The Flame Tree Beyond and Within short story collections bring together tales of myth and imagination by modern and contemporary writers, carefully selected by anthologists, and sometimes featuring short stories from a single author. Overall, the series presents a wide range of diverse and inclusive voices with myth, folkloric-inflected short fiction, and an emphasis on the supernatural, science fiction, the mysterious and the speculative. The books themselves are gorgeous, with foiled covers, printed edges and published only in hardcover editions, offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Introduction excerpt by V Castro:

‘I believe storytelling comes from the soul, those depths of us we don’t completely understand, yet there is stored emotion and knowledge there. Stories can be like ghosts who reside in the walls of a house without letting anyone know they are there until lights flicker or an icy chill runs the length of our neck. They are compelled to make themselves known sooner or later. Many of our ancestors were prevented from telling their tales the way they would have wanted to, or they were simply erased out of existence due to colonialism. Perhaps like cosmic smoke from a snuffed-out life, those remnants come to us to continue those beautiful dreams or nightmares that were lost. We now live in in a time when we can do that. This book is one of those opportunities.’

Contents List:

From Parts Unknown by Hector Acosta

Sucker by Alyssa Alessi

Southward, Then Upward by Gustavo Bondoni

Whispering Shards by David Bowles

Listen to This by Arasibo Campeche and Carra Flowers

Mestiza Death: How the Spanish Grim Reapress Morphed into Mexican Santa Muerte by Dr R. Andrew Chesnut

Belinda Matos and The Bronx River Wishing Stone by Angel Luis Colón

Maternal Instinct by Rios de la Luz

Taino: An Untold Story by Ivette N. Diaz

The Mother of Canals in Dade County by Laura Diaz de Arce

Eaten Alive by J.F. Gonzalez

El Puente by L.P. Hernandez

Night of the Nagual by Pedro Iniguez

La Diablada by Ruth Joffre

The Stained Walls by S. Alessandro Martinez

The Snake God's Wake by Juliana Spink Mills

A Guardian of Salt and Flesh by Vanessa Molina

Come Back by Mo Moshaty

Isla del Encanto Perdido by Richie Narvaez

And Then I Wake Up by Wi-Moto Nyoka

Nacho by Daniel A. Olivas

The Ache by Monique Quintana

In the Black and White Woods: My Personal Experience with Santa Muerte by A.E. Santana

We Cast Our Own Curses by Richard Z. Santos

Castro is a two-time Bram Stoker Award nominated Mexican American writer from San Antonio, Texas, now residing in the UK. She writes horror, erotic horror, and science fiction. Her books include Immortal Pleasures, The Haunting of Alejandra, Alien: Vasquez, Mestiza Blood, The Queen of the Cicadas, Out of Aztlan, Las Posadas, Rebel Moon (official Netflix film novelization) and Goddess of Filth. Her forthcoming book is The Pink Agave Motel from Clash Books. Connect with Violet via Instagram and Twitter @vlatinalondon or www.vcastrostories.com. She can also be found on Blue Sky, Goodreads and Amazon. TikTok @vcastrobooks, Pinterest @V. Castro 

We will take a deeper look at the authors featured in this anthology soon, so make sure to come back to our blog!