seen from Brazil
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Trick or treat!
i never fully figured out how tumblr trick or treat works so sorry if im doing it incorrectly. i looked for google image photos of candy that seemed interesting enough to reply with but couldn't find any. then i got distracted wondering how exactly chocolate is made
so here's the treat, hope you enjoy
View from the Lake. #viewfromthelake #afrostyday #haleyslochside (at Haley’s Lochside) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYKdYV-Pu1L/?utm_medium=tumblr
Michigan state of mind. . . #puremichigan #lakelife #lakehouse #viewfromthelake #michigan #relaxation #watertherapy (at Fremont, Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2pMRrVhv_L8dxQyPoRqbVvKaeXX4nUnzvOxdU0/?igshid=28317yh6hgzv
May ‘18 View from the Lake
In this View . . .
A Few Words Keep in Touch with Us! Ad Space in our Publications Help is Available with NANOWRIMO! New Merchandise Open Anthologies The Alban Lake Publishing catalog The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest Spaceports & Spidersilk eBooks & eStories – special announcement New Releases and Reminders Upcoming Releases
Welcome back, Albanlakers! [If you’re here, you’re an Albanlaker, even if it’s your first time].
We have some exciting things going on in the world of publishing, including our new Cratejoy store! These book boxes make a wonderful gift for yourself or a friend. Every month you’ll have a selection of books and other items delivered right to your door! Check them out here: https://infinite-realms.cratejoy.com/
Next month we will be attending Wizard World in Des Moines, Iowa, June 1-3, and this will be the biggest convention we’ve ever been to. Come visit our booth and help us make it a great one! You can get 10% off your tickets if you order from wizardworld.com and use the code 10LAKES.
Our YouTube videos were pushed back a bit, unfortunately, but never fear! This month, they will begin to pop up more regularly. Be watching for tips and tricks, announcements, and more.
We are going to be expanding the publication of Bloodbond to four times a year beginning January of 2019. This does mean the subscription price will be changing, but you’ll be getting more great stories.
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US!
We’ve greatly expanded our online presence! Check out the sites below for new products, information, and more!
New Bookstore – www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com Cratejoy – https://infinite-realms.cratejoy.com/ Twitter – @albanlake or https://twitter.com/albanlake Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/albanlakepublishing/ and https://www.facebook.com/infiniterealmsbookstore/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9Fs6i4qMLcf_gozhIKzCQ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/albanlakepub/ Email – evilbookworm at yahoo dot com Tumbler – https://albanlakepublishing.tumblr.com/ eBay – https://www.ebay.com/usr/albanlake
AD SPACE:
Advertise with Alban Lake! Reach hundreds of readers each quarter when you advertise in our magazines. There are a number of different spaces and sizes available in six different publications: FrostFire Worlds, Disturbed, Outposts of Beyond, Scifaikuest, Illumen, and Bloodbond. We’ll even set up the ad for you! Take advantage of our special offer: purchase 3 runs, get 1 free! Send us an email at evilbookworm at yahoo dot com for pricing information and to purchase your slot!
HELP WITH NANOWRIMO!
Alban Lake Publishing wants to help you write your novel during NANOWRIMO! Two of our editors will help to guide you through the process of writing your novel. We’ll provide a space to write once a week as a group, individual meetings to go over your stories, and help by email during the NANOWRIMO.
For a one-time entrance fee of $98, each entrant will receive: *A bag of things to get you started, including a gift certificate for time with Terrie Relf, writing coach *Free access to four group meetings, where snacks and beverages will be provided *One individual meeting during October to get a start on things *Up to four individual meetings during NANOWRIMO, held in central Iowa in person, or over the phone, through Skype, any way that you are comfortable with. There will be a group chat over Skype at each group meeting for those who can’t make it in person. *Help over email at any time
In addition, all participants have a chance of their book being considered and, if acceptable, published through Alban Lake Publishing. Everyone who finishes their novel by the end of NANOWRIMO will receive help editing their book.
Sign up is open from April 1st to September 30th. There are only 100 slots available, so sign up today!
You can sign up by sending an email to [email protected] or by purchase through our bookstore at https://www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com/product-page/nanowrimo-with-alban-lake
NEW MERCHANDISE:
We’ve got merch! Check it out here: https://www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com/merchandise
Brand new, sturdy and colorful tote bags, more bookmarks, and a few posters are all for sale! If interest is strong enough, we’re also considering providing coffee mugs with book art on them. Any artists willing to go in on these can email us at evilbookworm at yahoo dot com.
ANTHOLOGIES OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS: The Haunted Life—A Paranormal Anthology
There are numerous television shows about it; ‘Ghost Hunters’, ‘Ghost Adventures’, ‘Most Haunted’, and the like. People go exploring old abandoned buildings, houses, architecture or even places that are still alive and thriving but have terrifying stories attached to them. These are the stories we’re looking for. We want the stories of ghosts and terrifying apparitions that people find – through dedicated purpose or by complete accident – and the experiences that come with.
It can be something as elaborate as someone trying to debunk a haunted house finding demons and releasing them to the world or as simple as someone realizing that the reason things keep happening in their house is because their dead mother is trying to keep an eye on them all these years later. They don’t necessarily have to be frightening or terrifying, and they could even be comical in nature, but they have to have a ghostly, supernatural aspect to them entering the life of someone ordinary.
As always: Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
Cosmic Crime [Anthology]
People have left earth and explored the cosmos. However, they didn’t leave their humanity behind. There’s crime – caused by them on their ships or perhaps by aliens or humans on alien worlds. We are interested in those original stories – mysteries set in space. These can be detective tales, police procedurals, private eye stories, or courtroom dramas. You can make up laws on the alien planets. They don’t have to match any laws on earth. The stories should not be shorter than 3000 words or longer than 10,000 words and be fiction. However, we may consider works longer than 10,000 words. Please limit blood, gore, organs, and fluids. Crime does not mean a slashfest; crime doesn’t even mean it has to be murder. We want thought-provoking material, not vivisection. As always: Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
City in the Ice:
A new Lovecraftian anthology has been opened. It’s called City in the Ice. It’s inspired by work by Edgar Allan Poe, William Clark Russell, and of course H. P. Lovecraft. Think “At the Mountains of Madness” and “The White Ship.” Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
Trail of Tears:
In “Trail of Tears,” we want to examine the nature of the relationships between native inhabitants and the human settlers who come to live on their world. The title, obviously, is taken from the story of the forced resettlement of Native Americans by the U. S. Government. History repeats—and the idea here is that it will also repeat on other worlds, if given the chance.
[And yes, we would regard something like the Holocaust as suitable for Trail of Tears—however, this must occur on some other world. SF/F, right?]
Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
The Anatomy of Hate:
As everyone—writers and readers—is aware, hatred on contemporary Earth is practically a pandemic. Virtually every group and every ideology seems to have found some reason to hate some other group or ideology. There’s no need for a litany here; all one has to do is read the headlines.
Science Fiction and Fantasy are quite capable of presenting stories that deal with hatred. What we are looking for are original SF/F stories of:
hatred of humans by aliens, or
hatred of aliens by humans, or
hatred of humans by other humans, in terms of an emotional and/or psychological and/or ideological [includes religion] rationale, carried to some extreme in the future
Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
Sounds of the Night
The night is full of sounds—barking dogs, trains passing by, screams and moans. We want to know who, or what, is really making those sounds. Perhaps that dog howling is really a demon that’s spotted its prey. Maybe that cry for help is actually bait for a trap. Open your imagination and let the sounds pour out.
We are looking for original stories and poetry only. We will consider horror stories as long as they fit within the paranormal, science fiction, or fantasy genres. NB: NO GORE! We want spooky scary stuff. Verstehen Sie?
Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
The Alban Lake Publishing Catalog:
Yes, you read that right. We now have a catalog of our publications available. It’s free; it’s on a pdf format. It’s updated every three months. It contains a couple of indexes—by title, by author. Each title contains a write-up and a specific ordering link, which works when you click on it in the pdf. We’ve already begun to distribute this via e-mail, as an attachment. If you would like a copy of this catalog, please e-mail us at albanlake at yahoo dot com.
The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest:
The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest is now open. Guidelines have been posted in the Guidelines section on our site.
Spaceports & Spidersilk:
At Alban Lake we assume that those of you who have children would like them to read science fiction and fantasy now and then. The problem—as you might see it—is that there is scarcely any material for readers of ages, say, 6 through 96. And you’re right—such material is rare. But Alban Lake publishes several kid-safe pieces just for younger readers. FrostFire Worlds comes out quarterly. In our store you’ll find coloring books, novellas, novels . . . In addition, Nomadic Delirium Press, another excellent small indie, publishes a quarterly eBook magazine called Spaceports & Spidersilk that also has kid-safe sf/f. Here’s the link: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceports.htm/ Try it out. Each recent issue is $1.00, as are most of the back issues, so order a few downloads. That number once again is: nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceports.htm
eBooks & eStories
As I’m sure many of you know, Amazon is no friend of the small independent press or of self-published folks. Amazon makes sure first that they get what’s coming to them [ooo, one can only hope]. Now, in the Alban Lake store, many of our titles have eBook versions that you can ORDER DIRECTLY FROM US! The prices are much the same as Amazon charges, and sometimes even less. But what this means for those authors who are due royalties is that while they still get the same %, it’s % of more dosh. So come support your favorite authors.
Some of you may already be aware that we’re touting a new product line: single sf/f/h e-stories for 99 cents each. Come buy one. Or more.
NEW RELEASES
FROSTFIRE WORLDS MAY 2018 Featuring the works of Eammonn Murphy and Sondra Lampl, this issue is filled with wonderfully compelling stories.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/frostfire-worlds-may-2018/
FROSTFIRE WORLDS PRESENTS DEBBY FEO In this special edition of Frostfire Worlds we’re proud to present the collected works of Debby Feo, a wonderfully imaginative author. Get to know her through an interview and enjoy the vampires and aliens she’s brought to life.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/frostfire-worlds-presents-debby-feo/
BLOODBOND MAY 2018 The works of J.G. Formato and K.S. Hardy make this one a fantastically dark and intriguing issue.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/bloodbond-may-2018/
BUGS IN THE SYSTEM by Karen Otto Parasitic brain slugs that control sentient species. Hulking space alligators with bad attitudes. Beautiful blue creatures with psionic gifts that make them perfect therapists and lovers. All of this and more lies within an area of space known as the Sarkos Cluster. Their interactions and clandestine machinations, are just a few of the things you will find floating in The Void. Grab a piece of the action for yourself, and come along to find out how a unique crew came together in a time before a great war tore apart their collective worlds.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/bugs-in-the-system/
TIME OFF by John Shoberg Have you ever been so stressed out at work that your boss forces you to take a vacation? Ex-Navy Seal, Edward Tanner was. On a whim he decided to take an Interstellar cruise; see new worlds, experience new thrills, make new friends, and it turned out, connect with old ones. Maybe even learn how to control the debilitating headaches that have been ruining his life. But something from his past was coming back to haunt him, a past he couldn’t remember. A past he would need to recall. Something he’d done that he had to make right, before people from that past killed him. And those headaches; they made him physically unable to fight back, even though the fate of the universe hung in the balance.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/time-off/
POISON PLANET by Jerry Neves Aliens rule Earth. Humans are required to provide a tribute of workers. They’ll take Kiri Malik’s brother unless she volunteers in his place. She’s told she need serve only a year—a lie. Kiri is taken to a compound on another planet. The aliens, Centrarqs, treat their prisoners as slaves. Many die under harsh conditions. None ever leave. Escape is impossible because the atmosphere outside the camp is unbreathable.
But Kiri discovers there is nothing wrong with the atmosphere. She can escape, but to escape means being trapped on this planet with no hope of returning to Earth. She will soon die if she doesn’t leave, giving her little choice. Her escape leads her into the hands of another alien race native to the planet. They have a weapon lethal to the Centrarqs, but won’t risk coming out of hiding to use it.
For Kiri to ever see her family again, she must find a way to wield this weapon and throw off the yoke of Centrarq rule.
https://www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com/product-page/poison-planet-by-jerry-neves
MULCIBER by Shelly Bryant Mulciber is an alternative name for Vulcan, the powerful Roman god who gives and controls fires, including the liquid spirit spurting out of volcanoes and the sparks in the forging of arms and iron. It’s a strikingly apt title for Shelly Bryant’s questing verse, which feels distilled from literary metalwork, smelted from years of care and dare. There’s a molten energy to her wandering lines, sometimes venturing into ancient mythology and other times into terse, ekphrastic responses to Eastern artworks and forms. One smells danger and excitement, as she nears an actual volcano’s heart of darkness, lured by verdant overgrowth, and emerges, changed – both she and the reader. – Yeow Kai Chai March 2018, Singapore
https://www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com/product-page/mulciber-by-shelly-bryant
REMINDERS
AOIFE’S KISS BY TYREE CAMPBELL
In the urban legends it is said that when Aoife kisses you, she takes you to a better place, a better world. Thus the disappearances of children and the elderly are explained. But now the elderly are turning up dead. And Aoife is to blame.
The search for Aoife, be she angel or demon, has reached a dead end. The cold case has been assigned to Inspector Marie Brennan, to work on in her spare time. But when Aoife’s journal turns up, she goes to the one person who might be able to help her find the mysterious woman—an embittered and disabled veteran named Andy, who operates a tavern.
The trail takes them into the world of Kate, an adolescent street girl who rules the alleys like a Romanov . . . and into the world of corporate greed and a sinister and deadly government conspiracy that threatens to murder tens of millions of people.
Only Aoife can stop it. But first, she has to be found.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/aoifes-kiss/
BRIDGES INTO THE IMAGINATION BY M. R. WILLIAMSON
Stories are Bridges, and they take you deep into the realms of the possible and the what-if. The four novellas herein find you in rural lands dealing with the native spirits, and discovering a unique hiding place and purpose for dragons, and some ordinary folks protecting visiting aliens from the Men in Black. Bridges into stories, perhaps, about the likes of you and me.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/bridges-into-the-imagination/
THE GALAXY JUMP BY S. E. SHELLCLIFFE
On their home world of Umvalla, a small group of duckbutts were attempting to complete a Great Scientific Experiment—and instead wound up on Earth. Oops. In Earth measures, they were tiny—just three inches short. They looked like humans with their big brown eyes and sweet faces—except for their upturned duck butts, which were covered with white feathers.
On Earth, ten-year-old Sylvia lives on a farm in Illinois and dreams of seeing a fairy. Instead, she gets seven little duckbutts. She has to feed them and hide them and help them get back to Umvalla. But how? Find out at the link below:
http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-galaxy-jump/
CANDLE AND PINS BY JACQUELINE WEST
Jacqueline West presents superstitions in a fresh new light. Her poetry not only clarifies them, but also makes you want to try some of the countermeasures. Be careful what you wish for.
This collection is a must-read, even if you loathe poetry…and especially if you’re superstitious. Get a copy here:
http://store.albanlake.com/product/candle-and-pins-poems-on-superstition/
ONLY THE LONELY, Tyree Campbell, ed.
Loneliness is both an emotion and a condition. It can last for a few moments, or for a lifetime. Either way, it leads to a theme that we explore in this anthology. All the main characters you will meet in here experience loneliness in one form or another. And do not mistake loneliness for a solitary condition. A person can be lonely in a crowd if he or she is or feels different from the others. Someone can also choose to be alone, for a variety of reasons. And sometimes solitude is thrust upon an individual. How they cope, or fail to cope . . . well, that’s what this anthology is all about. Featuring stories by Teri Santitoro, Christa Carmen, Jay Caselberg, Lisa Timpf, Brianna Fenty, and Tyree Campbell, and delicately seasoned with a few themed poems, this is one anthology you don’t want to miss.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/only-the-lonely/
THE GIRL ON THE DUMP by Tyree Campbell
She’s an amnesiac young woman who looks like a princess, but with a dark side to her. He’s a mage and a former tutor, defrocked because of a relationship with a student. He seeks atonement; she seeks herself. And a murderous black mage is seeking both of them.
Yup, it’s a novella. It’ll take an evening or two to read it. It’ll stay with you for a lifetime.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-girl-on-the-dump/
PYRA AND THE TEKTITES: THE UNICORN STONE by Tyree Campbell
Pyra is back! And in trouble as always. She continues to elude the pirates, but can she and her new friend, Chlorine Collingsworth, avoid being recaptured by Ichthia and sold to the highest bidder? Can Flanagan negotiate his way to freedom by delivering a Unicorn Stone to the Tektites? And what of the morrikaru, the creatures that live in the ocean under the surface of Europa?
Pyra acquires skills she could never learn in school—such as piloting a shuttle in space, and how to identify minerals. But these skills also get her into more trouble, such as when she accidentally steals the shuttle. Oops.
This one is for readers ages 8 to 88.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/pyra-and-the-tektites-the-unicorn-stone/
UPCOMING RELEASES:
And we expect to be adding more each month.
The Clockwork Queen by Michael D. Burnside. Sam Noel’s world has become stagnant and polluted. When he becomes frustrated with the lack of innovation, Sam turns away from school and stumbles upon a wonder from a time gone by that just might save the failing world. September 2018
Come Dream with Me by Sandy DeLuca. A collection of the artist’s work, including side notes about each piece. Looking at June 2018.
The Brigstowe Dragons 2: Return of the Black Magician, by Eamonn Murphy. Hey, it’s dragons. What’s not to like? May 2018.
The Comfort of Screams by G. O. Clark. Poetry from a master of the unusual, the perspective not taken. May 2018.
Window to the Monster’s Eyes by Tyson E. Lewis. We find our heroine, Leda, transformed—her body the body of a gorgon’s—and imprisoned in a mysterious, underground chamber where she is forced to turn unsuspecting victims into stone in order to appease her captors and feed her own unspeakable desires. Will she be able to harness the powers of Medusa to launch an escape? Will she discover the secrets behind her transformation? May 2018
OUR MAGAZINES:
At the present time we publish six print magazines. Five are quarterlies, three of which publish short stories, poems, articles, and art. Outposts of Beyond features science fiction and fantasy. FrostFire Worlds presents science fiction and fantasy for younger readers. Disturbed, or Disturbed Digest, caters to the darker side with dark fantasy and horror, as well as paranormal. Scifaikuest, also quarterly, publishes scifaiku [haiku with a science fiction or fantasy, sometimes horror or humor, twist] and other minimalist poetry forms. Bloodbond is a magazine of stories, poems, art, and articles about vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters; a science fiction twist to the material is preferred, but not mandatory. Illumen is a quarterly digest of science fiction and fantasy poetry, including articles and art.
A word here about horror and dark fiction in general. We’re not into gore, splatter, gouts, gushes, fountains, and so forth. It’s not really scary, just icky. Our horror is spooky. We’d rather rattle your nerves than make you retch. That’s about enough said on that topic.
We’re looking forward to reading your work!
Karen Otto Managing Editor
April View from the Lake
Welcome back, Albanlakers! [If you’re here, you’re an Albanlaker, even if it’s your first time].
As mentioned in March, our new Managing Editor, Karen Otto, has expanded our presence in the e-world and social media. On Twitter, you’ll find some daily suggestions of reading material and relevant announcements. If you haven’t already, please follow us at @albanlake and at @albanlakepub. If you have, pass these on to your friends, Romans, and countryfolk.
Beginning in this month, Alban Lake will feature book introductions and writing tips on YouTube. Each week, we’ll present one or two of our publications and tell you a little more about them than you might find in the write-ups. At present, we’re tentatively scheduling something called Tips Tuesday. Each week on Tuesday we’ll have a brief talk about some aspect of writing and storytelling. The idea is to help you produce publishable work, whether you are at the beginning or well into your careers. We’ll have further announcements regarding our use of YouTube in the April View. However, already there are a couple of panels in YouTube. Just go into YT and search for Alban Lake Publishing; you’ll find them.
As before, the plan is that some of our regularly scheduled publications—Outposts of Beyond, Disturbed, and Bloodbond, among them—will begin to feature articles by the Sage of Norwalk, Kendall Evans. He’ll have much to say about Escapism—which is what we publish—and other topics of relevance to literature—which is what we publish. Watch for him.
AD SPACE:
Advertise with Alban Lake! Reach hundreds of readers each quarter when you advertise in our magazines. There are a number of different spaces and sizes available in six different publications: FrostFire Worlds, Disturbed, Outposts of Beyond, Scifaikuest, Illumen, and Bloodbond. We’ll even set up the ad for you! Take advantage of our special offer: purchase 3 runs, get 1 free! Send us an email at [email protected] for pricing information.
HELP WITH NANOWRIMO!
Alban Lake Publishing wants to help you write your novel during NANOWRIMO! Two of our editors will help to guide you through the process of writing your novel. We’ll provide a space to write once a week as a group, individual meetings to go over your stories, and help by email during the NANOWRIMO.
For a one-time entrance fee of $98, each entrant will receive: A bag of things to get you started, including a gift certificate for time with Terrie Relf, writing coach Free access to four group meetings, where snacks and beverages will be provided One individual meeting during October to get a start on things Up to four individual meetings during NANOWRIMO, held in central Iowa in person, or over the phone, through Skype, any way that you are comfortable with. There will be a group chat over Skype at each group meeting for those who can’t make it in person. Help over email at any time
In addition, all participants have a chance of their book being considered and, if acceptable, published through Alban Lake Publishing. Everyone who finishes their novel by the end of NANOWRIMO will receive help editing their book.
Sign up is open from April 1st to September 30th. There are only 100 slots available, so sign up today!
You can sign up by sending an email to [email protected] or by purchase through our bookstore at https://www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com/product-page/nanowrimo-with-alban-lake
BOOKMARKS:
We’ll receive our first batch of Alban Lake Publishing bookmarks in mid-March. As of 1 April, if you order a print book from any of our stores, the book will include one of these bookmarks free. We also plan to use them as promotional items in our mystery boxes as well as at conventions and book fests.
As noted above, we’ve expanded our presence. Here are some places you’ll find us.
Twitter – @albanlake or https://twitter.com/albanlake Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kbottowriters/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9Fs6i4qMLcf_gozhIKzCQ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/approachinginfinityproductions/ Email – evilbookworm at yahoo dot com Tumbler – https://albanlakepublishing.tumblr.com/ eBay – https://www.ebay.com/usr/albanlake
NEW MAGAZINE!
In the coming months we’ll open to submissions for a new magazine. At this time, we’re still working on the themes and guidelines. Right now all we can tell you is that it will deal with, among other themes, alienation, with emphasis on science fiction and fantasy. We expect some moody piece, but probably are not going to want dark material. Watch for future announcements.
NEW ANTHOLOGIES OPEN TO SUBMISSIONS: The Haunted Life—A Paranormal Anthology
There are numerous television shows about it; ‘Ghost Hunters’, ‘Ghost Adventures’, ‘Most Haunted’, and the like. People go exploring old abandoned buildings, houses, architecture or even places that are still alive and thriving but have terrifying stories attached to them. These are the stories we’re looking for. We want the stories of ghosts and terrifying apparitions that people find – through dedicated purpose or by complete accident – and the experiences that come with.
It can be something as elaborate as someone trying to debunk a haunted house finding demons and releasing them to the world or as simple as someone realizing that the reason things keep happening in their house is because their dead mother is trying to keep an eye on them all these years later. They don’t necessarily have to be frightening or terrifying, and they could even be comical in nature, but they have to have a ghostly, supernatural aspect to them entering the life of someone ordinary.
As always: Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
Cosmic Crime [Anthology]
People have left earth and explored the cosmos. However, they didn’t leave their humanity behind. There’s crime – caused by them on their ships or perhaps by aliens or humans on alien worlds. We are interested in those original stories – mysteries set in space. These can be detective tales, police procedurals, private eye stories, or courtroom dramas. You can make up laws on the alien planets. They don’t have to match any laws on earth. The stories should not be shorter than 3000 words or longer than 10,000 words and be fiction. However, we may consider works longer than 10,000 words. Please limit blood, gore, organs, and fluids. Crime does not mean a slashfest; crime doesn’t even mean it has to be murder. We want thought-provoking material, not vivisection. As always: Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
City in the Ice:
A new Lovecraftian anthology has been opened. It’s called City in the Ice. It’s inspired by work by Edgar Allan Poe, William Clark Russell, and of course H. P. Lovecraft. Think “At the Mountains of Madness” and “The White Ship.” Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
Trail of Tears:
In “Trail of Tears,” we want to examine the nature of the relationships between native inhabitants and the human settlers who come to live on their world. The title, obviously, is taken from the story of the forced resettlement of Native Americans by the U. S. Government. History repeats—and the idea here is that it will also repeat on other worlds, if given the chance.
[And yes, we would regard something like the Holocaust as suitable for Trail of Tears—however, this must occur on some other world. SF/F, right?]
Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
The Anatomy of Hate:
As everyone—writers and readers—is aware, hatred on contemporary Earth is practically a pandemic. Virtually every group and every ideology seems to have found some reason to hate some other group or ideology. There’s no need for a litany here; all one has to do is read the headlines.
Science Fiction and Fantasy are quite capable of presenting stories that deal with hatred. What we are looking for are original SF/F stories of:
hatred of humans by aliens, or
hatred of aliens by humans, or
hatred of humans by other humans, in terms of an emotional and/or psychological and/or ideological [includes religion] rationale, carried to some extreme in the future
Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
Sounds of the Night
The night is full of sounds—barking dogs, trains passing by, screams and moans. We want to know who, or what, is really making those sounds. Perhaps that dog howling is really a demon that’s spotted its prey. Maybe that cry for help is actually bait for a trap. Open your imagination and let the sounds pour out.
We are looking for original stories and poetry only. We will consider horror stories as long as they fit within the paranormal, science fiction, or fantasy genres. NB: NO GORE! We want spooky scary stuff. Verstehen Sie?
Please do read and heed the guidelines! They are posted on our site, in the Guidelines option.
The Alban Lake Publishing Catalog:
Yes, you read that right. We now have a catalog of our publications available. It’s free; it’s on a pdf format. It’s updated every three months. It contains a couple of indexes—by title, by author. Each title contains a write-up and a specific ordering link, which works when you click on it in the pdf. We’ve already begun to distribute this via e-mail, as an attachment. If you would like a copy of this catalog, please e-mail us at albanlake at yahoo dot com.
The 10th Great Lake Drabble Contest:
The Winners of the 10th Great Lake Drabble Contest are:
First Place: Brian Rosenberg for “Kink” Second Place: Melissa Mead for “In the Soup” Honorable Mention: Marcia Borell for “Fired” Honorable Mention: Christina Sng for “Out of This World”
Congratulations to them and to all those who participated in this contest!
Drabble Harvest #10 will be released around the end of April 2018.
The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest:
The 11th Great Lake Drabble Contest is now open. Guidelines have been posted in the Guidelines section on our site.
Spaceports & Spidersilk:
At Alban Lake we assume that those of you who have children would like them to read science fiction and fantasy now and then. The problem—as you might see it—is that there is scarcely any material for readers of ages, say, 6 through 96. And you’re right—such material is rare. But Alban Lake publishes several kid-safe pieces just for younger readers. FrostFire Worlds comes out quarterly. In our store you’ll find coloring books, novellas, novels . . . In addition, Nomadic Delirium Press, another excellent small indie, publishes a quarterly eBook magazine called Spaceports & Spidersilk that also has kid-safe sf/f. Here’s the link: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceports.htm/ Try it out. Each recent issue is $1.00, as are most of the back issues, so order a few downloads. That number once again is: nomadicdeliriumpress.com/spaceports.htm
eBooks & eStories
As I’m sure many of you know, Amazon is no friend of the small independent press or of self-published folks. Amazon makes sure first that they get what’s coming to them [ooo, one can only hope]. Now, in the Alban Lake store, many of our titles have eBook versions that you can ORDER DIRECTLY FROM US! The prices are much the same as Amazon charges, and sometimes even less. But what this means for those authors who are due royalties is that while they still get the same %, it’s % of more dosh. So come support your favorite authors.
Some of you may already be aware that we’re touting a new product line: single sf/f/h e-stories for 99 cents each. Come buy one. Or more.
NEW RELEASES
OUTPOSTS OF BEYOND #20, APRIL 2018 This issue, completing our fifth year, finds stories by Mike Morgan [“Kuro no Ken”]; Regina Clark [“Sweet Bells Jangled”], and Beth Powers [“A Prophecy and the People”]. Also featured is an interview with the aforementioned Morgan, who shares his thoughts, tribulations, and successes.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/outposts-of-beyond-april-2018/
ILLUMEN #31, SPRING 2018 Another fine digest chock full of some of the finest sf/f poetry this side of Betelgeuse. Featured are The Marge Simon Page and The Yuan Changming Page, plus Bruce Boston, Deborah Guzzi, Cassandra Rose Clarke, and many more! You’re not afwaid of a widdle poetwy, are you?
http://store.albanlake.com/product/illumen-31/
SISTERHOOD OF THE BLOOD MOON by Terrie Leigh Relf It’s her tour de force. For thousands of Earth years, the Transgalactic Consortium has had a quiet interest in this planet and its inhabitants, the Haurans. While the Sisterhood of the Blood Moon works together with the Consortium and Haurans to maintain balance in the universe, the Blood Moon is fast approaching. The power of this moon reveals untold secrets . . . including a sacred covenant with the Mora Spiders. There is an ancient pact that needs to be honored—but at what cost and for whose purpose? The world may come to an end. But will there be a chance for a new beginning?
http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-sisterhood-of-the-blood-moon/
THE MOTH AND THE FLAME – A YOELIN THIBBONY RESCUE by Tyree Campbell Yoelin’s periphery is under attack, and she has to close down her chosen purpose in life—performing Rescues, of children, people, and things. Her investigation takes her into the sordid world of betrayal. Too many people want her dead—including her former boss in Corporatia Security; a crime boss who wants to force her favors in exchange for an old debt; and the head of one of the most powerful corporations in Corporatia. Her only allies are a former lover with his own agenda; a concourse deli operator; and a woman who has sworn to kill her, whatever the cost.
As Yoelin strives to rescue herself, she stumbles upon a dark family secret: she may not be who she thought she was. But can she ever discover who she really is?
http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-moth-and-the-flame-a-yoelin-thibbony-rescue/
REMINDERS
AOIFE’S KISS BY TYREE CAMPBELL
In the urban legends it is said that when Aoife kisses you, she takes you to a better place, a better world. Thus the disappearances of children and the elderly are explained. But now the elderly are turning up dead. And Aoife is to blame.
The search for Aoife, be she angel or demon, has reached a dead end. The cold case has been assigned to Inspector Marie Brennan, to work on in her spare time. But when Aoife’s journal turns up, she goes to the one person who might be able to help her find the mysterious woman—an embittered and disabled veteran named Andy, who operates a tavern.
The trail takes them into the world of Kate, an adolescent street girl who rules the alleys like a Romanov . . . and into the world of corporate greed and a sinister and deadly government conspiracy that threatens to murder tens of millions of people.
Only Aoife can stop it. But first, she has to be found.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/aoifes-kiss/
BRIDGES INTO THE IMAGINATION BY M. R. WILLIAMSON
Stories are Bridges, and they take you deep into the realms of the possible and the what-if. The four novellas herein find you in rural lands dealing with the native spirits, and discovering a unique hiding place and purpose for dragons, and some ordinary folks protecting visiting aliens from the Men in Black. Bridges into stories, perhaps, about the likes of you and me.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/bridges-into-the-imagination/
THE GALAXY JUMP BY S. E. SHELLCLIFFE
On their home world of Umvalla, a small group of duckbutts were attempting to complete a Great Scientific Experiment—and instead wound up on Earth. Oops. In Earth measures, they were tiny—just three inches short. They looked like humans with their big brown eyes and sweet faces—except for their upturned duck butts, which were covered with white feathers.
On Earth, ten-year-old Sylvia lives on a farm in Illinois and dreams of seeing a fairy. Instead, she gets seven little duckbutts. She has to feed them and hide them and help them get back to Umvalla. But how? Find out at the link below:
http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-galaxy-jump/
CANDLE AND PINS BY JACQUELINE WEST
Jacqueline West presents superstitions in a fresh new light. Her poetry not only clarifies them, but also makes you want to try some of the countermeasures. Be careful what you wish for.
This collection is a must-read, even if you loathe poetry…and especially if you’re superstitious. Get a copy here:
http://store.albanlake.com/product/candle-and-pins-poems-on-superstition/
ONLY THE LONELY, Tyree Campbell, ed.
Loneliness is both an emotion and a condition. It can last for a few moments, or for a lifetime. Either way, it leads to a theme that we explore in this anthology. All the main characters you will meet in here experience loneliness in one form or another. And do not mistake loneliness for a solitary condition. A person can be lonely in a crowd if he or she is or feels different from the others. Someone can also choose to be alone, for a variety of reasons. And sometimes solitude is thrust upon an individual. How they cope, or fail to cope . . . well, that’s what this anthology is all about. Featuring stories by Teri Santitoro, Christa Carmen, Jay Caselberg, Lisa Timpf, Brianna Fenty, and Tyree Campbell, and delicately seasoned with a few themed poems, this is one anthology you don’t want to miss.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/only-the-lonely/
THE GIRL ON THE DUMP by Tyree Campbell
She’s an amnesiac young woman who looks like a princess, but with a dark side to her. He’s a mage and a former tutor, defrocked because of a relationship with a student. He seeks atonement; she seeks herself. And a murderous black mage is seeking both of them.
Yup, it’s a novella. It’ll take an evening or two to read it. It’ll stay with you for a lifetime.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/the-girl-on-the-dump/
PYRA AND THE TEKTITES: THE UNICORN STONE by Tyree Campbell
Pyra is back! And in trouble as always. She continues to elude the pirates, but can she and her new friend, Chlorine Collingsworth, avoid being recaptured by Ichthia and sold to the highest bidder? Can Flanagan negotiate his way to freedom by delivering a Unicorn Stone to the Tektites? And what of the morrikaru, the creatures that live in the ocean under the surface of Europa?
Pyra acquires skills she could never learn in school—such as piloting a shuttle in space, and how to identify minerals. But these skills also get her into more trouble, such as when she accidentally steals the shuttle. Oops.
This one is for readers ages 8 to 88.
http://store.albanlake.com/product/pyra-and-the-tektites-the-unicorn-stone/
UPCOMING RELEASES:
And we expect to be adding more each month.
Bugs in the System by Karen Otto. Just what the title says. This innovative space opera tale takes you hither and yon in search of pesticide. May 2018
The Clockwork Queen by Michael D. Burnside. Sam Noel’s world has become stagnant and polluted. When he becomes frustrated with the lack of innovation, Sam turns away from school and stumbles upon a wonder from a time gone by that just might save the failing world. September 2018
Time Off by John Shoberg. A science fiction novel with all the good stuff: conspiracy, crime, bad guys, a plot [always a critical item], and a quality of writing that takes you right into each scene. Looking at May 2018.
Come Dream with Me by Sandy DeLuca. A collection of the artist’s work, including side notes about each piece. Looking at June 2018.
The Brigstowe Dragons 2: Return of the Black Magician, by Eamonn Murphy. Hey, it’s dragons. What’s not to like? May 2018.
The Comfort of Screams by G. O. Clark. Poetry from a master of the unusual, the perspective not taken. May 2018.
Mulciber by Shelly Bryant. The latest in her series of poetry collections. May 2018.
Poison Planet by Jerry Neves. Settlement on other worlds comes at a price. In the Dark Ages on Earth, it was called “corvee.” In space, it’s called unprintable. As you’ll learn in Neves’ new novel. May 2018.
Window to the Monster’s Eyes by Tyson E. Lewis. We find our heroine, Leda, transformed—her body the body of a gorgon’s—and imprisoned in a mysterious, underground chamber where she is forced to turn unsuspecting victims into stone in order to appease her captors and feed her own unspeakable desires. Will she be able to harness the powers of Medusa to launch an escape? Will she discover the secrets behind her transformation? May 2018
OUR MAGAZINES:
At the present time we publish six print magazines. Five are quarterlies, three of which publish short stories, poems, articles, and art. Outposts of Beyond features science fiction and fantasy. FrostFire Worlds presents science fiction and fantasy for younger readers. Disturbed, or Disturbed Digest, caters to the darker side with dark fantasy and horror, as well as paranormal. Scifaikuest, also quarterly, publishes scifaiku [haiku with a science fiction or fantasy, sometimes horror or humor, twist] and other minimalist poetry forms. Bloodbond is a semi-annual magazine of stories, poems, art, and articles about vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters; a science fiction twist to the material is preferred, but not mandatory. Illumen is a quarterly digest of science fiction and fantasy poetry, including articles and art.
A word here about horror and dark fiction in general. We’re not into gore, splatter, gouts, gushes, fountains, and so forth. It’s not really scary, just icky. Our horror is spooky. We’d rather rattle your nerves than make you retch. That’s about enough said on that topic.
So, let’s see some submissions and some subscriptions!
And please be sure to stop back in May, if not sooner.
Tyree Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Yesterday's kayaking Adventure on Fern Lake. Water was considerably higher than usual, kind of nasty from runoff, but the water lilies were pretty. #kayaking #kayak #viewfromthelake #foliage #lilies
