Death Comes at Christmas is mystery anthology edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. It is a wonderful seasonal piece that has everything from locked room mysteries to cozies to real mind benders. It’s an anthology worthy of a good binge read with several cups of hot cocoa (make sure you prepare that cocoa yourself).

JG: You both have a big background in horror. Why a mystery anthology? Do you have a genre preference? Why these authors?

MO/PK: As much as we love horror, we also both grew up reading fantasy, SF and crime – and are big fans of the latter. We’ve both written crime fiction before in the past, and of course co-edited the Titan anthology Exit Wounds, featuring Lee Child, Val McDermid and Jeffery Deaver. The Times called that one ‘impressive’ so we must have been doing something right. All of which made us want to dive into another one. The authors we approached had either worked before in this kind of area, or we thought would fit the brief very well. It helps that they’re all superb writers at the top of their game, of course. Each one delivered something unique that just went together as a whole. As for which we prefer, we love them both – and of course the other genres we mentioned too. It’d be hard to choose between them, frankly.

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Angela Yuriko Smith and her Space and Time Kickstarter

By Angelique Fawns

Space and Time magazine has been publishing speculative fiction for 50 years, and is one of the oldest flagship markets in North America. Angela Yuriko Smith, a two-time Bram Stoker Award Winner, is the publisher of Space and Time and is running a Kickstarter to celebrate five decades of bringing innovation, discovery, and storytelling to the world.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angela-yuriko-smith/space-and-time-celebrating-50-years-of-speculative-fiction

I was honored to have a story purchased by Smith in the Fall/Winter issue 147 this year called “Gragon and the Neptune Nit Infestation,”  along with a close friend of mine, R.J.K. Lee, who shared the TOC with his tale, “What Devil or Dove Guards the Girl.”

Smith also runs a popular newsletter called Authortunities on Substack where she lists industry news and open calls. Writers can find paid opportunities, contests, awards, workshops, and grants. I’ll confess, I’ve cribbed a few things from her list for my own monthly posts. 

I asked Angela Yuriko Smith a few questions:

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“Magick dictates Destiny”: An Interview with author Paula Cappa

Draakensky, the new novel by author Paula Cappa, is a Gothic dark fantasy with a twist; the twist being magick. While most Gothic novels draw on the supernatural as a source of chills and thrills, Cappa rather explores the supernatural as something tangible, a product of the elemental forces which surround us. 

There’s also plenty of chills and thrills throughout the novel. At once a ghost story, a murder mystery, and a romance, Draakensky draws readers into a rich world of magic and sorcery. 

I spoke to Paula about the novel via Zoom in November.

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I have always had a soft spot for folk horror. I love the modern age still keeping with the Old Ways. So when I got the opportunity to interview David Barnett about his novel Withered Hill, I jumped at it. It turns out the author is as interesting as his novel!

About ‘Withered Hill’:

Inside

A year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.

Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions.

As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?

Outside

In London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her.

With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating, urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered Hill…

An utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel, with a truly devastating twist you have to read to believe.

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Before I invited David Watkins into my parlour, I had to (temporarily) relocate all of my spider friends. But don’t worry, no spiders were harmed in the making of this interview (probably to David Watkins’ great chagrin!); in fact, I’ve promised them a fine feast of flies upon their return. Pull up a chair, grab a slice of pizza, and enjoy the interview!

And, mark your reading calendars, because Watkins’ Book Three in the Original series drops November 15, 2024: https://www.amazon.com/Originals-Rage-werewolf-thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJMSTS87. Perfect if you like your horror with a dash of werewolf lore!

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Winter in the City

An interview with R. B. Wood

By Sarah Elliott

It feels like winter is coming. Long nights herald the chills: physical, psychological and perhaps emotional. For some, it may already be here. That time of hibernation. Time to retreat to the safety of the sofa and lose yourself in a book, choosing total immersion in the words of others. Winter in the City is the first anthology to be published by Ruadán books, run by R.B. Wood. Want to know more? Read on.

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An Interview with With Mia Dalia On ‘Haven’ and writing dark fiction!

Mia Dalia is a lifelong reader and reviewer turned writer. She has published two novels, Estate Sale and Haven, as well as several novellas and many, many short stories. I came to Dalia’s work through her debut novel, Estate Sale, and her pirate story in Call of the Sea from Black Ink Fiction. Her work can be found in an impressive number of anthologies from a wide variety of publishers. While a lot of her fiction is dark, Dalia also writes in a variety of other genres and is on her way to becoming quite prolific. I was pleased to get the chance to interview and get to know Mia Dalia better.

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