A Scary Interview with Diana Olney

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Diana,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

In my writing and reading experience, I would swap “horrible” for “haunted”. Horror comes in all shades and flavors, but the most poignant and memorable works of dark fiction draw from the dark ink of real wounds. That doesn’t necessarily mean that every tale has to be tragic, though. It is also possible to balance that inherent darkness with excitement, action, and sometimes even comedic tones.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

This list could stretch indefinitely. In classic literature, Slyvia Plath and Ted Hughes have been very influential, especially in my poetry. Contemporary hidden gems I revere include the visionary work of Kathe Koja, Emma Glass, and Candice Wuehle. In terms of famous authors and rising stars, I absolutely adore Julia Armfield, Gwendolyn Kiste, Richard Kadrey, CJ Leede, and Keith Rosson, especially their early short fiction.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

This is going to sound paradoxical, but a reading marathon in a sunlit cemetery on a Summer evening would be spectacular. BYOB (Bring Your Own Books!)

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

There is an abandoned, historic psychiatric facility not far from my abode in the Seattle area called Northern State Hospital, which I have explored, and can confirm to be wonderfully eerie. There is even an on-site crematorium.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Inspiration often speaks loudest to me when I am less distracted (including the chatter of my own thoughts), especially in liminal states like the phase between wakefulness and sleep. Sounds bizarre, but I’ve actually solved quite a few plot puzzles that way. So, I try to maintain an open mind in those moments, either by keeping pieces of a current WIP in the foreground, or listening for new ones. Let the words marinate and see if an epiphany comes.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

That’s a tough one, as the best way to get to know me is through my work. I don’t mention it often, but I am afflicted by hereditary bipolar disorder, though I am happy to report that writing has proved incredibly comforting and cathartic during rough periods. On a lighter (and softer) note, I am also an impassioned cat lover, whisperer, and cohort! All of my work is approved by my two furry assistants, who literally shadow me. This is less of a secret to those who have perused the compendium of cat photos on my social media, however.

Where can we find you online?

Official website: dianaolney.com or Instagram @dianaolneyauthor

A Scary Interview with Malina Douglas

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Malina,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

No, you don’t ! You can use fiction to play out scenarios that would never happen in real life, and you can write about bad things happening to people who are nothing like you, personally. I’ve met horror writers who are sweet, kind and fun to be around in real life. I do feel it’s important to separate fiction from real life. You don’t have to write yourself into the story unless you intend to.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

Celia Winter, Christine Hanosly and Louise Hughes write great horror. You can find their work on Gavagai.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

Going for a midnight picnic with red wine, crackers and camembert cheese. I tried this once years ago but my date got creeped out at beingin a park so late at night, so I intend to try it again.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Not that I know of… But I often research and write about folklore from various places.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Writing in the morning with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I find a lot of inspiration in water and watery places.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me on BlueSky and Substack @iridescentwords, or on my website, https://citrinesunstream.wixsite.com/iridescent/

A Scary Interview with Rob Nisbet

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Rob,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I like to think that I’m not a horrible person – I just have a horrible imagination!  I grew up with a love of sci-fi so there have always been strange creatures in my head.  Sci-fi depends on some concept to base the story on which can sometimes seem contrived.  Horror, however, allows a story to be told without any restraints.
 
Which horror writers do you admire?

My story ‘The Affair of the Third Clairvoyant’ definitely has a background nod to Lovecraft. Some of his stories are decidedly odd but his concept of beings indifferent to our existence is deservedly creepy. I’m not a fan of purely atmospheric tales – for me there has to be a discernible story which the atmosphere serves to highlight. I do like Susan Hill, with The Man in the Picture and The Woman in Black being favourites. Edith Nesbit (different spelling, so no relation), famous for The Railway Children, may be a name not associated with horror, but I’d recommend seeking out some of her short stories.
 
Your perfect horror-themed night in?

As a youngster, my parents would allow me and my two brothers to occasionally stay up late to watch the classic Hammer horror films. No streaming or videos back then. They were shown beyond bedtime, many in black-and-white (or perhaps that was just our TV). This was a treat for us – every kid likes to be scared, just a little, in the safety of their own home.
 
Do you have any writing rituals?

Two spring to mind. Firstly, I tend to write everything in longhand. Not having to think about the process of typing, I find, helps when I’m trying to be creative.  hen I type-up what I’ve written, hopefully improving it as I do so. Then I hone and edit until I’m happy. Secondly, I’m a planner. I have to know the whole story in my head before I write anything down. Usually I will know the final paragraph or sentence so I have an ending to aim for. I envy people who can just sit down and write without knowing where the story is going. I can’t do that.
 
Share something that your readers don’t know.

I keep chickens in the garden - rescue birds that have outlived an egg farmer’s expectations. They are usually in a weak and bedraggled state. Rather than have them end-up in cat food or ‘nuggets’, they can flourish and live for several more years. And any eggs they care to bestow are a bonus.
 
Where can we find you online?

I’m a dinosaur when it comes to technology. Though I can be found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/12097189.Rob_Nisbet

A Scary Interview with Stuart Olver

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Stuart,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I hope that by scratching out my darkest thoughts onto paper, I become a less horrible person!

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

Classic: Edgar Allan Poe-poetry wrapped in dread; Modern: Richard Laymon-lurid, violent, sick, twisted. Perfect!

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

Watching creepypasta/analogue horror shorts on YouTube with my son. With maybe a single malt at hand…

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

In Zulu and Khosa folklore from South Africa, the small, hairy, goblin-like Tokoloshe will get you when you sleep, unless you elevate your bed with bricks so that he can’t reach you.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I take an exercise book on holiday and write a page a day, whether in a hotel room, passing the time on a tour bus, or watching the ocean go by from a bench on a cruise ship.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I recently retired from my career as a research scientist, and now work as a school crossing supervisor just 2 minutes from home.

Where can we find you online?

I have a Facebook profile, or try Dawn Till Dusk Publishing, where you’ll find lots of yummy coffee table books published by my brother Rob and I.

A Scary Interview with L.P. Ring

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi L.P.

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

I always think of actors saying they love playing villains when I hear this question. A lot of people like playing around in the sandbox when it comes to ‘horrible things’ so isn’t it nice to be a little psychopathic and put some ‘people’ through the wringer.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

My favorite horror novels are Ghost Story by Peter Straub and The Terror by Dan Simmons. I’m a big Stephen King fan too, though far from a completist, and I actually find a lot of his stuff from this century – Duma Key, Revival, The Outsider – easily as enjoyable as his earlier, more consistently admired works. More recently, I’ve been reading a lot of Laird Barron, Thomas Ligotti, and John Langan. Langan’s book The Fisherman is being pitched as a potential film from David Lowery (who directed The Green King) and that combination is extremely exciting.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

A couple of beers or a few glasses of red, a nice casserole or stew, the lights out, and a rewatch of a classic horror film – The Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jaws, Invasion of the Body Snatchers…

Hitting fifty this year so most of my horrors are fairly cosy.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

I live in Japan now where there are a lot of abandoned houses and spooky stories. Thinking of back home, fairy forts are a bit of a mainstay of Irish culture. I also have a childhood memory of my mom driving us past a house which she referred to as ‘haunted’, so I guess an interest in all things spooky caught me early.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I love sitting at a window where I can look outside – the break from the (occasionally) blank page can be a great reviver. Also to have some music on in the background. For some reason, harpsichord pieces caught my fancy a few years ago and I’m a big fan of having horror movie soundtracks on as well. And I often wear headphones so as not to annoy my wife.

Where can we find you online?

I’m really not online much anymore though I do check BlueSky occasionally: lpring.bsky.social

130 Talented Talespinners

130 talented talespinners! ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY! That's how many wonderful wordsmiths Black Beacon Books will have published in our anthologies, collections, Kindle-only novelettes, and novels long before the midnight fireworks announce the end of the year. We might have a sleep in on New Year's Day, but then it will be back to work bringing you more fantastic fiction, including (we hope!) a handful of more new names, in 2027. Perhaps you will join our ranks. 

   

A Scary Interview with Esme Lee Wilmot

The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 will be released on the 1st of October, but in the meantime, the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads TBR list. To get you pumpkin-spiced up for an unforgettable Halloween 2026, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Step into the corridors of their dark minds, if you dare!

Hi Esme,

That classic question to get started. Do you have to be a horrible person to write horrible things?

No, you just have to have met horrible people. OK, perhaps I’m only half joking, but I do think this rings true for anyone who has experienced bullying. I think that I write horror to rationalise and debunk my own fears or to process events from the past. I have always felt drawn to the dark and strange or to the things I don’t understand. Darkness is inherent to human nature and society, and I believe this should be acknowledged rather than ignored. Fiction is a good way to explore this.

Which horror writers do you admire—old or new, famous or hidden gems?

I admire Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson and Shaun Hamill for the originality of their ideas, the quality of their writing and their ability to invoke real unease or fear in the reader.

Can you describe your perfect horror-themed night in, out, or away?

A fancy-dress Halloween party with lots of spooky decorations, a Halloween playlist, and horror-themed food and drink is my idea of fun.

Are there any urban legends, folktales, or real-life tales of horror that happened (just maybe) where you live or grew up?

Sadly, no!

Do you have any writing rituals?

A coffee and a silent house normally do the trick. Sometimes I might play a bit of Radiohead or burn essential oils, but I try to minimise distractions so I can become immersed in the story I’m writing.

Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know yet?

I have been told that I come across as confident. This blows my mind, as I consider myself quite a fearful person (hence, writing horror to face my fears). It has taken a long time to build up my self-esteem, and even now I’m still plagued by self-doubt, particularly with the writing.

Where can we find you online?

https://www.facebook.com/esmeleewilmotwriter
https://www.instagram.com/esme_lee_wilmot_writer/

The Pandemic Has Begun!

THE PANDEMIC HAS BEGUN!

Index Case is a pre-apocalyptic medical thriller that we can only hope remains purely fictional, but this latest offering from Sam Dawson is based on thorough research and the insight only a professional journalist can bring. Accompanied by Sam's own illustrations and a chilling cover by Greg Chapman, this is one book you're not going to want to miss out on. Catch the virus now as an ebook or in print.

Index case, in public health, the first case of a disease or other condition that is noticed by health authorities. The index case is sometimes also referred to by the term patient zero. - Encyclopaedia Britannica

INDEX CASE isn't just another novel about a pandemic. It's a pandemic in itself! A thoroughly-researched medical thriller, a critical analysis of public policy, a survival handbook, a guidebook to some of the historical highlights along the south coast of England, and ultimately a philosophical treatise. All of this wrapped up for the intrepid reader in one gripping novel.

Rob is an epidemiologist, dedicated to fighting disease and all too aware that the UK is unprepared for the deadly pandemic that's about to hit. As he plans how his family will survive, he ponders the traces of long-dead villages and plagues past, and begins to wonder: is it time to be part of the problem, not the solution?

Index Case holds a Black Mirror up to recent times, with dashes of Quatermass, Wyndham, Simon Clark, Christopher and Doctor Who – all the good stuff! Thought-provoking, with lots of cultural touchstones I could relate to.

— Paul Kane, award-winning, #1 bestselling author of Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell and Dark Reflections

Laced with nuanced social observation and eerie visions of horror, Dawson’s Index Case is a paranoiac fever dream for which there’s mercifully no cure!
— Dave Jeffery, Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award nominated author of the a Quiet APOCALYPSE series