• “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.

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

Includes:

• The Infrastructure of the Gods by Brian Hodge
• The Writer’s Purgatory 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
• Confronting Your Fears in Fiction by Todd Keisling
• Once More with Feeling by Tim Waggoner
• Embracing Your Inner Shitness by James Everington
• The Forgotten Art of Short Story by Mark Allan Gunnells
• Adventures in Teaching Creative Writing by Lucy A. Snyder
• Submit (to psychology) for Acceptance by Daniel I. Russell
• Character Building by Theresa Derwin
• Heroes and Villains by Paul Kane
• Do Your Worst by Jonathan Winn
• Creating Effective Characters by Hal Bodner
• Fictional Emotions; Emotional Fictions by James Everington
• Home Sweet Home by Ben Eads
• You by Kealan Patrick Burke
• The art of becoming a book reviewer by Nerine Dorman
• Treating Fiction like a Relationship by Jonathan Janz
• How to Write Killer Poetry by Stephanie M. Wytovich
• Happy Little Trees by Michael Knost
• In Lieu of Patience Bring Diversity by Kenneth W. Cain
• Networking is Scary, but Essential by Doug Murano
• Are You In The Mood? by Sheldon Higdon
• What if Every Novel is a Horror Novel? by Steve Diamond
• Description by Patrick Freivald
• A First-time Novelist's Odyssey by William Gorman
• I Am Setting by J.S. Breukelaar
• Finding Your Voice by Lynda E. Rucker

Are you ready to unleash the author in you?

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?

Stephanie M. Wytovich: I think what makes Writers on Writing a standout craft book is that Crystal Lake Publishing pulled writers from different genres and different mediums to give readers a massive insight into the industry in regards to film, screenwriting, poetry, prose, etc. It’s a meaty collection of advice that speaks to everyone at any point in their career, and I think readers will be wildly excited about the essays inside.

Tell us more about your essay.

Jack Ketchum: Mine's about pacing, crucial to grabbing and holding the reader's attention, and music to the reader's ear. Both, I think, important things to consider.

Kenneth W. Cain: I speak of using diversity in your fiction, of pulling from the known world to create more realistic characters without relying on stereotypes and generalizations. It’s much a reflection of myself, of course, but I fully believe in letting characters breathe, allowing them to become what they will, good or bad, male or female, deviant or prude.

THIS IS GOING TO HURT.

The eleven stories in Ugly Little Things explore the depths of human suffering and ugliness, charting a course to the dark, horrific heart of the human condition. The terrors of everyday existence are laid bare in this eerie collection of short fiction from the twisted mind of Todd Keisling, author of the critically-acclaimed novels A Life Transparent and The Liminal Man.

Travel between the highways of America in “The Otherland Express,” where a tribe of the forsaken and forlorn meet to exchange identities. Witness the cold vacuum of space manifest in the flesh in “The Darkness Between Dead Stars.” Step into the scrub of rural Arizona and join Karen Singleton’s struggle to save her husband from a cult of religious fanatics in “When Karen Met Her Mountain.” Visit the small town of Dalton in “The Harbinger” and join Felix Proust as he uncovers the vile secrets rooted at the heart of Dalton Dollworks. And in the critically-acclaimed novella “The Final Reconciliation,” learn the horrifying truth behind the demise of the rock band The Yellow Kings.

With an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner Mercedes M. Yardley and illustrations by Luke Spooner, Ugly Little Things will be your atlas, guiding you along a lonely road of sorrow, loss, and regret. This is going to hurt—and you’re going to like it.

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

Interview with the Author:

What makes this collection of horror stories so special?

Todd Keisling: These stories represent some of the darkest fiction I’ve ever written. I was in a bad place when I wrote most of them, and I put my thoughts to paper with the intention of sharing my dread with potential readers. These stories will cut deeply. They’ll make you weep and they’ll make you bleed.

Tell us more about the theme you were going for in this horror collection?

Todd Keisling: There’s a story in the collection, “The Harbinger,” which is about a doll maker who infuses her creations with the pain of her victims. The title “Ugly Little Things” comes from that story, as each tale in the collection is intended to be one of those dolls, each filled to the brim with the darker qualities of the human condition.

Categories:

• Horror
• Horror Short Stories
• Horror collection
• Thriller
• Suspense
• Weird Fiction
• Dark Fantasy
• Short Fiction
• Single Author Collection
• Speculative
• Literary Horror
• Occult

TAKE OFF YOUR MASK!

Thirty years ago, a progressive rock band called The Yellow Kings began recording what would become their first and final album. Titled “The Final Reconciliation,” the album was expected to usher in a new renaissance of heavy metal, but it was shelved following a tragic concert that left all but one dead.

The sole survivor of that horrific incident was the band’s lead guitarist, Aidan Cross, who’s kept silent about the circumstances leading up to that ill-fated performance—until now.

For the first time since the tragedy, Aidan has granted an exclusive interview to finally put rumors to rest and address a question that has haunted the music industry for decades: What happened to The Yellow Kings?

The answer will terrify you.

Inspired by The King in Yellow mythos first established by Robert W. Chambers, and reminiscent of cosmic horror by H. P. Lovecraft, Laird Barron, and John Langan, comes The Final Reconciliation—a chilling tale of regret, the occult, and heavy metal by Todd Keisling.

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

Interview with the author:

What makes this music-themed horror novella so special?

Todd Keisling: The story offers a different take on The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers. Tales of the “Yellow Mythos” usually involve the fictitious play in written form, but this novella approaches the concept from a musical angle instead. The imagery and mystery of Carcosa’s masquerade seemed like perfect fodder for a progressive metal album, and I sought to combine the two as best I could. The result is a cosmic horror story driven by the crunching riffs and machine gun beat of a progressive metal song.

Tell us more about your main character?

Todd Keisling: Aidan Cross is a scarred, broken man who is haunted by memories of a horrible tragedy that took the lives of his friends thirty years ago. Once the lead guitarist for The Yellow Kings, Aidan has spent the last decades of his life in relative obscurity, hiding from the public and rumors of what happened the night of the band’s final performance. He and his bandmates grew up together in a small Kentucky town. They were like brothers to him, and he blames himself for their deaths.

Why should readers give this cosmic horror book a try?

Todd Keisling: It’s a dark story with a lot of heart, dealing with themes of friendship, loss, and regret, set against the backdrop of an impossible place called Carcosa. I think the book offers a unique approach to the genre, associating the mythology of The King in Yellow with music rather than the written word. It’s also the darkest thing I’ve ever written. So far, anyway.

The Final Reconciliation eBook categories:

• Horror novella
• Disturbing Suspense thrillers 
• Occult Horror
• Emotional thriller
• US Horror Fiction
• Dark Fantasy Horror
• Mystery
• Occult Spiritualism unexplained