These promotions will be applied to this item:
Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Arterial Bloom Kindle Edition
Lush. Brutal.
Beautiful. Visceral.
Crystal Lake Publishing proudly presents this Bram Stoker Award-nominated Horror short story anthology, an artful juxtaposition of the magnificence and macabre that exist within mankind. Each tale in this collection is resplendent with beauty, teeth, and heart.
Edited by the Bram Stoker Award-winning writer Mercedes M. Yardley, Arterial Bloom is a literary experience featuring 16 horror suspense stories from some of the most compelling dark authors writing today.
With a foreword by HWA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Linda D. Addison, you are invited to step inside and let the grim flowers wind themselves comfortably around your bones.
The line-up includes:
The Stone Door by Jimmy Bernard
Dog (Does Not) Eat Dog by Grant Longstaff
Kudzu Stories by Linda J. Marshall
Dead Letters by Christopher Barzak
The Darker Side of Grief by Naching T. Kassa
Welcome to My Autumn by Daniel Crow
Still Life by Kelli Owen
Three Masks by Armand Rosamilia
Doodlebug by John Boden
Happy Pills by Todd Keisling
What Remained of Her by Jennifer Loring
Blue Was Her Favorite Color by Dino Parenti
In the Loop by Ken Liu
The Making of Mary by Steven Pirie
Mouths Filled with Sea Water by Jonathan Cosgrove
Rotten by Carina Bissett
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Interview with the editor:
Mercedes, this is your debut as an anthology editor. Can you tell us how you went about choosing the Dark Fiction stories included in Arterial Bloom?
MMY: Yes, absolutely! Crystal Lake Publishing put out a call for short horror stories. My job was to ensure authors heard about the call. I basically beat down doors trying to spread the word, making sure that people realized it was an open, inclusive anthology and I was interested in stories of all types. Several hundred stories rolled in. It was a massive undertaking, but by reading open submissions instead of invitation-only stories, I was able to come across several authors who were new to me. This collection is full of award-winning, well-known authors as well as fresh voices. It’s a beautiful mix and I’m very proud of it.
This was an unthemed horror anthology, which means that you weren’t particularly looking for any specific themes. But did you find that a certain theme emerged?
MMY: Oh, yes. The Arterial Bloom anthology is all about monsters. Some monsters are literal. Some are human. But every story shows the juxtaposition of the ugliness and the beauty of humanity and the way we deal with things. It’s an emotional anthology. We deal with horror, grief, trauma, love, and healing. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s visceral and quite lovely, in a way.
How did you come up with the title?
MMY: The anthology itself is gutting and gorgeous. I was trying to find a title that played with that hardness and softness. My friends from The Geeky Writers and I went into our chat and brainstormed titles. Different words, different phrases. We just put them together in combinations until we came up with Arterial Bloom. It was the perfect title. It has that primitive, animal feel as well as being artistic. In my mind’s eye, I could see arterial spray, which is graphic and horrifying, painting exquisite flowers on a white wall. It’s like when a cat bites you and then licks the wound. The pain is still there, but the gentleness soothes. This anthology has teeth, but it’s also extraordinarily lovely.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateApril 3, 2020
- File size24.1 MB
Customers who read this book also read
From the Publisher
Our anthologies include the likes of Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Josh Malerman, Damien Angelica Walters, Orrin Grey , Brian Keene, Graham Masterton , Kathe Koja, Gemma Files, Lee Murray, Christopher Golden, Kevin J. Anderson, Jonathan Maberry, Gary A. Braunbeck, Rick Hautala, Tim Curran, Elizabeth Massie, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Kevin Lucia, John Skipp, Mary SanGiovanni, Jonathan Janz, Glenn Rolfe, Jeff Strand, Rachel Autumn Deering, Patrick Lacey, Bev Vincent, John Palisano, Tim Waggoner, Lisa Morton, Rena Mason, Tim Lebbon, Aaron Dries, Richard Chizmar, Mark Allan Gunnells, Kenneth W. Cain, Kealan Patrick Burke, Gene O'Neill, Maria Alexander, Michael Bailey, Lucy A. Snyder, Jason Sizemore, Laird Barron, S.P. Miskowski, Gwendolyn Kiste, Seanan McGuire, Richard Thomas, Taylor Grant, Armand Rosamilia, Todd Keisling, John Boden, Chad Lutzke, Gary McMahon, Jasper Bark, Jeremy C. Shipp, John Claude Smith, Scott Nicholson, William Meikle, and many more.
![]()
Shakespeare Unleashed (Unleashed Series Book 2)
|
![]()
Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror
|
![]()
Dead Letters: Episodes of Epistolary Horror
|
![]()
Bestiary of Blood: Modern Fables and Dark Tales
|
![]()
Dastardly Damsels
|
![]()
Hotel Macabre Vol.1: Tales of Horror
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Reviews |
4.0 out of 5 stars 29
|
4.0 out of 5 stars 31
|
4.3 out of 5 stars 54
|
4.6 out of 5 stars 15
|
4.8 out of 5 stars 12
|
4.6 out of 5 stars 17
|
Price | $4.99$4.99 | $5.99$5.99 | $4.99$4.99 | $5.99$5.99 | $4.99$4.99 | $5.99$5.99 |
Blurb | From the blood of Macbeth and the ghosts of Hamlet, to the dark fantasy of The Tempest and the twisted love of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Unleashed reimagines the Bard’s greatest works as short horror stories…as well as horror sonnets. | Since the beginning of time, people have argued the meaning of dreams. Are they symbolic visions that hold great meaning and personal significance? Are they portals into other worlds? Or are they just a series of random events? | Haunting podcast transcripts. Blood-soaked police reports. Bewildering court findings. Brace yourself for an anthology that resurrects the chilling power of epistolary fiction—where ordinary documents transform into vessels of absolute terror. | Written by 37 of Horror’s greatest writers, Including 18 Bram Stoker Award Winners, this anthology features diverse voices from every walk of life as they usher you through the darkest and most profound questions of the modern age. | Prepare yourself for a harrowing journey through Dastardly Damsels, an anthology that redefines horror with a powerful lineup of female authors. | This one-of-a-kind collection gathers the chilling voices of horror’s most imaginative minds, presenting a rich blend of flash fiction, short stories, poetry, a suspenseful play, a novella, and even an illustrated comic book section. |
Editorial Reviews
Review
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "The stories in Arterial Bloom work in tandem, enticing the reader into rapturous melancholia. The end result is both comforting and unsettling, my favorite way to feel."—Sadie Hartmann, Cemetery Dance
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "For a horror anthology that represents back-to-back literary prowess and diversity, filled with stories that are brooding and beautiful, Arterial Bloom more than fits the bill."—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "It starts with the title, Arterial Bloom--a release of crimson power, turning into something else entirely--blossoming and expanding, changing shape. These stories are transformative, mixing horror and wonder, in equal amounts. Mercedes Yardley, and Crystal Lake, have an aesthetic that haunts the reader, getting under your skin, burrowing in, and calling you home. Always lyrical, always powerful, this anthology will shine some light into the darkness, but beware the moment the beam starts to flicker."—Richard Thomas, author of Disintegration and Breaker, past Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller award nominee
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Arterial Bloom injects the 'literary' piece into the horror genre with works that excel in well-crafted surprises, powerful senses of place and character, and works that stand out from the crowd."—Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review.
Product details
- ASIN : B085QLBYSS
- Publisher : Crystal Lake Publishing
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : April 3, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 24.1 MB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 234 pages
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,460,029 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,140 in Horror Fiction Classics
- #1,157 in Horror Anthologies (Kindle Store)
- #1,389 in American Literature Anthologies
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
TODD KEISLING is the two-time Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of Devil’s Creek, Scanlines, Cold, Black & Infinite, and most recently, The Sundowner’s Dance, among several others. A pair of his earlier works were recipients of the University of Kentucky’s Oswald Research & Creativity Prize for Creative Writing (2002 and 2005), and his second novel, The Liminal Man, was an Indie Book Award finalist in Horror & Suspense (2013). He lives in Pennsylvania with his family.
Kelli Owen is an American author, editor, reviewer, podcaster, and indie film producer, who has spoken at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, VA regarding both her writing and the field in general. While her nonfiction has appeared in various places—including the Bram Stoker Award-winner It's Alive: Bringing Your Nightmares to Life—she is primarily known for her fiction.
As a member of both the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers, she has published over a dozen books, including THE HEADLESS BOY, TEETH, and WILTED LILY (a YA series). Her short fiction has appeared alongside Stephen King, Robert McCammon, F. Paul Wilson, and Josh Malerman, among others, and was in both Bram Stoker Award-nominated anthologies Arterial Bloom (2020) and Lost Highways: Dark Fictions from the Road (2018).
A book lover from a young age, Kelli spent a decade as a reviewer and editor, while running a large genre website, before returning to her roots behind the keyboard. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she now lives in the dark woods of Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit her website.
Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he's not sleeping. He's happily married to a woman who helps his career and is supportive, which is all he ever wanted in life...
He's written over 200 stories that are currently available, including crime thrillers, supernatural thrillers, horror, zombies, contemporary fiction, nonfiction and more. His goal is to write a good story and not worry about genre labels.
He also loves to talk in third person... because he's really that cool. Maybe.
Naching T. Kassa is a wife, mother and writer. She is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. Naching serves as Talent Relations Manager for Crystal Lake Publishing.
Mercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist who wears poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of many works including BEAUTIFUL SORROWS, PRETTY LITTLE DEAD GIRLS: A NOVEL OF MURDER AND WHIMSY (now available as a graphic novel with art by Orion Zangara), and the Stabby Award-winning APOCALYPTIC MONTESSA AND NUCLEAR LULU: A TALE OF ATOMIC LOVE.
She is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winner for her realistic horror novella LITTLE DEAD RED and her magical surrealism short story "Fracture." She was a Bram Stoker finalist for her short story "Loving You Darkly" and for her ARTERIAL BLOOM anthology, for which she was editor. Mercedes lives and creates in Las Vegas with her family and menagerie of battle-scarred, rescued animal familiars.
Jennifer Loring’s short fiction has been published widely, appearing in anthologies such as Nightscript IV, Not All Monsters, Would but Time Await: An Anthology of New England Folk Horror, and Arterial Bloom, as well as online in The Literary Hatchet and City. River. Tree., among many others. Longer work includes four novels and several novellas. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction with a concentration in horror fiction. Jenn lives in Philadelphia, PA, where she and her husband are owned by a turtle and two basset hounds.
Dino Parenti is a writer of dark, speculative fiction. Author of the novella, Bitter Breed, as well as the Imadjinn Award Finalist short-fiction collection, Dead Reckoning and Other Stories, he also won the first annual Lascaux Review flash fiction contest and was featured in the Anthony Award winning anthology Blood on the Bayou.
When not purging his soul into a laptop thanks to a far-too-early exposure to Stephen King, Scorsese movies, and Camus, he can be found photographing the odd junk pile, building furniture, or earning a few bucks as a CAD drafter. He lives in Los Angeles.
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.
Jonathan Cosgrove is a writer of dark fiction.
Born and raised in the north-east of Ireland, it wasn't until moving to Japan and reading authors like Haruki Murakami, Amelia Gray, and Brian Evenson, that Jonathan began to seriously consider crafting stories as an almost full time activity. Since then he hasn't been able to stop.
His short fiction has appeared in Arterial Bloom from Crystal Lake Publishing.
"Dreamy and obsessive and terrifying and beautiful.”
- Mercedes M. Yardley, editor of Arterial Bloom.
Carina Bissett is a writer, poet, and educator working primarily in the fields of dark fiction and fabulism. Her short fiction and poetry have been published in multiple journals and anthologies including What Remains, Upon a Twice Time, Bitter Distillations: An Anthology of Poisonous Tales, Arterial Bloom, Gorgon: Stories of Emergence, Weird Dream Society, Hath No Fury, and the HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. V, VI, and VIII. She has also written stories set in shared worlds for RPGs at Green Ronin Publishing and Onyx Path Publishing. In addition to writing, she has edited several projects; the most recent is in the role as co-editor for the award-winning anthology Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas.
As an educator, Carina has taught at Pikes Peak Community College, Glendale Community College, and Arizona State University. She also participated in the Colorado Writing Project and works with educators to develop writing instruction in college and secondary school classrooms. She currently offers workshops focused on story generation at The Storied Imaginarium. Her fiction has been nominated for the Sundress Publications Best of the Net Award and was a finalist for the Ron L. Hubbard Writers of the Future Awards. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Sundress Publications Best of the Net Award. In her editorial capacity, she’s received recognition as a Winner at the Colorado Book Awards 2022 (Anthology) and as a Finalist in the Fiction: Anthologies category of the 2022 International Book Awards.
Grant Longstaff is from Gateshead; a small, suitably dismal town in the North of England where nothing much happens. He had no choice but to write fiction. Though he now lives in Glasgow, his heart remains in the North East.
His debut novelette, Between the Teeth of Charon, was released by Demain Publishing in June 2022.
His short fiction has appeared in the Bram Stoker Nominated Arterial Bloom, Shallow Waters Vol. 8, and Aurealis Magazine, and on The Other Stories and Tales to Terrify podcasts.
You can find him on Twitter @GrantLongstaff or visit www.grantlongstaff.co.uk.
Customer reviews
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star5 star67%23%10%0%0%67%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star4 star67%23%10%0%0%23%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star3 star67%23%10%0%0%10%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star2 star67%23%10%0%0%0%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star1 star67%23%10%0%0%0%
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021Format: KindleVerified PurchaseA Review of
Arterial Bloom, edited by
Mercedes Murdock Yardley
Here is a book of sixteen distinct tales each of which splashes the reader to the widened eyes. A mixed garden of wild, even feral flowerings.
Have your expectations and tastes surprised by these quirky, dsrk blossoms of arterial blooming.
Chosen for quality of voice, tone, and originality of approach, these stories are linked by Miss Murder’s discerning, unflinching gaze, her command of dark beauty, and a heart fearless of shock. There’s no flinch in this editor’s regard.
When blood swells to flower crimson a warm surprise jolts us and while not every story may reach far enough to touch, all will scramble for that thorn’s first bite
Anthologies of good stories well told are a rarity to be savored in these days of theme-park mousetraps and Procrustean rewrites spliced to make a sale. Arterial Bloom stands bright and strong as a celebration of good writing over the tricks of old dogs.
Ravishing shadows, as Linda D. Addison calls these stories in her introduction, await all who dare stroll this garden. I’d advise a good pair of Birkies or Doc Martens, too. As long as you can run in them.
Strongly recommended.
/ Gene Stewart
- Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2020Format: KindleArterial Bloom
Crystal Lake Publishing
Edited by Mercedes Yardley
In the midst of our very own strange reality and new (temporary) normal, I curled up with an *ARC of Arterial Bloom, which I received in exchange for an honest review. *
Most of us, especially those of us who love horror, concede that human beings are far more terrifying creatures than any demon, witch, or superstition. Many of the stories in this anthology showcase the evils of humanity. For me, that makes the horror more plausible and alarming.
The authors seemed to go deep into the dark recesses of their minds to find unique, imaginative, and macabre stories. None of the stories were predictable, which was refreshing, but not every story had a definitive conclusion. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. I usually like a clear, precise reason for the things that happen in a story and in the ending. But for the most part, it worked here. Some of the stories left me wondering, but if done right, not knowing can leave you more unsettled. And most of these were done right.
All the stories were well written and engaging. The editing allowed the author’s individual voices and writing styles to come alive in their characters and plots.
I’m not one to critique each story because reading is subjective and personal. I enjoyed them all but a few stood out for to me.
“Blue Was Her Favorite Color” by Dino Parenti – a somber tale of loss with a grim and startling twist.
“In The Loop” by Ken Liu – The reality of this one made it incredibly chilling.
“The Darker Side of Grief” by Naching T. Kassa – A young boy, simultaneously haunted by and grieving for his dead mother, gets help from an surprising place.
“Dog (Does Not) Eat Dog” by Grant Longstaff – an apocalyptic tale that pushes two friends to the brink.
Staying home and catching up on your reading? For fans of horror and dark fiction, Arterial Bloom is a great addition to your TBR pile.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2023Format: KindleVerified PurchaseDelightful frisson abounds in the exceptionally curated Arterial Bloom. A bit uneven, some stories are B+’s, but some cling to you after reading like cobwebs or a ghostly embrace, some glowing embers of terror and sorrow once finished. Crystal Lake once again showcases the human condition and beauty of horror. I highly respect and recommend their books and following their authors. This is modern horror. I enjoyed my poetric emotional discomfort immensely!
- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020Format: KindleIf you have a fear of holes, the beautiful cover will freak you out.:-)
There are a lot of unreliable narrators within these pages, especially “Mouths Filled With Seawater” by Jonathan Cosgrove, which I really enjoyed. Several stories have a feminist vibe or the popular climate change thing, some good, but some too strong with their message (still quality writing, though).
With so many quality stories, it’s hard to pick my favorite, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top two:
“Dog (Does Not) Eat Dog” by Grant Longstaff is my favorite story because it is both on-the-edge-of-your seat tense and also grim in the depiction of the rage and cruelty lurking within humankind. It is yet another dystopian, near-future tale without being the same ol’ dystopian story.
“Kudzu Stories” by Linda J. Marshall is my other favorite. It has a Southern Gothic feel, and the descriptions of the kudzu, the night, and the two- and four-legged creatures are vivid, almost tangible. Loved it.
Overall, this is a well-curated anthology of literary horror.
Top reviews from other countries
- CathReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars A generous and atmospheric collection
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseGreat anthology, with not a single weak story.
Personal faves were...
Dog (Does Not) Eat Dog by Grant Longstaff (Post-apocalyptic, violent but atmospheric and thought-provoking)
Doodlebug by John Boden
Rotten, by Carina Bissett (an outstanding modern version of Snow White)