crime Murder
• Horror