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

Articles

 by 

Indie Bookshelf Releases 10/04/2024

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.

 

(more…)

Articles / Reviews

 by 

Epeolatry Book Review: The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

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 Night Guest
Author: Hildur Knútsdóttir
Translator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Genre: Horror 
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: 3rd September, 2024
Synopsis: Hildur Knútsdóttir’s The Night Guest is an eerie and ensnaring story set in contemporary Reykjavík that’s sure to keep you awake at night.

Iðunn is in yet another doctor’s office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something’s not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven’t revealed any cause.

When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same ― have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.

Until one night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night . . .

What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?

(more…)

Articles / Interviews

 by 

Deborah Sheldon’s Latest Work Is Bringing Us All ‘Bodily Harm’

Interview with award-winning horror author, Deborah Sheldon

by Robyn O’Sullivan

When I think of Deborah Sheldon as an author, the term sui generis comes to mind; her work is in a class of its own. Unafraid to plumb the depths of human experience in all its extremes, Sheldon’s writing often breaks through the accepted genre frameworks. Her latest novel is released by the American small press, Undertaker Books. Bodily Harm is a gripping crime thriller shot through with psychological horror. A daunting read, the plot pivots on what is, sadly, a not-uncommon event. Curious to know what may lie behind a book of this nature, I sat down with Deborah to ask a few questions.

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Lucky… Or… Not

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: Lucky… Or… Not…

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:

(more…)

Articles / Guest Post

 by 

October 2024: Tarot Cards for Author Inspiration

Deck: The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot by Louis Martinié and Sallie Ann Glassman

I don’t ever use this powerful deck lightly and/or for these creative inspiration readings, but New Orleans has been coming up lately in various ways. Part of me would love to live in New Orleans—it’s a fascinating city that combines the natural magic of the swampy South with the haunting allure of history. Since we are entering into October, a similarly atmospheric month, I felt compelled to draw upon this deck’s wisdom for this month’s reading.

(I had a feeling that the reading would contain a strong fire element before I pulled the cards, and it seems my intuition was correct.)

(more…)

Articles / Reviews

 by 

Epeolatry Book Review: The Lord’s Prayer: A Series of Horror by Dawn DeBraal

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 Lord’s Prayer: a Series of Horror
Author: Dawn DeBraal
Genre: Horror Collection
Publisher: Zombie Works Publications
Publication Date: 15th July, 2024
Synopsis: Encased inside are fourteen short stories, all inspired by verses from the Lord’s Prayer.
In every anecdote, the main character is tested in some way. How they come out in the end is dependent on their moral make-up. Some of them will fail because flesh is weak, some will come out very changed because of the difficulty they faced, or avoided, and some won’t make it out alive, giving in to sin and despair.
The Lord’s Prayer is readdressed through the eyes of children, the elderly, those who want to make something of themselves, the rich, poor, arrogant, liars, cheaters, drug dealers, greed mongers and snake charmers.
Not every facet of humanity is beautiful, but we were given a prayer to pray to help us through the hard times. If you truly believe, there is hope

(more…)

Articles / Reviews

 by 

Epeolatry Book Review: This World is Not Yours by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

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: This World is Not Yours
Author: Kemi Ashing-Giwa
Genre: Scifi/Horror
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: 10th September, 2024
Synopsis: After fleeing her controlling and murderous family with her fiancée Vinh, Amara embarks on a colonization project, New Belaforme, along with her childhood friend, Jesse.

The planet, beautiful and lethal, produces the Gray, a “self-cleaning” mechanism that New Belaforme’s scientists are certain only attacks invasive organisms, consuming them. Humans have been careful to do nothing to call attention to themselves until a rival colony wakes the Gray.

As Amara, Vinh, and Jesse work to carve out a new life together, each is haunted by past betrayals that surface, expounded by the need to survive the rival colony and the planet itself.

There’s more than one way to be eaten alive.

(more…)

Trembling With Fear

 by 

Trembling With Fear 9-29-24

Greetings, children of the dark. As you read this, I’ll be on my way back from Bedford, not far outside of London town, where I was repping the British Fantasy Society at the Innsmouth Literary Festival. As I write this, though, it’s a couple of days away and I’ll admit I’m slightly nervous. The event is dedicated to weird fiction, especially in the Lovecraftian vein, and it’s a world I’m just not that familiar with. I’m hoping I can get the lowdown while I’m there, but I’ve always been a bit nervous given, y’know, the whole Lovecraft bit of it! I’m sure there’s a difference between diving into Cthulu’s waters, and diving into the life and loves of the writer himself – which, as we now know, are a bit suspect – but it’s always felt too BIG for me to truly get it. 

So here’s a challenge to you, dear reader: send us your weird tales! Show me what it’s all about! How weird can you go while maintaining a coherent narrative in just 100 words? That’s something to keep you going in these spooky, quickly-darkening nights.

Not much weirdery in this week’s darkly speculative menu, though there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. This week Tiffani Angus contemplates the true nature of milk. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:

  • Corinne Pollard’s medical issues,
  • Rory ffoulkes’s wildlife camera, and
  • DJ Tyrer’s icy expedition

Some quick reminders to finish up:

Did you meet and greet all the new residents of TWF Towers? In case you missed it, last week we announced our new Assistant Editors, one to oversee each section of submissions. Meet them over in this article, but please join me in welcoming:

  • Assistant Editor – Specials: Lynn Huggins-Cooper
  • Assistant Editor – Serials: Vicky Brewster
  • Assistant Editor – Unholy Trinities: Sarah Elliott

Remember we’re currently open to:

  • Submissions for our Halloween special
  • Serialised stories
  • Drabbles
  • Unholy trinities

But we won’t open to regular ol’ short story subs until 1 October, when our next 2-week window creaks open. Oh, hang on – that’s this week! Get ready, folks!

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 Scott Harper’s ‘Anton The Undying: The Complete Collection’!

“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 Anton The Undying: The Complete Collection today on Amazon!

 

Be sure to order a copy today!

_____________________________________________

Hi all!

On a personal note, I typed “The End” on a draft for a novella and saw my short The Elysium Drift find its way into print in Yabblins 2 (which you can find on Amazon!) I’ve really slowed down in the writing department lately with everything going on, so these both felt like huge wins for me.

Onto Horror Tree! We’re still making progress on all ends of the spectrum. The re-design is chugging along, the next anthology is in the works, and soon, we’ll be doing more social posting for both BlueSky and Threads. So, overall, things are going nicely! Slow but steady wins the race. (I don’t know what race we’re in…)

  • For actual Horror Tree updates, I did push forward some progress in a couple of areas in the past week, both on the theme and our next anthology release. Not much to report on yet, but progress is being made!
  • 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

(more…)