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July…It’s Been a Month!

July 22, 2025July 22, 2025 mjmarsauthor

One thing you may not know about me is, I really dislike talking about myself. Especially when things aren’t so great. I’m the type of person who waits until every problem is sorted and then, a couple of weeks later, will mention casually in passing that there was some kind of issue or trauma…”but it’s fixed now, so we never have to discuss it again!” This is just the way I am, much to my loved ones’ despair.

But I am going to be real with you and talk about it this month.

Firstly, the main bit of July news is that The Fovea Experiments is out now! I’ve been absolutely floored by the reviews and its momentum. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this nasty little horror. It means a lot to me, and I appreciate you.

However, if you’re in the UK you may have noticed there are serious problems in getting your hands on the paperback. I can only apologise for this and thank you for your ongoing patience, especially to those of you who pre-ordered it and are wondering where in the hell your book is at. I know Amazon updates are now saying it may reach you sometime between September and January 2026 (good grief, just typing that makes me want to start bawling and, along with my aversion to talking about my problems, I have a serious aversion to crying!) While this is an issue with the current distribution company who is dealing with my publishing house, I can hopefully reassure you that Wicked House is working hard to resolve this issue. If you do have a reading device, the book is available on KU and Kindle in the meantime, if you’re hoping to read it soon.

I always joke that it wouldn’t be a successful launch if there weren’t a few hitches, but not being able to get the book itself was not on my bingo card for this launch!

To add insult to injury, I managed to break one of my ribs at the end of June. This has been my first broken bone and I have to say: 2/10, would not recommend. I need to keep up with exercise to keep me sane. If any of you have broken a rib before, you know that any form of exercise is not going to happen for a while. Along with exercise, keeping up with the housework has been pretty impossible, and a clean house is another thing I need to keep me on the straight and narrow while other things out of my control are going wrong in my life.

In an unrelated incident, I also needed to have a scan on my arm due to there being a strange, inexplicable lump lurking in my forearm (is that where the paperbacks are hiding??) Although the scan has come back as undetermined subcutaneous fluid of unknown origins (and therefore not the more sinister things my brain often tried to bait me with in the middle of sleepless nights this last few weeks), it’s just been another thing on my mind.

And I am something of a cliche. When I am in my ‘tortured writer’ phases, I reach for the wine. And, when I’m super-stressed, there are nights when one bottle isn’t enough to douse those stress flames. It’s unhealthy and stupid, but sometimes it’s the only thing that will shut off my thoughts enough to be able to just sit with myself and be. Since I already take Citalopram for anxiety and depression, the lovely numbness that comes with an evening of wine is often followed by a couple of days of numb brain…which means no writing for me. Which means more Debbie Downer frustrations and a “fuck it, I may as well drink tonight since I’m not writing!” attitude. Agh, such an annoying cycle that I’m sure many of you can relate to.

I guess I’m writing this to shine a positive light on it all. Yes, it’s been a crappy month with many ups and downs, but I am on the mend. I think breaking the rib has been just what I needed to kick me into better habits in my life. I ordered some new hiking boots and plan to start taking my notebooks to beauty spots on the weekend to spark some creative ideas. Granted, for another couple of weeks they will sit in the cupboard next to my unused swimming kit bag and my unused climbing gear bag, but the intention is there! The frustration of not being physically able to do these things has really shown me that I WANT to be doing them. So, come August, I’m prepared to head back to the climbing wall and the swimming pool in the week, and hit the hills on the weekends.

And, aside from the issues surrounding Fovea’s release, most of which are hopefully being sorted as I type, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. I believe in this book and I know that, despite problems, this launch has been a wonderful success for me. I go into launches with a “have no expectations and you’ll never be disappointed” attitude. My hope was that I’d get an orange #1 category banner (and we still have it – in the Occult Occultism section in the US!) and I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would get to 50 reviews as fast as possible. We are currently on 37, so I may even hit the magic 50 before it’s been out for a month. How awesome is that?? So, like I say. A success, despite everything.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be healthy again. Hopefully by then The Fovea Experiments paperbacks will be available in the UK so I can share it with many more of you. Perhaps we’ll have hit that magic 50 reviews by the time I pull my hiking boots on and head for the Lake District with my notebook. And I’ll have gone more than two weeks without drinking too much on stressful days! Onwards and upwards (quite literally, when I’m hiking.)

That’s about it for July. Sorry to moan! Normal service will resume shortly. Love to you all.

Blog Post, News

We’ve Already Gone Too Far is Out Now!

July 26, 2024July 26, 2024 mjmarsauthor

Welcome to the world my second book baby!

We’ve Already Gone Too Far is available in paperback and Kindle/KU

It’s crazy to think that this book was just a twinkle in my eye, even when I got back from Scares That Care Authorcon in April. I knew I wanted to create a book of short stories ready for the Books and Brews event, but apart from the two pre-published shorts I wanted to put in the book (In Bocca Al Lupo and Monastery Blood Moon), I had no idea what I might write.

The advice I received was “Start and end strong” and I’m thrilled to say that the first story, Jeff Through the Trees, has been widely received as a firm favourite, and the finishing title, We’ve Already Gone Too Far, seems to be a close second.

That said, each one of the 8 nasty tales has been receiving love from all around the globe, and it has been incredible reading the reviews on Goodreads. Thank you to everyone who has picked up the book so far.

We’ve Already Gone Too Far is available in paperback, Kindle, and KU, and you can grab your copy by clicking the button below.

Get Your Copy of We’ve Already Gone Too Far

Blog Post, Uncategorized

Dundee Horror Con

October 19, 2023October 19, 2023 mjmarsauthor

On the 7th October, I had the incredible pleasure of taking part in the Dundee Horror Con, courtesy of the incredible Northern Frights. This was my first experience being a vendor at any kind of convention or event, so the whole weekend was a wonderful whirl of newness, nerves, and excitement.

Setting up my table the day before the event

We’d arranged to arrive the day before to set up. I came armed with my ghosty table-cloth and a jar of sweets to hand out to passers-by. Afterwards, we went to grab some food and a drink at Mollie Malone’s pub while I tried to settle my nerves. I had an overwhelming feeling that I was out of my depth, and that I wouldn’t sell a single book the next day. But, I reasoned, I was there for the experience. Everything else was a bonus.

The Night Before

Dundee is a beautiful city with lots of ghoulish and unusual things to see. Which is my favourite type of destination. I’m a bit of a “dark tourist” and always hit up Atlas Obscura to make sure I cover all the strange and unusual sites when I visit a new location. I was surprised to stumble across this incredible dragon statue in the town centre! A lovely bonus on top of the chilling Howff Cemetery, the Grissel Jaffray Memorial, and (not quite so dark but fun nontheless) the Lemmings statue.

After a lovely afternoon of exploration, it was time to get a good night’s sleep ahead of the Horror Con itself. I was relatively calm in the morning, finding that the build-up to the event was scarier than actually being there (as things so often are!). There was only one slight hitch in the morning. Upon arrival at the venue my contact lens decided to fold up on itself, then when I tried to fix it it ripped in two and had to be abandoned. If I was squinting strangely at anybody who met me that day, this is the reason! Needless to say, I will be taking spares at all future cons and events!

Dundee Horror Con

The event itself was better than I even imagined. Literally every single person who stopped to chat was lovely. When I was having my crisis of confidence the previous day, I set a soft target to sell 5 signed books. We smashed that in the first hour! I also had a lovely moment when I got to sign a book early on for a Janice, which is my mother’s name. Incidentally, my lovely mum had messaged me that morning with a photo of her wearing a The Suffering T-Shirt in support of me being at the event, which gives you a good idea of how kind and thoughtful she is! I’d like to thank anyone who stopped and took a sweet or a business card, chatted about the ghosts, and of course bought the book! I was blown away.

My gratitude also goes out to Laura, who runs Northern Frights pretty much single-handed! She is a huge reason this event was the perfect introduction to me getting into being a vendor as an author and learning the ropes for future events. I can’t wait to attend the next one – I’ll be at Glasgow next year, so please swing by if you can! All of the staff we chatted to were helpful and friendly, and I appreciate you all. It was torrential rain that day, which caused a lot of problems for many. I’m sure you all had your hands full, but you handled it like troopers, and dealt with any problems with class and professionalism.

I also got to meet two other authors who were at the event—John McNee and Bill Davidson. It was fantastic chatting to them both, and I picked up John’s Doom Cabaret and Bill’s The King of Crows. If you haven’t read these authors yet please do check them out. You won’t be disappointed!

After such an incredible event I’ve had a quiet couple of weeks to come back down to earth. I’m currently chipping away at The Suffering sequel and am excited at the thought of attending future Northern Frights events with two books on my table, instead of just the one. But regardless of how many books are out, I cannot wait for the next time. I’ll see you there!

If you spent all your money on the other outstanding stalls at the Dundee Horror Con and would like to check out The Suffering, grab your copy today!

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The Books of Horror Brawl – 1 Week to Go!

August 30, 2023August 30, 2023 mjmarsauthor

Can you believe it? This time next week, the first round of the Books of Horror brawl will have begun. It starts on Tuesday, 5th September which means there is just 1 week to go!

In preparation, I have been running up flights of stairs, psyching out random passers-by with a killer ice-stare, and speed-skipping to stay in the zone. Well, okay, I just bought some boxing gloves and took some fun pics ready for the brawl.

Who, Me?!

But I am psyched! I still can’t believe how this has all played out. Back in March, The Suffering had only been out a couple of weeks when the brawl deadline was set. Authors had until the Sunday night to throw their book into the ring. After which the members of the Books of Horror group would vote on which 32 books they wanted to see go head-to-head.

I didn’t expect to get picked. But I was attempting to be bolder, forcing my introverted ass to put myself out there. Being selected was one of the most shocking things that has ever happened to me, and I have loved every second of being involved in the brawl readings, reviewing, and comments from the incredible BoH community in the months since the draw was revealed.

I’m over the moon that the ghosts of The Suffering have resonated with so many of you.

Books of Horror Brawl Round 1 Schedule

Here is the schedule for the first round:

The first head-to-head begins on 5th September

If you aren’t already a member of Books of Horror but have read many of these awesome books and would love to vote for your favourites, be sure to head to FB and join the Books of Horror community today!

Want to know why The Suffering made it into the brawl? Pick up your copy now!

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Don’t Trust Female Horror Writers? Here’s Why It’s Not Your Fault

August 3, 2023August 9, 2023 mjmarsauthor

Being fairly new to the horror scene, I’m all-too aware of how some people respond to works by female horror writers. It was one of the reasons why I chose to use initials rather than my full name. Some readers have an automatic aversion to female horror writers, and aren’t afraid to shout about it. I wanted to explore this further, looking into the reasons why a number of readers, regardless of gender, feel this way about women horror writers.

Here’s a scenario. It’s actually something that happened to me earlier this year. Walking past the shadows of a dark alleyway, I quicken my step, on high alert. There’s nobody on the street ahead of me, and I’m hyper-aware that if a sudden hand were to reach out of the darkness and yank me into the black, nobody would know it had happened. My mind torments me by reminding me that there was an attack on the street a few blocks from here recently. I imagine the CCTV footage recently shown on the national news of a young woman who was dragged into an overgrown front garden and strangled. After a shot of fairly irrational panic when I drop my keys struggling to open the front door of my house in the moonlight, I feel a rush of relief to be home and safe. It’s 5.30pm on a winter’s afternoon, and I’ve just nipped to the shops for a pint of milk.

My point is; women know fear. We are taught to be immersed in it from a very young age. While I know that men aren’t immune to fear of dangers in the world, young girls are constantly reminded to be vigilant. To check your surroundings, your clothes, the volume of your headphones, your route, your back-up plan. To notify the people in your house what time you expect to be home…just in case. Coupled with an in-depth working knowledge of the core emotion that should run through every horror book and movie (underlying threat), women in horror have also immersed themselves in horror media. From falling in love with horror icons such as Freddy Krueger and Pinhead, to scouring Stephen King and Dean Koontz books, we know the world we have chosen to write in.

But a mistrust is often instinctive. Can a woman really scare us? You might automatically jump on the offensive at this question, but I put it to you that most people are conditioned to feel this way. Regardless of gender. It goes back to childhood. Think about it, toy shops were (and are often still) split into two distinctive areas: Boys and Girls. In the boys section you’ll find the action figures. The robots. The gross monsters and the spooky books. In the girls section the first thing you’ll probably see is pink. Teddies. Dolls. Nothing remotely scary. Incidentally, you’d always find me in the “boys” aisle when I was a kid, gawping at the Monsters in my Pockets, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures, and pots of slime. But what was my take away? Girl’s stuff is lame, and therefore, by association, so are most girls.

I can forgive my 6-year-old self for having this impression. But mud can stick. Is there a part, even deep down inside myself, where I run the risk of choosing a book written by a male author over a female one? Jeez, I hope not. Have I been guilty of this in the past? Perhaps. Or maybe it was just that, when I was growing up, 90’s and 2000’s book shelves ONLY featured male contemporary horror authors. In the world of online shopping nowadays, this isn’t such an issue. But when a culture that was born of “only promote what’s likely to sell” tells you that the male authors are the ones to read, it sends a clear message to your subconscious. One that backs up a childhood that’s full of the message that girls have cute and frilly. Boys have badass and scary.

So, next time you’re contemplating which book to choose in the horror section, I encourage you to spend as much time considering the books by some of the outstanding women in this field. Candace Nola. Megan Stockton. Debra Casteneda. Elizabeth J. Brown. Jessica Johnson. Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Kiersten White. Alma Katsu. Gwendolyn Kiste. Ania Ahlborn. Tananarive Due. The list goes on and on.

Women know horror all too well. And I guarantee, we can scare you just as much as the boys can…

Find out for yourself! Grab your copy of The Suffering today.

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5 Books to Get You Back Writing

July 19, 2023August 7, 2023 mjmarsauthor

We all hit writing slumps. In this article, I’m going to tell you the 5 writing books to get you back on track, tried-and-tested by yours truly.

Juggling life, work, relationships, and writing can feel impossible at times, and it’s not unusual to get burned out and ditch your creativity for a while. Sometimes, you need a break. And you are ALLOWED to take one. I’d say it’s essential and isn’t something you should feel ashamed of. Ignore the ticking clock; breaks are all part of the process.

However, sometimes jumping back on the bandwagon after a rest can feel just as alien as starting to write for the very first time. Even if you have an idea brewing, it can be hard to push through the imaginary barriers and put the words onto the page.

If you find yourself in that situation, these 5 books might help:

1. The Five-Minute Writer by Margret Geraghty

Margret Geraghty has written an indispensable book filled with quick and simple exercises that pack a huge punch. From practical advice to new perspectives on the basics, I have taken a great deal from this book over the years, and have found it to be the most useful tool to get me out of any slump.

2. The Write-Brain Workbook by Bonnie Neubauer

This is a fun book filled with 366 brightly-coloured and illustrated pages designed to help you answer prompts and jot down your ideas. It’s an especially useful book if you’re struggling with overwhelm, regularly find your attention wandering, or simply hate staring at a blank screen or page.

3. The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook

There’s a reason why this one is pretty much constantly number 1 in author self-help categories around the world. It is crammed full of useful listings, from agent and publisher contacts, to articles written by the best in the business. Although it can be quite pricey, it is usually readily available to order from local libraries.

4. On Writing by Stephen King

Okay, so maybe I have horror bias. But regardless of your genre, there is no denying that King is an author with every right to have a voice of authority in the industry. Reading about another author’s life, trials, triumphs, and process can help you to unlock your own motivation. If you don’t like King, check out Ernest Hemingway’s personal account (also called On Writing).

5. Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors by Sarah Stodola

There is no ‘right’ way to write, but there are many out there who will try and tell you what it is. Reading about how successful authors out there completed their greatest works shows just how valuable your own personal process is—and how you should fit your writing schedule and practices around your own individual needs. There may be a practice or technique that resonates with you and helps you to find what works best for you. Or you can pick and choose from a few until you find something that suits your lifestyle.

It’s no lie that reading in itself can be a procrastination technique, so I highly recommend one of the first two on this list if you are truly wanting to fly out of the gate and get some actual words on the page.

What are you waiting for? Go and get inspired!

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From Rejection to Publication

March 1, 2023July 12, 2023 mjmarsauthor

Scrolling back through my old blog posts, I stop at one and check the date. 18th February, 2022. Just over a year ago, now. The post is called “Reigniting the Spark”, and it laments the fact that I have struggled with motivation to write, particularly since finishing The Suffering and entered into the query phase. I’d been submitting queries for months at that point, and was disheartened to say the least.

Although I felt bad that I hadn’t been writing anything new, I rationalised that it could be the universe’s way of telling me not to flit from project to project the way I usually did. To really see out the process and focus on getting The Suffering to as many agents and publishers as possible. And, boy, was I trying! As most of you who have gone through the querying phase know, it’s a bleak process. You submit with high hopes, silencing the voice of doubt by convincing yourself that you “have a good feeling about this one!” only for the inevitable rejection to come back a few weeks later.

When Wicked House Publishing opened its doors last year, I was pretty much at the end of my rope with The Suffering. Perhaps it wasn’t as good as I hoped it was. In fact, perhaps it was terrible! A book that nobody would ever want, and—worse—that nobody would ever get to read. I felt as though I must have been completely deluded when I closed my laptop after the final edit and declared with confidence, “I think this is pretty good!”

I remember when I saw the call-out for Wicked House submissions. It was a Sunday, and I was in the middle of a regular bout of burnout that made me stop to consider whether I could be bothered heading to my laptop to make the query attempt. I was feeling quite down-and-out, and more than a little hopeless about the whole thing. But, something made me haul my ass off the couch and spend the afternoon at the kitchen table, preparing my query and making sure my synopsis and opening chapters were as good as they’d ever been. I hit the submit button. By that point, I was way past “I have a good feeling about this one!” and instead prepared myself for rejection.

But it never came. A full manuscript request was sent instead. And, a few months later, an offer of publication.

Now, just over a year from posting a disheartened blog about fighting for motivation, I’m holding The Suffering in my hands. It’s being read around the world, and many of the reviews have been more positive than I could have ever dreamed.

Thank you to my lovely Mum for the champagne in celebration!

It would have been so easy for me to give up on The Suffering after receiving months of rejections. It’s hard, and if you’re experiencing something similar with your manuscript at the moment, I feel for you and send you virtual hugs and strength. Self-belief can only be sustained so long when multiple professionals in the business are telling you they don’t want your book. But here’s the proof that it only takes that one lucky shot. Never stop fighting for it. Haul your ass off the couch and make that submission!

Because one day it will be for the last time. And for all the right reasons.

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Why You Should Never Listen to the Doubters

February 17, 2023July 12, 2023 mjmarsauthor

With a week to go until my debut novel, The Suffering, is unleashed into the world, I wanted to tell you a story from when I was about 19 years old. This was at a time when I was feeling a little lost after a turbulent few years in my life, but I knew one thing and one thing only: I was going to be writer. It was the only thing I wanted to do.

I had no aspirations to be a doctor or a teacher. While my classmates were taking language classes so they could bag their dream roles in the tourism industry, perfecting tints and perms in beauty school, spending weekends at cadets to give themselves the right tools for a career in the army, or volunteering in a local lab while they worked through their science credentials, I was shut up in my room scribbling plots and character profiles.

I was close with my then-boyfriend’s mother, who was into new-age practices and spiritual awareness. One Saturday, she took me on a day out to a spiritual convention in Manchester. The day itself was a lot of fun, strolling from stall to stall. I browsed rows of glistening coloured crystals and listened to the whistle of a wand whizzing around the rim of a metal bowl. I was sprayed with various aromatherapy scents and advised which angel I should try and link to (Sandalphon – I even remember that today, for some reason, not that he and I have ever been in touch of course!)

We closed off the day with a psychic reading from a woman I was assured was “amazing” and “always right”. There was no crystal ball or velvet-covered table scattered with tarot cards. There was just a middle-aged, blonde-haired woman, smiling pleasantly as she took my twenty pounds and asked me to sit down opposite her. The reading was pretty generic, I imagine. Vague talk of a man in a military uniform hanging around, and general observations about my personality type. At the end, she asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I enthusiastically told her my dream: I wanted to be a writer.

“A writer?” she said, looking thoughtful for a moment. “No. I just don’t see that for you”.

I thanked her and went on my way but inside I was crushed. Remember, I was only 19 and very impressionable at that time, so when someone told me they could see into the future, I believed them. I remember going home and sitting in the bath crying my eyes out. My dream was pointless. The only thing I wanted to do with my life was never going to happen for me. It was devastating.

The thing is, I love writing. Even though I didn’t think it was in my stars to be a professional writer, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Yes, it knocked my confidence. Perhaps things would have moved a little faster if it weren’t for that set-back. I do believe that dashing people’s dreams in that way is cruel and irresponsible. I’m more sceptical now, of course, but I believed her wholeheartedly at the time. Perhaps, like some people often say to justify a mis-fired psychic reading, that was what I really needed to hear in order to make it happen for myself. Maybe the stubborn part of my brain needed a battle of wits. An, “oh, you don’t think I can do it? Well, let me prove you wrong!” Who knows?

All I do know is that in exactly 1 week from now, I’ll be a published author. When people shoot down your goal and make you doubt yourself, always remember that the future isn’t already written. You have the chance to make your dreams come true.

No matter what anybody else says.