LAST UPDATED: August 2, 2026

1. Fictional Works

Horrorsmith's Story Letters, Murder Mystery experiences, magazine stories, and published books — including but not limited to Husher Creek, The Rotting Midway, The Halloween Child, and all titles published under Fear Forge, Thrill Forge, and Teen Forge — are entirely works of fiction.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or actual locations is purely coincidental, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in these works are either the product of the authors' imaginations or used fictitiously. Where real place names or general geographic settings (such as the Appalachian region) are referenced for atmosphere, the towns, events, and characters associated with them are entirely invented and do not depict real communities, institutions, or people.

2. Fictional Content Is Not Instructional

Horrorsmith's Murder Mystery products are designed for entertainment purposes only. They are not intended to provide guidance on actual criminal investigation, forensic procedure, or legal process, and should not be relied upon as accurate representations of real law enforcement or judicial systems.

3. Mature Content

Horrorsmith's fictional content is intended for mature audiences. Our Story Letters and Murder Mystery products contain themes including but not limited to violence, death, psychological horror, and distressing subject matter. We recommend this content for readers ages 15 and older. See our [content guidance / FAQ] for more detail on specific themes.

4. True Crime Content (HORRORSMITH: The Magazine & HORRORSMITH: The Podcast)

Unlike our Story Letters and Murder Mystery products, true crime articles and episodes published in HORRORSMITH: The Magazine and on HORRORSMITH: The Podcast are presented as factual, nonfiction content, to the best of our knowledge based on publicly available information, court records, news reporting, and other cited sources.

• Sources are verified to the best of our ability and will be disclosed upon publication.
• If information is later found to be inaccurate, we will issue a correction on our social media platforms and in our next issue. We will also remove, if possible, the incorrect information.
• That opinions or theories offered in true crime coverage are the views of the author/host and not established fact, where applicable.
• Our focus will always be on sensitivity toward victims and their families. Coverage is not intended to sensationalize real tragedy

5. Distinguishing Fiction from Fact

Horrorsmith clearly labels its content by product line to help readers distinguish fiction from nonfiction:

• Fiction: Story Letters, Murder Mysteries, Horrorsmith Publishing books
• Nonfiction: True crime features in HORRORSMITH: The Magazine, HORRORSMITH: The Podcast

If you are ever uncertain whether a specific piece of content is fictional or factual, please contact us at lsmith@horrorsmithpublishing.com for clarification.

6. No Professional Advice

Nothing in Horrorsmith's content — fictional or nonfictional — constitutes legal, medical, psychological, or professional advice of any kind.

7. Changes to This Disclaimer

Horrorsmith reserves the right to update this disclaimer at any time as our product lines evolve.

8. Contact

Questions about this disclaimer can be directed to lsmith@horrorsmithpublishing.com.