Sheldon Woodbury worked for some of the top advertising agencies in New York City then returned to school to get an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from New York University where he also taught screenwriting and playwriting. He’s an award winning writer (screenplays, plays, books, short stories, and poems). His book “Cool Million” is considered the essential guide to writing high concept movies. His plays have been produced in New York City and his short stories and poems have appeared in many horror anthologies and magazines. His novel, The World on Fire, has been called a cult classic.

Dave Jeffery is author of 15 novels, two collections, and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. His YA work features critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham supernatural mystery series and Finding Jericho, a contemporary mental health novel that was featured on the BBC Health and the Independent Schools Entrance Examination Board's recommended reading lists. A third edition of this book will be released by Demain Publishing in 2020.

Jeffery is a member of the Society of Authors, British Fantasy Society (where he is a regular book reviewer), and the Horror Writers Association. He is also a registered mental health professional with a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Health Studies.

Jeffery is married with two children and lives in Worcestershire, UK.

For more information please visit: www.davejeffery.webs.com

Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig A. Metcalf.

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Rhode Island.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he wanted a change, he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that's another story.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, and travel any place that will let him enter. And read and write, of course--he does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonParent?ref=hl, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.

Kevin David Anderson’s debut novel the geeky, cult zombie classic, Night of the Living Trekkies, from Quirk Books, the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, is a funny, offbeat Zombie novel that explores the pop culture carnage that ensues when the undead crash a Star Trek convention. Publishers Weekly gave Night of the Living Trekkies a starred review and the Washington Post listed it as one of the top five Zombie novels of 2010.

Night of the Living Trekkies and Anderson’s follow-up, Night of the ZomBEEs were required reading in college courses, most notably a class designed for incoming freshmen, How to Survive Your Freshman Year by Studying the Zombie Apocalypse, at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.

Anderson’s short stories have appeared in almost a hundred publications, from anthologies and magazines to podcasts and radio dramas. His work has appeared in multiple languages and on every continent, excluding Antarctica - mostly because penguins and polar bears don’t read. Anderson was the first American to be published in the award-winning South African Horror Magazine, Something Wicked. He has contributed to many award-worthy publications including the British Fantasy Award-winning Magazine Murky Depths, and the Bram Stoker nominated anthology, The Beauty of Death from Independent Legions Publishing. Many of Anderson’s stories have been turned into audio productions with voice talents like Jason Hill, Rish Outfield, and Mur Lafferty, on Parsec Award-winning podcasts like Pseudopod, The Drabblecast, The Dunesteef and on the very popular Simply Scary Podcast and the No Sleep Podcast.

When not writing horror, comedy, or horror-comedy, Anderson likes spending time at the beach with his family, attending horror conventions and book festivals, and writing and telling bad, corny, nerdy jokes. Dad jokes with a geeky twist are his specialty and with the help of his son, he published The Geektastic Joke Book for Kids under the pseudonym, Giggles A. Lott and Nee Slapper. Giggles & Slapper have followed with STAR WARS: The Jokes Awaken, and JURASSIC JOKES: A Book 65 Million Years in the Making. STAR WARS: The Jokes AWAKEN was named one of the top 10 Star Wars gifts for kids by Best Deals For Kids (dot) com in 2020.

Anderson was born in Indiana, and currently lives and writes speculative fiction in Southern California. Before becoming a writer and active member of the HWA (Horror Writers Association), Anderson earned a B. A. in Mass Communication (TCOM) with a focus on Media Production from CSUF (Fresno State). He worked as a marketing professional for more than a decade, during which he managed award-winning campaigns for both television and radio. Currently, he is doing something much more rewarding. Anderson is a high school special education teacher.

I am an author of science fiction and horror short stories, with work published by Sirens Call Publications, The Pygmy Giant, Savage Planet, Terror Tract, Bag of Bones Press, Schlock webzine, Kyanite publishing and Crystal Lake Publishing. I also appear in the anthologies 'Fugitives' by Sinister Saints, 'Weird Ales 2: Another Round' by Quantum Corsets, and 'Mummy Knows Best' by Terror Tree Books. I proudly hold a Master of Arts Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Teesside and am desperately trying to find the time to juggle a family, a mortgage, and some form of a writing career (although career suggests actually makes money from writing doesn't it? Maybe hobby is a better word). I have a particular interest in disability representation in fiction, alt-history fiction, drinking tea and eating cake.

Pedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker Award-winning science-fiction and horror writer from Los Angeles. He has also been nominated for the Elgin, Rhysling, and Dwarf Star Awards, among others.

He is the author of MEXICANS ON THE MOON: SPECULATIVE POETRY FROM A POSSIBLE FUTURE, FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE, SYNTHETIC DAWNS & CRIMSON DUSKS, and the SF novel CONTROL THEORY.

His fiction and poetry has also appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror, Shadows Over Main Street Volume 3, Qualia Nous Vol. 2, Beyond the Bounds of Infinity, Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers, Dark Spores, A Night of Screams: Latino Horror Stories, Speculative Fiction for Dreamers, Worlds of Possibility, Infinite Constellations, Tiny Nightmares, Shortwave Magazine, Star*Line, Eye to the Telescope, Space and Time Magazine, and Savage Realms Monthly, among others.

Apart from leading writing workshops and speaking at several colleges, he has also been a sensitivity reader and has ghostwritten for award-winning apps and online clients. He is currently a member of the editorial team at Galaxy Science Fiction and Worlds of IF as a proofreader.

Forthcoming projects include his horror comic, CATRINA’S CARAVAN: BLOOD CYCLES (Chispa Comics), his SFF collection, ECHOES AND EMBERS: SPECULATIVE STORIES (Stars and Sabers Publishing), and his debut picture book, THE FIB (Gloo Books), which are slated for 2025 releases.

Linsey Knerl is a mom of six who has been homeschooling since 2004. Her interest in small business and entrepreneurship led to a freelance writing career that complimented her own homeschool style. Linsey has been a trusted source for families since 2008. Her tips for families have appeared in various publications, including Time, Shape, Better Homes & Gardens, Reader’s Digest, Family Circle, All You, and Woman’s World. Her media company (Knerl Family Media) has grown to include her better half in life and business, Sam. Together Sam and Linsey work to educate and support their growing family.

Linsey is also working on several dark fiction projects. When she's not enjoying the beautiful Missouri River bottom landscape you can find her reading weird short stories, playing the piano, and recreating the Danish recipes her grandmother made long ago.

Michael Patrick Hicks is the author of several horror books, including the Salem Hawley series and Friday Night Massacre. His debut novel, Convergence, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist in science fiction, and his short stories have appeared in more than a dozen anthologies.

Connect with Michael at:

Substack: https://michaelpatrickhicks.substack.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeH5856

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7909523.Michael_Patrick_Hicks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mphicks79

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.

Michelle Mellon has had stories published in more than three dozen speculative fiction anthologies and magazines. Her primary focus is horror, but she has also written science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. In April 2018 her first story collection was published by HellBound Books. Her second story collection was self-published in April 2022. For updates, visit mpmellon DOT com.

Alex Ebenstein [eb-en-stine] is a lifelong Michigander, where he lives with his wife, son, and dog. His daytime mapmaking career supports his nighttime addiction of writing horror and other speculative fiction. His debut horror novella, Curse Corvus, was released in April 2023, and his follow-up novella, Melon Head Mayhem, was released by Shortwave Publishing in July 2023. He is also the editor of the SPLIT SCREAM series, published by Tenebrous Press. Connect with him on social media (AlexEbenstein).