The Horror Tree Recent Markets, Articles, Interviews, and Fiction!

Trembling With Fear

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Trembling With Fear 10-13-24

Greetings, children of the dark. Short and sweet intro again this week as I’m presently, at the time of you reading this (if, indeed, you’re the one who waits for it to go live and pounces immediately), at the UK’s Fantasycon in the old Roman city of Chester. That means I’m writing this a good bit earlier than normal (yes, Stuart may well have a heart attack) and in something of a rush. 

So let’s get stuck straight into this week’s TWF menu, with a main course from Louis Inglis Hall and a bus journey that’s a bit out of the ordinary. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • Meg Keane’s waking regret,
  • Christopher T. Mayne’s ruined rumination, and
  • Catherine Berry’s gardening tips.

And quickly, a final call for short story submissions! Our autumn/fall window opened on 1 October and will close tomorrow, Monday 14 October, so get in quick. I’ve acknowledged everything received up to Wednesday lunchtime UK time, and will get to the rest of you when I’ve returned from the con life. And yes, there are still a few stragglers from the last open window waiting to hear from us; you’re first in line and we’ll get to you ASAP!

Over to you, Stuart.

Lauren McMenemy

Editor, Trembling With Fear

Join me in thanking our upcoming site sponsor for the next month! Please check out Josh Schlossberg’s ‘Where The Shadows Are Shown’!

“This Ultimate collection is a treasure trove containing revised and expanded editions of The Name of Fear and A Cleansing of the Blood, two all-new Anton novellas, and twelve original short stories. Follow Anton from the blood-stained sands of Rome to ancient battles with unstoppable beasts in the deepest depths of tenebrous jungles and into a dystopian future where even vampires fear to tread. Each story is a unique journey, offering a different perspective on Anton’s world.”

Support our sponsor and pick up Where The Shadows Are Shown today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

A lot of back-end stuff this week. We had a couple of older Ongoing Submissions that were reported as being closed markets to clean up and had a spammy e-mail problem that I believe is now resolved. Really, it was mostly administrative work and not much progress. Apologies for a boring update from my side! 

Also, just a reminder that we’re starting to do more social posting for both BlueSky and Threads. So, if you’re over there and don’t follow us, now is the time! 😉

  • Thank you so much to everyone who has become a Patreon for Horror Tree. We honestly couldn’t make it without you all!
  • The paperback is now live! Please be sure to order a copy of Shadowed Realms on Amazon, we’d love for you to check it out!

Offhand, if you’ve ordered Trembling With Fear Volume 6, we’d appreciate a review! 🙂

 
 

Stuart Conover

Editor, Horror Tree

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Anthology / Events / Pro / Reprints Allowed

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Taking Submissions: Aphrodite

Deadline: November 24th, 2024
Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints.
Theme: Aphrodite
Note: Reprints Welcome

We are very excited to announce a new call for submissions, on the theme of Aphrodite! Please read through the details for submissions carefully before submitting your stories.

Flame Tree are bringing you a brand new gorgeous hardcover series brimming with myths and short stories.

Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. New and emerging writers from open submissions, reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well-known stories, alongside specially commissioned text on the origins and the cultural background of the mythology. The first six books in the series are Medusa, Odin, Circe, Anansi, Achilles and Morgana le Fay. We’re now opening up submissions for the next two books, Loki and Aphrodite.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is a famous figure deeply connected with beauty, sexuality and love in ancient myth – but do we really know who she is and what she stands for? A captivating Greek goddess, who according to popular myth was born from sea foam, she is as fascinating now as she was then to both Gods and mortals. A powerful, multifaceted figure with a story as deep as the ocean from which she allegedly came, she is often erroneously presented as a fertility goddess, but she is certainly sensual, sexual and even maternal. Submissions can present her perspective on the classic myths, explore misrepresentations and invent new character traits or story lines, and as always can envisage the character in any setting or time.

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Articles / Interviews

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The Spooky Six with Elizabeth J. Brown and Willow Croft

Elizabeth J. Brown grew up in the sprawling countryside of Kent, England, amidst cobbled streets and castle ruins. It was here that she cultivated a quintessentially British obsession for tea and cake. But caffeine and calories aside, her real passion is writing supernatural horror. Her current series, Brimstone Chorus, immerses readers in a world where demons, witches, and other nightmarish creatures reign supreme. Her debut novel, The Laughing Policeman, sets the stage for a chilling journey filled with blood debts, dark magic, and spine-tingling twists that explore the darker side of human nature where inner demons can be just as terrifying as the external ones.

A child of the 1980s, Elizabeth was captivated by the darker side of pop culture. While other children were entranced by Button Moon and The Magic Roundabout, she found herself spellbound by horror classics like Poltergeist—pressing her nose up against the TV, to get a closer look at the eerie girl trapped inside the screen (though, to be fair, she never missed an episode of Mr. Spoon’s space adventures either). It was this early love for the strange and supernatural that sparked her imagination and set her on the path to writing tales of horror.

When she’s not conjuring up new dark and twisted stories at her laptop, or spending time with her family, Elizabeth is usually lost in the pages of a book or graphic novel. She’s an unabashed Wolverine fan and credits him for her love of anti-heroes and morally grey characters.

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Anthology / Events / Pro

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Taking Submissions: Spring in the City

Deadline: January 31st, 2025
Payment: 10 cents per word
Theme: Dark Speculative Fiction that takes place in a city

Spring.

Even in the shadows of skyscrappers, spring sees an awakening in the concrete jungle that we call “the city.”

Spring in the City: A Collection of Dark Speculative Fiction is an anthology that takes place in different cities around the world during the changable, unpredictable return of life from its cold slumber. Your story submission must conform to the guidelines, and feature the city—in fact, the title of each story will be the City of which you write.

We are not looking for vampire/werewolf love trysts. We are looking for fantastical and horrific elements within the City itself.

Because we all know—deep in our hearts—that even nightmares and fairies, monsters and ghosts, and terrors of the real and imagined call the City their home.

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Anthology / Events / Pro / Reprints Allowed

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Taking Submissions: Loki

Deadline: November 24th, 2024
Payment: 8 cents/6 pence per word for original stories, 6 cents/4 pence for reprints.
Theme: Loki
Note: Reprints Welcome

Flame Tree are bringing you a brand new gorgeous hardcover series brimming with myths and short stories.

Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a classic mythological or folkloric figure, with completely new stories alongside the original tales. New and emerging writers from open submissions, reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well-known stories, alongside specially commissioned text on the origins and the cultural background of the mythology. The first six books in the series are Medusa, Odin, Circe, Anansi, Achilles and Morgana le Fay. We’re now opening up submissions for the next two books, Loki and Aphrodite.

Loki

This latest new book in the series offers an opportunity to explore the many facets of Loki – shapeshifting Norse god, at once an ally of and at odds with the other Aesir. His tempestuous relationship with the likes of Odin, his many forms and offspring, and his ambivalent character make him a classic trickster figure and inspiration beyond Norse mythology into the modern day. Submissions need to truly focus on Loki – this book will be a natural companion to our previous Odin title – and can riff on the classic opinions of his character or envisage a new angle and new paths for his journey to take.

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Articles / Reviews

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Epeolatry Book Review: Last Night of Freedom by Dan Howarth

Disclosure:

Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

​Title: Last Night of Freedom
Author: Dan Howarth
Genre: British & Irish Horror, British Horror Fiction
Publisher: Northern Republic
Date: 11th October, 2024

Synopsis: Fifteen years after graduation, four old university friends get together to celebrate Luke’s stag party. Tucked away in a remote village in the Lake District, they expect a weekend of real ale, log fires and gentle hikes – but a stag party of locals have other ideas.

Unwillingly drawn into one-upmanship and animosity, the four friends find themselves being hunted across unfamiliar ground in a game of deadly consequences. With only one of them guaranteed to survive, old wounds and resentments threaten to tear them apart as much as their pursuers.

Can the four friends unite to fight back, or will they fall, divided and broken?

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Articles

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Indie Bookshelf Releases 10/11/2024

Got a book to launch, an event to promote, a kickstarter or seeking extra work/support as a result of being hit economically by life in general?

Get in touch and we’ll promote you here. The post is prepared each Thursday for publication on Friday. Contact us via Horror Tree’s contact address or connect via Twitter or Facebook.

Click on the book covers for more information. Remember to scroll down to the bottom of the page – there’s all sorts lurking in the deep.

 

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Events

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Taking Submissions: Between Dystopias: The Passage To Caribbean Pantheology

Deadline: December 1st, 2024
Payment: $.08 per word up to 1,000 words; $.01 per word for longer submissions; $50 flat rate for poems, essays, articles and reviews.
Theme: Speculative Fiction of Caribbean Pantheology (see description below) by Caribbean people or anyone with ancestral or migratory ties to the region

OD Ekpeki Presents is accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, essays, articles and reviews till December 2024 for The Passage To Caribbean Pantheology, a speculative fiction anthology, edited by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Tonya Liburd, E.G. Condé and Fabrice Guerrier. Publication date is in 2025.

The anthology will be co-published by OD Ekpeki Presents and MV Media, run by Milton Davis.

Call: We define Caribbean Pantheology as stories spoken, sung, or written that evoke the wonder, horror, and joy of the Caribbean experience. Caribbean Pantheology will receive, read, translate and publish stories in all varieties of English (including Creole and Spanglish), Spanish, and French that engage with the diverse spiritual traditions of creators living in the Caribbean or its many diasporas. Between myth and legend, the fantastical and the speculative, the supernatural and the real, we seek stories that defy genre boundaries (fantasy, magical realism, surreal, the weird, speculative, science fiction) and the colonial borders that have long divided our islands into “Anglophone”, “Francophone”, and “Hispanophone” communities. Like the Caribbean, our pantheology is a meshwork of continents, deities, and languages, forged in the violence of colonialism, chattel slavery, and indentured labor. More than our scars, we Caribbean people are foundries of creativity and revolution. Like the maroon refuges built by our ancestors, we are spun from Indigenous (Garifuna, Guanahatabey, Kalinago, Taíno), African, Asian, and European traces. As such, we welcome stories that confront the spiritual wounds of our pasts, celebrate the rich traditions of our present, and imagine our flourishing futures. Send us your archipelagic tales of Soucouyants and Brujas; Orishas and Cemís; Loogaroos and Behikes; Jumbees and Ciguapas; Anansi and Chupacabras.

Eligibility: We seek works created by Caribbean people or anyone with ancestral or migratory ties to the region. If you are a marginalized creator, we encourage you to submit your work to us. We will reject any submissions that promote colorism, shadeism, or racism, to any degree. Please do not send us content generated by artificial intelligence applications.

Payment: $.08 per word up to 1,000 words; $.01 per word for longer submissions; $50 flat rate for poems, essays, articles and reviews.

Rights requested: All world English, French and Spanish rights, exclusive for one year after publication.

Submit to: [email protected]

This anthology will be co-published by OD Ekpeki Presents, the first Pantheology imprint, as a part of the larger body of Pantheology projects. OD Ekpeki Presents is an imprint of Jembefola Press, which has published projects which have won and been nominated for the Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, British Fantasy, British Science Fiction, and other awards. It’s run by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and you can contact him for collaborations on any of the pantheology projects here.

En español

Entre distopias: el paso a la panteología caribeña

OD Ekpeki Presents acepta presentaciones de ficción, poesía, ensayos, artículos y reseñas del 1 para Towards a Caribbean Pantheology, una antología de ficción especulativa, editada por Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Tonya Liburd, E.G. Condé & Fabrice Guerrier. La fecha de publicación es en 2025.

Convocatoria: Definimos la panteología caribeña como historias habladas, cantadas o escritas que evocan la maravilla, el horror y la alegría de la experiencia caribeña. Caribbean Pantheology publicará historias en todas las variedades de inglés (incluidos creole y spanglish), español y francés que interactúen con las diversas tradiciones espirituales de los creadores que viven en el Caribe o sus numerosas diásporas. Entre el mito y la leyenda, lo fantástico y lo especulativo, lo sobrenatural y lo real, buscamos historias que definan los límites de los géneros (fantasía, realismo mágico, surrealista, lo extraño, especulativo, ciencia ficción) y las fronteras coloniales que durante mucho tiempo han dividido nuestras islas. en comunidades “anglófonas”, “francófonas” e “hispanófonas”. Al igual que el Caribe, nuestra panteología es una red de continentes, deidades y lenguas, forjadas en la violencia del colonialismo, la esclavitud y el trabajo por contrato. Más que nuestras cicatrices, los caribeños somos fundiciones de creatividad y revolución. Al igual que los refugios cimarrones construidos por nuestros antepasados, estamos formados por vestigios indígenas (garífunas, guanahatabey, kalinago, taínos), africanos, asiáticos y europeos. Como tal, damos la bienvenida a historias que confrontan las heridas espirituales de nuestro pasado, celebran las ricas tradiciones de nuestro presente e imaginan nuestro futuro floreciente. Envíanos tus cuentos archipelágicos de Soucouyants y Brujas; Orishas y Cemís; Loogaroos y Behikes; jumbees y ciguapas; Anansi y Chupacabras.

Elegibilidad: Buscamos obras creadas por caribeños o cualquier persona con vínculos ancestrales o migratorios con la región. Si eres un creador marginado, te animamos a que nos envíes tu trabajo. Rechazaremos cualquier envío que promueva el colorismo, el sombreado o el racismo, en cualquier grado. Por favor, no nos envíe contenido generado por aplicaciones de inteligencia artificial.

Pago: $0,08 por palabra hasta 1000 palabras; $0.01 por palabra para envíos más largos; Tarifa fija de $50 para poemas, ensayos, artículos y reseñas. Todos los derechos en inglés global, francés y español, exclusivos durante un año después de su publicación.

Envia a: [email protected]

En français:

Entre les dystopies: le chemin vers la panthéologie caribéenne

OD Ekpeki Presents accepte les soumissions de fiction, poésie, essais, articles et critiques du Towards a Caribbean Pantheology, une anthologie de fiction spéculative, éditée par Donald Ekpeki Oghenechovwe, Tonya Liburd, E.G. Condé & Fabrice Guerrier. La date de publication est en 2025.

Appel : Nous définissons la panthéologie caribéenne comme des histoires parlées, chantées ou écrites qui évoquent l’émerveillement, l’horreur et la joie de l’expérience caribéenne. Caribbean Pantheology publiera des histoires dans toutes les variétés d’anglais (y compris le créole et le spanglish), l’espagnol et le français qui abordent les diverses traditions spirituelles des créateurs vivant dans les Caraïbes ou dans ses nombreuses diasporas. Entre mythe et légende, fantastique et spéculatif, surnaturel et réel, nous recherchons des histoires qui définissent les frontières des genres (fantastique, réalisme magique, surréaliste, étrange, spéculatif, science-fiction) et les frontières coloniales qui divisent depuis longtemps nos îles. en communautés « anglophones », « francophones » et « hispanophones ». Comme les Caraïbes, notre panthéologie est un maillage de continents, de divinités et de langues, forgé dans la violence du colonialisme, de l’esclavage et du travail sous contrat. Plus que nos cicatrices, nous, les Caraïbes, sommes des fondeurs de créativité et de révolution. Comme les refuges marrons construits par nos ancêtres, nous sommes issus de traces indigènes (Garifuna, Guanahatabey, Kalinago, Taíno), africaines, asiatiques et européennes. En tant que tel, nous accueillons les histoires qui affrontent les blessures spirituelles de notre passé, célèbrent les riches traditions de notre présent et imaginent notre avenir florissant. Envoyez-nous vos contes archipélagiques de Soucouyants et de Brujas ; Orishas et Cemís ; Loogaroos et Behikes ; jumbees et ciguapas; Anansi et Chupacabras.

Admissibilité : Nous recherchons des œuvres créées par des Caraïbes ou par toute personne ayant des liens ancestraux ou migratoires avec la région. Si vous êtes un créateur marginalisé, nous vous encourageons à nous soumettre votre travail. Nous rejetterons toute soumission faisant la promotion du colorisme, du shadeisme ou du racisme, à quelque degré que ce soit. Veuillez ne pas nous envoyer de contenu généré par des applications d’intelligence artificielle.

Paiement : 0,08 $ par mot jusqu’à 1 000 mots ; 0,01 $ par mot pour les soumissions plus longues ; Tarif forfaitaire de 50 $ pour les poèmes, essais, articles et critiques. Tous droits mondiaux en anglais, français et espagnol, exclusifs pendant un an après la publication.

soumettre à: [email protected]

Via: Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki.