If you know me at all, you know that I love fall and I love Halloween.

My friend Jessi and I got to talking and we are excited to announce our news! We are teaming up to bring you a new  paid anthology in the fall of 2017 and we’re looking for submissions!

ANNOUNCING Red Leaf Hollow

bring us the weird, the wicked, and the strange in the town of red leaf hollow!

It’s fall in the small New England town known as Red Leaf Hollow. It’s not on any map but it’s been around as long as the sun and the moon. The first snow is coming, but for now, the town is getting ready for All Hallow’s Eve and preparing for the harvest festival – a huge celebration before winter’s grip. Red Leaf Hollow is known for its strange happenings, its odd occupants, and the things that slither and haunt and howl in the night.

The sleepy town of Red Leaf Hollow is divided into two sides by the large and bustling (and sometimes blood red) Crescent Moon Creek.

Crescent Moon Creek, named after the river that separates it from the other half, is the only place where one may view the moon clearly through the thick trees and forest. It holds the town Commons where the harvest festival occurs, large Victorian houses, and tiny witch shacks that line the cobblestone streets.

Shadow Crest is on the other side of the river, where trees and plants always die, along with its residents. It is also home to the Hollow’s cemetery, Morningside, where inhabitants know better than to linger, especially after dusk. Shadow Crest is also home to Harvest Hill, a dead lump of land that once held the lumber to build the Founders’ homes…and coffins.

Red Leaf Hollow is home to the annual Werewolves convention, where people who have died return from the grave, and where many of the Salem witches fled to escape persecution. This is where witches drive black cats in the sidecar of their motorcycles and zombies are usually holding another 5K Moanfest. You’re the odd one out if you DON’T have a ghost in your house. Pumpkins line the streets and the houses and even some of the inhabitants’ heads.

Bring us your creepy, ghostly, and ghoul-y from the past or present. Bring us the things only you can see. Show us things that hide just below the surface of reality or under the stairs. Bring us colorful leaves swirling at your feet and brisk autumn days and nights under bright glowing stars and dark looming trees. We want creepy graveyards, legends, secret gardens, severed heads, monsters, dancing skeletons, burial grounds, secrets, witches, magic, curses, hauntings, macabre romances, and unexplainable events.

Here’s a picture that inspired me. It is not mine and I’m not sure who took it but isn’t it gorgeous?!

I am so so excited!

WELCOME TO RED LEAF HOLLOW.

RULES

1. Anyone is welcome to submit a story. All people, all countries, all ages, etc.

2. All genres welcome! This is open to adult stories, new adult stories, young adult, and middle grade stories in ALL genres and in any time period. After all, a town is made up of many different ages and people and has a rich history. We love diversity!

3. This will be an ebook release with the potential to be a physical book depending on the performance of the ebook. It will be published by Hocus Pocus & Co., Jolene’s small press.

4. Word count of your story should fall between 1,000 to 4,000 words (as a guideline). A little under or over is okay.

5. Submitting a story or a drawing does not guarantee you will be selected. There will only be 10-12 stories selected.

7. THIS IS A PAID ANTHOLOGY. If selected, you will receive $5 US dollars via Paypal. Stories should be new (previously unpublished elsewhere).

8. This is to be released October 3rd, 2017.

9. All edits will be done through Google docs.

10. You have all harvest to write! Deadline for submissions is December 4^th, 2016.

HOW TO SUBMIT

1. Write your story following the guidelines above, using the shared locations Red Leaf Hollow and its creeptastic surroundings. Make sure the vibe and mood of your story fits.

2. Email it to redleafhollow at gmail dot com. Your subject should be: Red Leaf Hollow Submission. Please include your name, a little bit about you, your Twitter handle (if any), and any pertinent information.

3. Jessi and Jolene will review all submissions and get back to you. Please note that if your story is not accepted, it’s no reflection of you or your writing style.

A LITTLE ABOUT US

About Jolene

She loves pizza, YA, and all things weird and strange.

Jolene is the author of YA horror novel Harrowed (The Woodsview Murders #1) and Orchard Pointe. She has edited horror anthologies such as The Dark Carnival (which has been an Amazon best-seller) and Halloween Night: Trick or Treat.

She’s worked for several publishing houses and now runs her own quirky small press Hocus Pocus & Co. Say hello on Twitter – @JoleneHaley.

About Jessi

Jessi is a vet tech student, Halloween fanatic, and author living in Vermont.

She has a YA horror short story published on YARN, the upcoming A Pizza My Heart anthology, and co-edited the Dark Carnival Anthology.

You can find her on Twitter – @listentomuses.

What questions do you have? Will you be writing something? I’d love to know in the comments below!

We are so excited for our vision and we can’t wait to read what you amazing authors write!

EDITED

Q & A

My lovely friend Victoria on Twitter asked this great question. “Any insight into tone? Halloweentown vs. Nightmare Before Christmas vs. Camp Crystal Lake?”

My answer: Though this is a town with many different perspectives and happenings, I personally see this as a more Nightmare Before Christmas vibe with touches of Halloweentown and Camp Crystal Lake. Vibe and feel is creepy, unexplained, haunting, with a bit of whimsy.

If I receive any more good questions that I feel might benefit all of you I’ll add them in here.

Much love and writing,