Author: Angelique Fawns

Joe Monson and The Horror at Pooh Corner

By Angelique Fawns

The Hundred Acre Wood has delighted children and readers since 1926. Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin, and Alan Milne’s other characters have dealt with things like honey jar shortages, blustery days, those scary Heffalumps. These tales were bright and innocent.

On January 1st, 2022, Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain. Hemelein Publications has taken the opportunity to create an anthology that tells the darker stories. 

“The dark truth of heffalumps and woozles, what the bees are really hiding, what happened to all the adults, the story behind Pooh’s obsession with hunny, what caused Eeyore’s gloomy outlook, why Piglet is horribly afraid all the time, why Kanga and Roo really came to the Hundred Acre Wood, what Pooh and Christopher Robin discovered at the North Pole, why Eeyore’s tail must be kept attached, the significance of red birthday balloons, what caused the great flooding of the Wood, the true purpose for Pooh poetry compositions, the story of Owl’s Uncle Robert, and more.”

The anthology is full of stories from established and up-and-coming authors in the speculative fiction world like Jonathan Maberry, Brad. R. Torgersen, Jody Lynn Nye, Lee Allred, Gustavo Bondoni, D.J. Butler, Michaelbrent Collings, Kary English, and Esther Friesner to name a few.

Check out the Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hemelein/the-horror-at-pooh-corner.

I asked Joe Monson, the editor of The Horror at Pooh Corner, a few questions to learn more:

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Hermione Lee: Finding Otherworldly Success

By Angelique Fawns

Hermione Lee is a teenage scribe born and raised in Taiwan. She’s penned more than fifteen novels and likes to dabble in multiple genres. She has tried her hand at paranormal, fantasy, horror, YA, middle-grade, and romance.

 In 2021, her Otherworld trilogy won The Literary Titan Silver Award, first place in the Critters Annual Readers Poll for Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novel/Best YA Book, and first place in the Paranormal Guild Reviewers’ Choice Awards. The First Buds of Spring, Heart of the Forest, Where the Magic Lies, and The Lost Siren won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award in 2022. Where the Magic Lies also won the gold medal in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in 2022.

She recently also added a few 2022 Critter Awards to her roster, including Best Children’s Book for Heart of the Forest, and Best Book Cover Artwork for Once Upon an Enchantress.

 I met Hermione in my Wulf Pack writer’s group and sat down with her to learn how this young writer found success and her voice.

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Akis Linardos: A Genre Writer Trapped in the Body of an AI Scientist 

By Angelique Fawns

Akis Linardos comes at speculative fiction from a unique angle. Many of us fear the advent of Artificial Intelligence and there is a slew of dystopian fiction to prove it. Akis embraces it, and some of his research explores how artificial intelligence can help with human health. You can find his dark musings in several pro magazines, including Apex Magazine, Maul Magazine and Abyss & Apex.

I met Akis through my Wulf Pack writing group, and I sat down with him to get into the weed about his writing and the future of AI. 

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Brian Rosten: Dip Your Toe into Horror with The Maul

By Angelique Fawns

As a child, I loved to be scared. I read Stephen King under the covers after stealing it from my mother’s bedside table. Tales from the Crypt was my favorite television show. Learning to love and appreciate horror is an acquired taste. How does one drive our young folk safely into the world of horror these days? Brian Rosten has created a magazine to do just that. 

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Wulf Moon and his Howling Good Kickstarter!

By Angelique Fawns

I joined Wulf Moon’s Wulf Pack writing group just over a year ago. My understanding of story structure –and how to craft a saleable short story –has skyrocketed since becoming a member. Not only does Moon give personal advice to his group, but every writer in the Pack is a talented author willing to help others improve with kind, helpful critiques. You can be invited to the Wulf Pack Discord if you purchase one of Wulf Moon’s writing seminars, and they are worth every penny. Moon recently released his “Super Secrets Illustrated Volume 1” in a limited printing. (I have a signed copy and love it.) He is in the middle of his Kickstarter for his next book, “How to Write a Howling Good Story.” Read on to learn more!

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Julie E. Czerneda & Finding Inspiration in Biology

By Angelique Fawns

Julie E. Czerneda is a Canadian author with prolific story-telling skills, an impressive background in science, and a passion for life. She was inducted this year into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame (CSFFA). I met Julie when I took her Creature Features Master Class at Fyrecon this October. She taught me how to take a tomato and turn it into a speculative hero. My writing will never be the same.

She’s written twenty-three novels and is currently on tour promoting her anthology of short stories, Imaginings, and science fiction novel To Each This World. I wanted to learn more about this exceptional Canadian author, so she graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions:

S.A. Bradley discusses why we love horror

BONUS: His list of best Christmas horror movies 

By Angelique Fawns

What is beneath the chills and thrills? Why do we love horror? I attended a Fyrecon writing class this October with S.A. Bradley called How Horror Performs “Cultural Shadow Work” and he had me enthralled. The presentation focused on how allegory and metaphor in our favorite horror movies and books help a society heal. Bradley is also the brain child behind Hellbent for Horror, an award-winning podcast where he discusses everything horror. He’s in high demand for his live shows and book readings, but he took the time to sit down and discuss our favorite subject with us here at Horrortree. Of course…. horror.

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 Catherine Weaver: Weaving tales of magic for young and old alike.

By Angelique Fawns

Writing is in Catherine Weaver’s blood. From a grandmother who interviewed Amelia Earhart to a mother who taught and created poetry, Weaver continues the family tradition. She’s published several books for children and is currently focusing on winning Writers of the Future. I met this remarkable wordsmith through the DreamForge Magazine DreamCaster’s writing group and Wulf Moon’s Wulf Pack. Curious about her literary journey, I asked her a few questions.

AF: When did you first decide that you wanted to become a writer?  What was your inspiration?

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