Could you tell the readers about yourself?


Hi. My name is Alaric. I’m Filipino-American, a former resident of Richmond, Virginia, and coincidentally, a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe. I currently live in Manila, Philippines. I’m an author and producer, and I might attend university again in the near future. I’m not an English major. I majored in Computer Information Systems, but I principally worked as a technical writer and editor. I’ve always wanted to be a writer; it was Poe who got me started as a horror fan. Later, I discovered the Del Ray series, which included books by Michael Arnzen, Poppy Z. Brite and Brian Hodge among others.

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

The title story of my new book is named after the character’s nickname, Il Migliore Del Mondo, which translates to “the best in the world.” He’s a wonderful character, a gifted artist (hence the designation), but meeting him in a chance encounter also means that you’ve been sentenced to a gruesome death by Santa Muerte, the deity of death in the Caribbean. Although I love meeting talented artists, writers, and musicians, meeting the nameless entity that bears my title story’s name means a brutal reckoning and a harrowing afterlife. I’d much rather take my chances with a doggo.

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

I love thrillers: serial killer stories, psychological thrillers. I also loved Ray Bradbury’s crossover dark fiction and dark fantasy classic, The October Country. It’s eerie.

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 great entertainment for me. In terms of fiction, there’s something about the atmosphere and the imagery evoked by horror that is never unsettling. It feels like home. I’ve been reading horror for over twenty years and don’t feel I read enough. Horror movies and their jumpscares are more intimidating because there’s such a visceral impact to the blood and violence. However, when I watch with a friend, it’s a perfect opportunity to bond and have a good time. I don’t think that there’s something sinister and devious about loving horror. There’s a more pronounced negative impression of the metal genre in music, which closely resembles horror fiction and movies in imagery, too. It’s artistic expression, and it’s all fun.

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?

Horror tropes will include other elements of contemporary life. Outbreaks and pandemics have led to the evolution of the zombie movie template, for example. I think there’s going to be more inclusion and more diversity in horror as more international entities and their cultural backgrounds are exposed to other audiences. In the Philippines, ghost stories are unique to our culture and language. It will be interesting to see writers from all over the world express their unique voices.

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

It’s a fear of the unknown that leads to a fascination with it. We don’t know why we’re attracted to stories of hauntings, except that we generally do not know what is going to happen after death. We’ve been conditioned to see things like the afterlife and mundane life with a safety net and conservative outlook, so some of us tend to rebel against those viewpoints. We challenge the fear of the unknown by taking humor and entertainment value at things that are scary in reality. That would be my opinion.

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

More diversity. There are folktales, myths, and crazy urban legends everywhere in the world that don’t get as much exposure as they should. Especially from parts of the world rarely explored by Hollywood movies and such.

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

I’ve discovered books that delve into queer horror like Hailey Piper’s. We need more diversity and rarely-explored subject matter like that.

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

One of my self-published books got slammed with a “If I could give it zero stars, I would,” review. It stayed with me because the reviewer claimed she speed-read through the book because she barely had time to finish it; she claimed that she didn’t want to get a DNF (Did Not Finish) from Netgalley. I think that if you don’t plan to give a book a chance, then you shouldn’t review it. I’m okay with negative reviews, though, if a reviewer states some reasons why they felt that way. Giving reasons helps other fans know whether they’ll like a book or not.

What aspects of writing do you find the most difficult?

Leaping metaphors. I can construct a scene with vivid detail, but those details need to be fleshed out with comparisons to similar things to make them more tangible. I need to think about just what those comparisons are and when to use them.

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

Something preachy based on the Bible. 

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

I’ve learned to take time with my process. The editing process tends to take more time for me. I’ve also learned to occasionally refresh my eyes by reading books in between shifts, watching movies at night after workdays, trying other creative things to get a fresh perspective on my work. Once you have fresh eyes, it’s easier to spot errors and things you don’t like or need to add or revise.

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

More diversity. Include your unique cultural characteristics. Also, read other writers and learn from them.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

Hard to say. Some characters from Il Migliore Del Mondo & Other Stories will live to see a sequel or so: Alejandro del Potro, Dr. Wolfgang Schmidt, Il Migliore Del Mondo.

 Which of your books best represents you?

Il Migliore Del Mondo & Other Stories has Basil and Evan. Those two characters have some of me in them. 

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

“Once an artist, always an artist, it doesn’t wash out. It flows in your veins.” It’s the same for writing.

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

Il Migliore Del Mondo & Other Stories was just published almost two weeks ago, and I am excited. It has horror stories as well as some thriller stories with horror elements. There are two serial killer stories in them; they’re lengthy. They’re novelettes, I think. The two stories number fourty-something to fifty pages each. There’s an overarching theme: how artists go to extreme lengths to satisfy their creative impulses. The more extreme those ambitions get, the bloodier the results.

My next book is called The Last Stop. It’s a novel about a Filipino-American contract killer who has come to a sparsely-populated rural town in Northern Virginia and is killing everyone in sight. He’s the most prolific killer on record, and the FBI doesn’t know why he’s killing everyone in town. They need to know what the stipulations of his contract are to catch him. He’s slippery and is gifted with heightened senses. They send an army of state troopers and deputies to catch him. There are horror elements here, too, largely supernatural horror elements.

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

The zombie craze is overrated right now. I wouldn’t erase the whole zombie cliche. It’s classic and there are great examples, but some mainstream hits, lately, have looked mediocre in terms of story line.

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

I love reading horror anthologies right now. Short stories hit the spot for me. It’s been a while since I’ve read a zonk. I don’t remember. I’m pretty selective.

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

I don’t really know if I’ve ever wished for a certain question. Maybe, something like, why aren’t there more horror writers from your part of the world? I can tell them that some of our writers have delved in horror. We just don’t get international exposure often.

Alaric Cabiling is an author and producer living in Manila, Philippines. He resided in Richmond, Virginia, United States, for seventeen years, and much of his work takes place there. Cabiling loves the psychological horror, supernatural horror, thriller, and suspense genres. He uses magic realism in his work. He is disabled and identifies as gay.


Twitter: @alaricpcabiling
Website: alariccabiling.net

​Artists want one thing: catharsis. The characters in the following eight stories will go to great lengths to find boundless inspiration, and the more complicated those means get, the bloodier. It starts with a man called Il Migliore del Mondo, the best in the world at painting portraits for the deity Santa Muerte, whom he is cursed to serve. The story is followed by Painter of Dead Girls, about an artist so inspired by sadism, he puts together a plan to showcase his paintings at the heels of a series of brutal murders. The collection ends with Morbid Destitution of Covenant, a quirky title for a chess match novelette, featuring an ensemble cast of law enforcers and clinicians, all intent on proving that one man in custody is the killer in a series of brutal killings. The stories included in this collection will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the thrilling climax.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?


I write horror, mystery, and western stories and novels. Reading pulp magazines from the ‘30s and ‘40s initially sparked my interest in writing. Manly Wade Wellman and Fritz Leiber were favorites. I always admired the versatility of those writers, so I work with multiple genres, too. My first three books will release over the next 15 months: the first is horror, the second is a mystery, and the third is a western.


Aside from writing, I’m a professor of history. I teach Medieval and Early Modern European history. That interest always works its way into my stories.

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


There’s a character in Grimoire of the Four Impostors named Barnabas the Coffin Maker. Barnabas is a mechanical man brought to life in 1680s Hungary, and his only drive is to remain human. There is something uncanny about him that I find disturbing. His nickname comes from his time in a magician’s show, where he would hammer nails into planks.

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


Studying history has impacted my conception of horror more than anything. There’s no better way to know human nature than the study of history. There’s nothing in fiction worse than the things people have done to one another in the past.


People believe ugly things, and they do ugly things – that translates to any century. On the surface, the world changes, but people are people whether it’s the 5th or 21st century. Just look at the conspiracy theories that flourished at the height of COVID-19. You find that type of thinking throughout history. What’s scarier than such a fundamental lack of change?


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 don’t have an issue with labeling the genre “horror.” For me, horror falls under the larger banner of speculative fiction, and I think an understanding of that would help fight mainstream prejudices against the genre. Horror isn’t about being “brutal,” which some assume it to be. It isn’t about being “disturbing.” Horror can be those things, but it’s much more diverse than that.

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?


Horror is going to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the dehumanization of putting economic concerns above matters of public health. The genre is going to address the politicization of science, too. I think horror and science-fiction will tackle these ideas effectively.


I believe the diversity of voices in the genre will increase, too, especially with the success of independent publishers. We’ll see more writers from underrepresented communities telling stories in the years to come, and that’s fantastic.

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


Here’s something I find fascinating: in the 18th century, in the western world, there was a decline in supernatural beliefs. Witchcraft was decriminalized in many areas. The colony of Massachusetts paid reparations to victims of the Salem trials. Coinciding with this, we have the birth of Gothic literature, which is horror. We have the rise of phantasmagoria shows with the magic lantern, which is horror. We have the paintings of Francisco Goya, which are horror. What’s that have to do with anything? When the “real” supernatural threats waned, the fictional supernatural threats increased. When the real thing isn’t there, we still need it, so we make it up. I think horror taps into something primitive, something buried deeply in the brain.

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

A more prominent position in mainstream publishing. I’d love to see large publishers taking chances on unknown entities with new stories. Everything with books and films, at least where a lot of money is concerned, is so safe now. There are few artistic risks taken. We talk about eliminating gatekeepers, but I think arbiters of taste are alive and well at the highest levels of publishing, and their taste is the status quo.

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

Everyone should read Laird Barron, although he isn’t that new, I suppose. From the last few years, I’d say Stephanie Ellis, Eric LaRocca, and D.T Neal. Excellent writers who have a lot to say and great stories to tell. Seek them out!

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

Fiends in the Furrows: An Anthology of Folk Horror (2018) garnered a review that impacted me. The reviewer wrote that I’m what you get when you cross M.R. James with Robert E. Howard. M.R. James is one of my idols. Things like that can drive you forward when you feel doubt.

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

Once I get to the halfway mark of a novel, I set my eyes on the finish line. It’s a constant fight from that point to not focus on finishing the story, but to focus instead on telling the story, letting it develop, allowing it to unfold. That’s tough because I agree with the mantra: “I hate writing. I love having written.”

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

Not that I never allude to it in the course of a story, but I never depict scenes of sexual abuse. The pain it could trigger in readers is cruel.


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

When I first started, I wrote what I wanted to read. I had no intention of selling stories. When I began to submit stories to publications, I moved toward writing things I thought people wanted to read, and that got me away from the escapism of going to the places I wanted to go with my writing. Essentially, I tried to be more literary, more serious. That sapped the fun from writing. To keep going, I went back to the point where I started, and I wrote what I wanted to read again. That’s where I found my voice as a writer. I had to find the confidence to be myself. Finding that courage was a long, slow process.

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

In the introduction to Bradbury Stories, Ray Bradbury explained that he considered his education to be the first million words he wrote. I was eighteen when I read that. I decided I’d write 200,000 words a year until I reached one million. I had a lot of failures along the way, but I learned from every story.


Which of your characters is your favourite?

Dorin Toth from Grimoire of the Four Impostors. He’s a doctor of theology from the University of Vienna in the 1600s, and he’s an investigator of the occult. He’s amassing a library of grimoires. He travels with a greyhound named Vinegar Tom.


I’m doing a spinoff series of novels with Toth. I’m planning the first for a 2023 release.

Which of your books best represents you?

Grimoire of the Four Impostors. The combination of history and occult horror taps into everything I find interesting. There are elements of folk horror and quiet horror. The book has an aesthetic similar to Nosferatu (1922). I’m proud of capturing that tone. This book represents what I love about the genre and things that frighten me about history.

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


I always enjoy dialogue that reveals a character. In The Hangman Feeds the Jackal: A Gothic Western, my novel releasing in 2022, the protagonist Elijah Valero sums up his philosophy while speaking to an undertaker about three (human) murder victims:


“He beat the horse,” Valero said. “It was either I take the horse or kill him.”
“You’d kill for that?” the undertaker asked.
“Sure.”
“But not for that?” He nodded to the back door, beyond which waited three victims.
“That’s different,” Valero said.
“How so?”
“I like horses.”

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

Grimoire of the Four Impostors is my first book, and it’s a collection of six linked tales set in the 17th century. The tales come together to form a whole. I envisioned the book as the equivalent of the Amicus anthology films of the ‘60s and ‘70s with four stories bookended by wraparound tales.

I have a few novels releasing over the next year, too. A Séance for Wicked King Death is a mystery/noir novel set in 1956. It’ll be out from Level Best Books in January 2022. The Hangman Feeds the Jackal: A Gothic Western will release from Nosetouch Press after that in 2022. The Switchblade Svengali, which is a sequel to Séance set in 1968, will follow from Level Best Books in February 2023.

Those books are all set. As far as new projects, I’m working on the first Dorin Toth novel now. This will be a mix of mystery and occult horror set in the 1600s. I can’t wait to share more about it!


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

I want jump scares (especially when books imitate horror set pieces from movies) to disappear entirely.

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

The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager is the most recent (to me) great book I’ve read. This is a 14th century criminal case that escalated from local nobility all the way to King Charles VI. Charles allowed Jean de Carrouges and Jacques LeGris to engage in a trial by combat, a fight to the death, in front of a crowd in Paris. It’s one of the most gripping books I’ve read.

As far as disappointing, I believe books unpublished during an author’s lifetime shouldn’t be published posthumously. For instance, my favorite author is Philip K. Dick. I’ve read all the novels published during his lifetime. When I ran out, I started the unpublished works. I read Lies, Inc recently, which was an expanded, unpublished version of The Unteleported Man. Honestly, it soiled The Unteleported Man.

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


If you were to deconstruct your aesthetic, what would the individual ingredients be?


M.R. James + Nosferatu + Raymond Chandler + Lucio Fulci

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a fiction writer based in Manchester in the UK and grew up reading from a young age, which laid the groundwork for wanting to become a writer in as many different avenues as possible.

When not writing horror and fantasy fiction, I enjoy indulging my inner pop culture geek with comics and other interests, which include Japanese culture, Stoicism and rum.

I’ve mashed all these interests together in a portfolio of websites, which include The Comic Vault, Yamato Magazine and The Rum Ration.

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

Good question. I’m going to say it’d be Agnus Cartwright, a powerful witch from The Tales Of The Frontier series. She’s terrifying and her ruthlessness would make me think twice about crossing her!

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

The fantasy genre has had a big influence on my writing style and reading habits, particularly authors such as Sebastien De Castell, Andrzej Sapokowski and Neil Gaiman.

I’ve always been in awe of writers who have the ability to create a completely new world from nothing and make you believe in the mechanics, concepts and characters within the world.

Comics are another major influence, in the sense that having larger than life characters can be grounded in a realistic setting such as the DC Universe and that there are shades of grey when it comes to anti-heroes like Red Hood, Punisher etc.

A recent concept that’s also resonated with my writing style is the philosophy of Stoicism and how it can be applied to the practice of writing. It’s about understanding the things you can control e.g. how much you want to write per day, and the things you can’t e.g. how people are going to react to your work.

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?

For me, the greatest kind of horror is found in human action. The lengths someone will go to for carrying out a goal. The justifications we tell ourselves when we think we’re doing something ‘good’ that can be seen as ‘bad’ from someone else’s perspective.

Everyone has the capacity to be a monster and it brings to mind that famous Nietzsche quote of “beware that when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster.”

It’s in these kinds of everyday, human drama kind of stories that I think there’s still plenty of room to break past what it seen as traditional horror.

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 there will be an increase of horror being seen through the lens of more diverse groups such as the LGBT and BAME communities. There’s limitless potential in redefining tropes within these two categories and showcasing stories that are special, spooky and resonant.

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

Coming from my own perspective, I enjoy watching and reading horror stories out of a subconscious desire for facing the unknown.

The fear of the unknown is actually my biggest fear and if you think about anything outside of your comfort zone too much it can paralyse you worse than any monster, ghost or serial killer.

I think that being exposed to horror has the potential to build up your resilience to real-life scenarios.

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

A couple of authors come to mind. V Castro has been doing some amazing work with redefining Latin horror through stories like Queen Of The Cicadas and Goddess Of Filth.

There’s also Eric LaRocca and Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke is a tremendous piece of transgressive horror. 

While Donald Robertson isn’t a new author, he’s new to the horror and comic genres and I’m looking forward to seeing the release of the graphic novel Verissimus, which tells the life of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.

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

The editing process is the most difficult by far. There’s the old writer cliché of having to kill your darlings and it’s true that they do feel like your darlings sometimes!

But once you move past that initial feeling, you do come away with a much stronger manuscript.

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

I’ve always said to myself that I’ll never write about any subject that I can’t capture realistically on the page, make it believable or do it justice.

It’s only after I’m well-informed enough to know what I’m talking about that I’d even attempt to start writing something.

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

By constantly writing. That’s the most effective way I’ve continued to develop. Short stories. Articles. Blogs. Poems. Scripts. Exposing myself to different mediums has forced me to think about writing differently and become more fluid in how I approach things.

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

Don’t worry about whether the first draft is good or bad. Just finish it and then start editing.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

My favourite character is Clay McNab, the protagonist of At The Dead Of Dusk. He’s an asshole who doesn’t pretend to be anything but what he is and there’s a refreshing amount of honesty when inhabiting the headspace of a character like that.

Yet there’s a lot more beneath the surface and it’s so much fun to write an anti-heroic character who’s self-aware enough to see his own flaws and try to do what he thinks to be right from his own perspective.

Which of your books best represents you?


At The Dead Of Dusk is my first standalone novella, so I’d say that represents me the best (So far!)

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


There’s quite a few lines from At The Dead Of Dusk that I loved writing.

While I’m not going to give away any spoilers, I will say there’s a scene with Clay delivering a monologue kind of speech in a highly charged emotional situation that got me right in the feels when I was writing it.

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

The next story I’m working on is a cyberpunk novel set in a futuristic version of my home city of Manchester. It’s about two brothers who come together to try and unlock the riddles of their father’s death and has a mixture of noir, crime, and sci-fi themes.

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

That jump scares are the only way to tell a good horror movie.

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


The last great book that resonated with me was How To Think Like A Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson.

In terms of disappointing books, nothing comes to mind as I think there’s something good to be taken away from whatever you read if you’re in the mindset to look for it.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a screenwriting graduate from Falmouth University Film School, UK, now embarking on a career as an indie author. Alongside my writing I also design journals and format novels under my freelance company Pennard Press. When I find a free ten minutes, you’d usually find me hunting down vegan food, cycling country lanes or learning a new craft — I’m currently teaching myself book-binding and (faux) leather work.

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

Without a doubt, the gywandras. In my debut novel The Frequency, the gywandras is a face-less figure made of molten black shadow that leeches upon negative thoughts. As the story goes on, it is linked to a string of brutal possessions. There’s also Vanessa: a cold, manipulative occultist that is always five steps ahead of my protagonists.

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

Gosh, where to begin. David Mitchell, writer of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks, balances time-hopping, mind-bending high concept novels with beautiful prose and rich character work. Contemporary writer Sally Rooney, author of the beautiful Normal People, has a way of writing relationships in such a realistic — and brutally honest — way that she often leaves me grieving for relationships I’ve never had! Anthony Doerr, Andre Aciman, and Neil Gaiman are highly influential and have, in my opinion, never put a step wrong with their novels.

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 people still widely associate the horror genre with pulp novels from the 70’s and 80’s — the outright macabre, body horror slashers that have very little going on under the surface.

But for me, horror is much about what lies beneath the action. To quote my own novel, ‘there’s a horror that can only be found in the living.’ I believe that the horror genre has so much potential to really examine humanities deepest, darkest fears, and explore how people can react when faced with their worst existential nightmares.

We need to continue to champion and support horror that has something to say. Books that come to mind such as Silence of the Lambs, Never Let Me Go, Outer Dark, Lord of the Flies, Bird Box, Annihilation — the list goes on and on.

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?

Without a shadow of the doubt, Covid-19 is definitely going to spawn a slew of post-apocalyptic sci-fi, biological horrors, and claustrophobic psychological thrillers. The public’s trust in governments across the globe is also at an all time low, and I can see some more projects in the vein of The Purge rising in popularity. I myself have a few ideas knocking around for all of those categories — though most will be filed into my ‘Doctor Who Ideas’ folder.

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 it’s for the same reason that people ride rollercoasters, sky dive, and climb high-rises without safety equipment: to experience the thrill and the adrenaline of being close to death’s door — but at a comfortable arm’s length.

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

Although not strictly horror, I would love to see a huge reprise of the survival genre. Growing up in the noughties we were treated to books and films such as 127 Hours, Buried, Touching The Void, Everest etc. I often find those kind of things scarier than monster flicks or hauntings because they bridge the gap between fiction and reality — they could happen to anyone. Some are even based on true stories. The scariest ideas are ones that touch too close to home.

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

Yes I’m really looking forward to Melody Razak’s debut novel Moth which is set during India’s partition in the 1940’s. There’s a lot of buzz for it being an intimate portrait of family in a hostile political climate, which really is right up my street. It’s coming this week (24th June).

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

I’m still in the early stages of publishing my debut novel where I’ve yet to have a review — either good or bad. I’ve had my fair share of constructive criticism from beta readers and critique partners, which helped the novel develop. Their comments, such as being too forthright with theme and overly generous with backstory, have stuck with me when redrafting — and all for the better!

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

As I say often, the most difficult aspect of writing is re-writing. I can knock out first drafts relatively quickly, and always have new ideas pinging around my head. I can’t say I’ve ever suffered from writers block. But true writing — and the most difficult part — is the redrafting and the editing, refining and making sense of the mess that is your first draft. I’ve had to part ways with huge set pieces, reams of interesting dialogue, backstory, and flashbacks. To say it felt like severing a limb each time is an understatement! But I’m at a point in my career where I’ve developed a decent instinct to know whether something will work in a story as I’m writing. But hey, I’m a pantser — so I can make no promises!

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

Anything is on the table for me as long as I have an idea that excites me and has enough legs to fill a 90,000 word novel. I will always write diversely and inclusively, as I want to reflect the people I know and the experiences I’ve had. Social and existential themes will always bubble under the surface because I wear my heart on my sleeve where the state of the world is concerned.

But maybe erotica. That genre demands a specific skillset.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?
Absolutely, sometimes progress is stagnant and other times it’s in leaps and bounds. My development is an interesting one because I first had to break away from screenwriting before transitioning into literary writing. The skeleton of both formats are largely the same, so for me it was finding my voice amongst the prose. At first I ran wild with this new found liberation that comes with a far less limited word count, and the ability to be inside my characters’ heads and project their perspectives onto the story. So I had to find a balance amongst all that, strip back what was unnecessary or expository, and be more succinct and powerful with my descriptions.

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

My screenwriting lecturer once said (and I’m sure I’m disastrously misquoting him here) that we should always write with cause and effect in mind. It’s where that forward momentum comes from; it keeps your protagonists active within the plot; and creates nuances in characters’ relationships. It’s something that’s always at the forefront on my mind whilst writing.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

Wow, that’s hard. There’s three main protagonists within The Frequency that share equal page time. Rasha, a teenage Syrian refuge living in the wilds of Cornwall, England, has become my spirit animal. She’s at that age where she still approaches events with a curious mind and an open-heart, but she’s also learning to be a tough in a world that can be cruel and unforgiving. Then there’s Sam, a flawed man dealing with addiction and his sexuality. A lot of his inner monologues are reflective of where I was a few years ago, and so I see a lot of myself in him. He’s also flippant and unpredictable — oozing with a lot of misplaced anger — so you just never know what trouble he’s going to get into next. Then there’s Trish, who is a real mother hen, an ode to all the woman that were in my life when growing up, relentlessly loving and supporting, and always willing to make sacrifices for her loved ones.

Which of your books best represents you?

The Frequency is my first book but it’s definitely a springboard into the subject matter that I want to explore moving forward. The Frequency champions diversity, is socially aware and tackles sweeping existential themes, all the while being a fast-paced page-turner with lots of twists and set-pieces — and plenty of macabre and gothic elements to boot!

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

It’s a line that has become somewhat of a tagline for the book: ‘We all belong to the frequency.’ I like it because it’s immediately mysterious and foreboding, and throughout the book it takes on various different meanings.

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

My next book is a sequel to The Frequency and takes places in Manchester, four years after the events of book one. Ghostly apparitions and gruesome murders are on the rise. Our protagonists attempt to infiltrate an underground occultist group called The Hive, but what they find there is beyond anything they can comprehend — and redefines everything they know about the afterlife. I’m aiming to release it in Summer 2023.

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

It’s probably the small contrivances that get my goat. When people trip as they’re being chased, the car won’t start, or suddenly there’s bad cell phone reception. They’re convenient go-to’s and I think we need — and can be — cleverer than that.

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

The last great book wasn’t a horror, but it was Sally Rooney’s Normal People. It was perfect in its simplicity; it represented the rawest, most honest portrayal of a relationship that I’ve read or seen in years. It also showed the male love interest Connell develop into an emotionally aware young man who, by the end of the book, learns to fluently express himself. It’s rare to see a male protagonist have that kind of growth.

The last disappointment was Stephen King’s The Institute. I’never DNF’d a King book before — I mean, he is the King, after all — but this book didn’t work for me at all. He made peculiar choices to try and somewhat humanise adults that were torturing kids, and spent the first chapter introducing a character that we don’t see again until the final act of the book, by which point I’d forgotten all about him.

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

As writers and creatives generally, I don’t think we are asked enough about our failures. It’s always about the success, but we can’t have that without learning what not to do. We need that kind of dialogue, especially in an age where we hold our favourite authors up as celebrities.

My answer would be that I tried to be too grand and impressive. In earlier drafts I manipulated how time was perceived in the novel. So I was splicing and intersecting flashbacks throughout the present plot, and interweaving future scenes disguised as flashbacks, too. Which could be interesting, but the book was already divided into thirteen parts, each alternating between the three main characters. So that was a disastrous draft, and I had a few beta readers give me some tough — but much needed — criticism for that. I also cut a couple hundred pages of pure filler. I was trying to say too much about every theme imaginable and humanise the smallest characters. I think that was mostly just me telling myself the story in the first draft and being too scared to let go of it all. So I had to learn how to refine the novel back to its fundamental themes and values. Less is always more!

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​Born and raised in Cornwall, England, Terry Kitto was never found without reading a book or penning one of his own. Teaching himself to write screenplays in Sixth Form, he took his creativity to Film School at Falmouth University. There he wrote the first draft of biopic Christopher’s Queen and studied postmodernism in long running television series’, earning a First Class with Honours. He further developed his television writing skills at the University of Salford, with a PGDip in TV and Radio Scriptwriting.
In February 2015 he won the award for Best Writer at the New York 100 Hour Film Contest with the short Can You See Me?  and was shortlisted for the BBC's Writers Room 2016 with comedy-drama Brunswick House.

WEBSITE LINKS


www.terrykitto.com
www.instagram.com/terry_kitto
www.twitter.com/terry_kitto
www.goodreads.com/author/show/21423420.Terry_Kitto?from_search=true&from_srp=true​

Death wasn’t an absolute end, but a further form of being.

Deep within the bowels of an abandoned Cornish mine a covert occult group, known as the Network, protects the living from the dead. Their mediums host a plethora of abilities — from telepathy to astral projection — because of their connection to an energy source called the frequency.

Fifteen-year-old Rasha Abadi and her mother are Syrian refugees granted leave to remain in Gorenn Village. The seaside town sprawls with beaches and idyllic coves, but the last thing Rasha finds there is peace. An impossible shadow visits her nightly and infests her mind with memories of the chaos that she and her mother fled in Syria. When she becomes possessed by the shadow, the Network intervenes to save her.

The shadow’s wrath knows no bounds and orchestrates a string of interconnected possessions across the south coast. Having survived the shadow, Rasha eagerly offers to aid the Network’s investigation. They must all act quickly to unearth its motive before it disrupts the balance between the living and the dead, and forges a new world from the embers of their own reality.

No choice will be easy for Rasha when thwarting a monster means becoming one herself.

The Frequency is a paranormal thriller exploring grief in a world where death is just the beginning and where reality can be rewritten. Fans of Stephen King and James Herbert will enjoy this mind-bending, paranormal thriller with LGBTQ+ and POC characters.

This is book one in The Imprint Quintet series, a five-part saga following a rag-tag group of mediums as they attempt to thwart an otherworldly tyrant from unleashing paranormal terrorism.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?


My name is Kateri Stanley. I’m from the West Midlands, based in the UK. I’ve always been intrigued by the fictional world since I was a kid, falling in love with books, audiobooks and movies. I started writing when I was a kid, penning fanfiction from shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then I started writing my own short stories and in 2015, I began writing my first novel.


This will become my soon to be published debut novel. It’s a sci-fi horror called Forgive Me.


Investigative journalist, Susan ‘Stripe’ McLachlan, is constantly hounded by eager documentarians for interview requests about the Night Scrawler murders. One of the victims of the mysterious serial killer was a member of her own family, her father. At the peak of her career, her services are sought by Isaac Payne who commissions her to write an article for his website. Usually, her projects delve into more uncomfortable, questionable topics, but there’s a deep, almost hauntingly familiar pull about her new client that intrigues her. As she learns more about Isaac, Stripe digs up fresh secrets about the murders, arousing her suspicions. After an awkward confrontation, she wakes up in Isaac’s bed — with a chain around her ankle. Isaac shows her harrowing footage on an old VHS tape. The contents hits close to home…closer than Stripe ever imagined.


It is being published by the indie press house, darkstroke books and will be officially released on Tuesday 20th April 2021. It will be available in ebook and paperback form on Amazon.

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

I created a character in Forgive Me called The Lumberjack who is an axe wielding, gas mask wearing anti-hero from the urban legend with the same name. The idea of waking up in the middle of night with him standing at the foot of my bed. Nah. Not good, I’d need a stiff drink to get back to sleep. Haha. 

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


Music. I always have something playing in my ears when I’m creating. I have music on right now as I’m typing this. I can write with nothing playing if I have to but it’s not the same. Certain songs and soundtracks have helped me reach emotional and poignant moments in my work. After Forgive Me is published, I will be releasing the playlist on my website and social media.


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?

The word “horror” used to evoke a gory, blood and guts vibe to me when I was younger. I’m not particularly good with gore. I tried to play Outlast and I chickened out after ten minutes. I just couldn’t do it, haha! I lean towards the paranormal/supernatural and psychological horrors like Insidious and The Conjuring. I think how we can break these is by creating more subgenres. Horror isn’t just about a guy with pins in his face.

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’ve never heard of a horror movement before but I have seen a change in the response to self-published and indie writers over the years especially in the horror genre, there seems to be more respect. I’ve been reading mostly indie work lately and I’ve been super impressed with the wonderful stories I’ve been introduced to.

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 people love to be scared and we love the adrenaline rush when it happens. Why do people go on scary rides? Why do people walk through horror mazes? Why do we like to watch a horror movie with the lights off? It’s the feeling, as if we’re in the story itself.

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


I wouldn’t say anything is particularly missing. There’s a lot more of it nowadays and it’s in different subgenres which I think is great.

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


I’m a big fan of indie writer, Dawn Hosmer. She wrote a novel called Bits & Pieces which is a psychological thriller. It is about a woman called Tessa who sees flashes when she touches someone. Red = pain, yellow = a premonition, blue = a pleasant memory etc. Life for her isn’t peachy and she wears gloves when she goes out to prevent the flashes. She takes part in a search party for a missing university student and Tessa receives a lightning bolt flash and begins to see images of murdered women. I’ve heard she’s working on a sequel; I’m looking forward to reading it!

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

I enjoy reading positive reviews of my work and I also enjoy reading constructive criticism too because it helps me learn and broaden my knowledge. I wouldn’t say I’ve had a negative review before. I did have someone say that my writing made them comfort eat. Haha. If you’re putting your work out there for all the world to see, negative reviews are going to happen. What I’m trying to say with that example is, try and not let negative reviews get you down or stop you from working on your craft. Everybody has different tastes.

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

I find the writing of the first draft hard because you’re creating something completely from scratch. As Quentin Tarantino has said when penning a screenplay, it’s like climbing a mountain. You’ve got to start at the bottom and work your way up to the top. Some may disagree but I find editing actually easier, it’s so therapeutic to enhance, correct and make your work better.   

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

I think it’s good to write about real life issues in fiction or base characters or situations on experiences you’ve been through. However, I would not touch disturbing topics like incest in my work.


Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?
I’ve definitely grown as a writer by writing a lot more and reading different genres to get myself out of my comfort zone. I also challenged myself by putting my work out for critiquing. When I was in my early 20’s, a friend of mine recommended the website Wattpad.com to me and when I was writing early drafts of Forgive Me, I received wonderful feedback from readers on there. I’ve also written in different mediums, for audio productions and short film screenplays. Some of those projects have turned into novels, one of them I will be working on very soon.

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

Write what is interesting to you. Write what you want to read.


Which of your characters is your favourite?

Stripe McLachlan from my debut novel Forgive Me is one of my favourite characters I’ve created so far. When you meet her at the start of the story, she’s been through some pretty bad stuff but she’s able to present herself in a professional manner when she’s working and she’s able to have a laugh and take the mickey out of herself too, despite what she’s been through.

Which of your books best represents you?

My first original idea for a story called Hard Way Home came to me in a dream when I was a teenager. It was about a woman stuck in a dead-end job who is secretly planning her suicide when she hears that one of her favourite musicians has gone missing from hospital. She leaves work one evening and is hassled by two men and then rescued by a hooded stranger, who claims not to be the infamous lead singer but looks exactly like him. The atmosphere in the book and Jackie (the lead character) is hugely based on me and how I felt about myself and the world during a depressive spiral. When my partner and I were first dating, they read the story and knew straight away Jackie was me! Hard Way Home is available to read for free on my website.

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


Here’s the first couple of sentences from the opening chapter of Forgive Me:


“I see the click and switch when you turn off the television. I hear your heartbeat when you climb up the stairs. I can feel your soft bare feet on the carpet as you walk into your bedroom.”


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

The latest short story I wrote was called Shelter about three young adults who are stuck in a sports hall during a toxic storm. One of them is a notorious bully, the other an ex-bully and the third, one of their victims. It’s filled with tension and despair, addressing depression and mental health issues in young adults. I’d call it a sci-fi drama. The story is available to read on my website for free if you want to give it a peep. One of my beta readers said I should turn it into a novel.


I’m currently working on a modern-day mystical thriller that was inspired after watching a really upsetting documentary called The Cove about the killing of dolphins. I’ve nearly finished the first draft.


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

One that springs to my mind is to be a villain, you must be disfigured or ugly to be frightening. I’m not a fan of that cliché at all.

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


Dawn’s book that I mentioned previously. I recently read a dark romance (which I won’t name), it sadly didn’t get my blood flowing. I liked the premise but the execution of it could’ve been better. The ending was a real mood killer.

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

I’ve never been asked ‘Why do you write?’ And my response is: because I need to. I think a lot of writers would say the same thing. It’s drilled into our being isn’t it. Writing is a form of therapy to me, a type of self-medicating. I’ve gotten through some really tough situations and writing helped. I wrote a short story a while ago during a horrific break up and from doing that, I was able to reevaluate my situation and understand what the hell had happened.

GNOH: Part of the longevity and success of the Charlie Parker books is connected to the fact that they are not typical detective novels. Often there is no traditional ‘murderer’ and once we get beyond the ‘Travelling Man’ in book one or the vicious serial killer in Dark Hollow (book 2) the books fan out into much wider plots and do not have the major ‘reveals’ you might associate with detective stories. If you were to look back at the early novels in the series, were you aware that Charlie Parker was moving away from the traditional detective novel? Or did it just develop that way over time as the plots unfolded?

JOHN: Well, traditional mystery novels always had a very ambivalent relationship, at best, with the supernatural, so the Parker books start out from a point that is slightly at one remove from the tradition and then grow increasingly distant from it.  Then again, the connection between the mystery novel and the supernatural is more convoluted than the traditionalists would have us believe, the main point of contact being the common roots of the two genres in the Gothic.

I think, as I progressed, I came to understand that I could experiment and readers would follow, but the experimentation had to be gradual.  Those early books retain a certain ambiguity about the supernatural elements – they could simply be manifestations of Parker’s guilt and grief – which is slowly dispensed with as the series progresses.  That was entirely deliberate.  I suppose it was a case of saying to the reader, “Okay, you accept A, so it’s not too much to ask you also to accept B.  Are you comfortable with B?  Right, how about C?” I think I have some readers who, had they been told at the start where the novels might lead them, might have been reluctant to pick them up on the grounds that they had a particular conception of the mystery novel, one that didn’t allow for the intrusion of the anti-rational.

But some of the books are more traditional than others.  The Dirty South, for example, is a very traditional kind of thriller.  I wanted to see what would happen if I set aside all – or most – of the elements with which I as a writer, and the reader, had become comfortable.  Every book should be an experiment.  Each should try something new.  Otherwise, I can’t progress, and I can’t learn, and the result will be that the series atrophies.

GNOH: I am particular when it comes to reading a series in the correct order and whilst reading Charlie Parker often wondered how a casual reader might find being parachuted into random parts of the series? For example, A Bag of Bones (book 17), is a direct sequel to its predecessor and new readers may well be perplexed by talk of ‘Not Gods’ and ‘Principal Backers’. Which books might you identify as good entry points for those readers who may not want to start at book one?

JOHN: I’m not a purist at all.  Like a lot of writers, I suspect, I find it hard to recommend the earlier books because I hope I’ve at least improved slightly since then.  Then again, it’s a source of profound relief to me when someone comes to the series for the first time and finds that those first novels still stand up.  I like The Black Angel, The Wolf in Winter, and The Dirty South.  They’re natural starting points for a new reader and are almost deliberately constructed to be so.

GNOH: I often recommend Charlie Parker to readers in the horror community, one fellow reviewer (who shall remain anonymous!) felt that you provided too much background detail which was not pertinent to the main plot. Although this opinion is not something I necessarily agree with, but it’s an interesting point, what do you say to this observation? Or is it just a matter of your particular writing style?

JOHN: It’s a stylistic decision.  I fully understand that there are readers who just want a writer to get on with the main plot, but I’ve always set out to create interweaving narratives, and I don’t subscribe to the idea of minor characters.  What we’re glimpsing in a novel is a kind of Venn diagram, the shaded point at which a series of circles intersect, and each of those circles represents the universe of a single character.  Were one to shift the emphasis slightly, like Tom Stoppard does in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, the book would be about a completely different character who is the centre of his or her own universe.  I’m also very conscious of constructing what feels like a real, lived-in world, because otherwise the intrusion of the otherworldly simply won’t work.  I like the idea of creating a world in which the reader can lose themselves, and that detailed world extends now over twenty novels, give or take, and some short stories and novellas.

GNOH: My favourite detectives I previously mentioned, including Wallander, Rebus and Bosch get more convincing as their series develops and their cases more complex as the author builds on the earlier cases and developing characters. The same can definitely be said for Charlie Parker, no offence, but I doubt anybody would name the first book, Every Dead Thing as the strongest title in the series. My favourite four Parker novels would be, in no particular order: The Wolf in Winter (12), A Song of Shadows (13), A Tide or Torment (14), and A Book of Bones (17), all of which are later entries in the sequence. Looking back, what are your favourites, or could you pick out any particularly strong groupings of books?

JOHN: I think, or hope, I’ve got better from The Wolf in Winter on.  That book marked a shift in my writing.  But he was also an important book for me stylistically.  It’s a piece of literary fiction, but its use of dialogue and white space influenced the Parker books in turn.  They’re all products of the same imagination, so perhaps that’s not too surprising.

GNOH: I’ve read that the next Parker book, The Nameless Ones, published later this year will be a ‘Louis and Angel’ novel where I presume Charlie has a support role. This was also the case in The Reapers (book 7) which covered a lot of background on these two important characters. Have readers been generally supportive of these occasional departures from the main Parker storyline? Could you tell us a little bit about it?

JOHN: Those two characters started out as something approaching light relief, as well as providing readers with a glimpse of a different side to Parker, one that was likeable, even admirable.  As the books have gone on, Angel and Louis have deepened along with my understanding of them.  It just happened that The Nameless Ones was better suited to them than to Parker, although I’m sure, had I wanted to, I could have made him a major character in the story rather than someone who makes an appearance only for a couple of chapters.   The book does tie very much into the larger narrative, though, and Parker’s dead daughter is arguably more important to the story than he is.

GNOH: Which author, living or dead, would you most like to notice reading a Charlie Parker novel on a train?

JOHN: I wonder if Ross Macdonald would have enjoyed them.  He was a big influence on me – not so much stylistically, but more in terms of the philosophy of the books and their conception of empathy.  I suspect he might not have liked them, but who knows?  Actually, in a recent John Sandford novel Virgil Flowers has a conversation with a fellow policeman about Every Dead Thing, and they both compliment the book.  That meant a lot to me as I have been reading Sandford since long before I was published, and I think he’s a hugely underrated writer.

It also made up for a much longer exchange in an Ed McBain novel many years ago, in which Meyer Meyer and Fat Ollie Weeks are absolutely horrible about me and one of my books.  In my first books, and some subsequent ones, I namechecked writers and characters I’d loved as a doffing of the cap.  One of those was McBain, who was my introduction to mystery fiction, so there’s a character called Fat Ollie Watts.  McBain, who was very sensitive to perceived slights, never mind plagiarism, took it amiss.  Later the concept of someone paying tribute was explained to him, and we had a pleasant chat in which he kind of apologized.  I suppose what I’m trying to say is that if someone you admire reads your work, you take your chances…

GNOH: John, it has been an absolute pleasure having you on the site. I hope you enjoy the accompanying article which ranks the novels. Apologies to those at the bottom end of the scale, they are all still worth five stars on Amazon or Good Reads! The best of luck with The Nameless Ones, I cannot wait to find out what Angel and Louis are up to but am sure Charlie will be lurking in the background to save them from harm!
​
Tony Jones

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

When I was younger, I studied to become a Catholic priest. I attended a prep Seminary, but decided that I wanted a secular life, so I became a lawyer. I got married and have two kids.

I spent the last 25 years of my career writing legal briefs and contracts.  Very boring reading, mostly. However, it instilled in me in the importance of doing accurate research and the power of written persuasion.

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

The antagonist of my first book The Pope’s Butcher – Father Heinrich Institoris. Until now, he escaped notice as perhaps the most prolific serial killer in human history. Most recent estimates put the death toll of his Inquisition at 60,000 to 100,000, although some authors prefer much higher numbers, perhaps reaching into the millions.

We can only prove that Institoris himself took two lives directly: Anna of Mindelheim and Agnes the Bathkeeper. However, he proudly proclaimed that he had personally slaughtered over 200 more. We may never know the exact number, but Institoris’ personal torture manual became a handbook influencing official judges after his death. It even contributed to judges in Massachusetts hanging a dozen more innocent women, centuries after his death.

The term “serial killer” is a modern invention. According to the standard definition, a serial killer murders three or more people, usually in service of some abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and often including a significant period between them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines serial killing as a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone. Over the last century and a half, those who have studied serial killers observe that they are typically Caucasian with an average age of 30 and 97% of the time, they are male.

Like most serial killers, the German-born priest began to manifest proclivities toward sexual violence and religious fanaticism by his early 30s. By that age, he was well on his way toward collecting dozens of the perfect targets for his rage: young and middle-aged women. This group would remain the focus of his obsession for the rest of his life. As his political power grew, he began seeking his ultimate trophies: Women of status like Helena Scheuberin, who he viewed as a witch and the enemy. We have his own written words to give insight into why he chose these targets as the most suitable

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


Writing legal analyses, as a lawyer.  The other type of book that I find fascinating are medieval occult grimoires.


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 “horror” means anything that conjures deep emotions of fear in our subconscious. While some fears are universal, others are cultural. For example, as Americans’ religiosity waned, our fears became more focused on serial killers rather than demons.

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 people will grow increasingly fearful of disease. If the COVID-19 experience taught the world anything, it is just how vulnerable we are to it.

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


Horror has always captured our imagination, as it probes deep into our subconscious and brings feelings to the surface that aren’t that easy to tap into consciously. It forces us to safely contend with the outer darkness of our minds and experiences.

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

Diverse voices and perspectives.

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


I find that it is easy to get into teaching too much about history. I find true history very interesting, but readers prefer dialogue and drama to lectures.

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


No.

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

I was a terrible writer in high school and college.  Law school and law practice developed my skills at writing legal documents, but it didn’t help with fiction writing.  In fact, it may have hurt.  However, I have tried to use the legal writing skills and research to help my fitcion writing.

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

Don’t stop.  Keep writing.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

The beautiful pagan witch Brigantia in The Pope’s Butcher.  As I explored her character, I found myself writing about a young beautiful woman who was strong and individualistic yet feminine in the Middle Ages.

Which of your books best represents you?

The Pope’s Butcher definitely does represent some of my experiences as a Catholic seminarian, but the book I am working on now titled Salem’s Ropes is set in the modern era, so it connects more to my current lifestyle.

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

“She followed closely behind him and laughed to herself under her breath, “’I love Christians. More superstitious than pagans!’”

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

My next book is called Salem’s Ropes.  It is a novel based on the true stories of the cursed Ropes Mansion in Salem Massachusetts.

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

Probably vampires.  They have been written about to death (pardon the pun).

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

The last great book I read was probably 1984 by Orwell, which I recently re-read. It is so relevant today, it is scary.

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

“Do you really believe that Satan and his demonic hierarchy is at work influencing humans in the modern world?”  My answer:  “I know it is.”

Joseph C. Gioconda studied to be a Catholic priest before choosing to leave the seminary.  He later studied to become an attorney and graduated from Yale Law School.

WEBSITE


www.ThePopesButcher.com​

Inspired by true historical figures and events in the 15th Century, The Pope’s Butcher is not only a hair-raising work of suspense and espionage, but an astonishing account of religion and the occult in the Middle Ages.
★ Synopsis ★Abandoned as a child and raised by the Church, young Sebastian works tirelessly in his pursuit of priesthood. But when a shadowy hooded figure passes him a scroll, his careful plans face a turning point. It appears his name has drawn the attention of the Inquisition and his attendance is commanded at once—for retribution, information, or something else, he does not know.

Father Heinrich Institoris the Grand Inquisitor is lauded as a visionary man, driven by a burning desire to cleanse the world of Eve’s original sin by eradicating witches. As Inquisition courts bloom across Europe, he vows to leave no stone unturned, no hovel unexamined, and no woman alive, in his search for justice.

As the Inquisitor’s violent mission unfolds, Sebastian embarks on a quest through dank crypts, crumbling abbeys, and the darkest depravities known to man. Torn between duty and love when he encounters the beautiful pagan Brigantia, he fights to uncover the truth: of his past abandonment, the power of the occult, and just how far he’ll go to protect the Church he loves. A Church that is harboring deadly secrets.

With an intriguing writing tone and a talent to create suspense and mystery from true events, Joseph C. Gioconda delivers a shocking story of serial murders within the Catholic Church. In writing his first novel, he has interviewed leading scholars in the U.S. and Europe and hired professional researchers to comb through newly discovered source material from Germany and Italy.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Having dabbled in writing for much of my life, for the past few years I’ve focused on writing screenplays, short stories, and most recently a novella, during the little bit of time I have outside of work and family. Most of my writing involves a combination of horror and dark humour, and I’m really enjoying the online community of those who share these interests.

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

I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler for me to say that the non-supernatural antagonists in my work are usually that banal type of evil that one can’t help but witness in the real world on at least a weekly basis. Unfortunately, those people are unavoidable, but I still try to keep clear of them. The Route 66 Apeman, the “Big Bad” in my new novella, is also somebody I’d prefer to stay far away from, because of the odour as much as the threat of bodily harm.

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

Definitely comedy. I have to actively fight against my humourous instincts to not let jokes constantly seep into my work to the detriment of everything else, like characterization and story. Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries such as This is Spinal Tap and Best in Show have that magical combination of realism, hilarity, and heart that I aim for whenever I’m incorporating comedic elements into something. My debut novella, Spook City, U.S.A., is my attempt at writing prose that has the tone of a goofy R-rated comedy like Step Brothers while still satisfying that horror itch.  In terms of writers, Kurt Vonnegut’s depressing type of humour is a massive influence, as is A Confederacy of Dunces, which is the funniest thing I’ve ever read.

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 kind of get a kick out of the stigma against horror and other types of “genre fiction.” Part of its appeal to me is that it’s not for everyone. This helps foster a kind of outsider community, like with niche styles of music. Within an already ostracized genre, my stuff is as low brow as it gets, and I have no shame about that.

However, commentators can make the case that some horror is regressive and “punches down” by relying on tropes that may be harmful. I don’t know much about that, but I think an open dialogue about that stuff is helpful, as is making sure that different voices are encouraged.

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?

It’s already starting to happen, but I’d love to see even more people from marginalized backgrounds get their works into the forefront of the public consciousness. Horror is now and has seemingly always been the perfect window into addressing cultural wrongs, and people who are much better writers and way more insightful than I’ll ever be, such as Stephen Graham Jones, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Victor LaValle, are doing an amazing job at it. Hopefully their books will one day sell as many copies as Stephen King.

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

Really great horror can be cathartic, and even mediocre horror is a fun, escapist diversion. I think some people are just wired for it. I know I am.

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

I am just now learning about the indie horror scene, so there may already be people like this already writing that I’m ignorant of, but I’d be really interested to read horror written through an Islamic lens. So many great horror books and films in the English language have a Christian, and often specifically a Catholic, focus, like The Exorcist, The Omen, and The Conjuring series, and I really enjoyed The Possession, which is about dybbuks from Jewish mythology. I’d love to see the Muslim version of this, like a serious book about Djinns incorporating Arab culture.

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

I’ve just recently started exploring indie horror, so the people whose work I’m familiar with are mostly already established. One of these authors who has stood out to me is Kristopher Triana, who writes mostly Splatterpunk that has exceptional character development. The recently deceased W.H. Pugmire had been around forever, but I only recently discovered him and am kind of obsessed. He wrote the most ornate Lovecraftian prose I’ve ever read; it’s almost more Lovecraftian than Lovecraft himself.

A traditionally published young author that I’ve enjoyed is Edgar Cantero, who wrote Meddling Kids, a thoughtful, grown-up take on many of the same the Scooby Doo archetypes that I tackle from a very different angle in my Shadybrook series. His first English language novel, The Supernatural Enhancements, is his masterpiece so far. It’s a crazy haunted house story with a twist ending that I don’t quite understand, but still really love.

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

An early version of Spook City was written in screenplay form, and the most helpful feedback I received about it was that I should either pull back on the explicit themes to make it family friendly or to double-down and embrace the more R-rated aspects, but not to stay in the middle of the road, which is where my initial drafts were stagnating. After choosing to unapologetically write for a grown-up audience and eventually market the book that way, I felt freed up to limit my self-censoring and include more sex, violence, and profanity.

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

I dread doing the actual writing, as opposed to the daydreaming, outlining, and revising, which I enjoy much more. Out of necessity due to my work and family obligations, I’m forced to carve out little chunks of time to write and then make the most out of them, which has actually been very helpful to me because it forces me to be productive.

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

Being a straight, white American guy who wants to write diverse characters, I try not to tell stories that might be seen as coopting someone else’s experiences for my own gain. I can’t help being irreverent, so I don’t see myself ever writing about something like the Holocaust or slavery, because I couldn’t do it justice.

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

Thankfully, I wasn’t published until recently, so none of my early works are floating around out there. However, I can’t guarantee Spook City, U.S.A. won’t make me cringe once I have a few more books under my belt. The sex scene in it already does.

Since I’ve never taken formal creative writing classes, I’ve relied heavily on editing and advice from my brother and my wife, who are much more educated than I am. Outside of that, books like Stephen King’s On Writing and Chuck Palahniuk’s recent Consider This have been awesome, as has the writing community at LitReactor and podcasts like This is Horror and The Lovecraft eZine.

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

Before I turned my attention to writing prose, I was focused on songwriting for many years, and someone once told me to write the type of songs that I would most like to listen to. Since then, I’ve applied that to every artistic endeavor I’ve undertaken. As poorly as it may reflect on my character, Spook City is totally the type of book that I would most like to read.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

Rory, the three-legged blue heeler that narrates Spook City, has a special place in my heart, as he is based on a real dog that I shared with my ex-wife. The real Rory was absolutely insane and despised me, but I found her to be absolutely hilarious and wanted to mythologize her in some way.

Which of your books best represents you?

I couldn’t imagine writing a more personal book than Spook City, which happens to be my only released book as of now.

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

I’m way too proud about the opening line of Spook City: “Welcome to Shadybrook, California, located not far from Needles in the part of the state that the Red Hot Chili Peppers never get around to writing songs about.”

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

My new book is Spook City, U.S.A., the first in a series of novellas set in the fictional desert town of Shadybrook, California. It twists the “mystery team with a dog” trope into a raunchy horror/comedy intended for the few weirdos who equally enjoy Scooby Doo, Super Troopers, and Twin Peaks.

Right now, I’m bouncing back and forth between writing the next Shadybrook book, tentatively titled Screaming at a Mall, and a series of short stories about a punk band that solves mysteries.

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

I love a good jump scare, but I hate a poorly executed one. Also, the “Indian Burial Ground” stuff is pretty played out, and living close to a reservation, I can assure you that it annoys many Native Americans.

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

The last great book that I read was Blackwater by Michael McDowell. It’s an obscenely long Southern Gothic saga that was originally published as six separate volumes, each released one month apart in the early ‘80s, similar to how Stephen King put out The Green Mile about ten years later. I’ve become obsessed with McDowell after first reading about him in Grady Hendrix’s Paperbacks from Hell. He wrote the screenplay for Beetlejuice and a ton of over great stuff but is sadly kind of overlooked.

The last book that disappointed me was Gone Girl. I’ve been on a kick of reading many of the extremely popular books of the last ten years or so that had passed by me, and I really liked Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places, so I was surprised when Gone Girl didn’t live up to the hype, in my opinion.

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


Q: It turns out that all those creatures H.P. Lovecraft wrote about are real and they’ll be showing up in town tomorrow. Can you help us defeat them?
A: Um, sure.