Month: October 2019

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Danger Slater

megHan

Meghan: Hi, Danger! Welcome back… er… um… back, but to my new home. It’s been awhile since we sat down together. What’s been going on since we last spoke?

Danger Slater: I’ve just been kicking ass and taking names. Okay, that’s not true. I haven’t kicked a single ass or taken a single name since we last talked. I’ve mostly just been hanging out and playing video games.

Meghan: Who are you outside of writing?

Danger Slater: A dude with a small bladder. I pee a lot. It’s kinda annoying. Don’t take me on a car ride.

Meghan: How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?

Danger Slater: Eh, if they are into it, then sure. But I’m not reading their stuff.

Meghan: Is being a writer a gift or a curse?

Danger Slater: Neither. It’s not a gift because you have to work at it. It’s not a curse because nobody is making you do it. It’s more like… a job.

Meghan: How has your environment and upbringing colored your writing?

Danger Slater: I mean, probably a lot. But I don’t know how exactly because I have no other frame of reference.

Meghan: What’s the strangest thing you have ever had to research for your books?

Danger Slater: Research is for scientists and nerds. I’m writing fiction so I can just make stuff up if I don’t know the answer. Who was the 12th President of the USA? I have no idea. But if I was writing a book, I’d say it was Taylor Johnston. Is that factually accurate? No idea.

I do look up how to spell words though. Want my spelling correct.

Meghan: Which do you find the hardest to write: the beginning, the middle, or the end?

Danger Slater: The beginning. It sets the tone for the whole book. I rewrite my beginnings over and over again, those first few pages or chapters. Sometimes 20 times. Whatever it takes for me to really figure out the characters and the tone of the book. Once I have that down, it’s just setting up the pieces for the rest of the novel.

Meghan: Do you outline? Do you start with characters or plot? Do you just sit down and start writing? What works best for you?

Danger Slater: I don’t outline, generally speaking, but I will go in a with a few ideas. The story takes shape as I go over it again and again. I write towards certain scenes or character beats, but I also keep it pretty loose and don’t hold myself to that too much. Sometimes I’ll outline the third act, if I have a lot of loose plot points I need to resolve before the book wraps up.

Meghan: What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline/plan?

Danger Slater: Nothing. Keep writing.

Meghan: What do you do to motivate yourself to sit down and write?

Danger Slater: I’ve done it on a regular basis for long enough that I don’t have to motivate myself. I just sit down at my “writing time,” which I try to keep around the same each day, when I first wake up, and I go to work.

Meghan: Are you an avid reader?

Danger Slater: Of course.

Meghan: What kind of books do you absolutely love to read?

Danger Slater: I like bizarro and horror. Weird stuff that goes in unexpected directions. Characters that I can relate to stuck in impossible and unreal situations. Reading gives me the opportunity to let someone else help guide my imagination, so I try to be selective. I will put a book down after 3 pages if I’m not feeling it. Likewise, I can be 300 pages into a 400 page book, and if I stop feeling it, I’ll just put it down. No sense in punishing myself. It’s supposed to be fun.

Meghan: How do you feel about movies based on books?

Danger Slater: No opinion. The types of books they make movies from are typically not the kinds of books I have read.

Meghan: Have you ever killed a main character?

Danger Slater: No. Well, like, kinda but not really. Often times characters will transform after some kind of personal apocalypse, so maybe that is a type of death. I don’t know.

Meghan: Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?

Danger Slater: No, because I suffer with them.

Meghan: What’s the weirdest character concept that you’ve ever come up with?

Danger Slater: The main character of my last book Impossible James impregnates himself with his clones over and over again, which has some… unintended consequences on his body. I guess that’s pretty weird.

Meghan: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received? What’s the worst?

Danger Slater: I honestly don’t recall either. I have a terrible memory. Best advice is probably something like: keep writing! Worst advice is probably something more like: quit writing! Haha.

Meghan: What do your fans mean to you?

Danger Slater: They’re great. It’s exciting for me that people read my stuff, and I like when people write reviews or message me about it. It’s a satisfying feeling to know that people are connecting with my stories.

Meghan: If you could steal one character from another author and make them yours, who would it be and why?

Danger Slater: I’d take Don Quixote because all my characters are basically him anyway.

Meghan: If you could write the next book in a series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?

Danger Slater: I wouldn’t want to do that, but if someone made me, I’d do the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy because 1.) it’s great, and 2.) it’s the only book series I can ever remember reading.

Meghan: If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about?

Danger Slater: I would collaborate with Michael Allen Rose and we’d write a book about toast. MAGICAL TOAST!

Meghan: What can we expect from you in the future?

Danger Slater: I’ve already finished my next two books, editing a third, and working on a fourth, so a whole bunch more fiction coming your way!

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Danger Slater: Twitter is best. Or just google me. I’m not invisible.

Meghan: Do you have any closing words for your fans or anything you’d like to say that we didn’t get to cover in this interview or the last?

Danger Slater: Meghan, I think you’ve asked literally every question in the whole entire world, so there is nothing unsaid and nothing left to cover. Also, if you’re out there and reading this right now: buy some books, preferably mine. Thanks!

Meghan: Just wait until round three…

Wonderland Award winning author Danger Slater is the world’s most flammable writer! He likes to use a lot of exclamation points!

Impossible James

My father was dying. There was no hope. Then he took a screwdriver to the brain. Got pregnant. And found the cure for death.

Impossible? That’s my dad.

IMPOSSIBLE JAMES

He Digs a Hole

Get a job. Get married. Buy a house. Cut off your hands and replace them with gardening tools. Dig a hole. Can you hear the worms calling? Keep digging.

I Will Rot Without You

Meet Ernie. His life is a mess. Gretchen’s gone, and the apartment they once shared is this grey, grim city is now overrun with intelligent mold and sinister bugs.

Then his neighbor Dee shows up, so smart and lovely. If he can just get past the fact that her jealous boyfriend could reach out of her blouse and punch him in the face at any moment, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Unfortunately for all involved, a Great Storm is coming and it will wash away everything we’ve ever known about the human heart.

Halloween Extravaganza: Iona Caldwell: Samhain and Halloween: How a Druid Does Both

megHan

When Iona Caldwell asked if she could discuss Halloween from the point of view of a Druid, I jumped at the chance to have this kind of information given to my readers, a topic that I hadn’t had touched on in the history of my Halloween Extravaganza. What she had to say was very interesting, and I hope that y’all learn as much as I did.

Being a mom is hard enough. Being a mom and a Druid – now that might seem impossible!

Going to bed late, rough nights of sleep due to a restless mind of things being left undone, parent/teacher conferences, fundraisers – the list goes on. And these are daily activities.

Then there’s squeezing in the needs of a practicing Druid including (but certainly not limited to) spending time with nature, natural cleansing of the altar, morning and evening rituals, writing a Book of Shadows (not all druids do this, it’s my personal preference), meditating… you get the idea. Then there are times when two holidays (days of power for me) roll around.

Once the holidays get here, things take a drastic change.

Halloween is coming up and we all know what that means: candy, costumes, spooky decor, and delicious treats. That’s for my kids.

Since we don’t get a ton of Trick or Treating around our small town, we typically rely on Trunk or Treating, mall trick or treating and sometimes none at all if the weather is too cold, we have a sick munchkin or it’s raining.

If you are like me, you let your little monsters stay awake late and indulge in some pre-dentist visit inducing carbs waiting for the precious “sugar crash” that seems like it can take hours. It can leave the mind tired and really not wanting to do much other than falling into bed. That’s when Charlie Brown goes on the television and we enjoy some hot cocoa or cider while wrapped in our blankets in front of the fireplace.

For me, it’s the glorious night of Samhain.

This is the time when many things happen for a practicing Druid. The Wild Hunt rides, unsettled spirits walk the Earth, the Veil is thin and sometimes the third eye can get a bit overwhelmed. For those who practice invocation, evocation, moon work, spell work, etc, this can pretty taxing.

Most of my practice happens at night after the kids are asleep and the family tradition of watching Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing (don’t judge me) is over.

However, like parenting, spiritual practice takes work. Sometimes you have to be willing to take some hits to certain parts of your life (like Netflix binging, gaming, etc) to become more in tune with the Divine. Samhain is the perfect time to commune with crone goddesses and your ancestors. It’s a wonderful time to do divination or rituals of evocation. Maybe you’re Wiccan and have separate ways of practicing altogether and have your own rituals and spell work.

Whatever way you practice, it takes serious devotion.

What I do for any Eightfold Wheel day is always start with a meal of some kind. Being a Druid means communing with family and others, it means networking and learning to balance the different aspects of our lives.

Just like Nature is the perfect balancer, I take my time with my husband and enjoy a meal while watching a movie. We may indulge in some “Witch’s Brew,” baked treats like freshly baked pumpkin bread or apple pies. Whatever we do, we take time to do it together.

After taking some time with the family and the wee hours when they’re all asleep, I typically spend some time letting the day “melt” from my body. It allows my mind to be open to the Divine and clears the space if you will.

This year, I plan to do a ritual of evocation to the Crone Aspect of the Triple Goddess. It can be terrifying to work with her but in the end you can receive amazing insight. I won’t go into exact detail as I wanted to give you a glimpse into how hectic Halloween (Samhain) can be when doing both.

It can be taxing but more importantly, it’s fun!

About the author:

My name is Iona Caldwell. I’m the author of the British Occult Fiction Beneath London’s Fog, which was published by FyreSyde Publishing this month. When I’m not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, I’m spending time out in nature. I love books. My biggest inspirations are H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Edgar Allen Poe. I blog about many things, but mostly everything bookish.

All of my novels are stand-alone novellas, each with a cast of people I hope my readers will come to love as much as I have.

Beneath London’s Fog

Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.

Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.

When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.

The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape. 

One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Iona Caldwell

megHan

Meghan: Hi, Iona. Thanks for agreeing to take part in this interview today, and welcome to Meghan’s House of Books. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Iona Caldwell: My name is Iona Caldwell. I am an outspoken druid and devoted author of the classics. Iona is indeed a pen name with a preference to keep my real name hidden. However, I am a very friendly person who is active on my social media and who loves to meet new people. I wrote Beneath London’s Fog to begin a journey I long wanted to begin. When FyreSyde picked it up, it elated me to find someone enjoyed it. To this day, I am blown away at how well it has been received. When I am not writing, I love to blog about books and movies on my review blog. My personal blog is devoted to my love of Druidry, gardening, sustainability and awareness. I feel we need to devote more time to conserving Mother Earth rather than taking advantage of her. The Oaken King, my personal blog, is in the middle of a shark related series in light of the recent shark week.

Meghan: What are five things most people don’t know about you?

Iona Caldwell: I do not know why but many have fallen under the impression that I live in the UK. Though I would love to live there, I do in fact live in the US. I am also a practicing herbalist, an avid gamer, and a blossoming geomancer. One might also find me in a tea shop in light of my love for tea or perusing the True Crime section as my love of studying serial killers has become almost legendary in my household. I rarely read modern writing, preferring the company of masterminds like Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Mary Shelley, Poe, and other masters of the writing craft. I love to bake, doing so mostly in the Autumn and Winter time. That is probably more than five but eh.

Meghan: What is the first book you remember reading?

Iona Caldwell: I fell in love with R.L Stein’s Goosebumps as a kid. I devoured them before moving on to Annette Curtis-Klause’s paranormal romance books Blood & Chocolate and The Silver Kiss.

Meghan: What are you reading now?

Iona Caldwell: Right now I am enthralled in a non-fiction titled The Ardlamont Mystery: The True Case that Inspired Sherlock Holmes. As an author of detective and occult fiction, I keep myself “in the loop” on the methodology of the Victorian serial killer. For fiction, I’m enjoying Dean Koontz’s Prodigal Son. It is a modern day Frankenstein set 200 years after the monster escaped and Frankenstein died.

Meghan: What’s a book you really enjoyed that others wouldn’t expect you to have liked?

Iona Caldwell: I do not believe many would believe I am an avid fan of cozy mysteries considering how my books are written. The cozies offer me a chance to break from the dark occult/gothic worlds I create with lighter humor and the occasional romance. The Hannah Swensen mysteries by Joanne Fluke and Aurora Teagarden are some of my favorites.

Meghan: What made you decide you want to write? When did you begin writing?

Iona Caldwell: I had been wanting to write professionally for a while but never could gather up the courage to actually pitch a story to a publisher. I have been a blogger longer than an author but recently started running two blogs. One is The Oaken King. This blog contains my love of all things nature, sustainability and conservation, plus more. The other is The Antlered Crown. This is my review blog where I review books and movies, mainly in the horror genre. I began writing seriously in college where I studied history. I let my writing go for a while to pursue other things I thought were passions but found they actually were not. Hence, the writing of Beneath London’s Fog.

Meghan: Do you have a special place you like to write?

Iona Caldwell: I have a few places I prefer to write. It usually depends on how I am feeling. When I find creativity stunted, I tend to go out to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, or even a favourite restaurant to write. When I am at home, either my office or the couch work just fine.

Meghan: Do you have any quirks or processes that you go through when you write?

Iona Caldwell: Before I write, I perform a ritual including lying on the couch to let the stresses of the day to drain off of me. Once I feel relaxed, I meditate for about 20 minutes to focus and relax my mind further. As far as quirks, I am a punster so there are those rare times where I suffer from a temporary lapse in where to go. However, this is incredibly rare and I am usually able to finish a novella in a month or two. I also do not write every day. If I feel like I don’t want to and would rather do something else, I do. My other hobbies help me refill what I call the “creative well.”

Meghan: Is there anything about writing you find most challenging?

Iona Caldwell: Honestly, no. Writing is as natural to me as breathing. I do not focus on what others may think of me and write what I want. The challenging thing is to decide which of the many ideas I would like to work on next. This is alleviated via the use of a notebook and the feeling of a sparking passion that occurs in an “aha” moment. If I do not feel that moment, I throw the idea aside even if I have started writing it.

Meghan: What’s the most satisfying thing you’ve written so far?

Iona Caldwell: There are too many to name a single satisfying thing. I tend to find satisfaction in completing a manuscript itself.

Meghan: What books have most inspired you? Who are some authors that have inspired your writing style?

Iona Caldwell: I am an avid reader of the classics. Very rarely do I indulge in reading modern authors unless they are Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Ruth Ware, Darcy Coates, Nick Cutter, Charlaine Harris, Joanne Fluke, or Clive Barker. Among my favorites are Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and HP Lovecraft.

Meghan: What do you think makes a good story?

Iona Caldwell: To answer this, I will say what makes a good story is one that feels it does not, in fact, have to explain every facet of itself. Masters of horror have often criticized modern authors for their over-use of details and their feeling they have to explain everything. Deep characters with real flaws, world-building and the ability to show and not tell everything are bonuses. The latter is not really necessary since one merely has to read a Sherlock Holmes novel to find Conan Doyle is indeed a teller. A strong, unique story, well-formed dialogue and a fair amount of decent twists also gives a story a firm foundation. An author also does not have to manufacture an entirely new trope but to take what exists and make it into something unique. An example of this is perfectly exhibited in del Toro’s The Strain. Two tropes well known (a plague and vampires) to literature are taken and reformed into something new and unheard of. A well-designed inciting incident and a plot that pushes the story forward are also what makes a good story.

Meghan: What does it take for you to love a character? How do you utilize that when creating your characters?

Iona Caldwell: I need to feel the character’s emotions. If I do not feel connected – like I am hearing, smelling, seeing, touching and tasting – to the character, then they are lost. I love characters that are flawed, Characters that are not perfect like an alpha male or overly strong female. The way I am able to do this is I only write in 1st person. This allows me to put on VR glasses and see what they are seeing. I must walk in their shoes and experience all they experience. 1st person, I think, is under-valued but again, Conan Doyle utilizes first person in his novels. Many classics did so and they are timeless. 3rd person limited and omniscient make it easy to write a character. 1st person makes it easy to experience them.

Meghan: Which, of all your characters, do you think is the most like you?

Iona Caldwell: I do not have a single character most like me. As I mentioned, I wear the skin of all of them. Each carries a piece of me within them and I in them. This might not be the answer requested but it is the best I have.

Meghan: Are you turned off by a bad cover? To what degree were you involved in creating your book covers?

Iona Caldwell: I am usually willing to give a book a chance as long as it has a promising story. Do I look at covers? Absolutely. However, I do not let them be the deciding factor on whether or not I will try the story. I have the privilege of working with a publisher who lets their authors be involved in every step of the publishing process. This being the case, I have a say in which cover I would like and if I do not like it or want something changed, FyreSyde happily helps.

Meghan: What have you learned creating your books?

Iona Caldwell: The most important thing is to not worry about “pleasing every reader.” We, as authors, simply cannot and will not be able to earn approval from every reader. Bias plays a vital part in reviews and we need to remember that. I was terrified when I got feedback from one of the beta readers of Beneath London’s Fog but then I realized they had a different preference. Authors need to remember, we will get bad reviews. To think we will not is arrogant. Learn from them and let them help you appreciate the reviewers who are your fans.

Meghan: What has been the hardest scene for you to write so far?

Iona Caldwell: The last scene in every novella is the hardest. It means I am nearing a relationship I worked hard to nurture. We grow attached to our characters and ending a manuscript can be just as sad as starting a new one can be exciting.

Meghan: What makes your books different from others out there in this genre?

Iona Caldwell: My genre is rarely written. I do not classify it as romance, horror, etc. My genre is Occult or Gothic fiction. My books are different because they exist in a genre not well-known to modern authors. When asked why I write Occult Fiction, I always answer with the diversity. It is such a magnificent genre because there are no bounds to what one can do with it. It is also one of the oldest genres. We have all experienced it in one way or another, we just might not know or realize we have.

Meghan: How important is the book title, how hard is it to choose the best one, and how did you choose yours (of course, with no spoilers)?

Iona Caldwell: I do not have any trouble crafting titles. They are often the first things I have right after the very basic of plots. A title is like the pitch before a reader glimpses the synopsis. They, in my opinion, are more important than the synopsis. Often it is the title that catches the potential reader along with the cover. Once these two have done their job, the reader picks up the book and turns it over. I chose mine because it is the story. A dark story hidden beneath a very real and mysterious aspect of London. Fog is mischievous. It deceives, conceals, yet is beautiful to see. It is associated with the occult as a veil for spirits or for evil. That is what led to my choice of Beneath London’s Fog.

Meghan: What makes you feel more fulfilled: Writing a novel or writing a short story?

Iona Caldwell: A blog post makes me feel fulfilled. Why? Because it is a passion. Any form of writing fulfills me because I have woven another world with words even if I decide to keep it for myself. In the case of a blog post, I love to read and review books and I love to write about my other passions. Also, something to look at is with each time you write, you get a little better, which is fulfilling in and of itself.

Meghan: Tell us a little bit about your books, your target audience, and what you would like readers to take away from your stories.

Iona Caldwell: I have to chuckle with this one because I know some of my readers are going to be left with questions. I will never write a series because I do not always explain every little detail. As a matter of fact, there are many mysteries that will remain so. I do this on purpose. I want my readers to theorize and to ask questions. My target audience is mainly adult since there are some graphic scenes but with movies as they are, who knows? My books are full of flawed characters and characters who often walk the fine line of what is morally right and wrong. For example, Jonathan from Beneath London’s Fog, sees himself as a villain because of his monstrous nature. Yet, he is also a gentle and loving father. Markus from Hell’s Warden (my next title) can be classified as an anti-hero because of his choices (not saying). I want my readers to see these flaws but look beneath them to find a deeper story. I also want my readers to enjoy the story for its value which is why I never write series or show my face. Looking at the examples of the literary masters again, how often did they write “series?” True Agatha Christie wrote Poirot and Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock but those were not considered “series.” They were more installments in a saga of characters. Why? Because each was a stand-alone story in and of itself rather than a consecutive string of events.

Meghan: Can you tell us about some of the deleted scenes/stuff that got left out of your work?

Iona Caldwell: There really are not any. Since my novellas are short, I tend to include the most prudent scenes and make sure they are crafted carefully to be needed. In my first book, there were no scenes cut, not one. Instead, a few were moved around where my editor thought they may help with the pacing.

Meghan: What is in your “trunk”?

Iona Caldwell: I am a jack of trades. Outside of writing, I focus on raising organic seeds, baking, practicing my druidic rituals, cooking, gardening, gaming and reading. This is another reason why I do not really consider writing a career. I do not wish it to be. I just enjoy it. My other passions take up large amounts of my time and I plan on adding more as the years progress. I must admit, I have never heard it referred to as a “trunk” before. We learn something new every day.

Meghan: What can we expect from you in the future?

More novellas, intriguing characters and a growing number of gothic mysteries. Otherwise, I am very active on social media and share things on my Instagram and Twitter almost daily (yes, I am one of those oddballs who does not let social media rule me). Otherwise, I am very fast at writing and getting titles out. Thankfully my publisher knows this and is willing to work with me.

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Iona Caldwell:

Twitter ** Instagram ** Betwitching Book Club ** Antlered Crown Reviews
Goodreads ** The Antlered Crown ** The Oaken King

Meghan: Do you have any closing words for your fans or anything you’d like to say that we didn’t get to cover in this interview?

Iona Caldwell: Surprisingly no. You were quite thorough. I suppose all I can really add is to invite anyone who wants to connect with me to do so. I am taking reviews (paperback only) and enjoy meeting new and aspiring authors, bloggers, gardeners, etc. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on any of my social media.

About the author:

My name is Iona Caldwell. I’m the author of the British Occult Fiction Beneath London’s Fog, which was published by FyreSyde Publishing this month. When I’m not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, I’m spending time out in nature. I love books. My biggest inspirations are H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Edgar Allen Poe. I blog about many things, but mostly everything bookish.

All of my novels are stand-alone novellas, each with a cast of people I hope my readers will come to love as much as I have.

Beneath London’s Fog

Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.

Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.

When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.

The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape. 

One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.

Halloween Extravaganza: Andrew Robertson: GIVEAWAY

megHan

In December 2018, Grinning Skull Press released a charity anthology entitled O Unholy Night in Deathlehem, with the proceeds going to The Elisabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

This year, as part of his participation in my annual Halloween Extravaganza, Andrew Robertson, an author in the anthology, will be giving away a copy to one of my readers.

Here’s how to enter:

Super easy. Three entries, three chances at winning a physical copy of this awesome book!

And make sure you keep your eye on future Halloween Extravaganza posts, as Andrew as another giveaway coming up…

Said the little child to his mother dear, 
do you hear what I hear 
Shrieking through the night, father dear, 
And do you see what I see 
A cry, a scream, blood coloring the snow 
And a laugh as evil as sin 
And a laugh as evil as sin 

Well, folks, looks like we’re back in Deathlehem, where… 
Santa’s gift turns a mindless horde of bargain-hungry shoppers 
into…well… a horde of hungry shoppers… 
defective toys aren’t just dangerous; they’re deadly… 
holiday ornaments prove to be absolutely captivating—permanently… 
those ugly Christmas sweaters are to die for… 

Twenty-five more tales of holiday horror to benefit 
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

The Anthology Includes:

Andrew Robertson is an award-winning queer writer and journalist. He has published articles in Xtra!, fab magazine, ICON, Gasoline, Samaritan Magazine, neksis, and Shameless. His fiction has appeared in literary magazines and quarterlies such as Stitched Smile Publications Magazine Vol 1, Deadman’s Tome, Undertow, and katalogue and in anthologies including Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland, A Tribute Anthology to Deadworld, Group Hex Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and Pink Triangle Rhapsody from Lycan Valley Press (coming October 2020). He is also the editor of Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror, a bestselling anthology from Riverdale Avenue Books. A lifelong fan of horror, he is the founder and co-host of The Great Lakes Horror Company Podcast, official podcast to Library of the Damned, and a member of the Horror Writer’s Association.

Halloween Extravaganza: INTERVIEW: Andrew Robertson

megHan

Meghan: Welcome back, Andrew! It’s been awhile since we sat down together. What’s been going on since we last spoke?

Andrew Robertson: First, it’s great to be back, especially on your fresh, new, updated blog!

Since the last time we spoke, the anthology I edited, Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror was released by Riverdale Avenue Books and landed a #1 spot on a few of Amazon’s LGBTQ+ charts which was great to see. I also published a short story titled Her Royal Counsel in Colleen Anderson’s Alice Unbound anthology from Exile Editions and placed my story Sick is the New Black in the Pink Triangle Rhapsody anthology from Lycan Valley Press. That one launches Winter 2019 and contains horror, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, and pulp mystery stories written exclusively by gay men. I fell in love with the characters in Sick is the New Black and have started a book-length version to further explore the dark and fashionable social media cult that their lives revolve around.

Also, with the holidays right around the corner, readers can pick up O Unholy Night in Deathlehem: An Anthology of Holiday Horrors for Charity from Grinning Skull Press that was published earlier this year. I have a creepy little tale in there called Jason’s Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, and all proceeds from the book go to benefit The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Meghan: Who are you outside of writing?

Andrew Robertson: That’s hard to answer. I feel like I’ve changed a lot in the past three years, but it’s been more about returning to someone I used to be before I started looking for what was already there. Sometimes we think we need to ‘grow up’ and develop a mature, adult identity by burying parts of ourselves that made us who we were in high school or university, but I’ve realized that those pieces weren’t temporary. So I put on some black nail polish, sat down to write horror stories without caring what anyone else thought, and got tattoos of Siouxsie Sioux and Lydia Lunch. It all felt right.

I guess I’m a bit introspective – I like exploring ideas and art and love new (and scary) experiences most of all. It always surprises people how easily scared I get but I like it a lot. My partner Dinis refuses to go to haunted houses with me because I push him in first. But I don’t even need the haunted house. I can even scare myself just by thinking. I was in a canoe on Lower Buckhorn Lake in Ontario and I envisioned a cold pale arm reaching out of the underwater reeds and that was it. I paddled for shore like an outboard motor.

Meghan: How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?

Andrew Robertson: I think that one is tricky for anyone that doesn’t write cozy thrillers. My very first piece of writing published in an anthology was called Not Just a Fuck, a hell of a title. Of course, I was really excited about it, especially because Margaret Atwood was in the same book, so I wanted to show my parents but my content was a bit… personal as you can imagine. I bit the bullet and showed them all the same. I figured they might as well get used to it because I have never been one to self-edit!

The other concern for many writers is your family or friends ‘seeing’ themselves in the characters or situations you write about. Sometimes I’ll use friend’s names in stories just to mess with them. That way, when they ask why ‘their’ character was killed off, you know that they actually read your work.

Meghan: Is being a writer a gift or a curse?

Andrew Robertson: I think being able to tell a story is a gift, and if it means something to a reader, that is a perfect gift. The curse is writing the story.

Meghan: What’s the strangest thing you have ever had to research for your books?

Andrew Robertson: I’ve researched Sokushinbutsu, or the self-mummifying practice of certain Buddhist monks, for Miira in Group Hex Vol 1. They enter mummification while they are still alive which was so horrifying to me that I had to write about it. That was when I learned about Portuguese sailors selling Egyptian mummies to the Japanese to turn into a powder that was believed to have curative powers.

I’m also currently researching a lot of diseases that have obvious and visible symptoms for a WIP. That makes me feel pretty itchy.

Meghan: Are you an avid reader?

Andrew Robertson: I have a giant stack of books to get through, and I usually have a few on the go at the same time. Sometimes it’s to try and grow or learn as a writer. For example, I will read a thriller to see how the author sets the pace. I really enjoy Shari Lapena’s work in that way. There are so many twists and turns that she stitches together, and we live in the same city so maybe one day I can tell her how much I enjoy her work in person!

I’ve just read Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp and it was fantastic. The way he writes is so surreal you feel like you are losing your mind along with the family at the core of the tale, and the progression of the plot reveals a nefarious otherworldly gaslighting at its finest.

I’ve also recently finished Danger Slater’s I Will Rot Without You and the level of horrific imagination he displays while telling what is at its most basic level a love story with a total disregard for whether something needs to make sense is inspiring. I think it’s important for a writer to stop asking if something could happen and just make it happen.

Meghan: Have you ever killed a main character?

Andrew Robertson: Maybe. That’s all I’ll say.

Meghan: Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?

Andrew Robertson: As a huge fan of the Hellraiser films, my formative years were spent watching characters suffer. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

Meghan: Where can we find you?

Andrew Robertson: I’m on Facebook and twitter for all your stalking needs.

Meghan: Do you have any closing words for your fans or anything you’d like to say that we didn’t get to cover in this interview or the last?

Andrew Robertson: I just want to thank you for your passion in keeping this blog going, for supporting indie authors, and for helping spread the word about genre books. A few years ago I never would have thought that I would have work out by publishers I admire, alongside other writers I read and love, or that anyone would want to interview me never mind twice, so thanks for being a part of this crazy ride Meghan!

Meghan: Aww shucks! Thanks for all that! And you are truly welcome. It’s been wonderful meeting you and every other cool author I’ve met along the way. It more than makes up for the handful who have been… dramatic (and not in a good way) haha.

Andrew Robertson is an award-winning queer writer and journalist. He has published articles in Xtra!, fab magazine, ICON, Gasoline, Samaritan Magazine, neksis, and Shameless. His fiction has appeared in literary magazines and quarterlies such as Stitched Smile Publications Magazine Vol 1, Deadman’s Tome, Undertow, and katalogue and in anthologies including Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland, A Tribute Anthology to Deadworld, Group Hex Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and Pink Triangle Rhapsody from Lycan Valley Press. He is also the editor of Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror, a bestselling anthology from Riverdale Avenue Books. A lifelong fan of horror, he is the founder and co-host of The Great Lakes Horror Company Podcast, official podcast to Library of the Damned, and a member of the Horror Writer’s Association.

Pink Triangle Rhapsody – Coming Winter 2019

Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland

Lewis Carroll explored childlike wonder and the bewildering realm of adult rules and status, which clashed in bizarre ways. And although it seems we all know something about Alice and Wonderland, we—like Alice herself upon her first reading of Jabberwocky—find “It fills my head with ideas, but I don’t know what they are.” So as each new generation falls under Carroll’s word spells, each in turn must attempt to understand what Alice and Wonderland might mean in the context of their world and in their time.

This collection of twenty-first century speculative fiction stories is inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Hunting of the Snark, and to some degree, aspects of the life of the author, Charles Dodgson, and the real-life Alice (Liddell).

Enjoy our wild ride down into and back up out of the rabbit hole!

Preface by David Day

Authors: Patrick Bollivar, Mark Charke, Christine Daigle, Robert Dawson, Linda DeMeulemeester, Pat Flewwelling, Geoff Gander and Fiona Plunkett, Cait Gordon, Costi Gurgu, Kate Heartfield, Elizabeth Hosang, Nicole Iversen, J.Y.T. Kennedy, Danica Lorer, Catherine MacLeod, Bruce Meyer, Dominik Parisien, Alexandra Renwick, Andrew Robertson, Lisa Smedman, Sara C. Walker, James Wood

Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror

There has always been a special relationship between queer culture and horror. Horror is a genre about the ‘other’ and being a part of queer culture often comes with feelings of ‘otherness’ or being an outsider based on your desires…maybe you see a freak onscreen during a midnight madness screening and you think to yourself, Well, I feel like a freak too. Maybe the monster is just misunderstood…we all hunger for something, right?Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror is the first volume of a short fiction anthology series edited by award-wining queer writer and editor Andrew Robertson. Published under Riverdale Avenue Books’ Afraid imprint, it features many members of the Horror Writers Association along with writers from all over the world. Dark Rainbow contains 15 tales of dark appetites, hidden fantasies, sex and slashers including new work from Angel Leigh McCoy, Jeff C. Stevenson, Sèphera Girón, Julianne Snow, Derek Clendening, Spinster Eskie, Lindsay King-Miller and many more.

O Unholy Night in Deathlehem

Said the little child to his mother dear, 
do you hear what I hear 
Shrieking through the night, father dear, 
And do you see what I see 
A cry, a scream, blood coloring the snow 
And a laugh as evil as sin 
And a laugh as evil as sin 

Well, folks, looks like we’re back in Deathlehem, where…
Santa’s gift turns a mindless horde of bargain-hungry shoppers into…well… a horde of hungry shoppers… 
defective toys aren’t just dangerous; they’re deadly… 
holiday ornaments prove to be absolutely captivating—permanently… 
those ugly Christmas sweaters are to die for… 

Twenty-five more tales of holiday horror to benefit The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.