How to Write Scary by Gretchen McNeil

Here's the thing about writing YA horror: it's all about the set up. Childhood nightmares creep into our teen years (and beyond) in ways we never even expect. I still get the heebie-jeebies every time I need to look under my bed to find something. In the back of my mind, I am not quite convinced there won't be a monster lurking in the shadows beneath my Sealy-Serta. For some people, the idea of a giant spider crawling unhurriedly up the wall is enough to paralyze them with fear. For others, it's the horror of being buried alive in a close, black coffin, utterly…

The Love of Horror!

You enter a tangled web of many miles traveled within your Imagination sitting in an apocalyptic timeframe, as a nation of blood thirsty Zombies desire to devour you. The adventure, mystery and horrific happenings seem to slowly play out in a realm of no return. Once bitten, twice shy, you might say! Not for the Vampire enthusiast, who loves the elegance of intrigue - this will surely grab you, plunging your very soul into a lustful heart-pounding adventure of Vampires, who seek out beautiful innocence. The desire of blood-curdling moments seize your interest, you turn page after page, faster and…

What is Young Adult Horror? Answers for Interested Readers and Bemused Writers

Young Adult horror is an interesting animal. It's not paranormal romance--our monsters are monsters, not friends or objects of desire. It's not blood spatter and lascivious gore--that's too adult. Young adult horror is... horror that appeals to young adults! First, it's got to be YA. Many authors-- from the acclaimed Suzanne Collins to the lowly I-- have been surprised to find that their books marketed as YA, when in writing the novel they meant no such thing. If your protagonists are teens, then expect that your work will be classified as YA, regardless of your theme or intent. Any coming-of-age…

YA Readers and Horror by JG Faherty

(This article previously appeared in the VOYA {Voice of Youth Advocates} Magazine as part of the HWA's YA Literacy program.) By JG Faherty There is a revolution happening in reading. No, I'm not talking about the e-book revolution, although it does play a part in this. The revolution I'm referring to is being led by our children, and it's one we should all be getting behind. For years, people – experts and laymen alike – have been bemoaning that today's youth is reading fewer books than ever, and that the levels of literacy among our children and teens is in…

OUT OF STONE by HWA Member John G Rees

Author: John G Rees Sechra may have been a child when she was salvaged from the revolution, but not before witnessing the barbaric nature of the enemy. The nightmares she lived through could not be forgotten nor the odium in her soul denied. She hid the execration behind sparkling eyes and an open nature. Just behind the eyes however lurked something entirely disturbing. Sechra's subconscious found release through her artistic abilities. No one thought anything of her stone renderings other than they lent themselves to the macabre. The subject matter was overlooked, as it seemed a cathartic for the young…

BLACK MAGIC by HWA Member Russell James

Author: Russell James Website_Link: http://www.russellrjames.com Short_Synopsis: In this magic shop the magic is real. And the trick is on you. Citrus Glade is a dying town that needs new businesses, but the one that just opened is doing much more harm than good. Lyle Millerā s magic shop seems to only stock what its select customers desire. When four outcast boys buy common party tricks, only Lyle knows what those tricks can really do. As subtle changes occur around town, a few residents realize that something is amiss. But it may be too late. Lyleā s black magic has empowered…

STEALING NIGHT by HWA Member Peter Giglio

Author: Peter Giglio Jack has nothing to live for, nothing worth dying for, no one to love, nothing to lose; but that all changes when his sisterâ s life unravels and he takes guardianship of Nora, his eleven-year-old niece. Looking out for her fast becomes the only thing he has ever done right. Driven to move his family from the bleak flatlands, to give his niece a chance at a better life, Jack takes the only job he can find, washing cars for minimum wage, saving every penny. When an old friend steps back into Jackâ s life, a joyride…

LOOKING BACKWARD IN DARKNESS by HWA Member Kathryn Ptacek

Author: Kathryn Ptacek These nineteen intriguing fantasy and horror tales challenge the very heart and soul of the reader. From unhappy husbands and beleaguered wives, to those individuals living completely on their own, these hard-edged and gritty psychological gems present life--and death--on the edge. Whatever the outcome, there's always a price to be paid... Among the stories included are: "Three, Four, Shut the Door," "Bruja," "The Grotto," "Hair," "The Home," "Snow," and "Each Night, Each Year." First-rate supernatural fiction by a masterful storyteller. "Each Night, Each Year" was a Bram Stoker-award finalist. Publisher: Borgo Press Release_Date: March 8, 2013 ISBN_10:…

THE SPELLCASTER’S GRIMOIRE by HWA Member Mark All

Author: Mark All estselling witchcraft author Trish Sinclair has a shameful secret: sheâ s a lousy spellcaster, and the spells in her books belong to others. So when a dying warlock entrusts her with an ancient and powerful grimoire, she runs for her life from his murderer, psychotic witch Kate Cavanaugh. Kate pursues Trish relentlessly to obtain the grimoire, which holds spells to command the fearsome power of a magic crystal hidden in town When the town coven refuses to help Trish protect the grimoire, she is forced to turn to cynical warlock Aidan McCarthy, who has a secret agenda…

BLACK TEA AND OTHER TALES by HWA Member Samuel Marolla

Author: Samuel Marolla Includes three stories: Black Tea, Crocodiles and The Janara. The first two stories were previously published in hard copy (in Italian) in the collection Malarazza (Epix Mondadori, 2009), while the last one, The Janara, was published by the author in 2011 in ebook. This new edition offers a fully revised English version of the stories, edited by the Bram Stoker Awards winner Benjamin Kane Ethridge. The collection also contains an introduction by another Bram Stoker Awards winner, Gene O'Neill, entitled: A box of lovely dark chocolate. Samuel Marolla's stories, are different as for atmosphere, setting and use…

BROKEN by HWA Member Weldon Burge

Author: Weldon Burge This is a collection of five horror/suspense stories by Weldon Burge, including: SIZZLE -- A philandering doctor meets a hill man who wants the "sizzle" cut out of his brain ANOTHER HIGHWAY FATALITY -- A college girl, driving alone late at night during a heavy storm, is stalked by a car with a missing headlight WHITE HELL, WISCONSIN -- A snow plow driver, plowing back roads in rural Wisconsin during a blizzard, fights for his life against elusive assailants PERMANENT DETENTION -- A stressed-out teenager believes his History teacher is actually one of the living dead BLUE…

Horror Roundtable 8 – Writing a Series

When: May 11, 2013 Time: 12 noon EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) Writing a Series What do writers owe their readers when they write books in series? Or do they not owe anything at all? The readers are the people who buy the books and “pay” the writer with eventual [we hope!] royalties. The people and situations in a book and a series are the writer’s creation and for themselves foremost ... but if a writer isn’t thinking of potential readers, then why bother sending the book to an agent or publisher? Why try to…

Interview with Bruce Boston at Darkeva’s Dark Delights

Darkeva interviews World Horror Convention’s Poet Guest of Honor, Bruce Boston. Darkeva: There’s definitely a strong contingent of poets among the sci-fi/fantasy/horror communities, and you’re certainly one of the most accomplished with publications in all the top magazines. Tell us a bit more about how you got your first few sales. BB: I was publishing poetry in literary magazines, mostly non-paying, some of it speculative, throughout the 1970s, though I didn’t yet have the label “speculative” for it. I’d also sold a few science fiction stories to commercial anthologies. In 1978 I saw a market report for a magazine titled…

Interview with John Joseph Adams at Darkeva’s Dark Delights

Darkeva interviews World Horror Convention’s Editor Guest of Honor, John Joseph Adams. Darkeva: You’re one of the most respected editors in the genre fiction community, and have edited many bestselling anthologies. Is there a particular favorite among them that you worked on? JJA: That’s a hard question to answer–kind of like asking a parent to name their favorite child. Of course every parent secretly has one, but never says which it is out of fear of hurting their other children’s feelings. In this case, the ones whose feelings could be hurt are, of course, not the anthologies themselves, but the…

Interview with Glenn Chadbourne at Darkeva’s Dark Delights

Darkeva interviews World Horror Convention’s Artist Guest of Honor, Glenn Chadbourne. Darkeva: You’re one of the most noted Stephen King artists, particularly for Secretary of Dreams, and your work has frequently appeared in Cemetery Dance. What do you find the most challenging or the most rewarding aspects about being an illustrator working in the horror genre? GC: As for challenges, every new gig is a challenge. I always try to nail down the atmosphere or flavor of a new story I’ve been asked to illustrate, and the challenge is conveying the right sort of mood or impact in the art…

Horror Roundtable 7 – The Future of Writing

When: March 18, 2013 Time: 3pm Pacific Daylight Time (use the Time Zone Convertor to find your local time) The Future of Writing Technology has surged ahead over the past few years and technological advances show no sign of slowing. We're living in the future. What does this mean for us writers? Does it open new pathways to success and unlimited options to explore our imaginations and present these worlds to our readers, or will it have an adverse effect? If there are always stories to tell, how will they be told in years to come? Will the written word…

2013 Bram Stoker Award Recommendations open for submissions!

HWA members may now SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS for the 2013 Bram Stoker Awards®. Members, please refresh your memory of the recommendation rules before submitting. Non-members are invited to browse the regularly updated Recommended Reading List for works published in 2013 (and previous years as well).

Interview with Caitlín R. Kiernan at Darkeva’s Dark Delights

Darkeva interviews World Horror Convention's Author Guest of Honor, Caitlín R. Kiernan. Darkeva: Although you’re mainly known for your powerful and dark novels such as The Drowning Girl, The Red Tree, Silk, and Low Red Moon among many others, you’re also a prolific comic book writer, most notably for Alabaster, but also with Vertigo for The Girl Who Would Be Death and The Dreaming, spin-offs of sorts from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels. Tell us a bit about how you came to write for these series, what you enjoy (or least enjoy) about writing for comics, and if you have…

Bruce Boston is Poet Guest of Honor at World Horror Con 2013

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is proud to announce Bruce Boston as Poet Guest of Honor for the Bram Stoker Awards™ Weekend 2013, to be held in New Orleans from 13-16 June 2013. Bruce Boston is the author of fifty books and chapbooks, including the novels The Guardener's Tale and Stained Glass Rain. His poetry and fiction have appeared in hundreds of publications, including Asimov's SF Magazine, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, Strange Horizons, Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, and The Nebula Awards Showcase. One of the leading genre poets for more than a quarter century, Bruce has won a record…