MHI: THE STAIRS by Marge Simon

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   THE STAIRS Marge Simon You are the man ascending the stairs, hunched, contorted, hands…

MHI: UNSHAKABLE, IRRATIONAL FEAR by Lisa Lane

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   UNSHAKABLE, IRRATIONAL FEAR Lisa Lane Rarely do people justifiably portray agoraphobia in fiction. The…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Lee Allen Howard

Lee Allen Howard’s dark fiction spans the genres of horror, LGBTQ+ horror, supernatural crime, psychological thrillers, and dark mystery. He’s written six novels—The Sixth Seed, Death Perception, The Adamson Family, The Bedwetter: Journal of a Budding Psychopath, The Covenant Sacrifice, The Prosperity Society—and a collection of early short stories, Perpetual Nightmares. Howard earned a BA in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. He’s been a professional writer in the software industry since 1985. As a fiction editor, Howard is the founder and editor at Dark Cloud Press, publisher of…

MHI: PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF by Theresa Derwin

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF Theresa Derwin When I first became ill, I attended counselling. At…

MHI: HOPE IS THE BONE by Eugen Bacon

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   HOPE IS THE BONE Eugen Bacon of a dead animal music is the weather…

A Point of Pride: Interview with April A. Taylor

April A. Taylor is an award-winning, #1 best-selling multi-genre author. Her debut horror novel, The Haunting of Cabin Green, was featured on four "Best Horror Books of 2018" lists (PopSugar, Inquisitr, Bored Panda, and Ranker). She has written nine books to date. April lives in Michigan with her huge black cat, Riley. If her life was a cartoon, she'd be Lisa Simpson. What inspired you to start writing? I’d been writing since early childhood, but what inspired me to actually publish my stories was going through a housefire. What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it? The…

MHI: A CANDLE IN THE DARK by Marge Simon

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   A CANDLE IN THE DARK Marge Simon You are alone in darkness. You’re afraid…

MHI: AN EXCERPT FROM TBI OR CTE: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME? by Mark Tullius

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   An Excerpt from TBI or CTE: What the Hell is Wrong with Me? Mark…

MHI: MY WHY by Steve Stred

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members. MY WHY Steve Stred In 1996, I was at my lowest. I was in Grade…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Allison Church

Allison Church (a.k.a. DONALD ALLEN KIRCH) is a Transgender Author who lives in the Midwest of the United States. She is an avid lover of horror, science fiction, and fantasy and will challenge ANYONE on her knowledge of TV “pop” culture. A die-hard fan of “Star Trek,” “Babylon 5,” and “Doctor Who,” she does not believe in the “NO Win” scenario! She LOVES everything about the Paranormal! What inspired you to start writing? I have always LOVED the role of a Storyteller. The power to hold a person’s attention is a rare and wonderful thing in our times. However, with…

MHI: BEDTIME STORIES by Patrick Tumblety

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members. BEDTIME STORIES Patrick Tumblety Her book is humorous about black cats, broken mirrors and thirteenth…

A Point of Pride: Interview with C.R. Langille

C.R. Langille spent many a Saturday afternoon watching monster movies with their mother. It wasn't long before they started crafting nightmares to share with their readers. They are a retired, disabled veteran with a deep love for weird and creepy tales. This prompted them to form Timber Ghost Press in January of 2021. They are an affiliate member of the Horror Writer's Association, a member of the League of Utah Writers, and they received their MFA: Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. https://biolinks.heropost.io/CRLangille What inspired you to start writing? When I was in the 6th grade, I picked up…

MHI: THE WOMAN WHO WOKE ME by Graham Masterton

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   THE WOMAN WHO WOKE ME Graham Masterton Her muted sobbing woke me, and I…

MHI: DEPRESSION IS A BITCH by Linda Kay Hardie

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   DEPRESSION IS A BITCH Linda Kay Hardie Because of her, my get-up-and-go got up…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam

Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s fiction has appeared in over 90 publications such as LeVar Burton Reads and Popular Science, as well as in six languages. By night, she has been a finalist for the Nebula Award. By day, she works as a Narrative Designer writing romance games. Her first horror novella and short story collection will be published in 2022. What inspired you to start writing? The strong emotions I got from hearing stories as a kid. I loved fairy tales, horror stories, sad endings, and awe-inspiring descriptions—and when I figured out that I could inspire emotions in other people, I…

MHI: TORN: A STORY OF OPPOSITE DISTRACTION by Jude S. Walko

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   TORN: A STORY OF OPPOSITE DISTRACTION Jude S. Walko His hand brushed across her…

MHI: ABERRATION by Eugen Bacon

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   ABERRATION Eugen Bacon lockouts lockins jag jag tereu pathless  fragments sifting  spaces absent  puddles…

A Point of Pride: Interview with Katrina Monroe

Katrina Monroe is the author of They Drown Our Daughters. She lives in Minneapolis with her wife, kids, and a ghost named Eddie who haunts their bedroom closets. Photo Credit to Bert Jones Photography What inspired you to start writing? I’ve always written—short stories when I was a kid and angsty poems when I was a teenager—but it wasn’t until I became a young mom that I decided to pursue it as something more than just an outlet for big feelings. I was in an unhealthy relationship and needed to prove to myself that I was intelligent and capable—things my…

MHI: PERSPECTIVE by TJ Kang

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members. PERSPECTIVE TJ Kang The old woman on the porch across the street is getting wet.…

MHI: NIGHT TERRORS by L. E. Daniels

Trigger Warning: This piece addresses mental health The HWA is pleased to launch its Mental Health Initiative, a coordinated roll-out of events, resources, and activities intended to promote positive mental health, foster the concept of hope, and challenge the stigma of mental illness in the horror genre. The initiative, run by the organization’s Wellness Committee, launches in June, and includes the following blog posts from Of Horror and Hope, a downloadable anthology of poems, flash fiction, and personal reflections on mental health by HWA members.   NIGHT TERRORS L. E. Daniels Shadows stretch late-afternoon-long to deep-solid-dark— A mirror for your…