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Epeolatry Book Review: A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross

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: A Conventional Boy
Author: Charles Stross
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tordotcom
Date: 7th January, 2025

Synopsis: In this new Laundry Files adventure the fate of the world will literally depend on the roll of dice… twenty-sided dice, that is.
In 1984, Derek Reilly was just another spotty teenage dungeon master growing up in middle England. But then a secret government agency tasked with suppressing magical intrusions received a tip-off – and one midnight raid later, his life was turned upside down by the Satanic D&D Panic.
Decades later Derek, now middle-aged and institutionalized, is a long-term inmate at Camp Sunshine, a center for deprogramming captured Elder God cultists. He’s considered safe enough to edit the camp newsletter, and he even has postal privileges – which he uses to run a play-by-mail game. After 25 years, Derek finally has reason to escape: a nearby D&D convention. While Derek’s D&D games were full of fictional elder gods and world-ending threats, a LARP game at the con is a dread ritual designed to summon a great evil into our world, and it’s up to Derek and his players to stop them.
The fate of the world may depend on the contents of Derek’s magic dice bag.

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Taking Submissions: Untitled Illustrated Poetry Anthology

Deadline: May 31st, 2024
Payment: Written work: .02c/word, Artwork: $75
Theme: Grim, gothic, morbidly funny, and terrifying works

Calling all poetry authors AND artists!

We’re stepping outside of the box here and trying something new. We’re calling on poets and artists this time to help us craft an illustrated poetry anthology. Give us your limericks, sonnets, haiku, ballads, and free-verse! Have visual poetry? EVEN BETTER. We want grim, gothic, morbidly funny, terrifying works.

Your poetry submission:

  • should be 150 lines (not words) max
  • horror centric
  • any form of poetry is allowed
  • multiple submissions allowed

Your art submission:

  • color or black/white (a color edition is tentatively planned)
  • various sizes/dimensions considered
  • submit as jpg, tiff, png, or pdf
  • multiple submissions allowed
  • NO GENERATIVE AI ART OF ANY KIND.


Est. publication date:
 July 2025
Compensation (written work): .02c/word
Compensation (artwork): $75 (more…)

Indie Bookshelf Releases 11/29/2024

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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Interview with Suzie Lockhart of Dastardly Damsels

Interview with Suzie Lockhart of Dastardly Damsels

I recently got to chat with Suzie Lockhart about her latest anthology, Dastardly Damsels, which would have grabbed my attention from the title alone. And then, of course, there was the blurb:

 

A transcendental anthology of women in horror, altering all you know by revamping traditional lore while exploring the unfathomable and the obscure.

 

Prepare yourself for a harrowing journey through Dastardly Damsels, an anthology that redefines horror with a powerful lineup of female authors. This collection dares to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and the supernatural, presenting a diverse range of chilling narratives that will captivate and unsettle you.

 

From the Victorian Era’s haunted secrets to futuristic global disasters, Dastardly Damsels serves up an array of stories that blend psychological fear with mythological intrigue. Dive into tales of revenge with a twist, where women wield dark powers and confront terrifying entities, from cannibalistic horrors to vengeful ghosts. Experience the suspense of a secretive stripper turned avenger, a gladiatrix with a taste for brutality, and a peculiar elevator with a sinister personality.

 

Each story promises a unique thrill—whether it’s the heart-stopping tension of a final girl like no other or the unsettling aftermath of witchcraft gone awry. The anthology’s gothic and steampunk elements enhance its eerie atmosphere, while the psychological twists ensure that each page turn brings a new shock.

 

If you’re ready for a blend of suspense and horror narratives that push the boundaries of traditional lore, Dastardly Damsels is your ticket to an unforgettable reading experience.

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Taking Submissions: Lured Into The Deep

Deadline: February 28th, 2025
Payment: Authors get 30% Royalties for first year from date of publication. Afterwards, 30% of all
proceeds go to a charity chosen by the Publisher
Theme: All mermaids (and their kin), kraken (sea monsters), underwater civilizations, etc. stories are welcome. All genres are accepted.

LURED INTO THE DEEP
(Rated R)

Deadline – February 28th, 2025
Publication – May 2025
Word Count – 3,000-20,000
Theme – All mermaids (and their kin), kraken (sea monsters), underwater civilizations, etc. stories are welcome. All genres are accepted.

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Taking Submissions: The Best Trans Horror of the Year, Volume One

Deadline: January 1st, 2025
Payment: Fiction: 2c per word plus a paperback contributor copy, Poetry: $25 plus a paperback contributor copy
Theme: Reprints of horror stories published in 2024 by authors who identify as trans or nonbinary

Last week, just a few days after the election, I had a bit of a manic episode that ended with me dying my fading lavender hair black and posting the following on Bluesky:

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Epeolatry Book Review: The Clown: A Halloween Land Story

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: The Clown: A Halloween Land Story
Author: Kevin J. Kennedy
Genre: horror
Publisher: KJK Publishing
Date: 1st October, 2024

Synopsis: Melissa is a fairly average teen, who lives in the small rundown coastal town of Black Island. Her only plan is to leave the first chance she gets. She is sick of weekends spent partying with her old school friends, knowing they are growing apart. She needs something more. When the carnival comes to town, the group finally have something a little different to do. Little do they know that the carnival, has its own plans for them, especially Melissa.

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Horror Tree’s 2024 Gift Guide: Gifts For Writers

Gift Guide For Writers:

Do you have a writer in your life that you need to shop for this holiday season? Do you find writers baffling creatures and want to know what sort of gifts they would love for Christmas? Well, I am a writer and here I have put together a list of twelve items (one for each day of Christmas) that I would love to receive this holiday season.

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