Trembling With Fear 7-21-24
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Greetings, children of the dark. The summer has returned here in London town, and I’m really trying not going to take it for granted. And yet, even though I was born and bred in one of Australia’s hottest and driest cities, I struggle in the heat. Especially over here, in a city and a country that is built to keep the heat in. It’s so clammy and sweaty and gross out there. Maybe I’ll just ignore it and curl up with a book in front of the fan (yep, no air con here!) instead…
Before I do, though, it’s my twisted pleasure to bring you this week’s edition of TWF. And it’s a good ‘un, if I do say so myself. Once this is off my desk and into the hands of the boss man, I’ll start going through all the submissions that came in for our latest short story submission window. If you haven’t yet heard from us, hold tight! It’s a manual process, but I’ll get back to everyone who submitted with an acknowledgement over the next few days before the TWF team settles down to review your work. As always, we’re oversubscribed: we can only accept around 12 stories each window, as we only publish one per week, and we’re now getting almost 100 submissions each time we open. On the one hand, if you get that golden acceptance, well done you! What a prize! But on the other, if you miss out then it’s not personal; it’s always a tough call. We always try to give a bit of feedback as to why you didn’t make the cut for us. These things are somewhat subjective, and just because you didn’t find a home with TWF doesn’t mean the right home isn’t out there waiting for you. Don’t give up, and keep at it. Like writing, submitting is a muscle you need to keep working at.
Want some low-risk submission practice? We’re always looking for drabbles! Send ‘em in!
Now onto the good stuff.
This week’s menu of dark speculative fiction has as its centrepiece an uncanny memory from Sammi Leigh Melville. That’s followed by the short, sharp speculations of:
- Andrew Keyworth’s hungry beast,
- DJ Tyrer’s jungle adventures, and
- Weird Wilkins’ stand-off.
Over to you, Stuart.
Hi all!
First off, I’d like to thank our upcoming newsletter sponsor for the next year! Please check out Charlotte Platt’s ‘One Smile More’!
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.
Be sure to order a copy today!
Hi all!
I mentioned last week that I would have news in this one, and I do! Our interview coordinator for the last few years, Selene, has had to step back for personal reasons (though, hopefully, she will return down the line!). With this change, we’re bringing our very own Sarah Elliott in as our new interview coordinator!
Sarah can be found on:
- Instagram at: @writingforlight
- Threads at: @writingforlight
- Medium at: @writingforlight
- TikTok at: @writingforlight
Please follow on your social media of choice, send her a warm welcome, and know that we’re looking for a few more who are interested in interviewing authors, publishers, and others in the field! More announcements to come!
Now, for the standards:
- 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! 🙂