Nico Bell 4/29/22 Nico Bell 4/29/22

Horror Author Katrina Monroe Interview

Katrina Monroe Interview

1. Congratulations on your upcoming release They Drown Our Daughters! Without giving away any spoilers, could you please tell us a little about this book?

Thank you! I’m so excited for July!

On the surface, They Drown Our Daughters is about a curse that follows a line of women along several generations, which lures them into the murky water that surrounds their small town of Cape Disappointment. But at its core, the book is about the complex nature of mother/daughter relationships. It’s about how hard it is to be a mother, how frustrating it is to be a daughter, and the harm that can manifest when we think we’re protecting each other.

2. What inspired this story?

It all started with a setting. I went to visit my brother when he was still living in Seattle, and I asked him to show me the west coast. Growing up in Florida, I’d had this preconceived notion that all beaches are sunshine, white sand, and palm trees. But then we visited a beach in northern Washington, and it was just… gray. Gray sand, gray water… the place was practically deserted, and scattered along the shore were dozens of dead, dismembered crabs. It felt haunted. And then I thought, well, what if it was?

3. How would you describe your writing/brand as an author?

My CP and I have this joke that my work, in the beginning, is “all vibes, no plot.” I’m an atmospheric writer. I love to center the reader in a sense of place, to really ground them in the story while I pull them along. As a brand, though, I would describe it as feminist horror. There’s something particular about female fear. It’s subtle. It lingers. It unsettles. It lends nicely to my writing style.

4. For writers trying to break into publishing, could you please explain how you went about getting your agent?

Like most writers I know, I was plucked from the slush pile. At the time, I thought that was the biggest hurdle crossed (spoiler: it wasn’t). I’d been querying for several years, and the manuscript my agent signed me with wasn’t the first (or the second or third) manuscript I’d sent out. It’s a daunting process but, as cliché as it sounds, it only takes one “yes.” As an aside, They Drown Our Daughters wasn’t the book my agent signed. It was the second manuscript I delivered to her, and then it was initially rejected by the editor who ended up signing it almost a year to the day after. This business is likely to give you whiplash if you let it.

5. How long does it take you to write a book?

After the first couple of false starts (heartbreaking and imperative to my process, as my CP likes to remind me), I usually complete a first draft within 4-5 months. The dreaming stage before writing can last days or weeks. After the first draft, I let it sit for at least a couple of weeks before diving in for edits. When all is said and done, I think it’s a 9 month gestation for a book baby.

6. When did you first decide you wanted to be an author?

I’ve been writing stories since I was probably seven or eight. I remember a babysitter teaching me how to use quotation marks for dialogue when I showed her a story I’d written about a little girl and a leprechaun. I don’t think I ever decided to be an author. It just kind of… happened. My first full-length manuscript was a disaster, written just for the sake of writing it, but I’m a perfectionist so I sought out writing groups to help me bash it into shape. The rest, as they say, is history.

7. What is your favorite horror trope?

There’s something wrong with the house.

I adore a good haunting, especially when there’s intricate back-story involved. Give me bleeding walls and whispering pipes or give me death.

8. Thank you for joining me! Could you please tell readers where they can find you online?

Thank you! I’m on Twitter and on Instagram at @authorkatm. My website is www.katrinamonroe.com.

Nico Bell 4/26/22 Nico Bell 4/26/22

Interview with Horror Author Tim McGregor

Tim McGregor Interview

1. Thank you so much for joining me! For those who don’t know you, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work?

Thanks for hosting, Nico. I ‘m primarily a horror author that started self-publishing a while ago, and have had some success with my supernatural series, The Spookshow. The series has, bafflingly, grown to eleven books. Lately though, I’ve been drawn to the world of indie publishers who are pushing boundaries in the genre. Hearts Strange and Dreadful was published last year with Off Limits Press, to a very nice reception. This summer sees the release of my novella, Lure, published with Tenebrous Press, a scrappy new publisher that continues to impress with each publication. And yesterday, (how’s that for timing?) another novella was just announced by Cemetery Gates. Taboo in Four Colors will be part of the My Dark Library series curated by Mother Horror herself, Sadie Hartmann. I’m really excited about these two novellas, and grateful both have such fantastic publishers. April was supposed to see the release of Wasps in the Ice Cream, a coming-of-age horror novel, but that book is on hold after the publisher shut down. Back to square one on that project! I also worked briefly in film, penning the scripts to three feature films. These were straight-to-DVD genre fare, but a couple had bona fide stars like Michael Madsen and the late Luke Perry (yes, Archie’s dad!).

2. Congratulations on your upcoming novella Lure, available July 2022! Without giving away any spoilers, could you please tell us a bit about this story?

Thanks! Lure is a weird folk horror tale about a mermaid who comes to a remote fishing village to sing to the women, not the men, and lure them to her dark power. It’s part The Little Mermaid, part Jaws, and a whole lot of briny bloodshed.

3. If Lure were made into a movie, who would you cast as the protagonist?

Hmm... The protagonist is a 15-year-old boy whose world gets turned on its head. Maybe the banjo-playing kid from Deliverance? Remember him? Or maybe shake it up a little and cast Maizie Williams in the role?

4. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter” when it comes to developing a story?

I’m a plotter by nature. I learned to write via screenplays and scripts are all about outlines. But I’ve been trying to break that habit recently by throwing out everything I know about story structure and trusting my gut. A quasi-pantser? Aspiring pantser?

5. When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?

Dunno. As a kid, I think, but it seemed impossible. It took a long time and I had to unlearn a lot of bullshit before I could even think of being an author.

6. What sparked your love of the horror genre?

Movies, definitely. Staying up late at night as a kid to watch horror movies with my dad. Everything from the classic Universal monsters to inappropriate Cronenberg flicks.

7. Who is your favorite author and why?

I don’t know if I have a favorite author. I can be a bit of magpie, flitting from one fave to the next. But there are a number of authors whose work I’ve come to admire and respect, like Catherine McCarthy, Eric LaRocca, Hailey Piper, and Laurel Hightower. Oh, and Christopher Buehlman. His medieval horror epic, Between Two Fires, melted my brain.

8. Is there anything else you’d like to mention before we wrap up?

Just to say thanks for the chat. Much appreciated.

9. Where can people find you online?

Mostly on Twitter, blathering away like an idiot at @TimMcGregor1. There’s also the obligatory author website, timmcgregorauthor.com. Cheers!

Nico Bell 4/22/22 Nico Bell 4/22/22

Interview with Valkyrie Loughcrewe

1. Thank you so much for joining me! For those who don’t know you, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work?

Well I've been making music and little short horror stuff on youtube under the name surgeryhead for a while, I also make tabletop RPGs and indie games, but this whole time I've also been writing horror fiction. Short stuff mostly, mostly self published- a couple of anthologies and various stories on my website (lordsofthevideowasteland.com) but I've been writing since I was a kid, and it's always been

horror. I don't know why, just has been! And finally with Crom Cruach I seem to have come out with something people reckon is worth printing, so that's exciting!

2. Congratulations on your upcoming release Crom Cruach! Without giving away any spoilers, could you please tell us a bit about this story?

Crom Cruach is about a near future Ireland after a communist revolution has changed everything. There's a series of murders in a small rural community, and a local church is burned down, and even weirder things start to happen. This sort of kicks off a satanic panic as certain townspeople who aren't so happy with the new order pin the blame on a small commune of queer pagans. It's got black gloved killers and a good bit of gore and some really weird supernatural elements. It's also written in a sort of poetic style, like I was trying to get the prose to convey this air of ancient mysticism hanging underneath everything- but at it's heart it's like a weird VHS slasher movie.

3. What inspired Crom Cruach?

Real life politics for one, the spectre of war that hangs over Ireland, all those unresolved political tensions. The spectre of church abuses. Post Colonial trauma. But I'm obsessed with telling real stories about real things through an extremely lurid genre lense, so it's all dressed up like some kind of Dario Argento/Lucio Fulci movie. The pacing and style of the prose as well was very inspired by abrasive experimental techno, especially the band schxchxchxchx, as well as black metal and doom metal- but don't let that put you off, it's just a bit lyrical and rhymy. It doesn't go full house of leaves or anything.

4. In addition to writing, you’re also a musician. How would you classify your music?

With Surgeryhead, I suppose you could all class it as "industrial". I started off doing synthwave/french electro inspired stuff but the metal/industrial edge was always there. I like to flit between electro, dark ambient, metal, EDM... All kinds of styles! I have a thrash metal project as well which I've been having a lot of fun with called Argento. I'm nearly finished the first full length album for that called First Comes Madness... Then Comes Death! Which I sort of released on bandcamp track by track- which was a super messy way to release an album that I won't be doing again.

5. Have you ever made a soundtrack to your own stories?

Oh yes, all my music is like a soundtrack to a story I haven't written yet!

6. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, which bands?

For Crom I listened to a lot of schxchxchxchx and other artists like that- Andy Stott was another one. I have another novella out to submission right now which was a lot of darksynth and Electric Wizard, and I literally just finished writing a novel just before I started this interview which was entirely fuelled by death/doom metal. That one's gonna be gnarly.

7. What sparked your love of the horror genre?

I honestly have no idea. I've always just liked monsters and gore and ghost stories! It's something I interrogated a lot in my early 20s and tried to develop a rationale and philosophy around why I like it so much, and that helped me hone my creative voice, but nowadays i'm just sort of like "I dunno, it's cool!"

8. Where can people find you online?

I am on twitter as @surgeryhead, bandcamp as surgeryhead.bandcamp.com for all my music and lordsofthevideowasteland.com for my fiction, I have some comics I want to upload there, and I need to set up that site to link to my music properly, but the fiction part of it works fine, haha... I can never seem to find a good time to really dedicate to website maintenance.

Nico Bell 4/15/22 Nico Bell 4/15/22

HellCat Press Co-Founder Lindsay Moore Interview

Lindsay Moore Interview

1. Thank you so much for joining me! For those who don’t know you, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work?

*Dark Lady Returns* cover art by Jen Tracy (Cover art for HellCat Press Anthology)

LM: I love horror comics, so I co-founded Hellcat Press in 2014. I really wanted to put together an anthology of horror comics written and illustrated by women. I initially pitched this idea to the Boston Comics Roundtable; I had been a member for about seven years at that point, and they had put out anthologies before. I figured that they would be interested and that they’d help me out. They were not interested in the project at all. They didn’t want to be part of a female-led project or an all-female project. It was really disheartening, and when I complained about it, I was told that I could just leave. So I did. It was sort of a “fine, I’ll take my ball and go home” moment for me. I decided that I would just put out the anthology myself. I kind of figured, “people self-publish all the time, how hard can it be?” Well, putting together the first anthology was hard…but not impossible, and I had a lot of fun and met some really cool people. So I decided to do it again. It’s one of those things that gets easier each time you do it. We’ve got five anthologies out so far, and I’m hoping to do more at some point.

2. If you had to describe Hellcat Press with only three adjectives, what would those words be?

LM: Creative, fun, and spiteful (but only a little bit).

3. Do you have a favorite horror comic?

I am really into The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno, and Jordie Bellaire at the moment. I also love Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. Emily Carroll has some really great stuff out there too. I still hold out a little hope that Afterlife With Archie will come back from its hiatus.

4. What sparked your love of the horror genre?

LM: I’ve always been into weird stuff. Even as a little kid, I was drawn to the things that scared my peers. I think what really turned it into a passion for me was reading R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books. I loved those. I especially loved his Night of the Living Dummy trilogy. I was obsessed with those. Slappy is such a little bastard. He’s a lot of fun to hate. My dad’s always been into older horror films, the stuff from Universal mostly. He’s the kind of guy who will go out of his way to find something that you like so that he can talk about it with you. Like, when my cousin was obsessed with Twilight, he read the first book so they could talk about it. So my dad saw how obsessed I was with Slappy and probably thought, “she’s obsessed with an evil ventriloquist dummy, I’m pretty sure I saw a movie about one of those.” So, long story short, he showed me Magic, which is a horror/thriller about a schizophrenic ventriloquist. I was eleven. Probably not the most appropriate film to show an eleven-year-old, but it’s what got the ball rolling.

5. Running a small publishing press must come with challenges. What is something you wish you had known before opening Hellcat Press?

LM: To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, “Life, uh, finds a way of interfering with everything you have planned.” I worked in textbook publishing before starting Hellcat Press, so I had a little bit of experience. When it comes to publishing, your schedule is everything. The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to self-publish or put together a multi-contributor anthology: add in a two-week space cushion when you set your deadline. Set a “soft” deadline, then set your “hard” deadline for two weeks later. This prevents last-minute scrambling. The other piece of advice I’ll give – and I wish someone had told me this one – if you’re self-publishing, you don’t have a PR team. You are the PR team. That means reaching out and telling everyone who’ll listen about your book. You have to be proactive about it. You’re your own biggest cheerleader.

6. What do you love the most about working with authors?

LM: I love seeing how creative other people are. When you’re working alone, you’re in your own head. That’s not so bad, but it doesn’t expose you to new ideas. Working with others does. I had an especially great time working on Tales From the Public Domain and Screams Heard ’Round the World. Those were two anthologies that Hellcat put out. For Tales From the Public Domain, we asked creators to take a horror story from the public domain and adapt it. We got some really wonderful twists on old classics. I especially loved the queer retelling of Ligeia, the sci-fi spin on The Beast With Five Fingers, and the modern take of Viy. Those are concepts I never would’ve thought of, but I’m so glad that someone else did – and I’m so glad they shared it with me. For Screams Heard ’Round the World, we asked creators to take a myth, legend, or monster from another country and tell a story about it. It was a fantastic way to learn about other cultures and mythologies. It’s also fascinating to see how much overlap there is in mythology.

7. What is coming up next with Hellcat Press?

LM: Hellcat Press is on a bit of a hiatus right now. I had a baby in 2019, right after our fifth anthology came out. And then the pandemic happened. I’m currently juggling work with grad school and caring for a rambunctious toddler, but I would really love to put out more anthologies. I’d very much like to make an announcement this coming winter and put a book out in autumn of 2023. I can’t make any promises, though. I have to see how it all goes.

8. Where can people find you online?

LM: The best place to find me is probably on Twitter . I’m also on Instagram, if you want to see my knitting and cross stitch. And there’s my website, www.hellcatpress.com.

Nico Bell 4/8/22 Nico Bell 4/8/22

Interview: Horror Author Briana Morgan

Briana Morgan Interview

1. Congratulations on the upcoming release of your latest book The Reyes Incident! Without giving away any spoilers, could you tell us a bit about the premise?

Thank you! Here’s the back-cover summary:

A local legend gone haywire.

A small-town cop.

An impossible eyewitness testimony.

Which is easier to believe—that killer mermaids exist, or that one person is worth risking everything for?

For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Into the Drowning Deep comes a chilling horror story steeped in urban rumor.

2. What was the inspiration behind this book?

It’s always hard for me to pin down a single source of inspiration, but this article about an abandoned nuclear aircraft lab in Dawsonville, GA, was major. Also, this video, which I think everyone who loves spooky places should check out.

I’ve also wanted to write a killer mermaid book for a while. Those resources just provided the perfect setting for it.

3. As someone with experience in the self-publishing world, what is one tip about self-publishing you wish someone had passed on to you before you embark on that journey?

Don’t pay too much attention to what everyone else is doing. Focus on making your writing better and improving your craft with each release. The rest is just noise.

4. Do you have any marketing tips you can pass on to readers?

Make sure your profile pictures and names are the same across all your social media platforms! It makes it so much easier for readers and fans to find you.

5. In addition to writing books, you’re a part of the gaming community. What’s your favorite video game?

I want to say the entire BioShock trilogy, but if we’re going with one, the first BioShock game. I even have a tattoo inspired by it.

6. If you could turn one of your characters/stories into a video game, which would you pick and why?

Horror Author Briana Morgan

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of this! Unboxed would make a great first-person horror game. Since it’s a script, it would be fairly easy to convert, and I think there would be some solid jumpscares in the gameplay.

7. What’s the scariest horror book you’ve ever read?

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It’s also the most extreme. I don’t recommend it for the faint of heart or squeamish.

8. If you could collaborate with any author, living or dead, who would you pick?

This is so tough! Probably one of my horror friends, like Todd Keisling, Cat Scully, or Gemma Amor. I’m biased, but they’re awesome.

9. Thank you so much for chatting! Where can readers find more information about you and your work?

I am all over the Internet. For almost everything, including information about my books, check out my author website. I also have a Patreon if you’d like to support me and my writing. Otherwise, you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Thank you so, so much.

Nico Bell 10/1/21 Nico Bell 10/1/21

Interview with Horror and Fantasy Author A.I. Winters

Interview with A.I. Winters

1. Congrats on your newest publication Summoner of Sleep! Without giving away spoilers, could you please share a little about this book?

Thanks so much! Summoner of Sleep is about desperate insomniac, Ryder Ashling. He’s lost his job, his wife, and now he’s doubting his sanity. Behind his descent are horrific nightmares, so vivid that they follow him into the waking world. When he discovers his neighbor has been monitoring his nightmares with scientific precision and leaving him vials of a drug called Summoner of Sleep, things get weirder. His neighbor disappears and Ryder follows his trail to Marble Woods, a town erased from all maps after a historical atrocity. Now it’s whispered to be the home of marble-skinned demons, as well as the source of the plants used to manufacture Summoner of Sleeper. As Marble Woods reveals its secrets, Ryder comes face to face with the darkest of family secrets and is forced to make a decision that will change the fate of the world.

2. What was your inspiration for writing Summoner of Sleep?

Some nights I would wake up after having a good dream and think to myself “why can’t I have those kinds of dreams all the time?” It would be SO MUCH better to have dreams of flying through the galaxy, hanging out with your favorite musicians, and eating all the donuts you want. I had the same thought when I woke up after a bad or boring dream. Who wants to dream about grocery shopping, falling, or being chased? This sparked the idea for Summoner of Sleep. I thought it would be a neat concept to have a character who tries to perfect dreams using magic. I’ve always been interested in dreams, which is why they are prevalent in all my stories. Summoner of Sleep allowed me to really explore my own dreams and how they impact me on a day-to-day basis. I love that a lot of my readers have shared their dreams with me and how this book has impacted them.

3. If Summoner of Sleep was made into a movie, who would you want to play Ryder Ashling and why?

Great question. Ryder Ashling is tall, pale, lanky, with dark features, so probably someone like Adrian Brody would be a good fit. Plus, he’s super talented and I think could really bring the character to life a la The Jacket.

4. You’re also the author of the Strange Luck series. Could you tell us a little about them?

There are three books in the Strange Luck series, Strange Luck, The Nightmare Birds, and A Darling Secret. They chronicle the supernatural adventures of Daisy Darling– an eighteen-year-old with a weakness for chocolate cake and fairy tales. She must leave the confines of her inherited antique shop to find a cure for her ailing father. Along the way she encounters time-altering portals, beautiful and sinister landscapes, and characters from her childhood stories. I’ve been told the series in comparable to a dark Alice in Wonderland meets The Neverending Story.

5. What sparked your interest in the fantasy and horror genres?

I like stories where anything can happen and these two genres definitely have no limits. It’s so much fun writing about everything from other worlds, magic, to monsters. It’s a fun, creative process that I really enjoy.

6. If you could collaborate with any author, dead or alive, who would you pick?

H.P. Lovecraft. After all these years of reading Lovecraft, a single sentence can still send a shiver down my spine and inspire me on so many levels. I picture everything he writes so vividly and that to me is pure talent.

7. If you had to describe your writing style or “brand” to readers in a single sentence, what would it be?

I like it spooky.

8. You mention on your website that in addition to writing, you enjoy baking. Me too, especially around Halloween! Do you have a favorite spooky recipe?

Yes! I usually bake healthy, sugar-free things, but sometimes I splurge. My favorite recipe is pumpkin spice streusel muffins. I’m salivating just thinking about them. :P

9. Do you have a favorite horror movie you love to watch during the spooky season?

I love to watch all the classics, but my absolute favorite is Evil Dead 2.

10. This is your chance! Is there anything else you’d like to mention? Also, where can people find you online?

You can learn more about me and my books at: aiwinters.com. Buy all the books on Amazon.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. You can also sign up for my newsletter here.

Nico Bell 2/16/21 Nico Bell 2/16/21

Interview with Horror Author Julian Michael Carver

Interview with Julian Michael Carver

1. Congratulations on your most recent book Megacroc! Can you please tell us a little about the plot (no spoilers!)?

Sure! Megacroc is a creature-feature horror novel based in a fictional Florida community. The general spoiler-free summary is this: There is a creature near the Everglades picking off residents near a housing development. The police and the Coast Guard are brought in to investigate, leading to a chain of events that threatens the lives of everyone involved. If you love horror like Lake Placid or Blood Surf, you'll love Megacroc.

2. What was your inspiration for this book?

I got the idea because my favorite type of horror is crocodile or reptile based creature-horror, and there aren't many books/movies about crocodiles as the antagonist. I have plans for several more Megacroc stories, one of which (Megacroc:Origins) is coming out this year. I think the big-name crocodile horror films really helped to inspire me as well namely Lake Placid, Blood Surf, Freshwater, and Killer Crocodile.

3. When did you love of creature features begin?

My Nanna let me rent the rated R film Python when I was eight years old. I thought it was probably one of the coolest plots in a horror film ever! Obviously other films helped to motivate me as well like Jurassic Park, Carnosaur, Red Water, Jaws, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Valley of Gwangi. I also couldn't get enough of the Godzilla movies, and was addicted to the cartoon Godzilla: The Series, which aired every Saturday morning. When I went to the movie rental store, I would often just look at how cool the VHS covers for Critters and Critters 2 were. Steve Alten who wrote the MEG novels is also a big motivator for me.

4. Tell us a little about “The Backpack Dinosaur.” Will there be more books in the series?

The Backpack Dinosaur started with an idea of a series that resembled chapter books from the 90's like Goosebumps and The Bailey School Kids. It is a book series that follows two siblings and their pet velociraptor, that they hatched from a mysterious egg that they found in an alley behind their home. The raptor quickly becomes a household pet, and often comes in handy throughout their various adventures in the series. The Backpack Dinosaur is a self-published series, and as such it has been difficult to gain traction and readers. It is a passion project, because I loved books like this growing up. By a chance meeting with a Barnes and Noble associate on Goodreads named Glen, it has secured limited brick and mortar distribution – something I never thought would happen with my self-published books! I am preparing a pitch to Barnes and Noble corporate to try to help the books get into more locations. Currently I am trying to write at least one The Backpack Dinosaur book a year.

5. If one of your books was made into a SciFi Original movie, who would you want to play the leads?

First of all, that would be a dream come true – one of my books becoming a B monster movie. I guess it wouldn't matter who would be in it, just as long as it eventually happens (hint: SyFy - check out my books!)

6. If you could make any creature from any creature feature real and turn them into your pet, which would you pick and why?

Hmmm. Good Question. Maybe the compys from The Lost World: Jurassic Park, because they're adorable!

7. Who is your favorite author?

Steve Alten who writes the MEG novels. I have read most of them! Also he is probably one of the most well-known creature horror novelists because of the success of MEG. Michael Crichton would be my other big influence.

8. What book are you reading right now?

I am currently reading through the Aliens books! They are great! I'm on the first one, Aliens: Earth Hive by Steve Perry.

9. Where can people find you online?

I am most platforms! But I am most active on Twitter and Facebook . My YouTube channel is JMC talks, where I occasionally post reviews about creature horror films and books. My Instagram is also julianmcarver. I'm on Goodreads and Amazon as well, obviously.

10. This is you chance! Is there anything you’d like to say that hasn’t been mentioned?

If anyone reading this has a kid who loves dinosaurs, please check out The Backpack Dinosaur series! It is a great series, but has been hard to gain traction because they are self-published. They are produced to look as commercial as a Big-5 published books look. And please, if you read them or want to read them please leave an honest review wherever applicable. Thanks so much to all my readers!

Check out all Julian’s incredible work on his Amazon author page HERE

Nico Bell 2/11/21 Nico Bell 2/11/21

Micro-Interviews for Shiver Horror Authors Stephanie Rabig

Interview with Stephanie Rabig

1. What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)

A nightmare. Yaaaaay, 2020 dreams!

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Honestly, a monster could've snuck up on me at any point and when it's cold out, I wouldn't know. As soon as the temperature dips below forty I turn into a pillbug whenever I have to be outside.

3. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why?

MacReady, no question. I would die horribly either way, but at least in The Thing I'd have a chance to steal MacReady's glorious hat, and wouldn't that make it worth it?

4. Where can people find you online?

I'm on Twitter and my website is stephanierabig.weebly.com. ((I'm also on Pinterest, Instagram, and Tiktok, but those two are the constant))

Interview with Red Lagoe

1. What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)

Sometimes I know exactly where I get my ideas from, and sometimes, when I’m writing for a submission call like this, I just let my brain wander through different scenarios until I find a problem and the right character to face it. So there was no specific inspiration for this particular story, other than a trek through my own head.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

I grew up in upstate NY, where lake-effect snow and bone-chilling winters are the norm. While I don’t have any spooky, cold weather occurrences that I can recall, I have about a dozen scary winter-driving stories. One time, I had to sleep in my car, overnight during a blizzard. Honestly, we could have died if we didn’t have blankets and provisions, but my boyfriend (now-husband) and I bundled up, turned on the engine from time to time, and kept warm until morning when we could shovel the car out.

3. The Abominable Snowman is hunting you. How do you defeat it?

I almost went into the deepest depths of internet research on Yeti folklore to find weaknesses, but instead, I’ll just wing it... I think fire would likely play a role for a quick blazing end. But if I need to get craftier, I’d figure out what it eats, and start feeding him that (hopefully not people. Look out, trekking team). Over time, I’d tame the beast and we would hunt the snowy wilderness together, chasing down violators of the earth and devouring their remains. If the beast is far too abominable to tame, and it continues its attempt to hunt me, then I shall put it down while it sleeps. I’m not a monster, after all. Then, I’d live off its carcass, wear its hide, thus becoming the new Abominable Snowman.

4. Where can people find you online?

I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Insta. I also dabble a little with Goodreads and have a website. www.redlagoe.com

Nico Bell 1/28/21 Nico Bell 1/28/21

Micro-Interviews with Shiver Horror Authors Jeremy Megargee, Sarah Jane Huntington, and Emily Reinhardt

Interview with Author Jeremy Megargee

1. What was the inspiration for your story?

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of an old school prison chain gang, and the idea began to stir in my head about what might happen if you were lucky enough to be opportunistic and escape, but the person you’re chained to is a total nutjob. I explore that theme with “Men or Moles”…and I incorporated that dynamic into these two very different individuals being forcibly isolated together during a blizzard.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

I can’t pinpoint a specific scenario, but for me, the worst part of the cold is the wind. When it’s so bitter out and the wind becomes knife-like, you almost feel like you’re being stabbed numerous times, this invisible blade cutting right through your clothes and slicing down to the marrow of your bones.

3. The Abominable Snowman is hunting you. How do you defeat it?

I’m gonna use a flamethrower. I’ll roast him alive and survive the harsh winter chewing on juicy Abominable Snowman meat.

4. Where can people find you online?

I’m most active on Instagram

Interview with Author Sarah Jane Huntington

1. What was your inspiration: The inspiration for my story Snow woman came from Japanese folklore. There are not many stories about her and I wanted to bring her into modern times. She was my Grandads favorite Yokai and mine also. I like situations where survival seems impossible. I hoped to make the reader wonder what they would do in such a situation.

2. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why?

I'd absolutely choose RJ MacReady. The Thing is my favorite movie and I love the whole concept. It may also mean that I'd be able to get my hands on a flamethrower too.

3. What is your favorite winter activity? Favorite winter activity is walking. I like making fresh prints in the snow. My dog loves it too. He has doggy snow boots so we walk happily for lots of miles.

3. I'm only on Twitter

Interview with Author Emily Reinhardt

What inspired your story? It was a passing thought, really. The chain of them that we all have in our minds just led me to thinking about shows like Ghost Whisperer, and the idea sort of materialized from there.
Do you have any spooky chilling stories? When I was a girl scout, the group of us were on a camping trip where they filmed the footage for the Blair Witch Project, because it's a state park that was near where we lived. It was an unnaturally cold fall, or maybe just getting into the winter season, and we were all huddled together in the tent for warmth. Before any of us had even fallen asleep, we started hearing this creepy, mournful-sounding moaning in the distance, like an animal lowing. It kept on for most of the night, and we never found out what it was. The scary stories I told them, using it as background flavor, didn't help anyone sleep, either.
3. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why? If we're going by where I think I stand a better chance of survival, I guess I'd rather spend the winter with Jack Torrance. A form-stealing monster seems like a lot for me to handle. I'm much more well-versed in ghosts. If, instead, we're talking about which character/story I prefer more, that's a much more difficult question.
4. Where can people find you online? Aside from my attempted blogs and such, which are relics of a bygone era, I'd suggest checking me out on Instagram, where I go by uniquelyportable.

Nico Bell 1/21/21 Nico Bell 1/21/21

Mirco-Interviews for Shiver Anthology Authors Lillah Lawson, Mason McDonald, and Alex Ebenstein

Horror Author Lillah Lawson

1. What was the inspiration for your story?

Several years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) and I moved into this very old, huge farmhouse just outside of Athens, GA. The landlord told us the day we signed the lease that it was haunted, and went onto say that a previous tenant had been a practicing witch and that we mind find some interesting things on the property. Needless to say, we had some very, very strange, spooky and cool experiences in that house! Spirits were felt, ghosts were seen (and heard), and we found a huge, elaborate pagan altar out in the woods!

2 Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

I'm not sure why, but most of the spooky/supernatural experiences I've had in my life all seemed to occur in the cold months. There has to be something to that...

I've had a few different ghostly experiences in various places and they were all in the winter time! I currently live in "the holler" and we're in a secluded spot up a hill, in front of a huge expanse of forest that leads to a creek. Some of the critters and otherworldly sounds we hear at night will chill your blood!

3. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shining) and why?

I'm sure I'm utterly predictable, but I'm going with ol' Jackie Torrance. Stephen King is my favorite "modern" author and I'd give my eyeteeth to visit the Overlook Hotel. I'd like to think I could match him drink for drink and best him at his own game. If nothing else, I'd be helping Dick Hallorran with whatever he might need. He's my favorite character! True story: I have a horror-movie themed bathroom and we have bathmats that match the carpet from the Overlook.

4. Where can people find you online?

All the usual places: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Goodreads,. You can also find me at lillahlawson.com.

Horror Author Mason McDonald

1. What was your inspiration for your story?

Honestly, and this is probably a lame answer, I don't usually start with an idea in mind for a project. Every time I try to write something with an idea in mind, a goal if you will, it stalls on me. Every finished piece of work I have ever done, this story included, was done simply by me sitting down and writing the first sentence that comes to mind, and going from there. I take pantsing to whole new level, I think. I will say that Lake Namara is named after the late Michelle McNamara. I was reading her excellent book I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK and wanted to include her name somehow.

2. Do you have any chilling winter stories of your own?

My first time driving in a winter storm was at night as a teenager in 2014 coming home from my shift at Walmart(fastest turkey slinger in any meat department this side of Montreal). Over 2 meters of snow in spots, zero visibility, and nothing but your hopes and prayers to get you home safely. At one point either myself or the driver of a snow plow had veered into the wrong lane and for three or four of the most terrifying moments of my life, I was playing chicken with a snowplow. Needless to say, I survived. But man, did I ever almost not.

3. Do you have a favorite hot drink you like on a cold nigiht?

My favourite hot beverage to drink while reading a cold themed book is an Irish coffee, heavy on the accent, hold the coffee. Twitter is the only place I'm active, @Mas0nMcD0nald.

4. Where can people find you online?

Twitter is the only place I'm active

Horror Author Alex Ebenstein

1. What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)

The Lost Lake Massacre is based on a true story! Okay…so maybe not quite. But I do have a group of friends from high school that are like brothers, and every winter we go up to my family cottage on Lost Lake with the sole purpose of catching up and finishing a keg of beer. So yeah, every character in the story is based on that group, including me…

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Alex Ebenstein

I’ve never seen any monsters out in the cold, but one time in high school me and a few friends went to Lake Michigan (in the town near the cottage mentioned above) and decided to walk out onto the pier. Problem was, a Michigan winter of ice and snow had piled up several feet high, leaving a 1-2 foot wide path to walk on, with a drop-off on one side and a steep slope on the other. At one spot my friend slipped and nearly slid down into the icy waters below, with little chance of easy rescue. It was a heck of an experience, but incredibly stupid and dangerous.

3. What is your favorite winter activity?

I’ve lived my whole life in Michigan (and there’s a good chance I’ll spend the rest of it here, too) so you’d probably think I enjoy doing something outside in the winter. Well, I don’t, and I hate winter. My idea of a fun winter activity is literally anything I can do inside my warm house knowing I don’t have anywhere to go and don’t have to risk my life driving on treacherous roads (It’s possible I live in the wrong state).

4. Where can people find you online?

I spend a silly amount of time on Twitter – come say hi. I also have a website that could use a little more love – www.alexebenstein.com

Nico Bell 1/12/21 Nico Bell 1/12/21

Micro-Interviews for Shiver Horror Authors

Michael Tichy Interview

1. What was the inspiration for your story?

I have family roots in Hungary and am drawn to its history and mythology. A lot of the latter seems to have been erased by the church and political forces. I look for little pieces where I can find them and maybe on some level I wanted to reclaim some of the pre-Christian paganism in this story.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Two winters ago I stayed in an off the grid cabin for an even colder than average Imbolc (February 1-2). It was spooky but I wouldn’t say chilling exactly. I did some ritual magic that marked my serious commitment to this creative path. The only spirits in attendance were definitely on the guest list.

3. What's your favorite hot beverage to sip while reading a cold-themed book?

I don’t drink a lot of hot beverages. But I’ll make you a White Russian that I guarantee will warm your blood.

4. Where can people find you online?

mettamike.wordpress.com is my blog where I post my book reviews and such. Twitter

Mark Wheaton Interview

1. A few years back, I was at a sled dog training facility in Alaska where I listened to several wild tales of real-life trail dangers from mushers who’d competed in the Iditarod and Yukon Gold races, from drift ice to bull moose to the unexplained. I’ve always enjoyed writing stories from the points of view of non-anthropomorphized animals, so it seemed like a natural fit to write a tale that took place in this real-life setting centered around the very capable lead dog of a sled team.

2. I once flew up to a small logging town around Prince George, British Columbia in the dead of winter. Flying miles and miles over endless, snow-covered spruce forests in a tiny, easily tossed plane with the knowledge that if you even survive a crash, you’re hundreds of miles from any kind of rescue was chilling, sure, but also exhilarating (death by wolf...or hypothermia?!). With temperatures well below freezing even in the middle of the day, I’ve never been anywhere so cold before or since.

Mark Wheaton

3. My favorite winter activity is hitting a blizzard-struck Prospect Park in Brooklyn with my kids. They don’t believe in, say, Santa Claus or his reindeer, but they do believe in gigantic fire-breathing ice dragons. Naturally and for years, whenever there’s a big snow in New York, we’ve gone off looking for evidence to bolster this belief. Fallen trees? Must be the landing spot of a flying dragon. A long gash in the slush that to an uninformed observer look like tire tracks? Made by a dragon dragging its scaly tail. A chunk of ice in an unusual shape? Perhaps an ice dragon’s cast-off claw or scale. Suspiciously bald spots in the snow? Evidence of a tremendous fire battle between these monstrosities or, perhaps, a pair of wyverns happily warming each other up on a cold winter’s day when no humans are around.

4. Online I’m at https://www.twitter.com/Mark_Wheaton or https://www.Mark-Wheaton.com

Ian Bain Interview

1. The catalyst for my story in Shiver ("In the Empty, Snowy Field") is a snowmobile crash way out in the bush. This was a pretty easy idea for me, as growing up I'd gotten ATVs and friends' snow mobiles (we just call them "sleds") stuck way out in the forest. As a kid, my anxiety would always kick in and I'd start asking myself am I ever going to get back home? Am I going to freeze to death out here? What will happen to me if I return home without the sled? Snowmobile accidents are also, sadly, extremely common in our neck of the woods; we can't go a winter without multiple fatal crashes. I can't say much else without spoiling the story, but I really wanted to play with the mental effect the cold can have on our minds.

2. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why?
As much as The Thing is my all-time favourite movie, I'll take winter at the Overlook. I've never found Jack Torrance to be all that frightening; I think I could take him in a fight.

3: You can find me on Twitter at @bainwrites and my sporadically-updated website ianabain.wordpress.com

Nico Bell 1/7/21 Nico Bell 1/7/21

Micro-Interviews for Shiver Horror Authors Ziaul Moid Khan, Jessie Small, and Sam Sumpter

Interview with Horror Author Ziaul Moid Khan, Jessie Small, and Sam Sumpter

Q.1. What was the inspiration for your story (The Two Bio Lab Skeletons)?

Ziaul Moid Khan

Ans. I was deputed on the invigilation duty during a home board examination in the academic institution I serve as an English instructor. It was a biology laboratory, situated in the basement of the school, where I spotted two human skeletons and suddenly conceived an inspiration to work on this project. So I — at once — took a blank supplementary sheet and began to scribble down the outlines of this work, simultaneously titling it. As the last bell rang and the exam of the students got over, the first draft of The Two Bio Lab Skeletons was finished.

Q. 2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Ans. Yes. I must be eight or ten years old when I first read the Hindi translation of Bram Stoker’s mammoth work, Dracula. It was a winter night. I was in my blanket with a kerosene lamp beside me. And I was reading about the three witches, who were trying to suck Jonathan Harker’s blood. I was scared to my bones as I read the text and it was literally a chilling experience. I had to put down the novel to read it the next day, for I feared to read on at that moment.

Q. 3. The Abominable Snowman is hunting you. How do you defeat it?

Ans. By promising it that I would like to write its story and tell it to the whole world. It would definitely like this idea and befriend with me, for everyone and everything is virtuous deep down the heart. I agree with Selma Lagerlöf’s point of view that the essential goodness in a human being can be awakened through love and understanding. This could be true with a snowman too, I opine. Death comes only once in life, so why to be fearful of it, by the way. Moreover I try to win people and not to defeat them. And a snowman is after all—a snow(man).

Q. 4. Where can people find you online?

Ans. Here and Here and Here too.

Interview with Horror Author Jessie Small

Question: What was the inspiration for your story?

In the before times, I had been feeling a little homesick for Nebraska. A friend took me out for coffee and shopping. At one point in the day we found ourselves in a metaphysical supply store. I was picking out some incense and found a small white rabbit hiding on the shelf. It didn’t have a price tag so I set it back down and moved on. By the time I made it to the cashwrap, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I went back to find it and asked if it was for sale. The owner asked me why I wanted this particular rabbit (I hadn't noticed it at first but there were a bunch decorating the store). I told her it reminded me of home. She wrapped it up and gave it to me. I wrote the first draft of Bad Bunnies that night.

Question: Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

I grew up in an old farmhouse so the only heat source was a wood burning stove. It was right next to the front door, which was perfect because when you came inside it warmed you up immediately. Even better, the floor in that room was all tile and brick, so if the wood stove was roaring hot the floors would retain heat. I remember my family coming home late one night after our school Christmas concert. It had been snowing and blowing for a few hours. The wood stove was ripping hot so I peeled off my boots and winter clothes to warm up next to it. About a foot away from the stove, the size of a dinner plate, there was this spot that was freezing cold. Everywhere around that spot was warm to the touch. No one had been in the house for hours, nothing had been sitting there prior, it was just this ice cold spot on the floor next to the stove. After a few moments it was just as warm as the rest of the floor.

Question: Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why?

Antarctica, for sure. Christmas in solitude even with MacReady, no problem. The Overlook has too many doors and surprises behind them.

QuestionWhere can people find you online?

You can find me on Instagram and Twitter

interview with horror author Sam Sumpter

What was the inspiration for your story?

In December 2019, I was driving by myself from Seattle to my family’s cabin in rural Idaho. The drive takes you over a couple mountain passes then into this big high valley. The last part of the drive is off the main highway, using straight dirt roads that cut through flat farm and ranch land. Something about the mountains and the atmosphere often holds clouds down over that flat valley land, over the cows and things. That December, there was the usual couple feet of snow on the ground around the highway, but the road itself was clear and there hadn’t been much falling snow during the drive. It was starting to get dark by the time I got into the valley, and it started really snowing. When I turned off the main highway onto the backroads, it almost instantly got SUPER foggy. I couldn’t remember ever seeing such dense white fog in the winter — whiteouts from snow, yes, but not fog. Between the fog, snow, and setting sun, I couldn’t see more than a car-length or two in front of me, it really felt like driving through a dream in the spookiest and best way. That single stretch of road was such a Big Vibe that it really stuck with me, and when I was writing The Pass, I started out knowing I wanted to end up there.

Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Honestly, so many. I grew up in Colorado, Nebraska, and Idaho, so I have a lot of cold weather and remote places to choose from, and I’m also a deeply anxious person with an imagination directly tuned into a vast library of worst case scenarios. A lot of the chilling experiences I can think of are times I (stupidly) drove through very bad weather on poorly-traveled windy roads. One non-driving experience is actually the tail end of the foggy drive that inspired The Pass. At the time, I was working on finishing grad school, and had been making next to zero progress on my dissertation while working full time, so I decided to spend a week holed up alone in the mountains to try and finish writing a chapter. I went with just my dog, who is a very confident but ultimately 0% intimidating elderly french bulldog. I joked with people before I left that either my dissertation was going to kill me, or an axe-murderer-slash-monster would, but I didn’t actually expect to be scared by being alone.

When I got in it was fully dark out. The cabin has one main room with a porch that wraps all the way around it, and the curtains on the windows are impossible to completely close. I couldn’t stop imagining that a variety of murderers were standing on the porch peeking through the curtains. To try to relax before going to sleep, I was watching TV on the couch with my dog sitting next to me. Normally she’s really chill and sleepy. But the little jerk (who I love) kept randomly perking up on high alert and barking directly at the door like she’d heard something on the porch. I had a miserable time falling asleep, and in the middle of the night there was this loud crashing noise right outside the wall behind my head — exactly the kind of noise you would expect a league of murderers to make while breaking into an isolated cabin. (In the morning I realized it was a big drift of snow falling off the roof.)

What's your favorite hot beverage to sip while reading a cold-themed book?

My go-to is rye whiskey + lemon ginger tea + a lil honey.

Where can people find you online?

Twitter (which I dislike and rarely use)

Website: samsumpter.com

Nico Bell 1/4/21 Nico Bell 1/4/21

Micro-Interviews for Shiver Anthology Authors Charles Maria Tor and Eric Raglin

Interview with Author Charles Maria Tor

1. What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)
I wrote it around a character whose life is similar to mine in order to convince myself not to take Datura. I was inspired to save me from myself.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?
I fell into a creek while vacationing on a snowy mountain once. I managed to get out without losing much body heat, but the experience itself chilled me to my core

3. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why?
MacReady, for sure. Unless we’re talking about the version of him that survives at the end of the film and clearly isn’t breathing, in which case probably Jack.

4. The Abominable Snowman is hunting you. How do you defeat it?
Assuming I have a ranged weapon, I would backtrack my footprints and snipe it.

5. Where can people find you online?
charlestor.com

Interview with Author Eric Raglin

1. What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)

I'm interested in both climate change and how capitalism manages to monetize anything it can get its hands on. Both of these interests informed the story.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Photo by **Hugo Ceneviva** from **Pexels**

Yes! Once, on a blustery snow day, my partner and I were walking to the grocery store. The weather was bad enough that no one else was out. As we passed a phone booth, it suddenly started ringing. Spooked, we didn't answer it, but I wonder what would have happened if we did.

3. What is your favorite winter activity?

I love taking a walk in the woods when there's fresh snow on the ground. A gorgeous nature experience!

4. Where can people find you online?

You can find me at www.ericraglin.com or on Twitter

Nico Bell 12/29/20 Nico Bell 12/29/20

Micro-Interviews for Shiver Horror Authors Erin Louis and Brennan LaFaro

Allow me to introduce you to a few of the contributing authors to Shiver Anthology in these little micro-interviews!

Horror Author Erin Louis

1. What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)

Part of the inspiration for the story came from writing the story itself. This year has been great for family time, but tricky for finding the solitude for writing.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

One winter morning when I was 10 I was digging a trail in my backyard. It was shortly after my mom and I had moved to the country from the suburbs in southern California. I was singing as I was digging and I uncovered the most hideously frightening looking creature in the dirt. I dropped my shovel and ran screaming into the house. Turned out to be just a potato bug.

3. Would you rather spend Christmas in Antarctica with RJ MacReady (The Thing) or spend the winter with Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel (The Shinning) and why?

As a woman who likes to fix broken men, I would have to choose Jack Torrence and the Overlook. What a challenge........

4. Where can people find you online?

I can be found on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and my website

Horror Author Brennan LaFaro

What was the inspiration for your story? (No spoilers!)

Author Brennan LaFaro

For starters, my family would always vacation in New Hampshire when I was younger, usually both in the winter and summer. I grew up in Massachusetts so snow wasn't some great miracle, but there was something about staying in a rustic cottage surrounded by snow. (No cable, yikes) To be fair, I never stayed in one quite as isolated as the one in "A Shine in the Woods"

The ocean is famous for being so big it's impossible for people to know every inch of it and what could be lurking within, but I've always felt like big sprawling woods, acres and acres wide, had that element too. It's why we can't write off Bigfoot and other cryptids. Those types of areas are just too big to definitively prove something doesn't exist. Unknown quantities are always terrifying.

2. Have you ever had a chilling experience in the cold?

Wouldn't it be great to have a story to share here?

I wish I had some thrilling or chilling supernatural experience to give you, but if I did, you'd probably be reading an exaggerated version of it in Shiver. The scariest thing I've ever done in the cold is learn to drive during a New England winter.

3. What is your favorite winter activity?

One thing I miss about snowy winters as a kid is the lack of responsibility. Not having to shovel driveways, rake the roof, or perform other tedious backache-inducing activities. But coming inside after that's done and parking on the couch with a book and a beverage is second to none. You appreciate the warmth and the relaxation that much more.

4. Where can people find you online?

I'm most active on twitter, but you can find me on Instagram too. I've got a blog devoted to book reviews at http://brennanlafaro.wordpress.com, though it doesn't get updated as often as it used to.

Nico Bell 10/30/20 Nico Bell 10/30/20

Horror Author Tim Prasil #Interview

Tim Prasil Interview

1. Congratulations on your books Help for the Haunted and Guilt is a Ghost! Can you tell us a little about this series?

The Vera Van Slyke Ghostly Mysteries series spotlights a journalist living in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Think of the muckrakers such as Nellie Bly, Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell, and Jacob Riis. On the one hand, Vera crusades against phony Spiritualist mediums, but on the other, she fully believes in ghosts. She explains this seeming contradiction by saying, “Ghosts are like cats. They’re real—but they hardly come when called.” One Spiritualist medium Vera defrauded was Lida Prášilová. The fake psychic agreed to share her professional secrets with the journalist, which led to a ghost hunt – which led to a deep friendship. Chronicling the ghostly investigations she shared with Vera over the years, Lida became a Dr. Watson to a very distinctive, quirky, and funny Sherlock Holmes.

2. When did your interest in the paranormal and dark fiction begin?

I think it was Friday nights when WGN, the Chicago TV station, aired its weekly “Creature Features” movies. Something about those old Universal Studios monsters sparked my interest. Oddly enough, my reading leaned toward – not Edgar Allan Poe and his type – but Nathaniel Hawthorne and authors who seasoned very relatable, very human stories with a dash of supernatural spice. I think this shows in the Vera Van Slyke stories, which read less like horror and more like mystery or even historical fiction.

3. Have you ever seen a ghost or been ghost hunting?

I volunteer at our local community theater, and it’s alleged to be haunted. (We’ve had ghost hunters investigate the place on a few occasions. Diagnosis: probably haunted.) Personally, I’ve heard my name whispered by a disembodied voice. I’ve caught a corner-of-the-eye glimpse of . . . someone . . . someone who turned out to not be there. Others have experienced similar phenomena there, too. Is it a ghost? I’m prefer to leave it at “wonder” rather than pin it down with “belief or disbelief.”

4. Let’s talk a little about writing. What would you say is your writing kryptonite?

I’ve heard other authors gripe about editing. I guess they love the early drafts, the initial creation process. I’m sort of the opposite. While I do enjoy that discovery stage—finding out where the story takes itself, often against my original plans—I see it as the most laborious and certainly the slowest. It’s like making clay from thin air, so maybe that’s my kryptonite. Once that clay exists, though, I especially relish molding and shaping and adding the fine details.

5. Who is your favorite author?

Do people really have a favorite author? I can’t say that I do. I lean toward authors who mix a touch of fantasy with otherwise very realistic, very human stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Shirley Jackson, and Ray Bradbury come to mind. Character and plot, I think, are equally important and even symbiotic. I shy away from authors who lean hard on just plot.

6. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?

I’m halfway through the next Vera Van Slyke Ghostly Mystery! A major, never-ending project is my indy press, called Brom Bones Books. Along with the earlier Vera Van Slyke series, I’ve put out a collection of poetry (if you want to call it that) titled The Lost Limericks of Edgar Allan Poe along with a couple of non-fiction books about Victorian-era ghost chronicles. I also anthologize “forgotten” fiction, such as ghost stories, occult detective fiction, and right now I’m working on a book of tales about life on the Moon written from the rise of the telescope to the point when it was pretty much agreed that life can’t exist on Earth’s loveliest satellite.

7. Where can people find you online?

My main site, and I also try very hard to be funny on Facebook and Twitter. I’d be happy to read you a story on the YouTube channel for Brom Bones Books.

8. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?

Visit the For Fun and Edification wing of BromBonesBooks.com to walk down the Ghost Hunter Hall of Fame, stroll through the Chronological Bibliography of Early Occult Detectives, and giggle at Old Phantoms with New Captions.

Nico Bell 10/23/20 Nico Bell 10/23/20

Horror Author David Sodergren #Interview

David Sodergren Interview

1. Congratulations on the publication of your most recent book Dead Girl Blues? Can you please tell us a little about it?

Thank you very much! Dead Girl Blues is a violent mystery-horror that takes inspiration from hard-boiled noir detective fiction and slasher films, particularly the Italian thrillers of the 1970s known as giallo films. It’s a tale of obsession, as one woman is drawn into the murky world of snuff movies.

It’s my third novel, and moves away from the more explicitly supernatural elements of my first two into a grittier, more realistic style.

2. You’ve self-published multiple novels. What is something you wish you knew about self-publishing before you started that journey?

To be honest, I’m still learning every day! I think most people are. Some elements — for example advertising — I’ve not even scratched the surface of. Then there are the tiny details, the minutiae that I had never even considered when I first sat down and started writing. For example, what size do I want the book to be? I prefer the smallest trim size, closer to the classic mass-market paperback size, but that means less words per-page, which then means more pages, and ultimately less profit per-book sold, as Amazon charges per-page for their printing costs. But I’ve muddled through with the help of some authors who’ve been here before me.

And Google, of course. Where would I be without Google?

3. For those who want to self-publish, can you share some marketing tips you’ve found successful?

If I knew the answer to this, I’d have sold more books haha! For me, social media is key. I was lucky in that I had a mildly popular Instagram account when I first published, so I had a built-in audience ready to buy my first book. After that, all you’ve really got is word-of-mouth.

Otherwise, just be yourself on social media. Post about your interests, try to be funny. I’ve lost count of the amount of books I’ve bought purely because the author seemed like a nice person who was clearly very into horror. It doesn’t always pay off, but I’ve discovered some of my favourite new authors that way, people like Bradley Freeman, Steve Stred, and Gemma Amor.

4. What is your horror “brand”?

I guess it’s a sort-of ‘modern-retro’. All my influences are from the 50s to the 80s, and my work definitely shares a similarly grimy, sex-and-violence packed aesthetic with those books and films, from the covers to the contents. However, I got fed up with the lack of diversity in old horror stories, and in particular the trope of the square-jawed, pipe-smoking professor-hero so prevalent across the genre. Due to this, I try to make my main characters a lot more interesting and relatable to a modern audience.

5. When did you first develop a love for horror?

It goes back as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are watching the 1933 King Kong on TV, as well as Jack Arnold’s fifties monster classic Tarantula. Before I started school I was collecting rubber skeletons. By age eight I had my own glow-in-the-dark replica Jason Voorhees hockey mask. It’s in my blood, and several decades later, I’m still as passionate about the genre as I have ever been.

It helps that horror is in such a healthy state at the moment, especially in literature. It feels like every week there are a bunch of great new releases, and exciting up-and-coming or brand new authors. Critics of self-publishing maintain — sometimes correctly — that it has allowed any old numpty with a computer to publish their garbage. That may be true, but it’s also opened the doors to many immensely talented authors. I find myself reading less and less traditionally published material these days. The fringes are always where you get the most exciting stuff.

6. What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Kill River 3 by Cameron Roubique, the third part of his epic slasher trilogy, and it’s been worth the wait. By the time I finish that, Laurel Hightower’s new book Crossroads should be out. I’m also re-reading Stephen Thrower’s two epic books on the life and films of Spanish erotic-horror specialist Jess Franco.

7. Let’s have a little fun. Would you rather live in the world from A Quiet Place or live in Derry from It?

It would have to be Derry, as I live with a pug who is incapable of staying quiet. If he’s not barking at shadows cast by the trees, he’s slumped across my shoulders snoring loudly.

We wouldn’t last five seconds in A Quiet Place!

8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?

Next is my Halloween release, a blood-drenched folk-horror tale called Maggie’s Grave. I’m very excited about this one, it’s a return to the supernatural horror of my first novel, The Forgotten Island. After that, I have a collaboration coming up with Canadian horror author Steve Stred, which should be out first quarter of next year.

9. Where can people find you online?

Best to find me on Twitter or Instagram

I use Twitter mostly for discussing old horror films, and Instagram for posting photos of the aforementioned pug posing alongside vintage horror books. I always enjoy hearing from readers.

10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?

Please support independent horror. Like I said before, it’s where most of the really exciting stuff is happening, be it in film or literature. Support diverse authors, read widely, experience the world and other cultures through someone else’s eyes.

Have fun, stay safe, and wear a damn mask!

Nico Bell 10/16/20 Nico Bell 10/16/20

Horror Author Jan Stinchcomb #Interview

Jan Stinchcomb Interview

Congratulations on the release of your book The Kelping! I absolutely loved it! Could you please tell readers a little about the story?

The Kelping is a part of the Rewind or Die novella series. It is a story of transformation and body horror, centering on a beautiful and wealthy family in Southern California. You can read the whole thing in one good bathtub soak.

2.If The Kelping were made into a movie, who would play the leads?

Jon Hamm would be perfect for Craig but I don’t think he would agree to the project. I’d like to use Samantha Robinson in the role of Penelope, but she’ll have to wear blue contact lenses. Keanu Reeves is my Dude Pelikan. And Patricia Clarkson would be Mrs. Delmar, of course.

3. Do you consider yourself a feminist writer? If so, what does that phrase mean to you?

First of all, I have been a feminist my entire life, which means I am accustomed to being unpopular. I don’t see how my writing could be anything but feminist. The simplest definition of feminism is something like “working for the social, economic and political equality of women,” and we can expand “women” to mean people living in a female body or identifying as such. In my lifetime this modest goal of equality has been ridiculed and reviled, often by women themselves, as recently as the day of a certain election. In my writing I often describe the experience of living in a female body in an unfriendly world. I tend to have more than my fair share of monster women and troubled mother/child relationships. A feminist writer is someone who challenges gender assumptions and imagines justice.

4. How much of your work is autobiographical?

All of the monster stuff is true! But seriously: when I was younger I thought there was a strict line between fiction and autobiography, but now I see it’s beginning to blur in my own work. Most writers tend to draw from all their life experiences. That said, it’s vexing when readers/critics assume a woman writing in first-person is unable to fictionalize.

5. How would you like to see the horror writing industry evolve in the next ten years?

I want more genre blurring and more underrepresented voices. I want to hear more women talking about their work. I love the way short form is valued in horror writing and hope that will continue. The number of good novellas in horror is a delight.

6. When did your love of writing begin?

I made the fatal choice in seventh grade. My teacher predicted I would become a writer, and I believe she laid a curse on me.

7. Let’s have a little fun. Would you rather spend a summer at Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th, or the cabin from Cabin in the Woods?

I’m a true Gen-X alumna of Camp Crystal Lake.

8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?

I have three more stories coming out this year, and one of them is in The Horror is Us (Mason Jar Press). I’m finishing a short novel and shopping around a story collection.

9. Where can people find you online?

My website or on Twitter & I’m on GoodReads where I mostly share what I’m reading and try to support indies.

10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?

Trust your instincts always, always

Nico Bell 10/9/20 Nico Bell 10/9/20

Author Jason Tanamor #Interview

Jason Tanamor Interview

1. Congratulations on Vampires of Portlandia! Can you please tell readers a little about this book?

The novel is centered around Marcella Leones and her family of aswang vampires.

They flee the Philippines for Portland, Oregon for a peaceful life. In the book, the Philippine government is trying to rid the country of aswangs, to keep the country pure. So the vampires relocate to Portland, Oregon because the city reminds them of the little mountain town they’d left behind.

In Portland, Marcella raises her grandchildren under strict rules so humans will not expose them. Her only wish is to give them a peaceful life. Before she dies, she passes on the power to her eldest grandchild, Percival. He vows to uphold the rules set forth by Leones, allowing his family to roam freely without notice.

However, when the aswang covenant is broken, the murder rate in Portland rises drastically. The vampires don’t know who is behind the murders. Along with sensie Penelope Jane, Percival must find the truth.

It's then they discover that there are other breeds of aswangs—werebeasts, witches, ghouls, and viscera—who have been residing in Portland for years.

Readers can expect a fun, quirky, somewhat creepy, and epic read.

2. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind the term aswang within Filipino folklore?

Aswang in Filipino culture means shape shifter. There are five different breeds of aswangs—vampires, viscera, werebeasts, ghouls, and witches. In the Philippines, aswangs are like the boogieman. It’s a story that elders tell their children and grandchildren to scare them. I’d never heard of it growing up. One day, I was watching the TV show, “Grimm”, and one of the episodes revolved around aswangs. I’d called my father and he gave me the background, but I don’t think he believed the lore because he was very casual about his response. I slowly became fascinated with the subject.

3. You’ve written several stories including Drama Dolls, a dark comedy with the themes of grief and obsession, Anonymous, a raw story set in a prison with a character named Unknown, and Hello Fabulous!, a gay-friendly comedy. Do you have a “brand”, and if so, what would you define it as?

I don’t have a brand. I just write whatever I find interesting. I never thought I could do this for a living. I work a full-time job with the Department of Army, so I really just want to tell stories that I would want to read myself.

4. I poked around your website, and I was impressed by the amount of influential people you’ve interviewed. Who is your dream literary interview, dead or alive?

Mark Twain. When I started to fall in love with stories, especially literature, he was such a big influence on me. His books are classics, and he was able to incorporate a great sense of humor within his stories.

5. When did you first develop a love of writing?

When I was in college, I started writing a humor column for my university newspaper. I loved my little space in print, but even more so, I loved hearing and seeing the reaction from the students on campus. It was really the reactions that got me hooked, how you can make someone’s day, or impact someone just with words that really resonated with me.

6. What writing tips would you give to newbie writers?

My favorite quote is a lyric by Sheryl Crow. It’s off “Globe Sessions”.

“Making miracles is hard work; most people give up before they happen.”

Publishing is a tedious and slow process. In an era where everyone wants things done ASAP, beginning writers need to understand that publishing isn’t a fast process. A lot of people get frustrated or plain just give up.

Don’t.

If you can learn to write for yourself and because you love it, you’ll eventually see a reward.

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

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff.

8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?

I’m currently just doing press for Vampires of Portlandia. I have three completed novels and one completed novella that are out seeking homes.

9. Where can people find you online?

You can find me at www.tanamor.com, which has links to all my socials and information on all my books.

10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?

Please give diverse books and underrepresented stories a chance. Publishing is taking a beating with the lack of diversity. Vampires of Portlandia doesn’t only introduce Filipino culture, it’s entertaining and humorous as well.

Nico Bell 10/2/20 Nico Bell 10/2/20

Horror Author and Poet Sara Tantlinger #AuthorInterview

Sara Tantlinger Interview

Sara Tantlinger is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes. She is a poetry editor for the Oddville Press, a graduate of Seton Hill’s MFA program, a member of the SFPA, and an active member of the HWA. Along with being a mentor for the HWA Mentorship Program, she is also a co-organizer for the HWA Pittsburgh Chapter. Her other books include Love for Slaughter, The Devil’s City, and To Be Devoured (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in Long Fiction), and she edited the anthology Not All Monsters, out with Strangehouse Books. She embraces all things macabre and can be found lurking in graveyards or on Twitter @SaraTantlinger and at saratantlinger.com

1. Congratulations on your poetry collection Cradleland of Parasites! Can you please tell us a little about it?

Thank you so much! The collection draws most of its inspiration from the Black Death and other ancient plagues, and also from the rumors that have surrounded Plum Island (a federal research facility that has sparked controversy and conspiracy over the years). I started the collection last year before the current pandemic, so while the timing feels weird and spooky, I hope people will give the collection a chance. I love historical horror and meshing fact with speculation, so the poems play a lot with those blurred lines and with storytelling.

2. Without giving away spoilers, do you have a favorite poem from the collection?

One that I’m pretty fond of is titled “Princess Joan”. It’s based off the real story of Joan of England, a daughter of Edward III, who was betrothed to Peter of Castile. The Black Death hadn’t really made its mark in England when Joan travelled to Castile to be married, so she embarked on the journey with such a grand entourage and such a gorgeous wedding gown that I knew I needed to use those details to write a poem for her. She died so young, so unaware of the plague and how it would destroy her. I really wanted to write a poem for Princess Joan -- I had hoped to celebrate the details of her royalty, but the poem turned into a warning song, a plea for her to stay at home and not take the voyage that would end her young life. The plague spared no one, youth and royalty were no exception.

3. Congratulations on your Bram Stoker Award for The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes! Can you tell us a little about this book as well as how you celebrated your win?

Thank you so much! The Devil’s Dreamland really paved the way to show me how much I love historical horror. Researching Holmes is something I’ve talked about a lot, so in an effort not to repeat myself too much here, I will say that the book challenged me to do something entirely different than my first poetry collection, Love For Slaughter, and I am really humbled and grateful for the excellent responses The Devil’s Dreamland has received! I celebrated my Stoker win at StokerCon in Grand Rapids with some excellent friends and my publisher (and a few vodka cranberries). It was the absolute best night, and the whole experience was truly unforgettable.

4. When did your love of poetry develop?

It’s a bit of cliché answer, but reading Edgar Allan Poe in middle school was honestly my gateway into poetry, particularly dark poetry. Reading so much of his work inspired me to write, but my love for writing poetry developed the most while studying creative writing in college.

5. You were nominated for a Bram Stoker award for your novella To Be Devoured. Do you have a different research/writing process for developing poetry versus a novel?

I love research, so I am always utilizing it no matter what I write. When I studied literature in college, my favorite part of the process was always gathering my sources, engaging with critics, and using the research to make my essays stronger, so I’ve found that love carries over well into my fiction writing. With The Devil’s Dreamland and Cradleland of Parasites (both poetry collections), historical horror really captured my soul and dominated the process. With a current project I’m working on (prose), I’ve been doing more scientific research and doing my best to study entomology, so I think research is bound to follow me wherever I go.

For poetry, to borrow a phrase from the great Linda Addison, it comes more “organically.” It never feels forced, and I don’t have to create as strong of a plan or outline when I dive into poems as I do for prose -- but I am learning to enjoy outlining for novels/novellas more and more these days!

6. What are you currently reading?

I just finished Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which was an excellent work of literary horror. I think it would be such a strong book to teach in the classroom. I’m always reading way too many books at once, so right now I’m reading poetry (Cries to Kill the Corpse Flower by Ronald J. Murray) and Worst Laid Plans, an anthology of vacation horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik!

7. Let’s have a little fun. Would you rather watch the tape from The Ring or have to say ‘Candyman’ in front of a dark mirror?

Oh definitely Candyman. Children terrify me in general, especially vengeful ghost children, so living in The Ring is something I would not handle well.

8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?

I am currently working on some short stories and a very vague outline for my next novella! There’s always a lot going on behind the scenes, so I am hopeful I will have some new projects out before the year is over.

9. Where can people find you online?

My website and Twitter -- you can also find me on Instagram . My Amazon author profile has all my books listed here: https://www.amazon.com/Sara-Tantlinger/e/B06X6GBXZB

10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?

To my fellow writers, embrace the writing community and support each other! Remember to celebrate the success of others and that anyone else’s success does not negate your own hard work.

Nico Bell 9/25/20 Nico Bell 9/25/20

Dark Fiction Author Mark Anthony Smith #Interview

Mark Anthony Smith Interview

1. Congratulations on your upcoming release Keep It Inside and other weird stories! Can you please tell us a little about this collection?

Hi Nico. Thank you. ’m really pleased to be here. Yes. ‘Keep it inside and other weird tales’ is my third book. It’s published by Red Cape publishing. Some of the stories have appeared in their ‘A – Z of Horror’ series. But there’s bags of new content too. I’ve reread them several times and they raise my eyebrows. I must have been in a very deep meditative state when I wrote them – or did I take hellish journeys? I’m not going to say much other than I can’t wait to unleash these terrors.

2. Without giving away spoilers, do you have a story from the collection?

There’s a few. In fact, they all show my dark side. Did I mention apophallation and method acting? Ouch! I’d love to see that as a film.

3. What would you say your “brand” is? In other words, do you consider yourself a specific type of writer or write for a specific niche?

Mmm! I’ve written poetry and ‘mainstream’ fictions. They’ve appeared in The Cabinet of Heed, Spelk, Nymphs, Penumbric Speculative Fiction magazine and many others (listed on my Amazon page). But a lot of them are dark. I like to start with something fairly mundane and every day then turn the world on its head – with lots of teeth.

4. When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

I loved Shaun Hutson, James Herbert and Clive Barker in the late ‘80’s. ‘The Rats' by Herbert made me sit up with pointy ears. I’d say reading ‘Black dogs' by Ian McEwan finally clinched it for me. Sparse, exact, relevant and beautiful. The sense of mounting menace…

5. Let’s talk a little about your poetry. What is the most challenging part of writing poems?

Gosh! Yes. There’s ‘Hearts of the matter’ and several reprinted poems in ‘Something Said’ (Wolven Moon). Poetry can come in a flash, of course. But that is rare. I love the meditation of writing. It’s a higher state. I think the hardest part is not losing the original vision. By this I mean allowing the piece to evolve but not becoming too distracting by flowery lyricism. Poetry is language made strange. But there has to be some sort of shape or completeness too. Not the whole world. Just the whole world through a focused lens.

6. Are any of your poems autobiographical?

I don’t think you can write without experience or feeling. So, some started with a feeling or thought but finally became universal. There’s are glints of my own life in several yet I didn’t want to blind the reader with anything too personal.

7. Do you have a favorite author or poet?

I have lots of favourites: Adam Nevill, Richard Laymon, P J Blakey-Novis, H P Lovecraft… I have to say Phillip Larkin as I come from Hull (he’s amazing) and…and I’ve definitely left someone out. I recommend ‘The A – Z of Horror’ Anthologies by Red Cape publishing and Demain’s ‘Short Sharp Shocks!’ series for sure.

8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?

I’m writing my fourth book. It’s a second book of Horror. I’m also writing short stories with a view to giving ‘Keep it inside…’ an ugly sister.

9. Where can people find you online?

My brand new website is: www.markanthonysmith.com . There’s links to YouTube etc. from there. You can find me on Twitter: @MarkAnthonySm16

10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?

Yes. Thank you for having me. Check out free reads and amazing art on my website. Support Indie Authors, eat your greens and definitely “Keep it inside.”

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