Nico Bell 4/24/20 Nico Bell 4/24/20

Speculative Fiction, Cosmic Horror, and Weird Western Author KC Grifant #Interview

KC Grifant Interview

1. You’re the first author I’ve interviewed who, in addition to science and speculative fiction / cosmic horror, is a self-proclaimed “weird western” writer. What is the definition of a weird western and what inspired your interest in this particular genre?

Weird West is one of my favorite subgenres, niche as it is. Typically, a Wild West setting and aesthetics mash with fantastical elements from other genres, like horror, scifi and fantasy. Think Jonah Hex, Cowboys & Aliens, Deadlands and even Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.

I like this subgenre because it offers room for fresh takes on the often overused imagery and caricatures of the Wild West—like the stoic cowboy, or the saloon prostitute—and offers a chance to tell stories from perspectives not well represented during that time period. The Wild West is romanticized for adventure and exploration, but it was also a time of horrific violence and upheaval, all of which can be thoughtfully and respectfully explored in Weird West tales. Plus, something about the Wild West invites more speculative wanderings; tales of werewolves, demons, ghosts, aliens, magic and otherworldly elements seem right at home with the Rocky Mountains, Southwestern deserts and other beautiful but unforgiving settings.

2. You’ve been published in anthologies and magazines, but your website mentions that your stories have also been featured in collectable card games. Can you tell us a little about how this came about?

This ties back to your first question, funny enough! I used to regularly play regional tournaments in a Weird West-themed LLC game (short for “living card game,” which is essentially a hybrid board game and collectible card game). Doomtown: Reloaded involves a one-on-one battle for Wild West town dominance through card abilities, board maneuvers and “shootouts” via poker hands. I loved how this game had Weird West elements—even an evil circus!—and lots of interesting female characters ranging from outlaws to businesswomen. This game prompted my interest in writing more Weird West stories, and, through the gaming group, I ended up writing several official stories tied to the release of new cards. It was my first time working in a shared universe with a defined story arch and established characters. It was fun to write professional “fan fic” so to speak, and put my own mark on the game. I hope to get a chance to write for more games in the future.

3. Okay, this is going to be tough since your body of work is extensive. If you could only pick one short story that you’ve written to be made into a movie, who would play the lead and why?

What a fun question! I’d have to go with my Weird West horror story, A DUSTY ARRIVAL, featured on the cover of Andromeda Magazine’s March 2018 issue. This tale centers around two of my reoccurring characters, Melinda and Lance, gunslingers for hire who deal with unusual infestations in towns. In this story, they must battle cannibalistic gremlins that spread a psychic infection to anyone who nears them. Given that, both need to be actors that look like they can handle themselves in a brawl. I’d select the former mixed martial artist and actress Gina Carano (who played a freedom fighter in The Mandalorian) for the serious, gunslinging, butt-kicking Melinda and Chris Pine or Keanu Reeves for the charming, rugged Lance. Those are two characters I’d love to see onscreen!

4. We all know writer’s have extensive google search histories that would make the FBI a little, um, nervous. If the Feds were to examine your browser right now, what strange things would pop us that you’ve looked up for “research”?

Ha, too true! My latest google searches for a new Weird West horror story include gems like “conjure Italian demons,” “how to set off dynamite from a distance,” “build a flamethrower,” and “size of derringer bullets” which might raise an eyebrow or two from Big Brother.

5. What book(s) are you reading right now?

I’ve just picked up Wanderers by Chuck Wendig and have not been able to put it down! It threads mystery, science and weirdness into a page-turning plot, yet is still thoughtful and intriguing. I’m also reading Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties which is excellent, and have Sarah Read’s The Bone Weaver’s Orchard next on my list.

6. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

Yes! Right on topic, I’m wrapping up a Weird West novel featuring the aforementioned gunslinging team in their most intense adventure yet. Melinda and Lance dispose of supernatural critters in the Wild West, but their adventures come at a price. After unwittingly unleashing an ancient demon who steals their friend’s soul, they must battle new types of deadly creatures and track a famed outlaw to stop the demon before it completes its spell and reigns hell on Earth. DARK TRAILS (working title) is a kind of mashup of Ghostbusters and Wild West elements and features soul-sucking insects, an epic train battle and a visit to another world, with a few twists and turns along the way. It’s been a lot of fun to write.

I’ve also recently completed THE FINAL HOUR, a fantasy novella inspired by The Labyrinth, about a queen desperate to escape a goblin realm she is forced to rule for eternity. In order to escape back to Earth, she must master the realm’s magic and defend the kingdom from other worlds while not losing her own humanity.

Finally, I’m in the midst of revising two weird science novels: in one, a woman with a prototype of a prosthetic arm finds herself at the center of a rising social movement and scientific coverup. In the second, dream chasers who map nightmares for a new type of psychotherapy uncover a social contagion threatening to destroy society.

7. Where can people find you online?

My website, Amazon, Instagram, FB and Twitter.

8. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thank you for the fun questions and the opportunity to share more about genre fiction and my work!

BUY HER STORIES HERE

Nico Bell 4/17/20 Nico Bell 4/17/20

Horror Author Azzurra Nox #Interview

Azzurra Nox Interview

1. Congratulations on your success as a multi-published author! Let’s talk a little about your books. Cut Here is about a sixteen-year old named Lena Martin whose mom dies in a hit and run. What inspired this book?

The concept of CUT HERE, all began with a dream I had in the summer of 2008. It wasn’t really a dream, but more of a nightmare. It was Christmas time in Catania, Sicily and a girl sees a book on display at a bookstore kiosk entitled CUT HERE. The book’s cover had a bloody line across a faceless person’s neck, bleeding the title. Shortly after, sounds of sirens invade the dream, and as the girl rushes to the sounds, she sees a trail of blood on the asphalt and a mink coat on the ground. Everything is red. Flash forward to me seeing the same girl again, but this time she’s in a bookstore, holding a copy of the book, CUT HERE, waiting for it to be autographed by a Japanese author. But the girl is in danger, and so she runs away. I soon wake up with a sense of dread. I usually don’t often write down my dreams, but that time I did cause it left me with a haunting feeling. At the time I didn’t know if I’d ever use that dream for a short story, poem, or novel. It sat there gathering virtual dust on my computer for three years before I decided to re-read that dream, one night in January of 2011. Soon, that dream would become Lena Martin’s tortured past.

2. Your book Doll Parts is a collection of three short stories. Which is your favorite and why?

My favourite short story from that collection is, “Scared of Girls,” it's one I wrote while I was in college. It explores homophobia and gender identity and poses the question, Do we fall in love with a person or a gender and what happens when your soulmate doesn't conform to a specific gender identity? Even after all these years, the social topics that the short story explores are very timely. Plus, that short story is set in Catania, Sicily where I was born so that's another reason why that story in particular has a special place in my heart. Plus the two protagonists, Marzio and Viola are just characters that I really cared about a lot. They ultimately were very passionate and kind.

3. Bleed Like Me is a book of poetry “for the broken”. How autobiographical is this piece?

They say that there's a piece of the author in every book they write, and to some extent it's true. However, Bleed Like Me is the most autobiographical one of the bunch. 96% of the poems in the collection were written between the ages of 13-20. That age bracket is when you react most emotionally to life. A broken heart as a teen is the end of the world. As you grow older, one begins to see things with more hindsight and realize that many of the people you put up on pedestals and adored at that age, were only bringing out toxic elements in yourself.

4. I consider myself a feminist horror author, but that term has different meanings to various people. Do you consider yourself a feminist horror author, and if so why?

I do consider myself a feminist horror author, even if I have dabbled in other genres throughout the years. But if I am writing horror, I rather have the female be strong than simply be the victim. And sometimes, women are also the villains in my stories, cause to make women appear as only the hapless victim or final girl is kind of saying women can only fit in those two spots. That's why I really love books like Audition, where in the novel it's the woman who is far more twisted than the men who peg her as sweet and docile, could ever imagine her to be.

5. Where did your love of horror come from?

It started at a very young age. Probably around two years old. I think my dad noticed that I had a flair for watching horror movies and so would always have me watch them (he always told me I shouldn't be afraid as it was all “Hollywood” so I never had nightmares over the movies I viewed). So horror has pretty much been a part of my life since I can remember. Which the earliest memory I have of watching horror is seeing Elvira presenting the horror movie of the week.

6. When you’re not writing horror, what are you up to?

Writing DOES take up a lot of my time, because when I'm not writing fiction, I'm writing blog posts for my lifestyle blog that I update twice a week. But, when I'm not doing that, I pretty much live at the theatre where I'll check out any new horror, thriller, or drama films, plus I love to dance, read, and I'll admit that I have a skincare and cosmetic obsession so I'm always looking for new products to try out.

7. What is one tip you wish you knew about writing and the publishing world before you got started?

The biggest tip I can give aspiring writers is to read, read, read, and read some more, especially read the genre that you're planning to write about! My reading background is very classical, meaning I grew up reading a lot of Shakespeare and Dickens, which is awesome, but as a teen when I was writing short stories rereading them now, I know they have more of a Victorian feeling to them, which wouldn't have been terrible if the stories were taking place in Victorian England and NOT in contemporary time! As far as the publishing world goes, I think it would've been helpful to have known how important marketing yourself was going to be. Many novice writers have this idea that writing the book and having it appear in bookstores or online stores is enough. That it's going to sell itself or that your publisher will roll out tons of money to promote you and send you off on a book tour around the nation. And all of those things are wrong, cause sure, authors like Stephen King will get that sort of support because he's popular, but for a newbie you have to do a lot of the legwork to get noticed.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

My newest anthology that I edited, Strange Girls: Women in Horror Anthology will be out on February 18 during Women in Horror Month. It's a collection of short stories featuring many talented women authors that explore the meaning of what it means to be a strange girl. So the collection features stories about vampires, selkies, succubus, mermaids, and creepy dolls just to get an idea of what you may find.

9. Where can people find you online?

Twitter, Instagram, Website, Blog, Goodreads

CHECK OUT STRANGE GIRLS: WOMEN IN HORROR ANTHOLOGY HERE

PURCHASE CUT HERE NOW

Nico Bell 4/10/20 Nico Bell 4/10/20

Horror Author and Musician Ryan Bevan #Interview

Ryan Bevan Interview

*Congratulations to Ryan for his upcoming publication! After this interview, Ryan was offered a publishing contract for multiple stories from Tales From A Hack. He has taken the book offline to comply with the terms of publication; however, you can still read all about it in the interview below!

1. Congratulations on your horror collection Tales From a Hack! It sounds like a fantastic mix of horrifying adventures! Can you please tell us a little about what inspired this collection?

I’ve always been a massive fan of horror, particularly horror that blends itself with dark humour. Think Creepshow, Tales From The Crypt, Tales From The Darkside. Everyone loves to hear a scary story that delves into the supernatural and gets straight to the point. Such and such happened to this poor bastard and this was the monster behind it. I wanted to create my own collection of vignettes like these. Stories to tell I the dark - weird, strange, fun. Because I think horror should be fun. Often it takes itself far too seriously.

2. If you had to pick one story in your collection to turn into a movie, which would it be and who would play the leads?

I think they would all translate well if made into short episodes. I think The Tear has the most potential to become a full length film if the narrative is stretched out. As far as actors go, the characters are all teenagers and I’m completely out of touch with who the cool teen actors are these days. Is the Brat Pack still around?

3. What is your favorite horror troupe?

I don’t really have one. I mostly stick to books and classic movies for my horror fix. I’m not great with podcasts and YouTube. I have two young children so when I get a moment, I’ll just revisit Lovecraft or King, or maybe throw on a Hammer film.

4. When did you first discover a love of horror?

Pretty early on. I grew up way before the internet, so you had to dig harder to find the good stuff. That effort I think, as well as having like-minded friends who share your interest, provided a pretty solid foundation for lifelong admiration.

5. If you could co-author a book with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I don’t know, Bulowski, maybe? Only because we’d probably just be hitting the bars most of the time instead of working.

6. You are also a musician. How much does music influence your writing? Do you write to a playlist?

I’m not one who listens to music when I write. Unless it’s classical, maybe. I find it distracting. But I love making music; more than writing, in fact. I’ve been part of band for many years (from back in Canada where I grew up). Whisky Trench Riders. Check us out on YouTube!

7. What book(s) are you reading right now?

I’m in the midst of a collection of Lovecraft stories at the moment. Also Dylan Thomas, and Evelyn Waugh. And Chesterton. Always Tolkien.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

I’m actually working on three additional stories to add to Tales From A Hack. One about a haunted reservoir, one about some haunted shutters, and another about a haunted vacuum. You know, the usual.

9. Where can people find you online?

Tales From a Hack is available for free on Smashwords. Please check it out!

You can also find our original music on YouTube.

Finally, give me a follow on Twitter.

10. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

I wanted to thank you for this, Nico. I love what you’re doing for indie authors. All the best!

BUY TALES FROM A HACK HERE

Nico Bell 4/3/20 Nico Bell 4/3/20

Horror Author Kit Power #Interview

Kit Power Interview

1. Okay, I’m curious. When I put out the call for interviews, you mentioned a crowdfunding campaign for a non-fiction horror book. What is the book about and how can people get involved?

Oh hey, thanks for asking! The project is a non-fiction book called My Life In Horror Volume 1. Essentially it’s an essay collection representing the best of the first three years of my writing for Gingernuts of Horror as part of that series, every month I write about a childhood experience that I consider horror and that had a lasting impact on my imagination and/or personality. I had always intended to pull the content together into a book at some point, and with the series projected to finish this year with 60 essays total, I realised that I would need to produce it in two volumes.

*Then* I was talking about this last July at EdgeLit in Derby with good friend Neil Snowden, who is also the editor of my first non-fiction book, Tommy , and he said ‘you know, that’d be a perfect book for a Stokercon 2020 launch.”

Fast forward to January 2020. I’ve crunch-written a novella, which was… an experience I have now had, and I’ve assembled MLiH Vol. 1, revising and expanding every single essay, adding in some cracking bonus material, and rearranging the essays in the order I first experienced the subjects; turning a series of blog posts into a half-arsed autobiography via the medium of pop culture. The book’s in good shape, but the couple of publishers I have approached can’t take it on - both love the book but, it turns out, have big plans for Stokercon :/ .

Fair enough.

So I realize I have a choice - shelve it for now with a view to doing more shopping out of the manuscript post Stokercon, or try and crowdfund the editing and cover art and get the sucker out.

I opted for trying to get the sucker out.

So the IndyGoGo campaign launched on 25th January. It’s an all-or-nothing campaign, meaning it’ll only fund, and people will only be charged, if I hit the funding goal. Basically, it’ll be a way to pre-order the book, and if enough people want to do that, the book will happen. I will also be offering two limited edition hardbacks as part of the campaign. Both editions will be signed and numbered, with cover designs exclusive to this campaign, and the deluxe edition will feature an essay that will only ever be published as part of this print run. Ebooks and paperbacks will also be available, and other perks will allow you to get me to record an audio reading of an essay or short story for your exclusive use.

I have the editor, formatter, and cover designer on standby, and they’ve all assured me they can move on the project fast if it funds.

2. Is this your first nonfiction project and will you be doing more of this in the future?

It’s my second nonfiction book. The first was a (very, very) extended essay on the Ken Russell/The Who rock opera Tommy, which came out last year with PS Publishing . Whilst I’ve always considered myself a fiction writer first and foremost, I’ve found the non-fiction work has become more important to me as the years have gone by. I think what I’ve come to realise is that in both cases, I am writing to try and make sense of the world, and wrestle with the things I struggle to understand. Writing is a cathartic experience for me, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.

I’ll certainly be doing more - My Life In Horror has 7 essays left to run (at which point I’ll be assembling Volume 2 for publication), and I have a separate long term non-fiction project with Gingernuts, reading the works of Brian Keene in order of publication, the vast majority of them for the first time. I’m ten books in to that project, and so far it’s an absolute blast - Keene is a top rate pulp horror writer, and it’s fascinating watching him develop and grow as a talent book to book.

Beyond that, I have a couple of Midnight Monograph books at proposal stage, and I’d really like to pull together a series of essays about the recent Joker movie; I saw it three times at the cinema, and I still find myself haunted by it, it’s an exceptional piece of art and I’d really like to spend more time digging into why it affected me as deeply as it did.

3. Congratulations on the release of your novella The Finite! Can you please tell us a little about the plot?

Thank you! The Finite is set in modern day Milton Keynes, and concerns a father and daughter in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear explosion. The story follows their efforts at survival in a drastically changed landscape, and is at its core about how parental responsibilities play out in a situation with few if any good choices to make.

4. What is your horror “brand”? What type of horror do you love to write? (Supernatural? Slashers? Psychological? Ect)

Great question! I think I lean more towards non-supernatural horror, so a lot of my work has crossover with dark crime or psychological thriller genres. Picking up from my last answer, a lot of what interests me as a writer are exploring scenarios where the protagonist has no good choices, and seeing what happens. Other thematic preoccupations are the end of the world, and liminality; the moments when a situation or event forces a character to confront their world view and figure out what they really believe. That preoccupation means my work often ends up in some extreme places.

5. Are there any horror tropes you refuse to write about?

No. The test for me is if the narrative feels compelling, if the characters feel real, if the idea disturbs me. I am aware some subject areas require sensitivity, and I certainly support the idea of using trigger warnings or content notes, where needed, to allow people to make informed decisions about what they read. But if something keeps me awake for long enough, I’ll probably end up writing about it.

6. What book(s) are you reading right now?

Right now I am reading King’s Firestarter for the first time, since I got The Institute for Christmas, and Clickers II by Brian Keene and JF Gonzalez, as part of my Keene project for Gingernuts, and Scenes of Mild Peril by David J Court , which I am really enjoying - Court has a fresh voice and a really surefooted comedic touch that’s pretty unusual in the genres he writes.

7. If you could co-author a book with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Stephen King, I think. I’d love to try and match his prose style and I feel like I would learn so much from the experience. Though I am super happy with the piece I’ve been working on with James Murphy, which we’ve almost gotten to a finished first draft. That one I am very excited about, I think the core conceit is the best idea I’ve ever had, and James has absolutely made it into a narrative I’d never have thought to tell.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

Always! :) Right now my priorities are finish the crunch novella edits and the D1 of the project with James, then get this campaign off and running. One of the Midnight Monograph proposals is a co-authored affair, and I should be breaking ground on that very shortly. Then it’s knocking the novel with James into shape with critical readers and editors, getting My Life In Horror finished, getting a couple of short stories finished, polished, and out to market, and working on my next solo novel, which is currently about eight thousand words in and going well so far. I find I work best when I have *way* too much to do.

9. Where can people find you online?

For a firehose of politics and various pop culture warm takes, you can find me on Twitter. I have Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads Author pages - Kit Power in all cases, easy to find. And if you want early access and behind the scenes insight, for as little as $1 a month on Patreon you can get weekly updates containing new material - anything from essays to short stories to novel extracts to podcasts, often weeks or months ahead of official publication, with even more perks available at higher tiers .

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thanks so much for the invitation to talk :)

BUY THE FINITE HERE!

Nico Bell 3/27/20 Nico Bell 3/27/20

Horror Author Jay Bower #Interview

Jay Bower Interview

1. Congratulations on your latest book Useless Creatures! It sounds horrifying! Can you please tell us a little about the plot and what inspired it?

Thank you so much! The story is about two college girls that receive anonymous text messages telling them their parents have been kidnapped and the only way to get them back is to commit a series of horrific acts based on the seven deadly sins. It’s a brutal piece that’s a bit outside of what I normally write, but that’s why I did it. I wanted to see how far I could go with my writing. Most likely, this will remain as the goriest piece I write.

2. Two of your books Soul Eyes and The Dark Sacrifice take place in small towns. What appeals to you about a small town setting? Have you ever lived in a small town?

They are both based on the small town I currently live in. I wanted to create several stories within the town and give it a creepy feel. I’m currently working on another Brownsville novel.

3. On a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being completely soaked in blood, how gory are your novels?

The Dark Sacrifice: maybe a 2? Soul Eyes: 7. Useless Creatures: 9-10.

4. Are there any horror troupes you won’t write and why?

Honestly, not that I’ve come across yet. I do find my readers lean more toward the atmospheric/paranormal horror versus the gory stuff.

5. When did your love of horror begin?

Early on. My mom was (and is!) a huge King fan. The first novel I remember reading on my own was Pet Semetary. I was hooked from that point on. Add in a bunch of 80’s horror movies and you’ve got my influences.

6. If you could co-author a book with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I’ll give you two: Stephen King because he’s the man and Duncan Ralston. Duncan has a grasp of the genre and a way with his stories that I absolutely love.

7. What book(s) are you reading right now?

“Ghostland” by Duncan Ralston and “Till the Score is Paid” by Gemma Amor.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

I’m working on a dark fantasy/horror-ish novel that should be out in the next month or so. I’m also working on a novel set in the town of Brownsville. Beyond those, I’m working on several short stories hoping to gain traction in anthologies and magazines.

9. Where can people find you online?

My website

10. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thanks a bunch for this opportunity. I absolutely love to meet new readers and interact with them. Reach out and say hi, I don’t bite (normally!)

BUY USELESS CREATURES HERE

Nico Bell 3/20/20 Nico Bell 3/20/20

Cosmic Horror and Weird Fiction Author Curtis M. Lawson #Interview

Curtis M. Lawson Interview

1. Congratulations on the release of you book Those Who Go Forth into the Empty Place of Gods! Can you tell us a little about the plot?

Thank you so much! The book is about an underachieving genius who inadvertently gets sucked into a world of cosmic conspiracy when he gives the wrong answer on a TV quiz show. His answer, a bit of trivia he remembered from his dead grandfather, awakens a cabal of immortal guardians of forbidden knowledge and sets in motion events which can undo creation itself.
It’s a fast-paced blend of cosmic horror, black comedy, and pulp adventure. The closest book I can think to compare it to would be John Dies at the End.

2. What was it like writing this book alongside Douglas Rinaldi?
It was great working with Doug. Years before either of us wrote fiction, we both played in metal bands and we played several shows together in the early 2000’s, so it was cool to reconnect years later and discover we were on similar artistic paths again.

The book was Doug’s idea. He approached me with the concept and the first scene, then I helped him flesh out the story and the mythology a bit more. Once that was done, we made a scene by scene outline and divided up the parts based on what we were most interested in and what parts might play to each of our strengths.
This was my first time doing a writing collaboration, and I’m glad it was with Doug. He’s an easy guy to work with, we have a lot of mutual respect for each other, and our styles mesh well.

3. I’ve seen several reviews that describe your “brand” as cosmic horror. Would you agree with that, and for those who aren’t familiar, what exactly is cosmic horror?

I have a deep love of cosmic horror, and I would say the themes behind it—humanity’s insignificance compared to the vastness of space and time, existential nihilism, fighting losing battles against entropy—those things influence most of my fiction. My body of work spans wider than cosmic horror, however. Almost everything I write has a supernatural or ambiguous element to it, which I would say puts it more into general weird fiction, which is another nebulous term. Sorry about that. Weird fiction readers and writers have spent a lot of time trying to define weird fiction, but for me it’s more a vibe that the work gives off. It’s kind of like punk rock—you know it when you hear it.

As for cosmic horror, that’s a bit easier to describe. Cosmic horror pits the smallness of mankind against the enormity and indifference/malevolence of the universe. It’s man versus nature combined with man versus god, if both were taken to the furthest extremes.

4. You’ve written several novels, short stories and comics. What tip would you give a newbie writer who is looking to break into the writing industry?
Write what you love and approach it as honestly as possible. Odds are you aren’t going to make much money, and chasing markets and trends is mostly a waste of time. I’m not trying to be a buzzkill, but that’s the truth of the industry. Once you realize that, you can stop worrying about making money and focus on making art.

Even if your book bombs, which you often can’t control, you still have the thing you created. No one can take that away from you, and it’s the only guarantee in this whole business, so make sure that your work is genuine and give 100% to every project. Make sure it’s something you can look back at on your deathbed and say “yeah, I’m happy with that piece of me living on”.

5. Where did you love of horror and weird fiction come from?
Since I was ten years old or so I’ve been exploring this ever-expanding web of weird, dark art. It started with the horror section at June’s Video Hut, my local video store. John Carpenter’s Christine and A Nightmare on Elm Street are both directly responsible for making me fall in love with horror. After that I was consistently attracted to dark art in all forms, and one thing led to another. Through Ghost Rider I discovered old Tomb of Dracula trades. Dungeons and Dragons brought me to mythology and occultism. Horror punk led to death metal and death metal to black metal. Stephen King and Bram Stoker opened the doors for horror books. Clive Barker and H. P Lovecraft hooked me for life.

6. Do you have a favorite author?
H. P. Lovecraft is my favorite author. There are books that I like better than Lovecraft’s best work, but no other writer has so consistently enraptured me with their imagination and their voice. Clive Barker comes close.

7.      When you’re not writing, what are you up to?
      I’m a stay at home dad so most of my time is spent writing and raising my son. I try to do a fair amount of reading of course, and I’m making a real effort to get in better shape this year. I used to play a lot of tabletop RPGs, but I don’t really have time for that these days, unless I’m playing something with my wife and son. I’m very dedicated to self-improvement and to working towards making things better for my family.
      When I do have some time to myself though, I suppose I most like to spend it exploring museums and parks, having conversations with good friends, or relaxing with music or a movie. I’d like to make more time for seeing live music as well. I’d love to start going to the symphony a few times a year.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?
I’m currently working on a collection of short stories that all take place over the course of a single Devil’s Night in Detroit. Each is a standalone story, but they are loosely connected with nods to events and characters from other stories in the book.

For those unfamiliar, Devil’s Night was what they called the night before Halloween in Detroit up through the 90s. It started off as a mischievous kind of thing with harmless pranks, but through the 70s and 80s it turned into a free-for-all of crime and arson. It peaked around 1988, when over 500 fires burned throughout the city.

The collection, aptly called Devil’s Night, explores straight-up supernatural horror, urban folk horror, weird crime, dark fantasy—all sorts of interesting sub-genres of dark fiction. The limited edition hardcover is slated to come out from Weird House Press in September or October of this year.

9.      Where can people find you online?
      My website and I have a Patreon page with exclusive poetry and short fiction at patreon.com/curtismlawson
      For those more into social media, I’m on facebook as Curtis M. Lawson, instagram and twitter

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?
Thank you so much for having me! There are so many great people in the horror community—readers, reviewers, writers, publishers—and I am so thankful for all the connections I’ve made. I’d love to connect with more people, so for anyone reading this, please feel free reach out to me for any reason!

BUY THOSE WHO GO FORTH INTO THE EMPTY PLACE OF GODS HERE

Nico Bell 3/13/20 Nico Bell 3/13/20

Multi-Talented Author Ephiny Gale #Interview

Ephiny Gale Interview

1. Books, short stories, poetry and plays! You are very busy! Let’s start at the beginning. What inspired you to become a writer?

I don’t think I can remember a time before I wanted to write! My parents were enthusiastic readers and definitely passed that passion on to me; I was one of those small children who often climbed my school’s stairs while reading. It seemed perfectly natural to write the kind of stories I enjoyed consuming; I started writing fiction as soon as I was physically able to write.

2. Where did you love of science fiction and fantasy evolve from?

What an interesting question! As a child I was captivated by science fiction and fantasy because they presented such an endless range of possibilities and adventure. I loved the sense of magic (either through actual magic or technology) and glimpses into more exciting and vivid universes than our own.
During my teen years I became somehow convinced that I didn’t, in fact, enjoy speculative fiction because I didn’t particularly like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I had to re-discover my love of science fiction and fantasy by learning that it comes in many different forms, and that they can still be my favorite genres even if I’m unlikely to be excited by space opera or high fantasy.

3. Congratulations on your collection of short stories Next Curious Thing! What is your favorite story from the collection?

Thank you! I’m fond of lots of stories in that collection, but my favorite is probably ‘The Secret Death of Lane Islington’. It’s a story about a misanthropic singer who pulls her doppelganger out of a portal to an alternate universe, and then teaches said doppelganger to take her place for the events she’d rather not attend. Like many of my pieces, ‘The Secret Death of Lane Islington’ explores the roles we play within society and in relation to other people, but this is a favorite because it does so in a such a fun way.

4. You’ve had several short stories published. What tip would you give a newbie writer who is looking to submit to an anthology or literary magazine?

For anyone new to submissions, I would recommend becoming familiar with Duotrope (paid) or The Submissions Grinder (free). My understanding of and success with the submission process increased immensely once I was introduced to Duotrope. These websites are both excellent resources for learning about potential markets and recording your submissions. Once I’m ready to submit a piece I log into Duotrope, do a search by the piece’s genre and length (e.g. science fiction, 3000 words) and Duotrope generates a list of all the markets that might be interested in a piece with those parameters.
If you’re new to submissions, I would also advise you to take story rejections as par for the course. They’re not just happening because you’re new; writers who regularly sell stories to professional markets at professional rates still get plenty of rejections in the process. It’s not unusual to receive 10 or even 20+ rejections before you sell a story – but once it’s sold, all of those rejections won’t matter!

5. If you could write and produce any play you want, what would it be about?

Anything I want? I’d thrill my childhood self by writing and producing a new Xena: Warrior Princess musical! Failing that, I’d love to write a sci-fi jukebox musical using Sia songs. But if we’re talking straight plays, I’d be keen to adapt Catherynne Valente’s Refrigerator Monologues for the stage; I saw very clearly how I’d direct that when I was reading it.

6. When you’re not writing, what are you up to?

I work full-time as a digital project manager, which can be all-consuming at times. When I’m not working or writing I’m probably having a passionate philosophical discussion or low-key adventure with my spouse (who is also a writer), out at the theatre, or playing board games with friends.

7. What book(s) are you reading right now?

While I’m not in the middle of any books right now, I recently finished Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, which I loved. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting from the publicity, but I really enjoyed what I did get: exploration of a gothic palace, a deadly magical competition, and a complex murder mystery. Also, a terrific and unusual authorial voice.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

I currently have 3 half-written short stories to finish (broadly about AI, witches, and aliens, respectively), which is more than I usually have on the go at once. I know exactly what happens in each of them; I just have to sit down and actually write the endings.

9. Where can people find you online?

The key places would be my website or Twitter

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thank you so much for having me, Nico, and for your generous and thoughtful questions. It’s been a pleasure!

BUY NEXT CURIOUS THINGS HERE

Nico Bell 3/6/20 Nico Bell 3/6/20

Horror Author Steve Stred #Interview

Steve Stred Interview

1. Congratulations on your recent publication Piece of Me! Can you tell us a little about what inspired this plot?

Thank you! Piece of Me actually started back in 2016 when I worked on the short story For Balder Walks. I created this frozen world, where it snows a lot and life is hard. I realized I could walk the line between fable/horror and fantasy so I decided to tackle this new world, which will be turning into a full trilogy. The plot follows Kari, as she searches for her husband and son. They’ve left for a hunt and not returned. Years pass, she holds out hope. One day a stranger shows up and says that her family is still alive. So begins the journey to find them!

2. You’ve released three novels (Piece of Me, The Stranger and Invisible) since 2018. That’s a lot of work! How long from conception to final edit does it take you to finish a story? Are you a plotter or a pansters?

And that’s not taking into consideration four collections and like six novellas haha! Invisible is the outlier of those. I started that in 2004 or 2006. I can’t remember anymore. I started it and wanted to try and write something and make it very much claustrophobic but also emotional. It’s about 60% autobiographical, so there’s a lot of pretty dark moments in it. My battles with severe depression and losing family to horrific diseases. So that one was abandoned a few times and picked back up. As for Piece of Me and The Stranger, I pretty much have 90% of the story laid out in my mind before I ever start writing anything. I’ll have bits and pieces emailed to myself or jotted down on my phone, but for the most part I sprint out a draft, taking a week or two to get down the 30K-50K of the bare bones then I’ll let it sit, then revisit, send to beta readers, edit and then off to copy editor! I’m not much of a physical laying things out plotter, but mentally almost every piece is in place before I open a word doc.

3. You’ve also released six novellas since 2018, which makes me convinced that you don’t sleep. With all your experience as a writer and insomniac, what tips would you give a newbie trying to break into the industry?

Hah! I actually do 99% of my writing at work. My work breaks and my lunch. If I have some extra time I’ll get some words down but usually it’s all done on work breaks. I don’t have any word count goals or anything. I just try and write when I can. My advice would be to do what you can. If it’s fifty words a day, that’s fifty more than zero! Find what works. Pantser, plotter, whatever. Just do what you can, when you can.

4. Okay, you have to pick one of your publications and turn it into a movie. Who plays the lead roles?

I’ll go with Piece of Me, as it’s the latest. For Kari – Kira Sedgewick. No brainer. She’s pretty much who I used as a mental model when I was writing it. As for Fritjof and Aatto, those are harder. I’d really have to think about those haha!

5. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication to grow diversity within the horror genre. Your second collection of dark poetry and drabbles The Night Crawls In was released in September 2019 and helped fund the 1st Annual LOHF Writings Grant. Tell us a little about that partnership. How did it come about?

Thank you so much! What an amazing thing that became! The Ladies of Horror Fiction crew killed it with making forms and then the super tough choice of picking a winner. As for its beginnings, it came down to the simple fact – a lot of people kept tweeting and making statements about equality and barriers and opportunities, and I finally had enough and thought “why doesn’t someone then do something?” Why not be the change? I try and support and build people up. I came from a very ruthless world in athletics, where everyone is clamoring to take your spot, so I always was friendly and supportive. I carried that to writing, and so I thought – let’s do something! I initially was going to try and partner with an after school project or something to bring awareness, but after messaging with my sister a bit, she said to try and find something that was tangible. I realized, there’s nothing more tangible than cash in hand, yeah? So, I reached out to Toni from Ladies of Horror Fiction, she asked the group and they said yes! I was so happy. I still am. It’s just amazing that this is even happening. For year one, I wanted to lessen the hit from my wallet with The Night Crawls In, but now for year two, I want it to be solely focused on the grant and awarding a deserving person. I won’t be releasing a book related to it, simply because I don’t want my work or my name being propped up at all from this award. All money from the sales of The Night Crawls In will still be going towards further grants still, but I want this to be as little about me and as much about LOHF and the amazing authors/creators out there as possible. It should be about the community and growing and awarding deserving people. I’m hoping to find a way to have more money and more than one recipient this year! So stay tuned for details!

6. What changes in the horror world would you like to see within the next ten years?

Oh god, what a question. More acceptance. More diversity both in releases but also being celebrated. Less cringing when you say you write ‘horror.’ Less me/I people and more us/community people, if that makes sense.

7. How autobiographical is your work? Do you draw off real events?

Other than Invisible and a few tidbits in short stories, not a lot. I’ve incorporated real places, woods and buildings I’ve been in and stuff, and sometimes I’ll use friends names for characters, but for the most part it’s all mainly fiction.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

Always haha! Piece of Me was Part I of the Sermons of Sorrow Trilogy. So working on Part II and III currently. I need to finish the sequel to Wagon Buddy, called Scott: A Wagon Buddy Tale. Then I have the novella The Window in the Ground to tighten and finish. As well I have my YA release The Boy Whose Room Was Outside. And theeeeennn I have a limited release I’m trying to work out called 456 Blatchford Drive, which is a haunted house/folklore story. Plus two others I’m not going to mention at the moment haha!

9. Where can people find you online?

I try to be pretty interactive! So, I’m on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook Friend request me! I have a website/blog where I try and do a Friday post each week, and has a bunch of links etc!

10. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thank you so much for having me! I was so glad you sent me the questions! I’m really excited for your Rewind or Die! Release from Unnerving. I’ve only read Hailey Piper’s so far, but the lineup is stellar and it’s so amazing to see Food Fright out in March!

BUY PIECE OF ME HERE

Nico Bell 2/28/20 Nico Bell 2/28/20

Horror Author Zachary Ashford #Interview

Zachary Ashford Interview

Congratulations on your September 2019 release of The Encampment By The Gorge & Blood Memory! It sounds amazing! What inspired the plot?

Thanks for that. It’s really hard to say there’s some sort of real event that inspired Encampment, the first of the two stories in that one, but I’d originally written a manuscript about a commune of hippies living in a forest. They were working together to create a true functional anarchy when the forest – which was supposed to be National Park – was sold by corrupt politicians who sold it to their own family members for the sake of profit, which isn’t a stretch at all. That story wasn’t horror at all, but later on, I started thinking about different reasons for the breakdown of community and the concept of ‘place’ and I decided to take that same idea of the commune and make it about a group who’ve become corrupted by some sort of demonic/cosmic force. I then reintroduced the idea of ‘place’ again, and looked at the impact of that on some regular Joes. As for Blood Memory¸ that’s a story that was originally published in Dark Moon Digest. When I wrote it, I was watching tonnes of crocodile documentaries, but I was also kind of pissed off about the Australian government’s attitude towards Indigenous communities, and I wanted to tie the two ideas together. I liked the link between this ancient culture and a creature that’s remained fundamentally unchanged for so long. I guess you could probably say that both stories were inspired by the attitudes of awful political parties.

If Encampment was made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

You’re talking dreams here, and I’d be incredibly shocked to see it ever happen, but if it did, I’m one of those guys who loves to see unknown actors in movies. I spend most of a movie going, “Who’s that guy? What was he in? What about that chick? Where’ve I seen her before?” So, can I be sly and say I wouldn’t cast anyone who was a ‘name’, but I’d love to be surprised by the casting team?

Having said all that, I do think my first novella, Sole Survivor – which is out in March through Unnerving Magazine – would lend itself to a movie or small series. Part of the initial premise is that it’s a reality show the characters have signed up for. Of course, it all goes awry for them because the producer isn’t interested in a normal Survivor style program. He tells the cast they’re going one place, but stages an emergency landing and has them ‘crash’ into a pre-arranged set where he’ll film them with hidden cameras. Naturally, there are monsters on the island. I think it’d make for a great mockumentary or found footage-style film. As for who would be in it, I don’t know, but Nick Cage is churning out a shitload of awesome genre movies, and I bloody love them all. If someone could convince him to be the disturbed ex-soldier who’s entered himself into the Sole Survivor competition, I’d be the happiest man on earth! God, maybe I need to get him a copy. I think he’d love this story.

What is your horror “brand”? What type of horror do you love to write? (Supernatural? Slashers? Psychological? Ect)

I’ve always been a big fan of the creature feature. I’m not much for your traditional haunted house story, and I’m not sure I have the chops for a gripping psychological horror yet, but I like to think I’ve got what it takes to write a kickass creature feature, or maybe a slasher. Both of the stories you’ve mentioned so far feature monsters, and so do plenty of others I’ve written. I love reading action-packed monster stories, and I want to have fun when I write, so I try to write what I like to read. Bring on the gore, and the gruesome kills. I love that creature features easily lend themselves to humour, but can also be played very straight. Hopefully, it’s a genre I’ll be a lot more prolific in moving forward. I really do enjoy it.

When did you first develop a passion for the horror genre?

I don’t know if there’s a pinpoint moment as such. I’ve always just been attracted to anything with monsters and the supernatural in it. My media tastes gravitated that way early, and at a guess, I’d say, it’d probably be at some point in the 90s when I was getting Monster In My Pocket figures out of cereal packets. I was obsessed with them. I think that led to reading nothing but informative books about myths, folklore, and the various traditional monsters of the supernatural for a while. All that kind of stuff. As I got older, I kind of moved through comics – Nightstalkers and Blade were a big hit with me. Then you throw in the metal stuff, various movies like The Predator, The Thing. Even the Fantasy franchises so many of us get into as kids are loaded with monsters, and it’s this big vortex of awesomeness that leaves you wondering why you’d bother with any other genre. Obviously, Goosebumps and the Point Horror series were big at school. As for novels, Mum always had a shelf full of Stephen King books, and at some point, I read The Dark Half. I was sold. There’s been no turning back ever since.

On your website, you mention that you got your start as a journalist covering heavy metal bands. Do you listen to metal while writing? How does music influence your work, if at all?

Absolutely. Occasionally, I’ll opt for something atmospheric or some white noise to write a key scene. With Sole Survivor, I blasted a lot of ‘thunderstorm over a tropical bay’ tracks during key parts, but I’ll typically have some fast metal playing. As for the way it influences what I write, I think it’s kind of enmeshed into that original love of the genres. I find metal and horror to be this intrinsically linked pairing that complement each other beautifully. It’s something I’ve got a huge love for. I like to have characters who are metalheads, I like to inject little allusions to it in my writing, and I like to use some of its prevalent themes and imagery. I’ve been working on a short lately, and I just sort of realized the other day, that ohhhh, it’s that album! As a result, I have to say that it influences me overtly and subtly. I gave my old editor a copy of Sole Survivor to proofread, and he was like, ‘Yeah, metalheads are gonna love this.’ By the same token, I think Encampment by the Gorge is a very metal story with its monsters and action. If it had a soundtrack, there would definitely be a healthy whack of Revocation in there.

What book(s) are you reading right now?

Right now, I’ve been finding a little trouble getting to read as we’ve been on school holidays (I’m a teacher) and my kids are home, but I’m almost done with Army of Skin by Morgan K Tanner on my Kindle. I’ve just started Wolf Hunt 2 by Jeff Strand on audiobook, and I’m slowly plodding along with David Morrell’s The Totem. I like to have an old paperback handy for trips to the beach or when I’m chilling by the pool, and that’s filling that role at the moment. I’m not super into it, and I’m debating whether I’ve read enough to persevere with or whether I pick up something else. Oh, I’m also cherry-picking stories out of the Corona Book of Horror Stories. I’ve been using that as my beach book, and I’m loving it.

What is one tip you’d like to pass on to aspiring writers?

Read. Read. Practice. Write. Persevere. Take a chance on submitting stuff. I wish I were able to say to my twenty-year-old self that he should just pull his finger out and write. He spent most of his time telling people he was a great writer, and didn’t actually write anything. He was a bit of a stooge, and I’m not sure he had the maturity to actually write anything good, but he got through a Creative Writing degree and did okay before working in other fields of writing. I look back on the time between then and now as a missed opportunity, and I think young or aspiring writers could benefit from the idea of just getting on with it. I see so many young writers on Horror Twitter who are killing it, and I’m insanely jealous that they have the drive to have done that. Be like them. They read, they write, they practice. Do that, and you’ll be fine. Also, and this is important, remember that life is about learning and in the grand scheme of where you could be you suck right now. If you’ve got a mindset to grow and learn, you’ll really prosper. We’ve all seen writers who say things like, “You don’t have to listen to advice. It’s your book, write it how you want…” Don’t be that writer. You give us all a bad name, and you’ll stay awful forever. Take advice. Seek it out. Pay for it if you have the means. Any real field of work has a focus on professional development. That stuff’s important, and writers need to do it too.

What is next for you? Anything in the works?

Yeah, as I mentioned above, Sole Survivor is coming out through Unnerving Magazine’s Rewind or Die line of novellas, and I’m thrilled about that. It’s crazy to me that something I wrote is part of a line that’s fleshed out by so many great writers. I mean, Renee Miller, Philip Fracassi and Stephen Graham Jones are all in the first book – and that’s mental for me. I’ve taught Stephen Graham Jones stories in class, and I could probably stop now and die happy. And that’s without even mentioning other incredible authors like Hailey Piper – and there’s a prolific author for you. I figure if I’m getting stories into the same places she is, I’m doing something right!

The book itself is a tonne of fun. Like, a tonne. I mentioned the spin on the reality television thing earlier. The monsters on the island are my own iteration of Australia’s drop bears, which are a big joke in themselves, but I didn’t make them comedic. In my world, these things are brutal and they’ll rip yours – or Nick Cage’s – face off. There’s also a guy who’s been set up to be the ‘cannibal’ by the production company, and he’s supposed to drug people and drag them off as a way of ‘eliminating’ them from the show. So the characters are left stranded on this island, completely unaware they’re on camera, and they’ve got to survive. It’s loads of fun with loads of big kills.

I have a second novella out on submission, which is in the same kind of creature feature vein. It has a post-apocalyptic home invasion spin, but it’s set in an old disused campsite, and there are these humanoid lizards on the loose as well, so I’m hoping someone picks that up. I’m also about thirty-thousand words into my much more serious dream project right now, but I’ll keep a lid on that one. At the same time, there’s the short I’m working on, and another novella that’ll be another creature feature that plays with home DNA-altering kits.

So, I’m trying to throw plenty at the wall and I’m hoping some will stick.

Where can people find you online?

On my wesbite or on Twitter

Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

No, thank you! I think that covers it. Just thanks a bunch for having me on here. I really appreciate it, and I wish you all the best for the New Year, in writing and in your personal life. I’m really grateful for the space to share my thoughts and hope I’ve provided something you can put to good use.

BUY ENCAMPMENT HERE

And check out his Twitter to find out when you can purchase Sole Survivor!

Nico Bell 2/21/20 Nico Bell 2/21/20

Horror Author Yolanda Sfetsos #Interview

Yolanda Sfetsos Interview

1. Congratulations on your 2019 release of Breaking the Habit! Can you tell us a little about the plot? Thank you! Breaking the Habit is about a woman with many dark and violent secrets that catch up with her on her wedding night, and turn her honeymoon into a very bloody ordeal.

2. If Breaking the Habit were made into a movie, who would you like to play the leads? This is a great question. I think Marie Avgeropoulos would be great as Isla, Diego Boneta would be a perfect Cisco, and Joe Manganiello might make a good Teo.

3. What is something about the publishing world you wish you knew before you started writing? That there's a lot of nervous waiting involved. Definitely enough for neurotic writers to get anxious and double guess themselves about everything. Including whether or not emails are received, so you end up refreshing the page for a reply every couple of seconds.

4. Where did your love of horror come from? I've loved horror since I was very young. I'm a kid of the 80s, so video shops and video nights were very popular during my teenage years and I watched as many horror movies as I could!

5. As an estimate, how many books would you say you read in a year? I give myself the annual goal of reading 100 books. That includes short stories, anthologies, novellas, novels, comic books and even picture books. Though last year I managed to read 150.

6. Do you have a favorite author? My favourite authors have always been Clive Barker and Stephen King. I've picked up others through the years, but these are my two forever faves.

7. When you’re not writing, what are you up to? I'm probably hanging out with my hubby watching Seinfeld because we never get sick of the show about nothing. Or thrifting for books and games. Maybe I'm out for one of my two daily walks. If not that, then I'm reading or sorting through my many piles of books, stationery and toys.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works? I’m always working on something. It's the beginning of the year so I'm at the planning stages. I started a horror short story in December that I’ve been itching to finish, and I know I'd like to write at least two novel first drafts and one novella this year. Not to mention revision. I have WAY too many first drafts that need to become finished novels.

9. Where can people find you online? They can check out my website, where I post about my writing projects, progress, releases and post reviews. Or they can find me on Twitter , where I pop in all the time. And if you want to know what I'm reading, check out my Goodreads page

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts? I just wanted to mention that I have a story in the recently-released UNDER HER BLACK WINGS: 2020 Women of Horror Anthology. I’m so excited about being part of this anthology featuring so many great horror authors! Also, thank you for the very cool interview.

BUY UNDER THE BLACK WINGS: 2020 WOMEN OF HORROR ANTHOLOGY HERE

BUY BREAKING THE HABIT HERE

Nico Bell 2/14/20 Nico Bell 2/14/20

Horror Author Jessica Guess #Interview

Jessica Guess Interview

1. Congratulations on your novel Cirque Berserk! How did you come up with the concept of a haunted carnival?

Thank you! The premise actually started with a character. I had this image in my head of someone doing something really terrible to the tune of Rhythm of the Night by Debarge (I can’t say anymore because spoilers) but the image so bizarre that I had to write it. I had to put together why this person was doing this bad thing and the idea of the carnival was the only logical place to me. Once I had the place down, everything else came pretty easily.

2. Did you ever have any first-hand run-ins with ghosts? Do you believe they exist?

Yes. When I was around 6 or 7, I saw an angel while I was sleeping over at my cousins house. No, it was not a dream. I literally pinched myself to make sure. Not quite a ghost but it the same realm, right? Also, I’m pretty sure my childhood home is haunted. I’ve personally never seen anything, but my mom and I smell coffee and tobacco in the early hours of the morning and late at night when nobody is cooking and neither of us smoke.

3. Cirque Berserk promises the reader “brutality, bloodshed, and betrayal”, which certainly feels like a recipe for an amazing horror book. If you had to describe the type of horror you love to write in only three words, what words would they be?

Crazy Killer Girls

4. Your website Black Girl’s Guide to Horror highlights a common problem in the horror community. As you state, “Horror is for everyone, but it doesn’t always feel that way with the lack of representation in the genre.” As horror continues to evolve, what changes do you hope to see?

Oh, man. So much. I want more black women as final girls and villains. Do you know how few black female villains we have? I want to see more Indigenous people in horror movies, and more LGBTQ+ people in horror. I want more horror movies directed by women. I want to see a plus sized final girl. I want to see voodoo and Pan African mysticism that isn’t filtered through a white lens or portrayed as “evil.” I want more black witches.

5. You’ve estimated yourself to have watched over 1000 movies, so this question is going to be tough. What is your all-time favorite horror movie?

The Descent. It has almost everything I love in a horror movie: blood, a tasteful amount of gore, an all-female cast, terrifying monsters, and there’s some heart to the story.

6. What book(s) are you reading right now?

Two. Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer. I haven’t read it all the way through, but I open it whenever I need a pep talk about creativity and not sacrificing that wonder and silliness we’re born with. I also just started There Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins. It’s really good so far.

7. If you could co-author a book with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Gillian Flynn. She doesn’t exactly write horror, but thrillers are close enough in my opinion. She has a style that I love and identify with and I think she also has an affinity for crazy killer girls, so we’d probably mesh well.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

I’m re-working my novel right now. It was my thesis for my MFA, but I have some ideas I think will make it stronger. I’m also working on a short story about South Florida’s iguana infestation. They’re literally everywhere down here. Picture The Walking Dead, but instead of zombies it’s iguanas.

9. Where can people find you online?

You can check out my website, Black Girl’s Guide to Horror, at and follow me on Twitter HERE and HERE

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thank you for having me! There are some awesome novellas being published this year by Unnerving Magazine as a part of their Rewind or Die series. My novella, Cirque Berserk, will be out February 20th, 2020, but all of them look really cool. Check out @UnnervingMag for updates and release dates.

BUY CIRQUE BERSERK ON AMAZON HERE

Nico Bell 2/7/20 Nico Bell 2/7/20

Horror Author Tracy Fahey #Interview

Tracy Fahey Interview

1. Gothic fiction. Folk Horror. Young Adult. You do it all! When did you first develop a love for the dark and creepy?

My obsession with the macabre goes back as far as I can remember. I was fascinated by dark folktales in my locality; stories of banshees, the good folk, holy wells, hauntings. My grandmother was a wonderful storyteller, and her tales very much influenced my 2018 New Music For Old Rituals, a collection of contemporary folktales, and especially my 2017 YA novel, The Girl In The Fort.

2. Your 2019 short story ‘The Thing I Did’ received an Honourable Mention by Ellen Datlow in her The Best Horror of Year Volume 11. Congratulations! Can you please tell us a little about the inspiration behind this story?

This is a story that developed from a tiny, tragic article of a domestic accident I read many years ago. I’m obsessed with everyday horrors; the deepest horror we experience is when someone close to us is affected. With this story I also wanted to probe the idea of male grief as something unspoken and overpowering.

3. You have three incredible books published, New Music for Old Rituals (2018), The Unheimlich Manoeuver (2018), and The Girl in the Fort (2017). What tip would you give a newbie writer who wants to, one day, be published?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. And then, submit, submit, submit.

You learn so much from reading and appreciating and noticing the way others write. You learn hugely by doing – by the act of writing, re-writing, editing. Finally, it’s through submitting and getting feedback that you learn to hone your work – and hopefully get it published in the process.

4. What is your least favorite horror trope?

Probably body torture. I won’t watch it. However, perversely, I am working on a collection of female body horror at the moment – but quiet female body horror. It’s a challenge to write from the body without being explicit and gory.

5. If you could co-author a book with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?

That’s an interesting question! I’ve co-written before -The Black Room Manuscripts IV which was nominated for a Splatterpunk Award in 2019 was co-edited by myself and J.R Park – we also co-wrote a prologue and epilogue for it. I found it fascinating that although we have very different styles and influences, we write together very effectively. From that I learned that the way to co-author is to respect each other’s work, listen to each other’s criticisms and carve out a way of working that suits both parties. I’d love to work with J.R Park again and with other contemporary horror writers I admire such as Priya Sharma, Georgina Bruce, James Everington and many MANY more.

6. What book(s) are you reading right now?

I generally read a few books at a time – right now I’m finishing Yrsa Sigurdsdottir’s Icelandic noir novel The Reckoning, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s multi-dimensional time-travel This Is How You Lose The Time War, and Sarah Read’s marvelous short story collection, Out of Water.

7. If you weren’t a writer, what job would you have?

I’m a part-time writer, so I already have a full-time job working in an art college, which is rather wonderful- as a Gothic writer I also get to run research projects and teach a class on the Gothic. But apart from that I do have an abiding love for forensic science – I’ve taken a few online classes on forensics, so that’s something else I’m really interested in.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

I’m excited to say that on Friday the 13th of March my publishers, the Sinister Horror Company, will release the deluxe edition of The Unheimlich Manoeuvre with five new stories, two new essays, and story notes on all tales in the collection. They’re also bringing out a chapbook, Unheimlich Manoeuvres In The Dark, a chapbook of this new material, so anyone who’s read and enjoyed the original book can simply buy the additional writing as a stand-alone.

I’m also working on two short story-collections, the body-horror I Spit Myself Out that I’ve mentioned, and a collection on liminality and ‘other’ spaces, provisionally titled In-Between Days.

9. Where can people find you online?

I hang out on Twitter where I tweet about writing, books, the Gothic and esoterica related to medieval monsters, folk traditions and fine art.

10. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

First of all, thank you for the interview. It’s been a pleasure to answer these questions. And if any reviewers are interested in advanced reader copies of the deluxe edition of The Unheimlich Manoeuvre or the chapbook, Unheimlich Manoeuvres In The Dark please contact me via my website and I’ll be delighted to send on a copy. I’m also generally available for blogs, interviews or articles on the Gothic, the domestic uncanny, folk horror, body horror or contemporary female horror writing

Nico Bell 1/31/20 Nico Bell 1/31/20

Science Fiction and Horror Author J. Askew #Interview

J. Askew Interview

1. I love how open you are about exploring mental health, LGBTQIA+ issues and disability within your work. Can you tell us a little about your inspiration for bringing these communities to mainstream scifi and horror stories?

Science Fiction and Horror Author J. Askew

I grew up utterly confused at why I was so jealous of other women, and then I realized it’s not jealousy, it’s attraction. It made me wish books and shows had more LGBTQIA+ people to show me an example. When I read The Hunger Games (I was well into my 20s at this point), I always wondered why I wasn’t either team Peeta or Gale, it was because I was team Katniss. I didn’t want her to end up with either, because I wanted to be with her. Growing up, I never had an example to explain my feelings, and as a bisexual woman (I’m actually pansexual but I’ve given up on explaining this every time I mention it), it was tough to reach my sexuality conclusion. It’s so important for young LGBTQIA+ people to have examples to relate to, without this, it’s so difficult to make sense of attraction and to not be afraid of what others think. Normalizing these figures as characters and leaders in fiction will go a long way to help the world be free of prejudice and help young people to love who they are and embrace their sexuality.

Mental health is hugely important to me too. I suffer from an anxiety disorder and OCD, and the only thing that made me feel better was knowing that I wasn’t alone. I believe that normalizing these conditions makes people less ashamed of them, and makes them want to seek help. I’m currently on draft three of a new novel, The Hollow Way, which follows a strong matriarchal prison guard with OCD compulsions (in space), and Green Again follows the heartbreaking story of a young woman in the apocalypse with a reality-slipping form of psychosis. Putting the spotlight on these issues will show those who also suffer that they can be the hero of their own story, come through the struggle of their own mind, and rise stronger than they have ever been.

2. Congratulations on the completion of your book Green Again! What inspired this plot?

I wanted to write the book I most wanted to read. I wanted to read about complex relationships and people with neurodiversity, all within a natural, wild setting. I wanted to explore how people react when their lives depend on every single thing they do, that’s why I wrote Green Again. Green Again follows a young feral woman who is taken against her will by a family steeped in the politics of the end of the world. At first, Hazel struggles to communicate, struggles to stay in reality as her psychosis takes over, but soon Hazel grows into a survivor and takes up arms against the villains. She discovers an affinity with the wilderness that helps her heal and find herself in a broken world. Dorian Ford in the story will outlive everyone, not because he’s strong and patriarchal, but because he has Asperger’s and can see the world differently, much like protagonist Hazel Fox. Their strange way of navigating each other is the foundation of Green Again, it is neurodiversity healing a broken mind, and vice versa. Green Again isn’t readily available for readers yet, it is currently on submission and looking for an agent to represent it. I’m looking for the right person to get this into the mainstream, not for fame or fortune, but so we can show people out there that they’re not alone, they’re not crazy, they can rise and use their individuality to become the heroes in their own story. (Any agents reading this, I’m all ears.)

3. If Green Again was made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

As a writer, I feel like you have to pretend you don’t constantly obsess over this question, when in reality, you’re waiting for someone to contact a Hollywood legend to be your lead. On that note, a British Harrison Ford would certainly star in Green Again as the elderly politician, John. For our protagonist, Hazel Fox, I would love Billy Lourd to star. She’s got that special twinkle in her eye like her mother, Carrie Fisher, whilst being her own person able to pull off complex roles and characters. Although she doesn’t have many acting credits to date, she’s already iconic to me. Dorian Ford would be Zachary Quinto or Max Greenfield. Both of them are able to pull off the intensity his character needs. The female matriarch of Green Again, Leah Ford, would either be Julianne Moore (not because I have been crushing on her since the 90s) or Gina Torres (also crushing on her since Firefly). These women have always inspired me in their roles as strong women.

4. You’ve had several short stories published. What tip would you give a newbie writer who is looking to submit to an anthology or literary magazine?

The best thing I ever did for my short-story writing career was to get a mentor. It was an accident at first. I hired a beta reader to test my stories on, but she became so much more. Elle Turpitt has helped me navigate the world of indie anthologies, mags and submissions since I started writing shorts. Having a mentor is so important to the writing process. It helps you spot opportunities and sound board ideas. It also gives you someone to talk to when you feel like you’ve lost your way. A lot of writers (probably all of them) have moments of doubt that tell them to quit, when you have a mentor, or writing buddy, it keeps you lifted, keeps you accountable. When you’re starting out (which I feel like I still am), having a guide to the weird and wonderful world of writing is the best way to make the most out of opportunities and not get lost in a tangle of books, pages and words.

Also, remember that editors reading your submission are human too. Wish them a good day, be yourself, don’t be a submission robot. My favorite editor to submit to is C.C. Finlay at Fantasy and Science Fiction mag, because he’s a super lovely chap who wants writers to do well.

5. When did you first develop a passion for the horror and scifi genre?

I’m pretty sure I spoke Ewok before English. I’ve been so enamored by sci-fi all my life and saw it as a boy’s thing so naturally hid it. Nowadays, women are taking the reins of sci-fi and more women are becoming hard-core fans of the genre. I sometimes sit there and design a complete space-ship on a scrap of paper and then have to remind myself that we’re not quite there yet technology wise. I’ve worked in science and tech non-fiction copy-writing all my adult life so I’ve been exposed to amazing advances in tech, especially tech for good, and I know it’s just a matter of time before we’re planet hopping. Along with every other sci-fi fan out there, I just hope it happens within my lifetime.

As for the horror aspect, I like my blood to boil, my heart to race. I want the stakes to be as high as they possibly can.

6. Do you have a favorite author?

Joe Hill. I have never known anything quite like his work. He writes female protagonists with such accuracy that it leaves me considering how he knows so much about the female psyche. His wife must be very lucky. He creates incredible antagonists too and answers deep-rooted societal questions in the horror setting. He also makes me laugh out loud with some of his lines in his books. Anyone who can reference Firefly in a novel about a vampire child abductor or quote Dire Straits in an apocalypse, is a genius in my opinion.

7. What book(s) are you reading right now?

With a huge stack of amazing new books to read, I’m obviously now on my second read through of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, only because there is so much incredible detail in it that I’m afraid I may have missed something beautiful on the first read. When I’m working on a novel, I tend to avoid too much reading of others’ work. I find that it helps keep my mind in one universe, instead of multiple (also I am terrified of accidental plagiarism).

Saying that, this year I’m aiming to only read works by female authors. I have Helen Marshall’s The Migration, Sarah Pinsker’s A Song for a New Day, Becky Chamber’s To Be Taught If Fortunate, and Sarah Gailey’s Feb 3rd release, Upright Women Wanted all lined up for the first quarter of this year. Becky Chambers is a role model for me and many LGBTQIA+ writers (if you’re reading this Becky, thank you for being such a beacon to the queer community).

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

Along with the ongoing task of trying to get the best representation for Green Again, I’ve been working on my space opera, The Hollow Way, for the past four months and it is nearly ready for my beta readers. The Hollow Way follows Wren Novak, a prison guard on board a prison ship with OCD, as she is thrown into a task beyond her remit, tracking down the Galaxy’s most elusive serial killer, the Nova Ripper. I’m of Eastern European descent (Ukrainian) and have long put up with near-weekly comments of “you speak really good English” and “but where are you really from?” due to my legal surname. I wanted to have a protagonist that represented this heritage. I also wanted to write something different to Green Again. Green Again is emotional, powerful and moving. The Hollow Way intends to be funny, witty and dangerous.

9. Where can people find you online?

You can find all my short stories and their links on my website, chat to me on Twitter and read more about the Green Again project too.

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Quick plug for a great sci-fi anthology just released! TL;DR’s Beneath Strange Stars is one of my favorite projects I’ve been part of. All funds go to an amazing British STEM charity, The Association for Science Education, who support excellence in science education. This is so important to me. I feel if we can encourage more young people and especially women into STEM subjects, the future is within our grasps and maybe I will live to see advanced space travel. My story, The Einsteiners, features in the anthology collection. It follows the relationship between two women time travelers who are part of an insurance scheme for the human race. The entire story is set floating in the expanse of space.

Nico Bell 1/24/20 Nico Bell 1/24/20

Dark Fantasy Author Austin Case #Interview

Austin Case Interview

1. Congratulations on the 2019 release of your book Wild, Dark Times! Can you tell us a little about the plot?

Thanks so much, Nico! Sure thing. So, the story takes place in the summer of 2012 and follows Elizabeth Megalos, who’s a failed art school grad working as a bank teller. One night, a possessed coworker attacks her and she’s saved by a roguish wizard named Eddy who drags her and a skeptical occult scholar to Europe. The group goes to Europe and meet up with Eddy’s celebrity sorcerer pals to help stop a creature from Gnostic mythology from fulfilling the apocalypse set out in the Book of Revelation. They take drugs and do rituals to learn more about how to stop Armageddon, and try to stay clear of supernatural creatures after Elizabeth.

2. When it comes to your writing process for Wild, Dark Times, what did you develop first – the plot or the characters?

For WDTs in particular, I seem to recall developing the plot and the characters pretty much at the same time. I drew on quite a few of my experiences during grad school in Europe studying esotericism and mysticism, as well as the friends I made during that time to develop the book. My initial outline incorporated early sketches of my characters.

3. Are you a pantser or a plotter?

For fiction, I’m definitely more of a plotter but for my poems I’m a definite pantser: I like to write stream-of-consciousness poems. I do also incorporate that style in my fiction from time to time. For WDTs the sections where they ritualistically take psychedelics were all written initially as stream-of-consciousness (with extensive editing later for cohesion, flow, etc.) But for WDTs as a whole, I definitely plotted out the principal points of the narrative.

4. While browsing your website, I noticed you have a Master’s Degree from the University of Amsterdam in Western Esotericism and Mysticism. That’s so cool! What is something you learned from that degree that you use with your writing?

Thanks! It was a pretty cool time: it felt like Hogwarts but with sex and drugs (a big part of why I love Lev Grossman’s The Magicians series so much). There were lots of little things sprinkled throughout that came from learning things at the UvA. References to the Golden Dawn, Gnosticism, Aleister Crowley, and John Dee come to mind. One class we had investigated the incidence of altered states of consciousness within the Western Esoteric tradition and that definitely was influential. The whole Eleusinian Mysteries possibly being ancient Greeks having ergot/LSD infused porridge and the group in the book building a ritual around that came straight from that class.

5. Where did you love for the dark fantasy genre come from?

I loved reading fantasy as a child (C. S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, J. R. R. Tolkien). Those books were all foundational, but I became less interested in fiction as I got older until the end of grad school and I started working in a public library. I got back into fiction and dark fantasy in particular, since so much of that genre incorporates ideas about magic or the occult, and often in bleak or cynical ways. Studying magic from a scholarly perspective really takes a lot of the shimmer and mystery out of the world, but (at least in my case) the interest in the subject never dissipates. Urban fantasy, occult horror, and postmodern takes on the mystical all appeal to this sort of tense relationship that I have with the magic and esotericism.

6. Do you have a favorite author?

Neil Gaiman. The first book I read when I got back into fiction after grad school was

American Gods, and it satisfied the malaise I discussed earlier so thoroughly that I tore through the rest of the works he’d written. It also showed me a path that ultimately led me to become an author: incorporating the academic knowledge of fanciful things into story. I never had a background in creative writing so I had to learn (and continue to learn) the tricks of the trade on my own. I owe my writing profession to American Gods, and for that I’ll be forever grateful to Gaiman.

7. What book(s) are you reading now?

My partners bought me a copy of The Poetic Eddas for Christmas. I’ve been enjoying reading those, even though they’re saturated with so much misogyny (admittedly, par for the course for pretty much everything written more than half a century or so ago). It is kind of interesting to see an ethos and mythical framework that almost reads as though it were written by Ron Swanson and Tolkien.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works?

My current WIP is a postmodern adaptation of The Epic of Gilgamesh which will, undoubtedly, be the most hubris driven task of my career. Writing this has been daunting as fuck. WDTs came out pretty easily, but this one is like pulling teeth. I do think it’s a solid premise though – the deities are movie stars and celebrities and Gilgamesh is a former action star turned governor (playing off of the demi-god status of the original) and it rips into our countries fetishism with celebrity, Scientology, our corrupt political climate, etc. It may be the death of me…

9. Where can people find you online?

Here’s some links to my author’s website, my Twitter page, my Goodreads page, and my Facebook page.

10. Thank you so much! This is your chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts?

Thank you! I really appreciate you interviewing me and was thrilled to let you know a little bit about me and my writing!

BUY WILD, DARK TIMES ON AMAZON HERE

Nico Bell 1/17/20 Nico Bell 1/17/20

Horror Author Carol Gore #Interview

Carol Gore Interview

1. I’m so excited to be interviewing a fellow Rewind or Die participant! What inspired the plot for your debut novel Infested? I live in a very rural area in the south. In the summer, bugs are everywhere. A couple of years ago, I was outside with my oldest son and we were pretending that the bugs had a zombie virus and were coming to eat us. (Kids are great improv partners!) When I saw the Unnerving Magazine call for pitches inspired by video store rentals in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I knew I had to do it. I was a child at that moment in history, and remember vividly the terrifying, mysterious covers of the videotapes. (Yes, videotapes!) My sleepovers always featured them. While brainstorming pitches, I thought of buggy terrors like The Nest, Ticks, and Night of the Creeps.

2. If Infested were made into a movie, who would you cast to play your leads Casey Lovitt and Dr. Phillip Edwards? I’d love to see Sarah Goldberg, who plays Sally on the HBO series Barry, as Casey. For Phillip, I’d love to cast John Reynolds, who plays Drew on TBS’s Search Party. They aren’t big blockbuster names but I adore both of those shows and those actors are immensely talented.

3. Is any of your writing autobiographical? Do you gain inspiration from real events or people? No, and yes! My writing isn’t autobiographical (a very normal, stable, happy life doesn’t make for good fiction), but I am inspired by real events and people. I was born and raised in the south which is full of interesting characters and tall tales. Most of what I write is set in the south. It’s what I know best!

4. When did you first discover your love of writing? My mom says that before I could read or write, I’d dictate stories to her and make her write them down. I’m sure as an exhausted mother of five she just LOVED that. I was a voracious reader as a child (and I still am!) and for as long as I can remember I was writing stories down. I guess it was always in me.

5. What attracted you to the horror genre? As I mentioned, I was a kid in the glory days of horror video rentals, so I’ve always loved that genre. Horror doesn’t really scare me anymore, but I enjoy the genre in the way that it can explore character, examine primal fears that have been around since humans gathered around fires at night, and either metaphorically or literally bring to light the terrors of contemporary, modern day existence.

6. What is one thing you wish you knew about the writing world before you sat down to write your first story? I wish I knew how hard it was, how much I’d need to study the craft before I ever wrote anything publishable. I got an MFA in writing, and sitting in a room of people criticizing your fiction makes you realize that story-telling so much more than putting words on the page. After completing my MFA, it took me close to a decade (Yes, a decade) of continuous self study and many, many terrible pieces to get where I am today. Still, it’s something I’ll never truly master and I’m okay with that because that means I’ll never get bored!

7. What book(s) are you reading right now? I’m currently reading Made For Love by Alissa Nutting. She’s one of my favorite authors working today. Her short story collection Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls is a wonderful mashup of horror and humor (she even writes about how the two genres work together in the introduction) and horror and humor are two of my favorite things ever.

8. What is next for you? Anything in the works? I just finished writing a novel that’s dark comedy/horror, and I plan to start querying agents once I’m done editing, so wish me luck!

9. Where can people find you online? I’m on Twitter: HERE Look me up and say hi!

10. Thank you so much! This is you chance to say anything that wasn’t asked. Closing thoughts? I’ll take this opportunity to sell INFESTED! After seeing a grown man drained of blood by monstrous mosquitoes, Casey Lovitt and Dr. Phillip Edwards can’t deny there’s something wrong with the bugs in Green Swamp. What happened to them? Who’s responsible? And most importantly, can the infestation be stopped before the busy tourist season sees hundreds of visitors turned into bug food? Get ready for a suspenseful, twisty-turny thrill ride that is equal parts camp and heart. And please tell me what you think on Twitter or leave a review. Reader feedback helps me improve my craft, so I can achieve my main goal of writing enthralling, entertaining, and satisfying stories. Thank you, Nico! It was a pleasure.

BUY INFESTED HERE ON AMAZON

Drop your Goodreads Review of Infested here!

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