How often do you get to sit down with a fellow author who’s lived in Edgar Allan Poe’s basement? Naturally, I was thrilled to interview Matthew Mercier and, perhaps after the interview’s wrapped, he’ll take me mushroom hunting–an adventure that is totally on my bucket list!

Matthew Mercier (he/him) is a writer and storyteller living in the haunted Hudson Valley, the beautiful home of Rip Van Winkle, Ichabod Crane & The Headless Horseman, the historical ghosts of the Underground Railroad, and what the horror community should now, in his opinion, affectionally call “Langan Country”, as a tribute to the work of horror master John Langan.

Before building a home with his wife in a lovely piece of fairy tale forest, he worked as a tour guide at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, (where he grew up), ran a youth hostel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was slimed as a salmon packer in Naknek, Alaska, provided showers for homeless men on the Bowery, and proudly served three years as head docent and caretaker for the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in The Bronx, an experience that became the basis for his debut novel Poe & I, published by Crystal Lake Publishing on July 19th, 2024.

He now spends his days writing, cooking, playing with his cats Ursula and Bombadil, and hunting for mushrooms after a good rainstorm. He is a mycological evangelical since fungi are the future and are of great benefit to humanity and ecosystems. And yes, he knows the poisonous ones that will kill you.

On a more pragmatic note, he earned an MFA from Hunter College where he taught writing and children’s literature. His work has appeared in various magazines such as Creative Nonfiction, The Fairy Tale Review, Shotgun Honey, and Mystery Tribune.

He’s performed stories live on stage with The Moth, and he’s been heard on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour, as well The Story Collider, RISK and The Truth podcasts. He’s also been awarded the Leon B. Burstein scholarship from the New York chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, and a residency from the Saltonstall Foundation.

Currently, he is writing and producing radio dramas for Radio Free Rhinecliff in Rhinecliff, NY.

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An Interview With Rick Hipson on A Reviewer’s Guide to Writing Book Reviews

Rick Hipson is a seasoned book reviewer whose reviews have graced the pages of great magazines such as Rue Morgue and Cemetery Dance as well as countless other presses both large and small. He’s had his fingers on the pulse of good horror for decades and is sharing his hard won knowledge for others that might care to travel a similar path.

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Interview with award-winning horror author, Deborah Sheldon

by Robyn O’Sullivan

When I think of Deborah Sheldon as an author, the term sui generis comes to mind; her work is in a class of its own. Unafraid to plumb the depths of human experience in all its extremes, Sheldon’s writing often breaks through the accepted genre frameworks. Her latest novel is released by the American small press, Undertaker Books. Bodily Harm is a gripping crime thriller shot through with psychological horror. A daunting read, the plot pivots on what is, sadly, a not-uncommon event. Curious to know what may lie behind a book of this nature, I sat down with Deborah to ask a few questions.

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Horror Tree Q&A: Kim Newman: Anno Yuletide and the Modern Gothic

By Paul StJohn Mackintosh

Kim Newman is an award-winning writer, critic, journalist and broadcaster who lives in London. He has won many awards, including the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, Prix Ozone, British Fantasy and British Science Fiction Awards, and been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and James Herbert Awards. Horror Tree readers will probably know him best for his Anno Dracula vampiric alternative history series, but he has written many other horror and speculative fiction novels and short stories, as well as numerous non-fiction books on popular culture, film, and television.

Kim has just released A Christmas Ghost Story, all about horror fans’ second favourite holiday – Christmas. “A nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside,” A Christmas Ghost Story looks to be a dark and sinister subversion of seasonal tropes. We thought this would be a good occasion to contact Kim and see where this work fits into his substantial oeuvre, and his sensibility.

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Do you know how much I miss the beach? So I jumped at the chance to interview Nick Roberts at his favourite beach (okay, I would say undisclosed, but you all know we’re not actually meeting up in person, right?). Still, I can dream of the day I’ll return to a marine environment. But enough about that…let’s take a deep dive into this wonderful interview!

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An Interview With Cody Goodfellow

By: Carrie Lee South

If you’re a fan of horror anthologies, you should already be reading Crystal Lake’s Dark Tide series. Each edition collects three novellas on a particular theme written by some of the genre’s most original voices. Their June release PsychoActive features Ryan C. Thomas, Ed Kurtz, Cody Goodfellow, and Anthony Trevino on the theme of “transformation.” The stories in this 16th volume explore the twisted corners of the human mind. 

I found myself particularly drawn to the cosmic terror in Cody Goodfellow’s tale “The Secret Eater” which follows a family reaping the destructive benefits of their farm’s unique product: a strong and hallucinogenic moonshine. 

Cody Goodfellow has been a fixture in the “weird” community for decades. Whether you know him from his vast catalog of novels and short fiction or his film and TV appearances, there’s no question that he knows what gets under your skin. I sat down with Cody to talk about his Lovecraftian influences, psychedelic experiences, and pulp existentialism.

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Simon Clark is known for his horrific and often thought provoking novels such as Night of the Triffids, Vampyrrhic and Gone For a Burton as well as countless short stories. You can find his offerings at any place that sells books.
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Some of you might know Gord Rollo from his novels such as The Jigsaw Man, Strange Magic or Crowley’s Window. His latest is in a short story collection with Simon Clark and Kevin J. Kennedy in Creatures of the Night (Dark Tide 17). If you aren’t familiar with Gord Rollo and his writing I recommend you start!

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