A Point of Pride: Interview with Polly Schattel

Polly Schattel has been a film writer/director, a teacher, a journalist and a videographer. She is proudly and passionately transgender. Her first novel, The Occultists, was published by JournalStone in July 2020. Her next book, Shadowdays, will be released in January, 2022. She loves the American South and doesn’t want to hear your complaints about it. She can be found at www.pollyschattel.com. What inspired you to start writing? I’m not sure I can determine what got me started. It just always seemed to be. My first “book” was a story I wrote and drew (and bound together with yarn) in…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Robert P. Ottone

Robert P. Ottone is an author, teacher, and cigar enthusiast from East Islip, NY. He delights in the creepy. He can be found online at SpookyHousePress.com , or on Instagram / Twitter (@RobertOttone). His collections Her Infernal Name & Other Nightmares and People: A Horror Anthology about Love, Loss, Life & Things That Go Bump in the Night are available now wherever books are sold. What inspired you to start writing? Heartache. Writing was one of the few things that has helped me deal with losing my dad two years back. Trying to process and deal with loss and the…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Jewelle Gomez

Jewelle Gomez, (Cape Verdean/Wampanoag/Ioway) is a novelist, essayist, poet, and playwright. Her eight books include the first Black Lesbian vampire novel, The Gilda Stories (in print more than 30 years); which was recently optioned by Cheryl Dunye for a TV mini-series. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies including: Luminescent Threads: Tribute to Octavia Butler, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, No Police Know Police, and Red Indian Road West. Her plays about James Baldwin and Alberta Hunter have been produced in San Francisco and New York. Her new collection of poetry, Still Water, will…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Greg Herren

Greg Herren is an award winning author and editor who lives in New Orleans. He has published over thirty novels and about fifty short stories, give or take, and edited over twenty anthologies. His next novel, Bury Me in Shadows, will be released in October 2021. He is also working on a short story collection about things that go bump in the night--both human and otherwise-- tentatively titled Monsters of Louisiana which he hopes to finish before he is buried in shadows. What inspired you to start writing? I used to joke that I became a writer because I was…
The HWA Celebrates Pride Month

The HWA Celebrates Pride Month

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), the premier organization of writers and publishers of horror and dark fantasy, announces that they will be celebrating PRIDE in memory of the Stonewall riots and all of our LGBTQ+ creators and allies across the globe. “We are so excited to celebrate Pride this year,” said John Palisano, HWA President. “Although we can’t have a real parade and party, we’ll do so online.” With a remake of the HWA logo done up in Pride colors by Gabrielle Faust, the HWA will celebrate PRIDE with a series of short, fun and insightful interviews by Elis Aaron,…

HWA Youtube Channel – Readings, Interviews, Etc.

Did you miss the streamed Bram Stoker Award® readings? You can visit our Youtube channel and see many wonderful interviews, readings, award shows, etc. Be sure to Subscribe while you're there, and click the bell so you get notified when we post a new video.

Females of Fright: Angel Leigh McCoy

As part of our month-long celebration of Women in Horror Month, the HWA reached out to our members who have something special to share about a Woman in Horror from the organization who made a difference in their career or life. We also have conducted short interviews with some of the top women in the horror field. Please check back often, as these will be posted periodically. When did you join the HWA? Somewhere in the mid-90s, a time that's a blur for me. I was a young writer, just starting out in my career, having published several professional table-top…

Interview Spotlight: Robert Payne Cabeen

  Today's Halloween Haunts was originally published last year... Happy Friday All! Today marks the last interview spotlight as Halloween Haunts welcomes writer, artist and poet Robert Payne Cabeen. At Stokercon this past spring, Robert was the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel for Cold Cuts (2017, Omnium Gatherum Media). Halloween Haunts:  Welcome Robert! You have worn a number of career hats over the years, having become an accomplished artist, poet and writer. Of the three, which came first for you?   Robert Payne Cabeen:  Thanks for including me in Halloween Haunts, Michele.…
Darren Shan Interviewed by Dave Jeffery

Darren Shan Interviewed by Dave Jeffery

One of the big questions often asked by writers wanting to dip their toes in the waters of YA horror fiction is, "How far can I go?" We know this because members frequently ask this question on various HWA forums. It was certainly one of the queries that rattled around my head when thinking about my own projects back in the 80’s. I wished back then I could access the insights and experiences of established, successful YA writers and explore their views on the market, and what should or shouldn’t feature in a YA horror book. These days, the internet…