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Taking Submissions: Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 7

Submission Window: May 1st – June 30th, 2025
Payment: .05/word plus contributor’s copies
Theme: Mina Harker

Issue 7: Mina Harker(To Be Published November, 2025)
Mina is teacher, a wife, and the heart and the hero of the novel. Her spirit and intelligence keep her resilient even when darkness closes in. But who is Mina beneath the surface? Did her experiences leave her haunted? How did her connection to Dracula affect her view of the world or her family? Whether it’s before, during, or after the events of the novel, let’s explore her strength, her struggles, and her secrets.

Submissions open May 1, 2025-June 30, 2025. Submissions received earlier will be read and considered but will not be responded to until the window opens.

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Articles

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Indie Bookshelf Releases 01/03/2025

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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Articles / Reviews

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Epeolatry Book Review: One Smile More by Charlotte Platt

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: One Smile More
Author: Charlotte Platt
Publisher: Gendel Press
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: June 16, 2024

Synopsis: Ena Sinclair, a Scottish mage and spy, abandons her role in a prominent Edinburgh college and escapes to London to avoid an arranged marriage.

But London is not safe: a mage killer is on the hunt…

Abducted by vampires ‘for her safety’, Ena is terrified the nest owner will drain her to fuel his power but also curious to learn about his magic. Taking this once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn more about what her college had warned were dangerous creatures, Ena finds herself fond of the nest, particularly their bonded leaders, Addison and Tobias.

As survivors of the Immortal War, the pair still navigate a schism in vampire society that they are trying to heal. They now seek a peaceful life and offer Ena protection until she finds her own path.

…and dark things await them all.

Ena’s college seeks to forcibly return her to Edinburgh, and a killer is still on the loose. Hidden resentments surface, and Ena pays the price. Magically unstable and isolated, she must rely on her non-magical training to avoid being turned or used as a weapon to harm the nest she has grown to care for.

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Articles

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Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Watch The Fireworks

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Watch The Fireworks

Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.

Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.

This week’s writing prompt:

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Articles / Interviews

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Angela Yuriko Smith and her Space and Time Kickstarter

Angela Yuriko Smith and her Space and Time Kickstarter

By Angelique Fawns

Space and Time magazine has been publishing speculative fiction for 50 years, and is one of the oldest flagship markets in North America. Angela Yuriko Smith, a two-time Bram Stoker Award Winner, is the publisher of Space and Time and is running a Kickstarter to celebrate five decades of bringing innovation, discovery, and storytelling to the world.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angela-yuriko-smith/space-and-time-celebrating-50-years-of-speculative-fiction

I was honored to have a story purchased by Smith in the Fall/Winter issue 147 this year called “Gragon and the Neptune Nit Infestation,”  along with a close friend of mine, R.J.K. Lee, who shared the TOC with his tale, “What Devil or Dove Guards the Girl.”

Smith also runs a popular newsletter called Authortunities on Substack where she lists industry news and open calls. Writers can find paid opportunities, contests, awards, workshops, and grants. I’ll confess, I’ve cribbed a few things from her list for my own monthly posts. 

I asked Angela Yuriko Smith a few questions:

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Articles / Interviews

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“Magick dictates Destiny”: An Interview with author Paula Cappa

“Magick dictates Destiny”: An Interview with author Paula Cappa

Draakensky, the new novel by author Paula Cappa, is a Gothic dark fantasy with a twist; the twist being magick. While most Gothic novels draw on the supernatural as a source of chills and thrills, Cappa rather explores the supernatural as something tangible, a product of the elemental forces which surround us. 

 

There’s also plenty of chills and thrills throughout the novel. At once a ghost story, a murder mystery, and a romance, Draakensky draws readers into a rich world of magic and sorcery. 

 

I spoke to Paula about the novel via Zoom in November.

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Articles / Reviews

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Epeolatry Book Review: The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

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 Book of Witching
Author: C.J.Cooke
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Horror
Release Date: October 8, 2024

Synopsis:  Four hundred years separate them.

One book binds them.

Glasgow 2024: Clem waits by her daughter’s hospital bed. Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx.

But how did she get these burns? And how did her boyfriend end up burned alive?

Orkney 1594: accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. The punishment? To be burned alive.

Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? And will Fynhallow Bay give up its secrets before someone else dies?

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