writing community Archives

I Love Monsters.

December 4, 2025December 4, 2025 mjmarsauthor

I love monsters. That’s it, that’s the Tweet (as we used to say before everything went…well, everything went.)

I love monsters, I do, and I always have. From discovering dinosaurs and then Harryhausen movies as a kid, collecting Monster in my Pockets and realising that movies like The Blob and The Thing were giving me way more pleasure tingles than the blockbusters I was supposed to be enjoying on my screen, it became clear to me from a very young age that monsters were my jam.

Books that featured alleged photos of sea serpents, yetis, and other hidden creatures enthralled me, and I spent hours obsessing over them, trying to find something, anything, that would prove it was real or fake. The Patty video gave me actual goosebumps on my arms the first time I saw it, and I’ll never forget how similar the feeling was to that of looking out for Santa on Christmas Eve as a very small kid. There was pure magic in the air every time I saw a monster.

With the introduction of AI (excuse me while I go punch a wall), it makes me sad that kids will never have that feeling. Back in the day, photos of the Loch Ness Monster may have been nothing but a floating tree stump but at least the tree was actually there, in the water, causing a momentary “what if…?” for the viewer. My favourite was the Florida Skunk Ape pics, allegedly capturing the creature lurking among the foliage. The eye shine. The body moving in each shot. The change in the mouth and the very sharp teeth. The clear ape-like fingernail showing through the leaves in the bottom of one of the photos. Is it real? Is it a cardboard cut-out, as some suggested? Is it an elaborate taxidermy attempt? Is it a guy in a suit? One thing’s for sure, it isn’t goddamn AI.

I angrily digress, so I’ll quickly move on to what this post is all about.

If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Cryptid Chaos

If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Cryptid Chaos is out now! Calling all monster lovers, have I got the perfect book for you. Volume 10 in the Better off Dead Series (from Sinister Smile Press/Crystal Lake Publishing), this cryptid anthology has a host of talent including Edmund Stone, Dan Franklin, Ross Killey, R.A. Clarke, and more! Oh, I’m in it too, did I mention that? My story, Krakatoa Fall, is about a bullied girl riding a long-awaited volcano-themed rollercoaster on its opening day. The only problem is, her bullies are taking the same ride. And a strange, flying creature seems to have taken an interest in either the coaster, or its riders…

Get it now, and balance the impending onslaught of Christmas with some furry, scaly, delightfully gruesome little monsters.

It’s still Halloween, right??

Speaking of Christmas, I concede that it’s about time to talk about it. I’m releasing my double-handed grip on Halloween and accepting that it’s probably now time to bring in the red and green. In my city we get a big wheel and a tipi that serves mulled wine while you can roast marshmallows on open fires in the middle of the room, which is definitely helping with the festive spirit. Just about. I’m still keeping it suitably creepy, though.

Okay, okay…it’s not Halloween anymore, I get it

Good luck and fare thee well over the coming weeks of Christmas Chaos. And, remember, Cryptid Chaos comes first. Bag your copy today!

Looking for Christmas presents for your horror-loving friends and family? Don’t forget to stuff some stockings with books this Christmas. Your favourite elf under the shelf (me) appreciates it.

News

Creature From the Black Lagoon

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 mjmarsauthor

“The rumours are true. MJ Mars, the punk rock princess of horror, is back…” Blaine Daigle, author of The Broken Places and The Ashes of August Manor.

Okay, okay, so Blaine’s words related to The Fovea Experiments being released and NOT to the fact that I just disappeared from the face of the earth for a few months, but there will never be a time I’m not ready and willing to use that quote. Can you blame me?? But forgive me.

And please forgive me for being away for so long. The last two years has been a crazy ride (you know it, you’ve been coming along with me) and, for an introverted nerd, it used up more than I knew I was willing to give. I know, “Boo hoo, sob sob, bring out the tiny violin for the girl who got everything she ever wanted.” Trouble is, I have the kind of brain that HATES it when things go well for me. It has no idea how to deal with it.

Stepping away for a while has worked like a charm. I finally got my Dan Aykroyd tattoo (Elwood’s hat has now filled in the gap next to the acorns that always kind of looked like a pair of bollocks dangling from my wrist, so I’m super thrilled I no longer need to worry about that!) Best of all, I got a job in the haunted castle at the top of hill near my house. Yep, THAT castle. The one I’ve mentioned countless times. I even added “somewhere near a haunted castle in Lancaster” to the foreword I wrote for Brad Thomas recently (if you haven’t already, pick up The Black Country Wraiths, it’s awesome.) I had no idea when I wrote that sign-off that I’d end up working the perfect little job there in a couple of months. Life is weird, right??

Anyway, enough of the past. I’m here for the FUTURE, and I am bringing news.

At the start of the year, I was approached by Royal Poff and invited to be a contributor to the Exquisite Corpse III title, Canaries. As if that wasn’t honour enough, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw who would be working on the title with me. To mention just a couple here (I’ll make another post shouting out everyone closer to release), Canaries includes Jamie Flanagan, whose work on The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of The House of Usher reminds us all that beautifully written horror in TV is not dead. Judith Sonnet, one of my literary idols, takes the chapter before me and, in the words of Dewey Cox, “How am I supposed to follow that?” She’s outstanding, and I am both terrified and overjoyed to be writing the final chapter to the project.

Royal is putting together an incredible Kickstarter for the project, which is raising money for the incredible Scares That Care Authorcon, so get the 1st December in your diaries and sign up for some perks!

Personally, I have some exciting things coming in 2026. As well as finishing The Suffering 2, I have some shorts in the works. A novella, The Last Ride, will be coming in spring. Here’s an exclusive look at the cover, made by the wonderful Ruth Anna Evans.

A second instalment to my Pestilent Perils series which started this year with RAT will be out soon, possibly in January again as a birthday present to myself, but we shall see! Here’s a sneak peek at the cover for this one, also by Ruth (sorry to Ruth for this one – I know she was itching making this cover up for me!) Any ideas on which pest features in this short?

Can you guess the next star of the Pestilent Perils series?

Shout out to another huge talent in the cover industry, Christy Aldridge at Grim Poppy, who designed the cover for my award-winning collection, We’ve Already Gone Too Far. As you can see, she’s been hard at work for me creating the cover to the upcoming collection, We’ve Already Gone Too Far, Too.

This book will combine a host of new short and nasty tales with stories that have been published in top anthologies including Broken Brain’s Screams series, Good For Her, KJK Publishing’s The Horror Collection, Bloody Hell, and more. Full cover reveal coming soon to my mailing list subscribers.

I have heaps more news to tell you, including upcoming anthologies, novels, and collabs, but I’ve got to keep some surprises up my sleeve (and I’m due for my shift cleaning at the castle soon. I’ll tell the ghosts you said “Hi.”)

It feels awesome to finally be able to say this, you guys: It’s good to be back.

Blog Post, News

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.

News

February News

March 3, 2025March 3, 2025 mjmarsauthor

Happy March, everyone. The spring buds are starting to bloom, there has been some moments of blue skies and sunshine here in the UK, and it feels as though spring is finally on its way.

We’ve Already Gone Too Far, Award Winner!

2025 has been full of surprises so far. The main news to share with you is that We’ve Already Gone Too Far WON the Books of Horror Short Smack competition. With every round, I expected to go hurtling out of the contest, as each of the 32 books in the smack were wonderful. I somehow managed to cling on to the very end, with a neck-and-neck race against The Conservators Collection by the fantastic trio of Jay Bower, John Lynch, and John Durgin. For those of you who may remember the 2023 Books of Horror Brawl, John Durgin and I went head-to-head when The Suffering was up against The Cursed Among Us in the first round, when John won by a landslide. I wonder if we will meet again in future battles!

Another fabulous accolade for We’ve Already Gone Too Far is that it made the preliminary ballot of The Stoker Awards. While it didn’t proceed to the finals, I am so proud and happy that a book that is so personal to me has resonated with many readers out there. Thank you to everyone for nominating and supporting WAGTF in its first few months of existence. It has been beyond anything I could have imagined and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

RAT

Speaking of short stories, RAT is just over 6 weeks’ old and has been getting a lot of love. It even had the accolade of making it into Malevolent Dark’s Horror Fiction Top 25 in February.

If you haven’t read RAT yet, here’s a little taster: When Victorian clipper, The Cormorant, sails upon a ghosted prisoner hulk, the captain’s decision to explore the crewless vessel proves fatal. For the hulk isn’t completely abandoned, and the entity that follows them back aboard is seeking vengeance.

Are you kind to animals? If not, don’t set foot on the ghost ship, The Tulketh Swain…

Scares That Care Authorcon 2025

Who is coming to Authorcon in Virginia at the end of March? I’ll be flying over the pond once more to meet up with the incredible authors, event organisers, and readers of STC. Authorcon 2024 was my first experience traveling to the US, my first author-specific convention, and my first opportunity to meet my own personal author heroes, including my favourite living writer, Paul Tremblay. I can’t wait to return. If you’re planning on attending, be sure to say hello!

Anthology Appearances

This has already been an exceptional year for anthology appearances, and I am thrilled to have stories in the following recent publications:

The Horror Collection: Morte Edition, KJK Publishing

My Evil F*cking Neighbour, Sinister Smile Press/Crystal Lake

Screams from the Dark Ages, Broken Brain Books

Stay tuned for more releases coming soon!

New Logo

If you follow me on socials, you may have seen that I have a brand new logo, courtesy of Grim Poppy Designs. If you’re coming to STC, you’ll be the first readers to grab stickers, bookmarks, and more, with this gentle giant and his friends.

Logo by Grim Poppy Designs

Be sure to stop by the table I will be sharing with the awesome R. J. Benetti. We’re going to have a blast!

News

August News

August 16, 2024August 16, 2024 mjmarsauthor

Books and Brews, Anthologies and Collaborations, and more…

I usually wait until the end of the month to post news, but there has been so much going on in August so far I just couldn’t wait to share it.

Books and Brews, Chicago

Early on Friday 2nd August, I boarded a plane for my first ever solo flight. I’ve always had a terrible fear of flying, so getting on a plane on my own was not something I ever thought I’d be physically capable of doing. But then again, when you have somewhere incredible to go, somehow the fear seems less significant. I’d made my mind up that nothing was going to stop me getting to Chicago that day because I was heading to the Books of Horror Books and Brews book event of the year!

And what a brilliant event it was. I got to see so many of my wonderful US author friends who I met earlier in the year at Scares That Care Authorcon (another insanely incredible book event held in Virginia), but I also got to meet a lot of the BoH crew who I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, including the wonderful Tiffany Koplin! There were some huge names attending, including Josh Malerman, Daniel Kraus, Christina Henry, Jonathan Janz, and many more. I also got to share a table with my Irish/UK buddies, Leigh Kenny and M. L. Rayner, which was a blast.

Myself, Leigh Kenny, and M.L. Rayner on the UK table!

If you’d have asked me just a year ago whether I could imagine doing anything like this, I wouldn’t have believed it. What an unbelievably wonderful experience.

We’ve Already Gone Too Far Release

We’ve Already Gone Too Far is out now and receiving incredible reviews. I’m so grateful to everyone who has picked up a copy, liked/shared posts, or reviewed. I’m currently running a competition on my author page to name the Bigfoot on the cover, so come and join in the fun!

Signed copies available on my website now

You can now order signed copies in my shop.

Bloody Hell: An Anthology of UK Indie Horror

Being invited to submit to an anthology is always an honour, and I had a great time writing a story about my hometown, Lancaster, for the Bloody Hell Anthology which has been released by Mark of the Witch Press.

Featuring 27 stories, Bloody Hell is a beautifully illustrated book packed full of creepy stories set all around the UK. The special edition hardback is a thing of beauty but if you want one you’d better order quick! There will only ever be 100 in circulation, and there are only a handful left.

Upcoming Anthologies and Collaborations

Speaking of it being an honour to be invited to submit to an anthology, I have two exciting features to announce. My story, HoneyMarrow, will appear in D.W Hitz’s smash hit series, Camp Slasher Lake. The first Camp Slasher Lake won a Splatterpunk Award, and each anthology has featured the top names in horror (plus it is edited by the incredible Candace Nola, one of my literary heroes!) Camp Slasher Lake 3 will be out soon!

The Sinister Smile Press anthology, My Evil F*cking Neighbour, will feature my story, The Moondial. It is always a delight being around Steven Pajak and R.E Sargent, so when the prospect of appearing in one of their brilliant books along with a host of top names came up, I snapped their hands off!

I do have a number of top-secret anthology submissions that I’m working on at the moment, and I am so excited to be able to reveal them to you in the coming months.

More exciting news that has just been revealed and so I can finally shout about it—I am currently working with the fantastic Gage Greenwood on a collaboration novel. When we bounced this idea around late last year I wasn’t certain we would be able to make it happen, but our schedules have aligned and we are go go go! More news to come in future.

Indie Horror Chapter, Birmingham

If you’re in Birmingham on the 24th August, come to the Indie Horror Chapter book event! Join myself and a host of amazing UK horror authors for book signings, readings, and panels. I will be a panellist on the Horror Comedy panel, which I am so looking forward to.

Can’t wait to see you there!

More news coming soon…

News

We’ve Already Gone Too Far

June 21, 2024June 21, 2024 mjmarsauthor

After a busy few months, I’m back with a brand new collection and some exciting news!

We’ve Already Gone Too Far is coming soon, with rave reviews coming in from early readers.

“This is chessboard horror. MJ Mars has arranged each story, each piece, into its proper place with sinister precision, daring the reader to make the first move. Narratively, she’s always three steps ahead of you, waiting to unearth fears you didn’t know you had. From urban legends to aliens, cryptids to curses, this author wants to play a game, if you’re up for it.” – Nick Roberts, author of Mean Spirited and The Exorcist’s House.

“After a stellar debut, Mars shows she can sink her teeth into you regardless of the setting with We’ve Already Gone Too Far. I had a blast with this collection, and you will too!” – John Durgin, author of Kosa and The Cursed Among Us.

“MJ Mars’ quirkiness and unusual combination of settings and plot details are both charming and absolutely brilliant. She has a sharp and ingenious sense of humour that most people couldn’t execute in such terrifying, violent, and creepy works.” – Megan Stockton, author of Bluejay and Lovely, Dark & Deep.

We’ve Already Gone Too Far

A father takes his son on a camping trip but isn’t sure who he brings home. When passengers begin to disappear from her flight, a cabin crew member faces the childhood fears she thought she’d long overcome. At his mother’s funeral, a magician contemplates a family curse. Two graduates listen to a retired soldier talking about his participation in a death-defying experiment, and a punk band trying to be polite at a high-brow art installation step up when monsters attack.

These stories and more await you in We’ve Already Gone Too Far, 8 Nasty Little Tales by MJ Mars.

We’re here for a bad time, not a long time.

Coming to Books and Brews?

Be one of the first to bag your copy of the paperback! Coming to Books and Brews on 3rd August, 2024? If so, you will be able to get your hands on the very first copies of We’ve Already Gone Too Far.

After having a blast at Authorcon in April, I can’t wait to see you all back in the US in a few weeks.

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!

Blog Post

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!

Blog Post

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!