Showcase: Timber Ghost Press
Small press for all things creepy, weird, and disturbing!
Dear Reader,
Something I like to do is connect readers and writers with publishing companies putting out awesome stuff. Showcases are a chance for me to highlight an indie creator or company. This week, I’ll be covering a company called Timber Ghost Press.
Full disclosure: I know the owner of Timber Ghost Press (hereafter referred to as TGP), and I do have a story releasing in one of their books this year. As general rule, I don’t recommend something unless I like it, want to support it, or find it helpful to subscribers. Keep in mind that this might be a little biased, but TGP is a great company and I wouldn’t have submitted a story to them if I didn’t think so.
I’ve been closely following the growth of TGP over the last 2 years and I can confidently say that it’s establishing itself as a premier indie press in the world of horror, one with a growing list of talented authors offering a variety of spooky tales.
What is Timber Ghost Press?
It’s a small press located in Utah, founded by C.R. Langille in 2021. C.R. Langille, also known as Cody, is an avid hunter of wildlife here in the mountains of Utah. I did some searching and the name “timber ghost” refers to elk due to their elusive nature and ability to blend into the forest. They move quietly through the trees and brush, making them seem like apparitions or ghosts.
Timber Ghost is such as great name for a horror publisher in Utah. I’ve always been a fan of the horror genre, which can sometimes be stereotyped as hack-n-slash, gore-fests. However, horror is designed to provoke an emotional response in the reader, usually by creating a sense of fear or unease. But it often features strong and well-developed characters, and the best works explore complex themes and issues relevant to contemporary society.
Therefore, when I pick up a TGP book, I expect it to be intensely unsettling, or, at least, display well-rounded characters placed in dire situations. I know Cody triages a lot of the submissions that come in (and there are a lot of submissions), so the published works are quality. Here is the mission and vision statement as plucked from the TGP website:
Mission Statement: Publish quality weird and creepy novels, novellas, and anthologies while taking care of our authors.
Vision Statement: Become the premier indie publisher of weird and creepy novels, novellas, and anthologies and be a respected name in the horror community.
Discovery
Since I don’t know when I’ll get to tell this, I’ll provide some backstory. Let me pre-date the founding of TGP by a few years. Back in 2017, I was getting out of active duty Air Force and applied to join the Utah Air National Guard. Cody called me for an interview, as the acting Chief Master Sergeant at the time, and I distinctly remember how the conversation veered off into the realm of fiction and writing. I’d like to think that got me the job, but I could very well be overstating the circumstances of the situation.
After getting to Utah, I felt a little more at home knowing there were other fiction writers in the guard to connect with. We would meet up on the weekends and share chapters of our current works-in-progress. I have fond memories of those times. It was also super beneficial for me since several of them, Cody included, had Master’s degrees in Creative Writing. The group unofficially disbanded during COVID. Then Cody retired, and I had found a job elsewhere.
Fast-forward to 2021. I started my Substack and eventually my own publishing company, only to realize that Cody had founded Timber Ghost Press earlier that year. In 2022, we met for lunch and caught up, and they helped me with some very basic questions regarding the publishing industry, specifically on the indie side of things. Now we see each other at conventions and other local events since I like to volunteer to help out with the vender booths.
One of my favorite things that Timber Ghost Press does is host book launches at a local bookstore called The Legendarium. It’s such a cool experience to be able to attend those events, if only to meet all of the other local writers involved with TGP here in Utah.
C.R. Langille, the Founder
C.R. Langille is a seasoned writer with over 20 published works to their name. They write horror, dark urban fantasy, and other weird tales. They are a retired, disabled veteran, an affiliate member of the Horror Writer's Association, a member of the League of Utah Writers, and received their MFA: Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University.
Cody and I both like H.P. Lovecraft’s works and Cosmic Horror, and I’ve gotten that distinct vibe from a lot of Cody’s stories. If you like action, mystery, suspense, and things that go bump in the night, you’ll definitely enjoy stories by C.R. Langille. Here is a convenient list I found on their author site, crlangille.com:
There Was a Knock at the Door" was published on the Fearknocks website.
"The Scratch" is in Dark Moon Presents GHOSTS! anthology.
"Damned" can be found in Zombie Jesus and Other True Stories.
"Horishi Tom" was published by Fictionvale.
"The Demons We Bring" is in Old Scratch and Owl Hoots: A Collection of Utah Horror.
"The Horror of Sunshine Meadows" was featured on Books of the Dead Press.
"Skalden Ord" was featured on the Word Wood blog.
"All Aboard" was published by Sirens Call Publications in the anthology, Horror: Odd and Bizarre
Horishi Tom self published as a short story on Amazon
All Aboard self published as a short story on Amazon
Terrence and the Magical Sword of Courage self published via Ingram Spark
"The Spot" was published by Wildside Press in the anthology, Weirdbook #35
"The Deep Well" was published by Broadswords and Blasters in the anthology, Broadswords and Blasters Issue 2
"Brine and Blood" self published as a short story on Amazon
"The Spot" self published as a short story on Amazon
Tales from the Storm: A Collection of Horror self published as on Amazon
"Kathy Loves Kittens" published as an audio podcast by Tales to Terrify
"The Devouring Maw" published by Twisted Tree in The Hunger
"The Temptation of the Moon to Shadow" published in the HWA Poetry Showcase Vol 5
"The Dark Place" published by 42 Books in Peaks of Madness
Tales from the Storm Volume 2: A Collection of Horror self published on Amazon
"Home" published by 42 Books in Strange Stories: Volume 1
"Dead Man's Hand" published by War Monkey in From the Yonder
"The Deep Timber" published by 42 Books in They Walk Among Us
"Momento Mori" published by Fear Knocks Press in Wasatch Witches
"Rocky Mountain Hocus" published by 34 Orchard in Issue 4 of their literary journal
How to Show Support and Pick up a Book
The Timber Ghost Press website is going to be your best bet for finding all of their published fiction. Through the website, TGP runs a free newsletter called The Creepy Bugle that details the latest info regarding open submission dates, book releases, and author highlights. In addition to that, Cody includes free flash fiction and poetry by various authors.
Another way to show support is to buy the awesome books by Timber Ghost Press. You can find their selection on Amazon, or you can buy directly from TGP on their store. I’ve also set up a Bookshop for TGP, which highlights a few books from their collection, and a purchase there would also benefit yours truly.
I also highly recommend the Timber Ghost t-shirt. It’s super comfy and you get to spread word-of-mouth at the same time. Plus, I really dig the logo. Here’s a view of the additional merchandise available on the TeePublic store (I’m eyeing that mug as I type this):
Lastly, there’s a Kickstarter running for an upcoming anthology of western horror called Along Harrowed Trails (the one that I’m featured in). It appears to have smashed through the project goal of $1300 in less than a week, with 20 days left to go. If you back the project, you’ll get a copy of the book and support a small business at the same time. Win-win!
Final Thoughts
Cody has been such a positive influence on me, my writing, and my publishing career. I wish them even greater success in the coming years. Remember to check out Timber Ghost Press for your next horror fix!
I’ll be covering the open submission calls by TGP as they release in my monthly newsletters, but joining The Creepy Bugle will be the quickest way to know when an open call for submissions is out.
Please let me know what you think about Timber Ghost Press in the comments. Have you read a TGP book? If you haven’t, which book in their collection interested you the most?
Please share this with friends and family who might be interested in spooky stories. The Storyletter is dedicated to platforming independent creators of all types and we’re so excited to have you on this journey with us. Thank you for reading! ~ WM
Thank you so much for such a thoughtful showcase! You rock AND roll!
Sign me up for the book 📖. What a great intro for TGP, and thanks for all you do Winston for your fellow man.