Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a writer from the North of England where the scenery and way of life bleeds heavily into my work. I’ve been writing seriously for 4/5 years. Before that I would only really call myself a dabbler, at best. Now I write every day. I’m dedicated and hungry to get better.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

Probably the art gallery owner in my story ‘Collaboration’. Whilst I admire the guy’s drive to create, his methods are questionable in the extreme.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

Crime books. Straight out of university I worked in a call centre and in the downtime between calls I read. I binged Ian Rankin’s Rebus books as well as books by David Peace and Val McDermid. I’d read a lot of horror as a kid, mainly supernatural stuff, but the crime books I read anchored horror in real life. That became formative for me.

Moving on a number of years, I binged David Peace’s Red Riding Quartet and it blew my mind. Not just the horrific content but the unflinching, spare prose. Those four books have left their mark on me for sure.

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

I’d never shy away from the term horror. Personally, I prefer the term dark fiction, but horror is fine.

I think within the genre, nobody really cares about using the word horror. When you mention it to a layman, they instantly assume you write about ghosts and vampires.

Genres are boxes that make it easier to categorize and sell media. But the lines that divide them aren’t as straight as the lines of a bookshelf. There’s horror in everything. Horror is an emotion at the end of the day, anything that makes you feel that repulsion, that fear, is horror, whether people want to accept that or not.

I’m not sure that as a genre, we need to break out or break past. In my own experience, those that like the darker fiction will find their own way here.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

Assuming (praying) that things return to some kind of normal following the pandemic, the two biggest issues to my mind are the climate crisis and the institutional and systematic racism and discrimination in our major nations.

These two things are the great horrors of the modern world. They’ve been ably attacked by the genre, be it through writers like Adam Nevill and Jeff VanderMeer tackling environmental horror or writers and directors like Jordan Peele taking on racism. That’s something I expect to see continue, but I think needs to continue to keep audiences thinking and evolving in their views.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

For escapism really. People like to be shocked, like to be shaken from their own routines and worlds. Horror provides that. It allows us to dream and to fear with no consequences. Reading or watching horror is the ultimate escapism as we can simply turn it off or close the book if it gets too much. Unfortunately, that’s not something we can do to horrors that happen every day.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I’d say diverse voices. It seems to me that horror is leading the way in making writing and submitting stories accessible to those who have previously been marginalized and deliberately kept quiet. Whilst there’s a long way to go, the last couple of years in particular give me hope that everyone will one day be empowered and enabled to tell their own stories and be heard.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice of?

I’d say Kev Harrison is definitely one to watch. He’s been knocking it out the park with his work lately. His novella The Balance was really good and well received. I know there’s more in the tank from Kev.

Also, I have a friend, Grant Longstaff, who is not only a fantastic beta reader but a great writer. He’s appeared in a few anthologies so far and I’m really excited to see what he can bring to the table in the next few years.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

Someone randomly tweeted me a few months back as part of a larger thread about stories that have disturbed them. She said that even months after listening to ‘Collaboration’ on The Other Stories podcast, the ending still made her shudder. That was a nice moment.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Tough one. It’s all difficult depending on the day. Lately though, I’ve started to find it easier to get first drafts done. Now I need to teach myself to edit harder. To really hammer that story into shape more and make it sing. That in itself, is a separate skill.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

As long as topics are handled with care, I think there are valid points to be made about almost anything. But the care taken by the writer is key. That’s where the exploration of any topic lives or dies. If you don’t treat your subject matter with respect, the story is worthless.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I’d like to think that I’ve started to find my own voice, particularly in the last few years. I’ve not only identified the topics I like to write about, but the way in which I approach prose has changed. I think some of my initial story attempts were a bit stuffy, written as though a teacher would grade them for grammar etc. When you write like that, you’re never true to yourself.

Now I feel as though I’ve discovered more about who I am and not only that, it translates onto the page a lot more too.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

Writing advice is subjective so that’s quite tough. I’ll go for one specific thing and one general.

I’ve found the use of crutch words to really slow down my fiction in the past. Namely using “was” and “had” too much. Adding excess words to sentences that didn’t need to be there. I think by eliminating that, I’ve managed to make my writing snappier.

But the best advice you can give to any writer is simply to do it. To write as much as you can. Writing craft books are great and they can really help inform what you do, but unless you do it often, all that advice is worthless.

Turn up. Do the work. It’s the only way.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

I’d probably say Dustin from my story named after him. It opens my collection and is the first story I was happy with my voice in. Dustin is effectively a costume of a cartoon tiger worn by staff at a rundown holiday resort in my story. There’s a lot of horror in my mind about that place. There are lots more things for Dustin to see.

Which of your books best represents you?

As the author of one full-length book the answer to this is pretty easy. Dark Missives. There are eleven stories in the book, pretty wide-ranging in terms of their themes and subjects. I like to think they provide a decent insight into the things that make me tick in terms of the fiction I like to read and write.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

I’ve written five novels in the last few years. Some horror, some not. Ideally, I’d like to get at least one of them out there. I’ve just finished a novel, a near-future dystopian horror story. That’s a real passion project for me. I like that book. Now I need to make it shine and get it a home.

I’ve got a novella that I’m looking to home as well. It’s with beta readers at the minute so once that’s knocked into shape, I’ll have to find a plan for it.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

I don’t know if this is a cliché but it bugs the hell out of me. People falling over as they run away from a killer/monster/alien. People hardly ever fall over, but as soon as they’re being chased, they fall all the time, usually dropping and smashing their phone etc. It’s so boring to see in a film or TV show. Ugh.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?


I really enjoyed Will Carver’s Hinton Hollow Death Trip. He has a delicious sense of bleak humour to everything he writes. I’d also highly recommend (if not more so) his novel Nothing Important Happened Today. This book is like my Fight Club. It has blown me open.

I’d also massively recommend My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Pretty much for the same reason, this book has a brutal, dark sense of humour. One of my favourite ever reads.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

Currently that question would be, do you want to go for a pint? The answer would be yes, as long as we can go back to 2019 in order to do so.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Hi my names Penny and I’m a writer of horror and dark fiction, I mainly write in the short form, and my debut collection Suffer Little Children was published by Black Shuck Books in 2019 as part of their shadows collection. My first novella Matryoshka is being published by Hersham Horror as part of their Primal novella range and is due out in both paperback and Kindle on 21st April.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

All of them and none of them. A lot of my characters tend to be an amalgamation of people I have met in real life with a little bit of me thrown in for good measure. Though the one character that I would like to meet in real life, but only to give them a piece of my mind and probably slap them in the face would be the Reverend Rod Tines, the antagonist in my unpublished novel Cuckoo. He is everything I think is wrong in people and I hate him with a passion.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

I love old fashioned sci-fi, especially John Wyndham. I particularly love the characters in his novels, though I’m not sure if I wouldn’t class his writing as horror, surely The Midwich Cuckoos is more of a horror book than say Stephen King’s Firestarter. I also like a good psychological thriller, but one that surprises me, I’m not a fan of reading the same tropes in a thriller book, I just find it boring; although I find it strangely comforting and at the same time horrifying if a trope is repeated in horror (that knowledge that there is something hiding under your bed, can cause me to hide behind the sofa well before the monster is shown in a horror movie)


The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

I think the best thing we can do to break through these assumptions is to try and persuade people to read outside of their genre. My husband loves to read and particularly loves crime and fantasy books; though he’s not really a fan of “Horror” books. But years of sneaking books onto his TBR pile to show him that my Horror books are usually far less horrific than say the Game of Thrones series. And of course his attendance of readings from authors such as Kit Power and John Llewellyn Probert have whetted his appetite for a good horror story.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I expect horror to continue to become more insular over the next few years. Although we’ve had a global pandemic, and we have global warming, and violence is on our news and our timelines from all across the globe. It is still the fear that it might happen to us that drives humanity, and I think our forced isolation has driven us more into ourselves, extroverts have become introverts, introverts have become more so. I love my own company, but even I’m finding it difficult to entertain myself now, and once there is little to entertain yourself in the world, then you turn to yourself, and that introspection can be terrifying. So I’m expecting an even greater resurgence of folk horror from all across the globe.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

Pure escapism. Also it’s a great way of learning how to deal with these crises if they ever happened to ourselves. Though no one saw toilet roll being quite such a commodity.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I’d always love to read more from different perspectives, whether that is authors from different countries, different backgrounds, or who have had different experiences. I think there is a lot being done to try and champion underrepresented voices in horror, but I do still find a lot of authors who are published are from a privileged background, both here and from abroad, so I would love to hear more from those who don’t have the benefits of a stable home, of those who were brought up not knowing where their next meal was coming from, not knowing if they were going to have a roof over their head that night, not knowing if they’d have a clean uniform for school the next day, or even if they would be going to school.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?

I love Laura Mauro’s work, but as a multi-award winning author she probably isn’t classed as a “new and upcoming author”. I’ve also just read James Everington’s short story The Sound of the Sea, Too Close  and that was amazing, as is Tracy Fahey’s new collection I Spit Myself Out. There are so many good authors out there, that I could spend the whole day listing them, but I won’t for fear of missing anyone out, so these are the three that have blown me away with their writing over the past month or so.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

There were a couple of reviews of my short story Dendrochronology that have stuck with me; some good, some bad, but all for the same reason the reviewer was unaware of the gender of the protagonist. Some reviewers felt it added to the story, for some it detracted from the story, but they all thought it was intentional. It wasn’t. Sorry I thought I’d put it in. As the author I knew what gender the protagonist was, so I didn’t notice it wasn’t explicit in the story. I won’t say here what gender they were, but if it is bugging anyone, feel free to drop me a message and I’ll tell you.


What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

All of it. I have terrible Impostor Syndrome, and I find the whole process really difficult, but I find I need to get what’s in my head and out on the page or it just swirls round and round like a maelstrom.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

No. I believe that all subjects can be written about if done sympathetically. There is a brilliant story written by Don Tumasonis called The Prospect Cards, which I think excellently portrays a very unpalatable subject by the use of negative space within the narrative. The story being told through the reading of old postcards that have been damaged over time so only part of the narrative is there for the reader, meaning they have to fill those omissions with the horror that is developing in their own mind.


Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?
I’m not sure if it’s a development, but I am actually plotting my next novel, before this I was a pantser, but I’m not sure if it’s any help. So far I’m only on the fourth chapter post-it, I’ve managed to miss out the post-it for chapter two, but it doesn’t matter as I’m pretty sure nothing before chapter four is actually needed in the story anyway.


What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

When I was struggling with my first novel Mark West would give me little pep talks and one of them was to reduce my daily word goal from 1000 words to 500 words. 500 words is only half an hour, and if you manage 750 you feel like you have succeeded rather than the feeling of failure if you were aiming for 1000. This worked and I suddenly found my days of struggling to write a 1000 words were suddenly surpassed by days of writing 2000 words plus.


Which of your characters is your favourite?

I don’t really have one, I find the process so difficult that by the time a story is published I have a deep seated hatred for each and every one of my characters.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?

“They opened the doors to the first cage, the moment they closed the doors on the last factory.”

This is actually the opening line of a short story called The Zoo which is unlikely to ever be finished now. I started writing it in January 2020, and it was a post apocalyptic tale about global warming and how certain aspects of our society would be abandoned. Unfortunately with everything that has happened over the last 12 months this fiction became all too true, and I don’t think the story would pack the same punch that I was hoping for before the pandemic, so it has been put aside. But I still do love that opening line.


Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My last book was my novella Matryoshka, which is being released by Hersham Horror as part of their Primal novella range on 21st April. It’s about pregnancy and loss of self. The story is very loosely based around a patient I nursed who developed post-partum psychosis in the last two weeks of her pregnancy and was basically living in a waking nightmare, where she believed that her son had been replaced by his evil twin, as had her mother, and they were now trying to replace both her and her unborn child.

“There’s something wrong with her husband, Mark. Lucy had heard all the rumours about him, the whispered warning behind her back. The half heard Chinese whispers seemed to haunt her, mocking her wherever she goes. Now it appears that whatever’s the matter with Mark is spreading; tainting, infecting both strangers and those that she loves the most. So, Lucy will go to any lengths to protect both her young daughter and her unborn child.”


For my next book I’m working on what I think will end up being a novel length piece which I’m touting as Bridget Jones meets The Wicker Man.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

None, I love them all. I think that clichés can add a depth to a story, a feeling of belonging, as the reader or watcher you know what’s going to happen and that puts you one up on the protagonist. I also love it when these clichés are subverted, wrong footing the reader and pulling the rug out from beneath them. That loss of security can really heighten your feeling of horror.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?


The last great book I read would be Sean Hogan’s Three Mothers, One Father. I hadn’t read much of his fiction work before and I was blown away, and even though I had only seen a couple of the movies that the characters were based on it didn’t detract in anyway from Sean’s sublime story telling. I now have England’s Screaming on my bedside table, and I can’t wait to get stuck in and read it. The last book I read which disappointed I won’t tell you the name or the author. But I decided a couple of years ago to grab one of the WHSmith bestsellers to take on my holiday, as the agent feedback for my novel was pretty much always “We like it, but we couldn’t sell it in WHsmiths”. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement, the characters were flat, and their responses and reactions were not even remotely plausible. I decided then and there that if that was what it took to be picked up and given a tradition publishing deal then I’d rather not have one.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

It’s a question I do get asked, but never enough. Do you want to write something for this anthology? For that my answer would always be Yes!

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m as Canadian as saying sorry, and I’ve got a passion for fashion and a flamboyant sense of style. I’m happiest when I’m out in the community enjoying live entertainment and museums. I love music—all types of music. It’s essential to my writing process. In addition to writing fiction, I am a professionally-trained animator, and visualization is also something I use heavily in my writing process. Horror and fantasy are my usual genres, but I love and read every type of book. My favourite stories are darkly beautiful, full of adventure and teach us something about life or the human heart.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

This one is hard, because I tend to write antagonists rather than villains. I think Georgie Foster, the obnoxious and sexist heir to a large media company in Distant Early Warning, would be the worst. I mean, he holds a dog hostage. To me, that makes him instantly unlikeable.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

I have a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature, and so I’ve spent a lot of time studying the English and British Commonwealth literary canon. I think what I have carried forward from that is an expanded vision of what fiction is capable of and what fiction is ‘for’, and a love for postcolonial writing back to dominant cultural narratives. I actually feel that a formal education has made me more rebellious in my work, not less. I also get story ideas from music, visual art and my meditation practice. Sometimes I get whole stories coming to me in a long meditation session. It’s amazing what clearing your mind will uncover sometimes.

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

Horror is such a beautiful genre with a wide range of modes and feels represented, and a wide range of goals. I think the key to winning people over is education on just how wide and varied this genre is. Horror, terror, the fear of the unknown… these are all universal human experiences that deserve to be explored. There is truly something for everyone here, and exploring the darker side of humanity is good for our society as a whole, not just individuals. People begin to accept horror when they find their preferred mode of horror, and I think it’s our job as fans to be there with suggestions when they’re curious.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I know many people are really traumatized right now, but the kind of horror I want to see is sharp criticism of the horrors of this moment in history, horrors that were, and are, so unnecessary. We have the technology and the resources to make sure every human being on this planet lives in dignity and has enough to get by. I want horror to start exploring what darkness within us makes us keep that from happening as a species. Also, as someone who is writing a cli-fi horror series, I want to see more authors engaging with the horror of losing our natural environment to climate change. I can’t be the only one feeling grief over that.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

I think that horror is one of the few genres that allows us to engage with the full and natural scope of human emotions, both light and dark. There is so much power in that, especially for those of us who have experienced trauma, experienced marginalization or who struggle with mental illness. Horror can be a thought experiment about the worst case scenario. Horror can help us cope. Horror can help us express our dark side in a safe way. I don’t know what I would have done in this pandemic if I hadn’t read The Stand, and that’s a fact. Both my husband and I were more prepared for having read Stephen King’s artfully imagined worst-case pandemic scenario.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I actually love the diversity of the horror genre as it is, but naturally I look forward to even more diverse creators adding their unique voices to the genre. I am always excited to see what new innovations other authors bring to the table. That’s half the fun of being a fan as well as a creator.


Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

Paul Levinson called Distant Early Warning “A different kind of zombie apocalypse novel – heartwarming, deeply literate, musical, with a real anthropological sensitivity, even as it is a bit terrifying at times.” I believe that is the finest praise I have ever received for my work and what’s more, it expresses the aesthetic that I strive for.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

When I first started out, listening to my unique inner voice and instincts was the hardest thing for me, but now I’ve learned to follow my inner voice no matter what. I would say that revisions are probably the thing I am grappling with most right now. I write a very clean draft, and so in the past, revisions were often minimal, but as I continue to strive to be the best I can be, I find myself revising more and more and it is far more unfamiliar a process than anything in the initial writing phase.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
I’m not a big fan of direct depictions of child abuse. I think that’s a subject that must be approached carefully. I am also highly unlikely to write a sports story. The closest I would get is yoga, martial arts or dance.

Writing is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I would say that my dialogue has really improved. Once I started implementing the rule of thumb that readers should be able to tell the POV of your story and who is talking strictly by the way things are said and how they are delivered in the text, I made major strides in both dialogue and narration. I don’t always write stories about Canada, but I do think that the authenticity and appeal of my stories improved when I embraced my cultural identity and began writing with my authentic voice instead of trying to remain neutral. Stories and authors are never really neutral, no matter what we may wish to pretend. I also have a personal policy of continuing to attend workshops and critique circles for life, and I feel that has worked for me and helped me to level up several times.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

I cannot remember if it was one person or several, but I can tell you that over the course of my time in the 2006 Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop, it was driven home to me that it isn’t enough to have an emotion and a pretty picture in your head if you can’t communicate that to the average person effectively. As a result of this approach, I try to experience my fiction, both in writing and re-reading, as an average reader with no experience of the fictional world. It’s why I never write anything out of chronological order. It messes with my ‘audience instincts’.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

If we’re talking human characters, Denny from Distant Early Warning is my favorite. She’s tough, but she’s also got so much heart, and she’s amazing at looking deeper into big, supposedly unsolvable problems and finding solutions. If we’re talking about anyone of any species, it’s definitely Geoff the Border Collie from Distant Early Warning. Someday I will have a dog named Geoff, too, and I bet we’ll have lots of adventures.

Which of your books best represents you?

That’s a hard one, because most of my work is deeply personal. I’m one of those writers that doesn’t use a pen, I tap a vein. I would say that I see Distant Early Warning and sequels as my flagship series. It’s at the heart of so many things I care about—Canadian identity, the people and places I have come to know and love, the challenges facing our environment—and I think it’s a great calling card for the kinds of things I write. The Singing Bones trilogy is, at its core, a series about the nation I hope we never become, the nation I wish we could be, and a group of people working together in less-than-ideal circumstances to fight both inner and outer demons. Plus, there’s lots of action and adventure, which is something that I love.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?

They passed along a worn and ash-smelling road through Toronto, that great beast scarred with train tracks and long-neglected superhighways, and as the sun began to set, they worked their way further and further north. The trees along the road gradually became less black-spotted maples and more leaning pines. Denny had never been up this far. She had been shown pictures, of course, of Algonquin Park (who in the Humanities hadn't seen a Group of Seven painting, she wanted to know) but she had never imagined the massive granite cliffs, the winding roads through tiny hamlets, the rolling ground covered with pines on the high end, and wide marshes on the low. Some of the marshes closest to the road had been heavily sand-bagged to the point that Denny could see the reeds peering up over them, looming over the road, but somehow it didn't make her feel as uneasy. Back in Hamilton, it had felt as though nature was the attacker, flooding through human growth and development like an inexorable cancer, but here…here it felt like she and Seaburn were the intruders, and nature was just claiming its own.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My last book, The Face in the Marsh, is a supernatural horror with a touch of cosmic horror set in a small and eccentric northern Ontario museum. It is an exploration of the horrors of being in the closet as a bi woman, and of contemplating the voluntary loss of your identity. There are also a lot of creepy artworks and dolls, if you’re into that. Definitely a book for the creepy doll fans out there.

Right now I am working on the third book in the Singing Bones trilogy, tentatively titled The Grain Sea Storm. I don’t think it will spoil anything to say that Denny and her friends are going to be traveling cross-country to address the Screamer problem head-on, but along the way they are going to discover that the danger is much bigger and more complex than they had bargained for.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

I think it’s tied between really bad decisions not well-rooted in characterization that are obviously only there to move the plot along, and killing off characters in order from most to least ‘evil’. Both clichés just kill the suspension of disbelief for me.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I really enjoyed Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt. The emotional resonance of the story has stuck with me long after reading it, and I like stories about cults when done right. I’ve probably watched the Netflix documentary Wild, Wild Country about four times now. It’s fascinating stuff.

I know some people will get mad about this, but I just wasn’t able to get into A Wizard of Earthsea and sequels. I know they’re classics, but they’re just not for me.

What do people find the most surprising about you when meeting you in person vs. your author persona?

A lot of people I meet in person have this image of a horror author as being sort of dark and gothic with a morbid sense of humour. They picture someone edgy, a lot of times. I have that side to me, but I like to think of myself more like an owl or a bat, something that hangs out in the dark, swims through it, navigates it, but is actually kind of cute. I think people are sometimes surprised at me because in person I’m very New
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Age and kind of hippie-ish in demeanour. I’m very into yoga and meditation, and I’ll even admit to having a small crystal collection. I love gardening, canning, knitting and crochet. My husband jokes that I’m turning into a pioneer woman one hobby at a time. People don’t necessarily associate folksy people with horror, but perhaps they should. It can come from anywhere, or anyone. That is part of the beauty of the genre.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

My name is Peter Topside and I am a newer horror author.  I wrote a trilogy of books called Preternatural, of which I am in the process of publishing the second story.  This has been a lifelong goal of mine.  I am also a proud father and husband, self-trained baker and chef, and Clinical Exercise Physiologist by trade.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

I would like to meet Alexandra Hughes. She embodies so many amazing qualities that would be just a great delight to see and experience in-person.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

My upbringing is a huge influence on my writing; it was the only creative outlet I had growing up. It was a perfect storm to make this goal to write a book series that I was proud of and wanted to share with the world.

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

Horror tends to get stereotyped with monsters, demons, ghosts, zombies and such.  But aside from things like that, there are plenty of realistic things to be scared of. This can be abuse, famine, traumas of various circumstances, disease, or natural disasters. Horror can be associated with a lot of things. I personally don’t mind the term, but feel there should be a more collective cultural understanding of it.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I think that the world we currently live in is such a rich environment for individuals to use in order to develop their own stories and characters. I see horror stories becoming more grounded and realistic. And with all the stimulus and desensitization, the writing will also become more intense to elicit a certain level of reaction, too.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

Storytelling in general allows people to step outside of themselves to experience a new world. Sometimes those worlds can be fun adventures with jubilant characters, others can be more dramatic and serious, and then there are those times they can be scary, dark and violent. People can be in different moods on a given day and want to experience any of those genres, horror being no exception. However, with the current climate of everything from politics, the COVID pandemic, riots and protests, and other real world issues, I think horror has evolved. It had to. Because nowadays, a day without some type of horror is rare. So the stimulus of horror-based media and writing had to roll with the times.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I think there are a lot of talented, diverse writers, filmmakers, and other contributors to the genre. I feel that sometimes some of those unique ideas can be lost, as people tend to revert back to the common horror staples.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?

Theresa Van Spankeren, Greig Beck, P. Djeli Clark, Carlton Mellick III, and Yoel Bereket are the best newer authors that I’ve seen over the past few months.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I’ve had mostly positive reviews, but a few negatives, which is always expected. Some of the negative feedback is from people who maybe only read a few chapters and then gave it a lower review.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Finding inspiration.  If you aren’t deeply committed to your characters, knowing their feelings, reactions, pain, and reasoning, then the story isn’t worth writing.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

I would never write about a topic that I didn’t feel fully informed of.

Writing is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I spent less time trying to cram every idea into a single book. I developed my skills on how to tell a better, a more clear story, through however many books are needed.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

To be proud of the writing and never be ashamed of any ideas in it.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

I enjoy all of them equally. They’re all different, imperfect, strong in their own individual ways, and create a really special environment for the Preternatural story to unfold in.

Which of your books best represents you?

Preternatural #1. It took me the longest to write, almost 25 years, and many of its themes and characters hold a deeply personal meaning for me.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?


“I understand your pain. Your anger. All of it. And you were right. We weren’t much different from each other. But no longer. Things need to change. I need to change. And this town no longer needs you” – Christian Reed from Preternatural (Book 1)


Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My last book was the original Preternatural story. Its sequel, Preternatural: Evolution is available for preorder and release April 13, 2021. I’ve completed a rough draft of the third book, Preternatural: Reckoning.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

God is not present when evil is about.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I fell in love with HG Wells last year. His stories like Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, First Men in the Moon were all wonderful tales.

I won’t say that any books disappointed me.  I just think some of the stories that I’ve read weren’t my preference, whether the writing styles or plots. One of my goals is to fully support my fellow authors.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?


What’s your favorite thing to bake? My answer is that I’m a known cookie fiend!

Preternatural Evolution: A Psychological Horror Book  by Peter Topside ​

BIO 
Gavin Gardiner’s lifelong love of horror didn’t manifest into his debut horror novel, For Rye, until his early thirties. Between its completion and publication, he wrote a novella, several short stories, and a selection of non-fiction articles and analysis pieces. These can be found in various online publications and in print via:

www.gavingardinerhorror.com

Before he threw himself into the writing game, Gavin dedicated much of his teen years and twenties to the pursuit of music. Although the nightmares he’s since committed to the page have garnered more attention than his songs ever did, he hopes to one day return to music. The writing of horror, however, is here to stay.

He’s currently working on his second novel, Witchcraft on Rücken Ridge, and has grand plans for the future of his unique brand of horror. He very much hopes you’ll join him for the ride.

He lives in Glasgow, Scotland with his ever-patient girlfriend and ever-demanding kitten. 
​

WEBSITE LINKS 
Website: https://gavingardinerhorror.com/ 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rye-Gavin-Gardiner/dp/1838345906/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9781838345907&qid=1612459396&sr=8-1 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ggardinerhorror 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ggardinerhorror/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGardinerHorror 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21191937.Gavin_Gardiner
​

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

My name is Gavin Gardiner and I’m an upcoming horror author from Scotland. My first novel, For Rye, is due for publication on April 9th, with my first novella a few weeks after. I’ve had several short stories and non-fiction articles on the genre published online, and intend to keep writing horror until the day I die (or lose my mind from writing such atrocities every day).

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

Frankly, they’re all as bad as each other. Well, not quite, but I do revel in blurring the line between our traditional perceptions of good and evil. You may start one of my books placing your allegiances in one character, only for you to have to rethink your loyalties when they turn nasty.

To answer your question properly, I’d probably go with protagonist Renata Wakefield’s elderly father, Thomas, from For Rye. Aside from being a vicious piece of work who made his family’s life a living hell, he’s generally just a bit gross. There are some passages that were truly repulsive to write, and I’m told they’re equally horrible to read. Not making a very good case for the book, am I?

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

I expect many writers you interview will cite cinema’s influence on their work. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t play a huge part for me, too.

It’s important to work to the medium in which you’re operating; just as certain devices and modes of storytelling in a book won’t work in a film, so some creative elements of filmmaking won’t work in the long-form format of a book. That being said, as writers we can learn a lot about atmosphere, pacing, structure, and much else from movies. I often close my eyes when writing a scene and imagine how my favourite cinematographers would handle the sequence. 

As with literature, I think it’s important for writers to delve into as wide an array of cinema as possible in order to expand their sensibilities and push the possibilities of what their writing can achieve. Having said that, my movies of choice will always be horror. No surprise there.

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction, always carries such heavy connotations. What’s your feelings on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

Stephen King and Dean Koontz are just two authors who, in interviews and in afterwords to their own books, have denounced the label of ‘horror writer’ being applied to them. Fair enough, since both have worked outside the genre, but I have no issue with the term. I have great belief in the value of horror, not only for entertainment purposes but also for the psychological benefits, and am proud to work exclusively in the genre.

As for the connotations and preconceived notions, maybe that’s part of the fun. Horror pushes more boundaries than any other genre, and in doing so alienates some. It’s a necessary price to pay, but the demand for horror today seems greater than ever. We’re seeing resurgences in all subgenres of horror at present, and have done continuously over recent decades.

My feelings on the term ‘horror’ is that, like most labels, it’s a little reductive. Horror is absurdly varied and nuanced in its output, but I still love the label. Whatever we choose to call it, I’m proud of the boundaries the genre pushes, the enemies it makes, and the judgements that may be made about me or my fellow horror freaks. The genre’s value, of which I spoke before, is too great to let such trivialities grind us down.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate. Considering the current state of the world, where do you see horror going in the next few years? 

The obvious answer would be that we might see a surge in pandemic-influenced horror, but trends have already leant that way in recent years and somewhat petered out, not to mention the fact that everyone might be so sick of pandemic-talk they won’t even want it in their films and literature.

One of horror’s great worths is its willingness to commentate on the state of the world without bowing to social pressures. You would expect it to have suffered for this, but it’s simply grown stronger as a result, with fans embracing its honesty and integrity.

I tend to steer clear of engaging in political discourse online, since the internet no longer feels like a particularly safe space to express opinions of a political or even sociological nature. In short, it’s a shark pool, and I just want to write horror. Funnily enough, this very climate of stifled expression into which I believe we’re entering, and the growing sense of division many are sensing of late, may provide the answer to your question.

Once again, horror fans have come to expect of the genre a no holds barred approach to storytelling, and it’s my belief that the climates of suppression of which I spoke will lead only to the growth and prosperity of horror. My prediction is that fans will rely on the genre more than ever to pull no punches, and continue representing a medium of entertainment defined – at its very best – by a total freedom of expression. 

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre, why do you think so many people enjoy reading it? 

This is the best question anyone could hope to ask on the horror genre, and one I wrote extensively about in my essay Why Horror? which can be found on my website: https://gavingardinerhorror.com/non-fiction/essays/why-horror/ 

There’s no real way to pay this question the respect it deserves in a few paragraphs, but I do discourage fans from passively absorbing horror, and instead searching within themselves for what it is about the macabre that gives them such pleasure, for the simple reason that horror affords us benefits that go way beyond mere ‘pleasure’.

All areas of horror – be it psychological, splatterpunk, body horror, or young adult – provide a cure for an itch as old as humanity itself. In many ways, our species exists in an environment that fails to address many of the burning instincts within us that got us this far in the first place, and horror goes some way in giving these primordial undercurrents the attention they require. Where other genres such as romance will aim to make the reader believe in the love of its central characters, horror aims to bring the emotion to the reader themselves. It cares far less about how convinced you are of the protagonist’s terror, and more about your own feelings of fear. This is a unique trait of the horror genre that I believe goes some way in answering your question of why we enjoy reading horror: it is concerned primarily with the direct emotion of the reader, and isn’t emotion what makes us human?

Also, it’s bloody good fun.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

Another good question, and one that I risk stepping into the realms of personal preference to answer.

In short: the psychological. I adore supernatural horror, but the psychological is what most fascinates me. Yes the two overlap, but I’m of the belief that stripped of supernatural explanations, a story about a truly compelling human mind – set solely within the realms of reality – has the potential to grip far harder.

I made the decision way before I typed the first word of my first draft that my fiction was going to revel in human monsters, not supernatural ones. My debut horror novel, For Rye, is about, in one word, transformation. I wanted to take a character that starts out as far from any kind of monster as we could imagine, and find a way to turn them into something worse than any devilish creature you could dream of. Whether or not I succeeded in my mission is yet to be seen.

A key element in my horror is the blurring of good and evil. This is a risky direction to take in fiction, since our ingrained sensibilities and tastes are based on ancient archetypes that are ancient archetypes for good reason: they work. Yet stories of antiquity are also riddled with moral complexity, and this is what I feel the horror genre could use a healthy injection of – and you better believe I got the needle.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice of?

Since I started engaging in the online writing communities, I’ve been blown away with the level of work my peers are putting out. When people ask for reading suggestions, I always rhyme off some names of those whose support I’ve been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of.

The list is near enough endless, but you can find the work of some amazing upcoming writers in the Writers’ Spotlight section of my website, such as Mai Kil, David Curfiss, Matt Adcock, Hannah Repka, and Christine Lajewski. Some other writers who are really putting me to shame are the fabulous Mona Kabbani, Liliana Carstea, Archit Joshi, Leigh Haddington, Madison Estes, Bill Halpin, Robert Ottone, Casey Masterson, Jeremy Megargee, Sophie Queen, and so, so, so many more.

I’m hosting a ‘Freebie-for-a-review-Friday’ on Instagram, where on the first and third Friday of each month you can win a book from one of my peers, on the sole condition that you leave an Amazon review for the book you win. The idea is to raise awareness of how important these reviews are for indie authors, but also I get to do my little part in getting some of these amazing names out there.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative, that have stayed with you?

I thrive on criticism. Every negative appraisal of my work I see as an opportunity to improve the thing, or do better next time. I’m lucky in that I’ve had no searing reviews just yet, but there’s still time!

The reviews and comments on my work that stay with me most are the ones that interpret my writing as something other than I intended. I think that’s a beautiful quality of art: once the artist has handed over their baby, it’s no longer up to them what the thing really is. I encourage my readers to dig up their own meanings and interpretations from my theme-heavy stories, and hit me up on social media to let me know what they come up with!

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

I’m a great believer that every aspect should be difficult. If it’s not, you’re probably not working hard enough. Everyone’s allowed to write and create and put stuff out into the world, but if you want to make something that’s really going to shake people by the lapels and make them take notice, you’re going to have to bleed for it.

That being said that, I suffer from some pretty crippling self-doubt all the way through the writing process. Like with every negative in life, you have to grab it and make it work for you. If I wasn’t a paranoid, fussy, terrified wreck about my writing being good enough, I probably wouldn’t sculpt the clay as much as I do, and wouldn’t have ended up with the nightmares of which I’m so proud.


Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

I think every subject should be free for authors and creatives to explore. Art must be allowed to commentate and criticise on every area of society and life that it sees fit, and if it’s overly distasteful then it’s up to us to progress as a society to the point where there will be little or no demand for such stuff. Of course, there’s a difference between commentating on society and blatant hate speech, and drawing the line between the two is a challenging conversation that we have a responsibility not to shy away from.

Anyway, I digress. Anything I’d choose not to write about would be for my own personal tastes or sensitivities, and not topics I think should never be touched. I can’t see myself writing about the Holocaust, because I don’t believe I have the skill or knowledge to handle it the way it would deserve to be handled. Also, I’m not sure the horror genre is the arena for such a topic to be explored. I would be against keeping a closed mind to this possibility in sensitive, skilled, knowledgeable hands, but I highly doubt those hands would be mine.

Also football, but only because it bores the unholy crap out of me. 


Writing is not a static process. How have you developed as a writer over the years?

I’ve only been at the writing game for four or five years, so I guess my development is still in its infancy. Regardless, I’ve taken great pains to learn lessons every step of the way and commit them to memory (and make a record of them). The writing journey is an endless one, and I have plans to start up a YouTube series once I’ve finished writing my current novel to explore these very lessons. Stay tuned!

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

As with most advice that’s stayed with me, I can’t remember where this one came from. It’s to do with test readers prior to publication, and basically asserts that any time someone tells you that there’s a problem with a particular sentence or passage or plot point or anything else, 99% of the time they’re right. But when they try to tell you the solution, 99% of the time they’re wrong.

I’ve been hugely fortunate with my test readers, consisting mostly of friends and family, and they’ve proven this ‘rule’ wrong plenty of times by providing great solutions. I do find that many of the problems inherent in our stories pass us by due to how much time we spend with the thing. It’s that old ‘not being able to see the trees for the forest’ thing, and a fresh pair of eyes can do wonders. Ultimately, though, it’s going to be up to the writer to knuckle down and pour the hours into uncovering the best possible solution to the problem.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

It’s got to be Renata Wakefield, the central protagonist of my debut novel, due April 9th. For Rye is effectively a character study of Renata, and an experiment into what can lead someone not only into the most traumatised, damaged state imaginable, but also into how someone can grab that trauma by the horns and use it to empower themselves. Spoiler alert: For Rye ain’t a happy tale, and Renata’s eventual empowerment will not give you a family-friendly ending.

Which of your books best represents you?

Hopefully none! They’re absolutely gruesome little nightmares, my stories. I know what you mean though, and what I will say is that I’m very keen to switch things up from book to book, story to story, yet always staying within horror. For Rye has a bit of a gothic, literary undertone, mixing modern, sparse prose with elegant description. My follow-up novella, The Last Testament of Crighton Smythe, on the other hand, is my American Psycho-meets-Catcher in the Rye stream of consciousness trip, following the thoughts of a truly unhinged guy whose about as weird as it gets. It even has some lashings of comedy. It’s my hope that none of my books will come to represent me most, and that the full picture of my strange brand of horror will only be attained through soaking ‘em all up.

Do you have a favourite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? 

I mentioned before Renata’s father, Thomas Wakefield, and how disgusting a specimen he was to write. Despite this, I had great fun bringing him to life. He was my excuse to make my readers squirm. Let’s see if he makes you squirm:

“A dense mustiness hung over the living room. Cold, white moonlight emanated from the windows. The wasted form of her cassocked father awaited her in the armchair, the epicentre of the room’s stenches. The bouquet of smells was its own creature, the sum of its parts beyond dissection. Urine, faeces, vomit: these may all have played a part on the vile stage of the elderly vicar’s abandonment, yet this repugnant collaboration defied definition. The room, too, had become a beast in its own right; Thomas’s gaunt form sat nestled in its bosom, these two monsters’ disparate grotesqueries finally as one. The walls of mould and rotting floorboards were as much the flesh of Thomas Wakefield as the unidentified brown soup running out from under his cassock and down his leg was the house’s lifeblood.”

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

For Rye happens to be my debut novel, with my novella The Last Testament of Crighton Smythe being released shortly afterwards. I’m currently working on my next book, Witchcraft on Rücken Ridge, which is a folk horror loaded with caves, cults, cannibals, and much, much more than I’m dying to insert into everyone’s poor, unsuspecting brains.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

I think I’m pretty much done with used weaponry being dumped next to the unconscious villain. I don’t like being pulled out of a story, and a lack of believability in a character’s actions is a sure-fire way to do just that.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

The last great book I read – and this is difficult to say since I read and complete several at a time – was Adam Nevill’s The Ritual. It seems to be a controversial thing to say, but The Blair Witch Project is my favourite horror film, and maybe my favourite film of all time. For this reason, the hopeless, despairing, woods-based ordeal of Adam’s brilliant novel was an absolute treat. I love me some forest horror!

The most disappointing is harder to say. I really struggle criticising an author when I know it might get back to them. I have to say that Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Hex didn’t quite do for me what it seemed to do for everyone else. Surprising, since, as you know, I can always go a witch or two. Specific criticisms aside, the overarching concept of the novel – a cursed town in which an ancient witch plods around, where any resident that tries to leave is immediately overcome by suicidal tendencies – was one of the most original and promising concepts I’d heard in a long time. Sorry for playing it safe!

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer?

Robert Eggers is yet to ask me if he can adapt one of my books, and for that I am, and will forever remain, heartbroken. For what it’s worth, here’s the hypothetical answer:

Aye, go ahead.