(Art by Erik Wilson) Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of seven books: three novels—Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), as well as Transubstantiate (Otherworld Publications); three short story collections—Staring into the Abyss (Kraken Press), Herniated Roots (Snubnose Press), and Tribulations (Cemetery Dance); and one novella in The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books). With over 150 stories published, his credits include The Best Horror of the Year (Volume Eleven), Cemetery Dance (twice), Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders (Bram Stoker winner), PANK, storySouth, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Shallow Creek, The Seven Deadliest, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), PRISMS, Pantheon, and Shivers VI (with Stephen King and Peter Straub). He has won contests at ChiZine and One Buck Horror, has received five Pushcart Prize nominations, and has been long-listed for Best Horror of the Year six times. He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller awards. In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor. He was the Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine. His agent is Paula Munier at Talcott Notch. For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com.

Elizabeth Massie, an eighth generation Virginian, has been writing professionally since 1984. Most of her works are in the horror/suspense genre (Sineater, Hell Gate, Desper Hollow, Wire Mesh Mothers, Homeplace, Afraid, It, Watching, Naked on the Edge, and more), but she also writes historical fiction, mainstream fiction (Homegrown), media tie-ins (The Tudors, Versailles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark Shadows), educational materials for American history textbooks, and poetry (Night Benedictions). Her first novel, Sineater, and her novella "Stephen" have both won Bram Stoker Awards from the Horror Writers Association. Her Tudors novelization (Season 3) won the Scribe award. Her short fiction can be found in numerous anthologies and several years' best collections. She, along with Mark Rainey, is currently working on Ameri-Scares (Crossroad Press) a 50 novel series of spooky books for middle grade readers (age 8-12), a series which was optioned for television by Warner Horizon and which, as of December 2021, has 13 novels so far. She also continues to work on new horror novels and short stories for adults. Check out her lead story in Freedom of Screech, edited by Craig Spector and her newest tales "It's in the Cards" in The Porcupine Boy and Other Anthological Oddities, "Those Who Are Terrified" in Midnight in the Graveyard, and "Scarves," which is featured in the ACLU-benefiting anthology, Dystopian States of America (March 2020.) Her newest collection, Madame Cruller's Couch and Other Bizarre and Dark Tales, was released from Crossroad Press August 2021.

On the Outside Looking Up: Seeking and Following God Beyond the Gates of Organized Religion, a nonfiction memoir/exploration of religious beliefs from the point of view of an un-churched believer, was released June 2016. A clear departure from horror, On the Outside Looking Up is part spiritual memoir, part musings on issues that religions tend to tackle, and part extended hand to un-churched believers to assure them they are not the only ones. A believer for years, Massie offers up her personal spiritual journey, struggles, and understandings to help bridge gaps between the unchurched, churched, and those who have no belief and/or no interest in religion.

A member of Amnesty International for more than 35 years, Massie writes numerous letters on behalf of victims of human rights abuses worldwide. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, talented illustrator and theremin player, Cortney Skinner, and enjoys hiking, geocaching, knitting, traveling roads she's never been on before, and visiting amusement parks (the older, the better.) She founded and for nearly four years managed the Hand to Hand Vision project (on Facebook) that raised thousands of dollars to help others during these tough economic times. Though she has a home office, she likes to work at Starbucks a couple days a week. There she can feel like part of the human race. And have a chai.

Del Howison is an award-winning editor, journalist, fiction author and actor. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award four times (and won it once), for the Black Quill Award twice, for the Shirley Jackson Award and for the Rondo Hatton Award. Along with his wife Sue, he founded and has operated Dark Delicacies (America's Home of Horror) in Burbank for 17 years. His short story The Lost Herd was retitled The Sacrifice scripted by Mick Garris and directed by Breck Eisner and used as the premiere episode on NBC's anthology show Fear Itself. He has co-edited five books including all three of the Dark Delicacies anthologies, The Book of Lists Horror, and Midian Unmade. His nonfiction includes When Werewolves Attack from Jabberwocky. He also co-wrote (under the pseudonym of D. H. Atrial) Vampires Don't Sleep Alone with Elizabeth Barrial. His film acting appearences include Dahmer Vs Gacy, The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula, Blood Scarab, and The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisted.

Visit his website at www.darkdel.com

Mercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist who wears poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of many diverse works, including Beautiful Sorrows, Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy, and the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love.

She recently won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for her realistic horror story Little Dead Red and was a Bram Stoker finalist for her short story "Loving You Darkly." Mercedes lives and creates in Las Vegas with her family and menagerie of battle-scarred, rescued animal familiars. She is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin and Fountain Literary Management.

Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been showcased in numerous magazines and anthologies such as Weird Tales, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Year's Best Hardcore Horror: Volume 2, The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 8, as well as many others.

Wytovich is the Poetry Editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press, an adjunct at Western Connecticut State University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Point Park University, and a mentor with Crystal Lake Publishing. She is a recipient of the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant and has received the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for non-fiction writing.

Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction. Her Bram Stoker Award-winning poetry collection, Brothel, earned a home with Raw Dog Screaming Press alongside Hysteria: A Collection of Madness, Mourning Jewelry, An Exorcism of Angels, Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare, and most recently, The Apocalyptic Mannequin. Her debut novel, The Eighth, is published with Dark Regions Press.

Follow Wytovich at http://stephaniewytovich.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter and Instagram @SWytovich​ and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also find her essays, nonfiction, and class offerings on LitReactor.

**2015 BRAM STOKER AWARD FINALIST (BEST ANTHOLOGY): "A DARKE PHANTASTIQUE"**

**2015 BRAM STOKER AWARD FINALIST (BEST NONFICTION BOOK): "DISORDERS OF MAGNITUDE: A SURVEY OF DARK FANTASY"**

**2015 RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARD FINALIST (BEST BOOK): "DISORDERS OF MAGNITUDE: A SURVEY OF DARK FANTASY"**

**2014 RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARD WINNER (BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM): "THE ACKERMONSTER CHRONICLES!"**

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ABOUT HIS WORK:

**SIMULACRUM AND OTHER POSSIBLE REALITIES**

"Jason V Brock... A bold new voice in American fiction. Watch this man! You may be in at the birth of a legend."

--William F. Nolan (co-author of "Logan's Run"; screenwriter for "Burnt Offerings")

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"[Brock] makes the fantastic utterly believable... a fine writer, indeed."

--George Clayton Johnson (writer for "Star Trek" and "The Twilight Zone"; co-author, "Logan's Run")

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"Bravo!"

--Ray Bradbury (author of "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles")

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"...a clever young man, Jason Brock."

--Harlan Ellison (author of "Deathbird Stories" and "A Boy and His Dog")

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"[Brock] knows how to tell a story... [he] has heart... real emotion... [it's] a strong part of writing that most writers never capture."

--James Robert Smith (author of "The Flock" and "Hissmelina")

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"[Brock] takes... characters into places I never expected..."

--Richard Matheson (author of "Somewhere in Time" and "I Am Legend")

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**MILTON'S CHILDREN**

"Fun and clever and full of storytelling energy. You are bound to like this one."

--Joe R. Lansdale

(Edgar Award winning Author, "The Bottoms"; "Edge of Dark Water")

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"This richly textured novella is a triumph--a splendid fusion of horror and science fiction, of the cosmic and the human. It fulfills the promise of Jason V Brock's earlier work and establishes him as a force to be reckoned with in contemporary weird fiction."

--S. T. Joshi

(World Fantasy Award winning Author, "H. P. Lovecraft: A Life"; "The Weird Tale")

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"As satisfying as a novel, Jason V Brock's story 'Milton's Children' combines classic elements of H. P. Lovecraft and Jules Verne with modern sensibilities to spin a yarn that is part adventure tale and part horror story. I loved it, but it is thoroughly a dire warning: When we become monsters, we also create monsters."

--Ray Garton

(World Horror Convention Grand Master; Author, "Live Girls"; "Sex and Violence in Hollywood")

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"Venture into the Antarctic, where Jason V Brock will plunge you into one of the most terrifying Lost Worlds stories imaginable: Make no mistake, this is no Lovecraft or Crichton knockoff; the S-F/Horror story revealed here on this undiscovered island is original and scientifically plausible. The writing is crisp, precise, and easily accessible; the plotting sharp and compelling; and once the action starts it is non-stop, the reader only able to catch their breath at its very conclusion. . .

Underlying the writing, one is totally convinced that they are in good authorial hands--what I call the marvelous 'Allstate Effect,' achieved rarely by only the most highly-skilled authors. Snag this book! Copy its byline: Jason V Brock, and put it up on the fridge, then underline it--after that, be sure to watch for more exciting, literate stories to come. Highly recommended."

--Gene O'Neill

(Bram Stoker Award® winning Author, "Taste of Tenderloin"; "The Burden of Indigo")

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JASON V BROCK's work has been widely published in magazines, comics, online, and in anthologies such as Dark Scribe Press's "Butcher Knives & Body Counts"; Bluewater Comics's mini-series' "Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe" and "Logan's Run: Last Day"; his Bram Stoker Award finalist nonfiction volume "Disorders of Magnitude"; "Qualia Nous"; S. T. Joshi's "Black Wings" series; "Like Water for Quarks"; his fiction collection "Simulacrum and Other Possible Realities"; multiple issues of "Locus" magazine and "San Diego Comic-Con International's Souvenir Book"; "Dark Discoveries" (where he served as Managing Editor/Art Director for over four years); "Fangoria," and many other venues around the world, in a variety of languages. Brock is currently finishing multiple novels, and produces the digest "NAMELESS".

Brock served as co-editor/contributor to the award-winning Cycatrix Press anthology "The Bleeding Edge: Dark Barriers, Dark Frontiers" with William F. Nolan ("Logan's Run"), which showcased new, unpublished works from authors John Shirley, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Joe R. Lansdale, Gary Braunbeck and more. Brock and Nolan also teamed for the follow-up anthology, "The Devil's Coattails: More Tales from the Dark Frontier", which featured never-before-seen writings from Dan O'Bannon, Earl Hamner, Ramsey Campbell and Norman Corwin, among others. Brock was the sole editor for the Bram Stoker Award nominated anthology "A Darke Phantastique" which included major new works from Ray Garton, Tom Conoboy, Greg Bear, and over forty others.

Brock's films include the highly-regarded documentaries "Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man"; "The AckerMonster Chronicles!" (about legendary agent and "Famous Monsters of Filmland" editor Forrest J Ackerman; winner of the Rondo Hatton Award for Best Documentary, 2014), and "Image, Reflection, Shadow: Artists of the Fantastic" (featuring H. R. Giger, Roger Dean, Ernst Fuchs, and many more artists from all over the world). An artist and musician himself, Brock has had multiple showings of his artwork and illustrated his own books in addition to creating posters and packaging for his films and his former progressive rock band, ChiaroscurO.

A health nut and gadget freak, he lives in the Portland, OR area, and loves his wife Sunni, their family of reptiles/amphibians, and practicing vegan/vegetarianism. Visit his website at http://www.JaSunni.com .

Joe Mynhardt is a Bram Stoker Award-winning South African publisher, editor, and mentor.

A former primary school teacher, Joe is now the owner and CEO of Crystal Lake Publishing, which he founded in August, 2012. Since then he’s published and edited short stories, novellas, interviews and essays by the likes of Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Charlaine Harris, Ramsey Campbell, John Connolly, Jack Ketchum, Jonathan Maberry, Christopher Golden, Graham Masterton, Damien Angelica Walters, Adam Nevill, Lisa Morton, Elizabeth Massie, Joe R. Lansdale, Edward Lee, Paul Tremblay, Wes Craven, John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Mick Garris, and hundreds more. Yes, hundreds.

Just like Crystal Lake Publishing, which strives to be a platform for launching author careers, Joe believes in reaching out to all authors, new and experienced, and being a beacon of friendship and guidance in the Dark Fiction field. In 2017 he started a coalition of small press publishers to support both each other and their authors.

Joe also became a work-from-home dad in 2018. His daughter, Cayleigh, is named after his childhood influences, Bruce Lee and Stan Lee. Joe’s other influences stretch from Poe, Doyle, and Lovecraft to King, Connolly, and Gaiman (and so many more). Not to mention other great stories found in comics, movies, and television.

You can read more about Joe and Crystal Lake Publishing at www.crystallakepub.com or find him on Facebook.

Michael Bailey is a freelance writer, editor, book designer, and a resident of forever-burning California. He is the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award (and 7-time nominee), Benjamin Franklin Award, over two dozen independent accolades, and a Shirley Jackson Award nominee.

Publications include the composite novels PALINDROME HANNAH and PHOENIX ROSE, two short story and poetry collections, SCALES AND PETALS and INKBLOTS AND BLOOD SPOTS, a limited two-novelette collection called OVERSIGHT and the standalone novelette OUR CHILDREN, OUR TEACHERS.

Edited anthologies include PELLUCID LUNACY, QUALIA NOUS, THE LIBRARY OF THE DEAD, YOU HUMAN, ADAM'S LADDER, four volumes of CHIRAL MAD, and the forthcoming co-edited anthologies PRISMS, and MISCREATIONS: Gods, Monstrosities, and Other Horrors.

He recently finished a memoir called SEVEN MINUTES about surviving one of the most catastrophic wildfires in history (written in twenty-three days), as well as PSYCHOTROPIC DRAGON (a psychological thriller), THE IMPOSSIBLE WEIGHT OF LIFE (a fiction collection), and SEEN IN DISTANT STARS (a dystopian novel). He is currently working on a historical western called HANGTOWN.

When he is not writing, editing, or slowly dying inside, he works as a Developmental Editor for an undisclosed publisher. Find him online at nettirw.com, facebook.com/nettirw, or @nettirw.

Michael Paul Gonzalez is the author of the novels ANGEL FALLS and MISS MASSACRE’S GUIDE TO MURDER AND VENGEANCE. His newest project is the serial horror audio drama LARKSPUR UNDERGROUND, available for free on iTunes and Stitcher. A member of the Horror Writers Association, his short stories have appeared in print and online, including Great Jones Street, Lost Signals, Gothic Fantasy: Chilling Horror Stories, the Booked. Podcast Anthology, FCJR, HeavyMetal.com, and the Appalachian Undead Anthology. He resides in Los Angeles, a place full of wonders and monsters far stranger than any that live in the imagination. You can visit him online at MichaelPaulGonzalez.com

Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books in print, eBook, and audio formats.

While we strive to present only the highest quality fiction and entertainment, we also endeavour to support authors along their writing journey. We offer our time and experience in non-fiction projects, as well as author mentoring and services, at competitive prices.

With several Bram Stoker Award wins and many other wins and nominations, Crystal Lake Publishing puts integrity, honor, and respect at the forefront of our publishing operations.

We strive for each book and outreach program we spearhead to not only entertain and touch or comment on issues that affect our readers, but also to strengthen and support the Dark Fiction field and its authors.

Not only do we find and publish authors we believe are destined for greatness, but we strive to work with men and woman who endeavour to be decent human beings who care more for others than themselves, while still being hard working, driven, and passionate artists and storytellers.

Crystal Lake Publishing is and will always be a beacon of what passion and dedication, combined with overwhelming teamwork and respect, can accomplish. We endeavour to know each and every one of our readers, while building personal relationships with our authors, reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, bookstores, and libraries.

We will be as trustworthy, forthright, and transparent as any business can be, while also keeping most of the headaches away from our authors, since it’s our job to solve the problems so they can stay in a creative mind. Which of course also means paying our authors.

We do not just publish books, we present to you worlds within your world, doors within your mind, from talented authors who sacrifice so much for a moment of your time.

There are some amazing small presses out there, and through collaboration and open forums we will continue to support other presses in the goal of helping authors and showing the world what quality small presses are capable of accomplishing. No one wins when a small press goes down, so we will always be there to support hardworking, legitimate presses and their authors. We don’t see Crystal Lake as the best press out there, but we will always strive to be the best, strive to be the most interactive and grateful, and even blessed press around. No matter what happens over time, we will also take our mission very seriously while appreciating where we are and enjoying the journey.

What do we offer our authors that they can’t do for themselves through self-publishing?

We are big supporters of self-publishing (especially hybrid publishing), if done with care, patience, and planning. However, not every author has the time or inclination to do market research, advertise, and set up book launch strategies. Although a lot of authors are successful in doing it all, strong small presses will always be there for the authors who just want to do what they do best: write.

What we offer is experience, industry knowledge, contacts and trust built up over years. And due to our strong brand and trusting fanbase, every Crystal Lake Publishing book comes with weight of respect. In time our fans begin to trust our judgment and will try a new author purely based on our support of said author.

To date we’ve published around 100 books, and with each launch we strive to fine-tune our approach, learn from our mistakes, and increase our reach. We continue to assure our authors that we’re here for them and that we’ll carry the weight of the launch and dealing with third parties while they focus on their strengths—be it writing, interviews, blogs, signings, etc.

We also offer several mentoring packages to authors that include knowledge and skills they can use in both traditional and self-publishing endeavours.

We look forward to launching many new careers.

This is what we believe in. What we stand for. This will be our legacy.

Welcome to Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Bram Stoker Award®-winner Eugene Johnson is a bestselling author, editor, filmmaker and columnist. He has written as well as edited in various genres, and created many anthologies. His anthology projects included Fantastic Tales Of Terror from Crystal Lake Publishing, Appalachia Undead with Jason Sizemore,

Attack From The’80s from Raw Dog Screaming Press, Drive In Creature Feature with Charles Day, the Bram Stoker Award®-nominated non-fiction anthology Where Nightmares Come From: The Art Of Storytelling In The Horror Genre, Dark Tides with John Questore, The Tales Of The Lost Series, and many more. He has written articles for various sites and publications including Ginger Nuts Of Horror, The Zombie Feed and more. He lives in Appalachia with his family.

https://www.patreon.com/plaiddradonpublising

From the day she was born, Bram Stoker Award-winner and Shirley Jackson Award-nominee Jessica Landry has always been attracted to the darker things in life. Her fondest childhood memories include getting nightmares from the Goosebumps books, watching The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, and reiterating to her family that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her mental state.

Since then, Jessica’s fiction has appeared in many anthologies, including Tales of the Lost, Twice-Told: A Collection of Doubles, Monsters of Any Kind, Where Nightmares Come From, Lost Highways: Dark Fictions from the Road, and Fantastic Tales of Terror, among others. Her debut collection, The Mother Wound, is out now from Independent Legions Publishing, as is There Is No Death, There Are No Dead, an anthology co-edited with Aaron J. French, from Crystal Lake Publishing. She also has an original story appearing in December 2021's ALIENS VS PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY.

Her original horror feature, MY ONLY SUNSHINE, was accepted into the Whistler Film Festival’s Screenwriters Lab in 2020 and is currently in development with Eagle Vision, producers of CBC’S BURDEN OF TRUTH. Alongside Neshama Entertainment, Jessica has written several MOWs, including A SECRET TO KEEP, BREAST CANCER BUCKET LIST, DEADLY MOM RETREAT, and THE THERAPY NIGHTMARES, with several others in development. She’s also currently writing for APTN and Eagle Vision’s joint sitcom, FAMILY FIRST; Eagle Vision’s factual series, 7TH GEN; an original Christmas MOW with Vortex Media; a World War II biopic with Sir Harry Films; Farpoint Film's true crime series, HEARTLAND HOMICIDE; and has other projects in various stages of development.

Find her online at jesslandry.com.

TAYLOR GRANT is a two-time Bram Stoker Award Nominated Author, professional screenwriter, and award-winning filmmaker. His work has been seen on network television, the big screen, the stage, the web, newspapers, comic books, national magazines, anthologies, and heard on the radio.

As an author, he has shared pages with Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Blake Crouch, Kelley Armstrong, Joe R. Lansdale, Peter Straub, Bentley Little, and many of the top writers in speculative fiction. He is currently writing/producing the ongoing adaptation of "Rot & Ruin," based on the New York Times Bestselling series, and which became the #1 horror comic for Webtoon, the largest digital comics publisher in the world, with over 60 million active readers.

Recent fiction can be found in two Random House anthologies, "Dark Screams Vol 9," and "Halloween Carnival Vol. 3." His forthcoming book, "The Many Deaths of Cole Parker and Other Stories" will be published in Oct, 2020 by Running Wild Press.

Taylor is an Active Member of the International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Association.