เข้าสู่ระบบCONNECT WITH CRYSTAL LAKE PUBLISHINGWebsite(be sure to sign up for our newsletter)FacebookTwitterWith unmatched success since 2012, Crystal Lake Publishing has quickly become one of the world’s leading indie publishers of Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense books with a Dark Fiction edge.Crystal Lake Publishing puts integrity, honor, and respect at the forefront of our operations.We strive for each book and outreach program that’s launched to not only entertain and touch or comment on issues that affect our readers, but also to strengthen and support the Dark Fiction field and its authors.Not only do we publish authors who are destined to be legends in the field (and as hardworking as us), but we also look for men and women who care about their readers and fellow human beings. We only publish the very best Dark Fiction and look forward to launching many new careers.We strive to know each and every one of our readers, while building personal relationships with our authors,
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BIOGRAPHYMercedes M. Yardley is a dark fantasist who wears stilettos, red lipstick, and poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of the short story collection Beautiful Sorrows, the novellas Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love and Little Dead Red, and the novels Nameless: The Darkness Comes and Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy. She often speaks at conferences and teaches workshops on several subjects, including personal branding and how to write a novel in stolen moments. Mercedes lives and works in Sin City with her family and menagerie of Strange and Unusual Pets. You can reach her at www.abrokenlaptop.com.
THE END?Not if you dive into Mercedes’ other books:Nameless: The Darkness Comes—Luna Masterson sees demons. She has been dealing with the demonic all her life, so when her brother gets tangled up with a demon named Sparkles, ‘Luna the Lunatic’ rolls in on her motorcycle to save the day. Armed with the ability to harm demons, her scathing sarcasm, and a hefty chip on her shoulder, Luna gathers the most unusual of allies, teaming up with a green-eyed heroin addict and a snarky demon ‘of some import.’ After all, outcasts of a feather should stick together . . . even until the end.Little Dead Red—The Wolf is roaming the city, and he must be stopped. In this modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf takes to the city streets to capture his prey, but the hunter is close behind him. With Grim Marie on the prowl, the hunter becomes the hunted.Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy—Bryony Adams is destined to be murdered, but fortunately Fate has terrible
CHAPTER TWENTYBaby,” Lu said, and knelt beside her. Montessa’s father’s blood ran over his sneakers, but he didn’t care. “We have to go, baby. We can’t stay here.”“I thought he was such an animal.” She pulled her knees up to her chest. Wrapped her arms around them and put her head down, the gun still in her hand.“He was a monster. You did the right thing.”“He hurt me, Lu,” she cried, and rocked herself. Lu wrapped his arms around her, careful of the gun, careful of her wounded heart, careful of the pain and venom spilling from her eyes.“It’s over. You did it. You won. We won.”Years and years of misery. Of being tough. Of broken bones and dancing on swollen feet in front of men who looked at her like her father had always looked at her. And it was over. Over, with the tiniest of movements. Two short pulls on the trigger. A spasm in her pointer finger. That was it.“Come on, baby.” Lu pulled her to her feet. Ran his fingers through her hair and told her she was beautiful, th
CHAPTER NINETEENLu had a present to give his new bride. Something special and wonderful and deeply, deeply horrifying.“Wake up, darling.”She murmured and snuggled closer into his side. She had branches and weeds tangled into her hair like wedding flowers.“Montessa. Wake up. Today is a new day.”She yawned and stretched and sat up. Looked around with eyes still bleary from sleep. “Lu? Where . . . ah, I remember. We slept outside last night.”They had. Several yards back from the beach, across a small freeway, up in the tree line with a few scattered rental houses here and there.“Did you sleep sweet?” he asked.She popped her back, winced. “I slept sweet. How’s your shoulder?”“Stiff, but not bad. The salt water hurt like a dickens last night, but I think it helped.” He grinned, kissed the makeshift wedding band on her finger. “It really does heal everything.”Montessa stood up, and helped Lu to his feet. Brushed her hair out with her fingers and made a face.“I’m a mess,
CHAPTER ELEVENShe spent the night in Lu’s bed, because she didn’t want to be alone. It was a new thing to feel lips without fists and her hair pulled without hatred.“Renan is going to come for me, you know,” she told him. She traced his ribs, found a couple that stuck out farther than they should ha
CHAPTER SIXWanna take a walk?” Lu asked. He was tired of driving. His back ached, and his legs were cramped, and his head was full of cotton or bees or bloodlust. Sometimes it was difficult to tell which. Montessa hesitated. Lu tossed her a look. “What? I thought you’d be all over getting out and st
CHAPTER FIVEThis guy?” Lu said.“Renan.”“Yeah. Him. Why are you guys together, anyway? He’s obviously a complete tool.”Montessa stayed silent. This was where she was supposed to defend Renan. Tell her kidnapper she was in love, that he didn’t know her boyfriend, that he couldn’t make judgments on the
CHAPTER FOURIt seemed a shame to be so close to the sea and not to dabble in it just a little. There was nowhere Lu liked better. Sometimes he thought he’d been born of the sea, a Boy of Sorrows, and one day he’d simply walk back into the waves and disappear.“Fitting,” she said.“Why is that?”







