Month: February 2021

As with Emergence and Cribbins, I brought the horror back to my hometown in my fourth supernatural suspense novel, The Cundy. But first thing’s first, what is the cundy? It’s a water conduit. A concrete tunnel that runs beneath Horden’s coast road. In the thick of the dene, it’s surrounded by nature and wildlife. I … Continue reading Viking Warlords & A Spooky Tunnel in the Woods – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind The Cundy

Ronnie Cribbins is the ghostly antagonist in my novel Cribbins. But who is he? A fictionalised blend of two men I knew in the past. You don’t need to know who. Would it matter if you did? Let’s just say they were both highly unpleasant people. The kind of men who would spit at you … Continue reading The Night the Wall had a Heartbeat – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind Cribbins

One of my favourite writers is Shirley Jackson. I won’t go into a lengthy description about her or her works, though. WIHM has to be much more than the obvious choices like Shirley Jackson and Mary Shelley, after all. It’s about digging deeper and discovering and celebrating books by current, lesser known authors whose as-yet-unread … Continue reading Women Horror Writers Need Love Too: Part 2

A Storytelling of Ravens began with the title. I’d bought a new handbag with illustrated ravens on the front. When I opened the flap, I was delighted to see the words ‘A Storytelling of Ravens’ printed in quirky type. It was such a lyrical sentence and gorgeous collective noun, I decided that’s what I would … Continue reading How Many Ravens Are in a Storytelling? – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind A Storytelling of Ravens

What I’ve learned in my decade in horror is that horror is nowhere near as popular as I’d first imagined. Don’t get me wrong, it has a large, passionate fan base, just not in the same league as, say, thriller or romance. Dunno if you’ve noticed, but libraries and bookstores (online bookstores, too) don’t always … Continue reading A Decade in Horror: Part 2

Are there any women authors on your list of favourite horror writers? If not, why the hell not? Perhaps it didn’t occur to you to notice. Because here’s the thing, two years ago I decided to make a list of all the books I picked up and read henceforth, thinking it would be cool to … Continue reading Women Horror Writers Need Love Too: Part 1

Location played a big role in Emergence. Before I’d even figured out what the story was going to be about, I knew it would be based in Horden; the ex-coal-mining village on the northeast coast of England in County Durham; the place where I grew up. Edged by the cold North Sea and displaying many … Continue reading Ghosts of a Broken Old Village – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind Emergence

It’s February, which means it’s Women in Horror Month (WiHM). But what is WiHM? It’s a time to show our support and encouragement to women in all areas of the horror industry. Sounds crazy because this should happen all year round, right? But sadly, this isn’t always the case. February is about reminding folk not … Continue reading A Decade in Horror: Part 1