He felt a twinge of sorrow for her, for the pain she was about to live through.Florien is a man known for both his generosity and debauchery. By day, Florien can be found patronizing the local shops, leaving hefty tips and happy patrons in his wake. People adore him, but people are stupid. They have no clue what horrors Florien commits at night, what his real job is. If they ever knew his dark secret they would Hate him as much as he Hates himself. In this short story you will uncover Florien’s shame by following him through a day in his life.

Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried. With twenty-two dark tales diving beneath the surface of loss, love, and life. Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing. Every month a new challenge is posted online, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page, where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the most popular of our finalists. Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges. Volume one includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of love lost, death, 2nd chances, the monsters within, and the beauty beneath it all. Introduction by Joe Mynhardt“Closure on a Bed of Nails” by Chad Lutzke“Fast Car” by Tracy Fahey“Tears of Buddy” by Patrick R. McDonough“Puzzle Pieces” by Armand Rosamilia“Pretty Like Butterflies” by Tim Waggoner“S1:E7” by Robert Ford“Pain is Your Teacher” by Michael Harris Cohen“Memory Lane” by Red Lagoe“The Silence of the Sirens” by Loren Rhoads“It’s Me Not You” by Jonathan Winn“Sisters of Loss” by Mark Allan Gunnells“Talisman” by Jezzy Wolfe“The Melting of Your Gods” by Mercedes M. Yardley“Charms” by Dino Parenti“Not Your Average Monster” by Kenneth W. Cain“Where the Children Run in Darkness” by Guy Medley“Tunnels” by Tom Over (winner)“The Truth about Dani” by Joe Mercer“Baby Savannah” by M.J. Sydney“Rats Scratched in the Linen Cupboard” by Dani Brown“Raining” by John Boden“The Death Experience” by L.A. Story In this volume… Taunted by a cactus, a man copes with grief after the loss of his wife.  Alondra DeCourval visits Franz Kafka’s grave to think about death. A lovestruck woman strives to connect with a man she’s convinced is The One.  The perfect funeral for a child—all according to a Mother’s well-crafted plan. The exception is one small, unexpected development no one could have ever prepared for. A short meditation on the haunting nature of love and loss, and the aftermath of both. Victor’s sanity has been threaded together by the memory of his daughter’s voice, until now, when her laughter falls silent. An adrenaline junkie believes he can take on the ultimate challenge—coming back from the dead. Sisters share everything. The good…and the bad. Sometimes being a hoarder is dangerous… In our ever-changing world, what we view as a monster is constantly evolving…but at what cost? Buddy’s heart aches for his family’s arrival.  Bright colors may be beautiful, but sometimes they can be dangerous. Sometimes the darkness we harbor within is best left behind closed doors. Rats scratch in the children’s ward.  A surprise wedding present from daughter to father, built over a lifetime, reveals his true nature to all his guests. Can a mourning Mallory find comfort before she loses her mind? While coming to terms with the death of his mother a man learns that he harbours a strange ability, one that could threaten to tear his reality apart.  A woman’s last letter to her abusive ex-husband returns the favor of his tutelage. Lillian’s search for her daughter’s doll leads her on a journey through tragedy, loss, and madness.  The brutal murder a man’s only child leaves him burdened with a question only he can answer. Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

‘The Lust for Blood’ is a collection of thirteen grisly short stories written by the author Charmain Marie Mitchell. The stories range in size from 1,400 words to 9,800 and focuses on the complexities of the human mind (with a couple of supernatural tales thrown in for good measure). There is nothing so complicated as a human being and sometimes nothing so horrific! Contents: A Passion for Death – Never published before. A new twist on an old tale. Beecham Manor – Never published before. A ghostly tale from Cornwall. Sometimes Sacrifices need to be made – Previously published story Review:By DiogenesThis is a very short tale, but nicely put together. It shows how the craving for fame can unbalance the impressionable mind. The Stalker – Previously published story. Review:By Angel Marie JobeI really liked it the way the drama and suspense keep going and going it was one of the coolest books I’ve read in a long time By Karen MassariThis piece did not come across as a short story, it was more like a bold painting. My heart is still racing from reading it. Punishment Time – Previously published story. Review:By Ethel BarkleyCourious insight into the mind ! Abuse at any level can have deep seated and lasting consequeses. Punishment Time delves into the hatred that can result from such action. All should read as I did after downloading from Amazon.com to my Kindle Fire Scorned – Never published before. A tale about when love goes wrong. The Vampire Requiem – Previously published story. Review:By Robin E ListonWhen 252 year old Edward Manning falls in love with Maria, a beautiful young lady, he decides that he can’t live without her, and plans to tell her that he’s a vampire. If his love is rejected, Edward will end his long, lonely life. How will she react? Will she choose to spend an eternity with him, or reject him? But, as fate would have it, their lives are intertwined in an unexpected way. This short story by Charmain, allows us a brief look into the life of a modern day vampire. When Edward finally decides to reveal himself to Maria, and shows her the “face of a true vampire,” her reaction causes an event that will catch you by surprise.I look forward to reading more stories by Charmain Mitchell. The Rape of Suzy J – Never published before. Chilling tale of rape and murder. Cyber Scream – Never published before. A story about misplaced jealousy. Tudor Witch – Previously published story.Review: By Lord D. M. Prosser (UKLet me say straight away that Charmain Mitchell is an expert at description. By the time I’d heard how Kezziah looked I had no problem in visualising her.By the time I’d finished the story and had read the description of what acts she had to perform I wasn’t sure I’d ever sleep again.This book ‘Perpetual Hell’ manages in it’s few short pages to cram in more than many full novels do but believe me the heroine is not someone you’ll cheer for. Despite the great love she’s meant to hold all I could remember was that her smile didn’t reach the eyes.I’m certainly not sure I’d want a youngster reading this but no doubt they’ve all heard worse at hallowen. I am sure though that most young adults will enjoy the style of this young writer and the fifteen minutes of pure hell the reading gives them. The Man in the Mirror – Never published before. Tale of a fragmented mind. Food for Thought – Never published before. A tasty tale of fear. The Beings – Never published before. A story of a blood lust that will consume the world. Throughout her life, Charmain has wanted to become an author, but family and business commitments stood in the way and her writing consisted of a few short stories on the rare occasion that she had time to write them. In late 2012 a freak accident finally allowed time for Charmain to indulge in her passion for writing. website: www.charmainmariemitchell.com or blog: http://CharmainMitchell.blog

The world needs a hero nastier than the fiends that plague it …. The fate of humanity rests on a pair of unlikely champions, Venir and Melegal. Determined to destroy the insidious race of fiends, the underlings, Venir sets out on a one-man crusade. Wielding an alien-crafted war axe, he ventures deep into the wasteland’s jungles, uncovering a heartbreaking catastrophe. A village destroyed by the underlings awaits him. The women and children are gone, snatched by the dangerous menace. Now, the bloodiest rescue missions of all time calls for the ultimate weapon of power that requires a will of iron, brawn, and courage. With time running out, it’s up to Venir to defeat the perilous brood of pillaging murderers and save the innocents before it’s too late. Dive into this short introduction to the bestselling Darkslayer series that is barbaric thrill ride longer than the Lord of the Rings over 1 million words long This series has everything dungeon and dragons lovers could ever hope for in an EPIC ONE-OF-A-KIND SWORD AND SORCERY FEAST that you will never forget! This short is only a small sample of the tumultuous action that offers bold heroes, villainous sorcery, deadly dwarves, orcs, brute ogres, gnolls, underlings, giants and dragons battle in this fast-paced, action-packed fantasy fest.  SCROLL UP AND GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY! Content Advisor: This series does not include explicit language or sexual content. A galloping ride for teenagers and up.  What Reviewers are saying about The Darkslayer Series: ★★★★★ Awesome intro to the series. Never a dull moment in Bish! If you like classic heroes doing what heroes do, start this series. Reading the Darkslayer series has been the most fun reading I’ve ever had. Y.E., Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★ The Darkslayer is a badass of few words. – Ron Baker, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★ This book was a fun old school barbarian tale. The main character is not a barbarian specifically, but essentially he is the classic warrior that overcomes his enemies with giant muscles, iron will, and pure rage. – Nicolas Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★ Exceptional Read.If you’re a fan of the Drizzt novels or tales told in The Forgotten Realms, then this book series is definitely for you. – Matthew Kirkton, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★ Everything a guy wants in a book. My girlfriend just got me back into reading and she kept trying to get me to read Twilight, 50 Shades Of Grey, etc. Needless to say I didn’t make it pass the first chapter of either. I thought reading just want for me, but now I know I just needed to find the right kind of book. The Darkslayer is that book. If you enjoy fantasy & action movies like Lord of the Rings you’ll feel right at home. The pacing is spot on, I couldn’t put it down. It’s full of action, and has comedic moments to break up the mayhem. The characters are colorful, and the author does a good job portraying how warfare takes its toll on a warrior both physically and mentally. I can’t wait to get into the rest of the series.– Josh Rock, Amazon Reviewer

A SAMPLER OF ALAN BAXTER’S DARK FICTION Horror, crime, and dark fantasy. Four complete stories and the opening chapters of six longer books from Alan Baxter’s extensive back catalogue. Featuring one full novella (“Out On A Rim” from The Gulp), three entire short stories (“Crow Shine” from Crow Shine, “Simulacrum of Hope” from Served Cold, and “The Normandy Curse”), plus the opening chapters of six longer books: Devouring Dark, Hidden City, Bound, Manifest Recall, Primordial, and Blood Codex. “Alan Baxter is Australia’s master of literary darkness.” – This Is Horror “Alan Baxter can take horror from gonzo to heartbreaking in an instant. Good stuff… Alan Baxter can write like a m***********.” – Gail Simone, best-selling author of DC’s Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman, and more “Alan Baxter is an accomplished storyteller who ably evokes magic and menace.” – Laird Barron, author of Swift to Chase “Baxter delivers the horror goods.” – Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World “Alan Baxter is one of the best horror writers in the business.” – Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy, Kin, and Sour Candy “Step into the ring with Alan Baxter, I dare you. He writes with the grace, precision, and swift brutality of a prizefighter.” – Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat and The Pandora Room “Alan Baxter’s thrillers have complete anatomy—muscles, brains, guts, and heart.” – World Fantasy Award-nominated author, Anna Tambour “Alan Baxter delivers a heady mix of magic, monsters and bloody fights to the death. Nobody does kick-ass brutality like Baxter.” – Greig Beck, Internationally bestselling author “Alan Baxter’s fiction is dark, disturbing, hard-hitting and heart-breakingly honest. He reflects on worlds known and unknown with compassion, and demonstrates an almost second-sight into human behaviour.” — Kaaron Warren, Shirley Jackson Award-winner and author of The Grief Hole “…fantastic storytelling in the vein of Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore, but with a merciless black streak…” – Spooktapes “…if Stephen King and Jim Butcher ever had a love child then it would be Alan Baxter.” – Smash Dragons “Alan’s work is reminiscent of that of Clive Barker and Jim C. Hines, but with a unique flavour all of its own.” – Angela Slatter, World Fantasy, British Fantasy and Aurealis Award winner “Baxter draws you along a knife’s edge of tension from the first page to the last, leaving your heart thumping and sweat on your brow.” – Midwest Book Review