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

A Scary Interview with David Schembri

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 David,

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

It’s such a common misconception when one thinks that a particular author would need to have the personality of which they would write. Actors playing evil antagonists on the stage and screen are not evil at heart ; they're acting. It’s their profession. They study the role, research the origins, do interviews, read material and get a sense of how the character would behave, and put all of that into their performance. That’s what a horror writer does. To write in any genre, one researches, reads the genre and dives deep into the characters they create, and sculpts their work accordingly. To provide a simple example, I will never write a romance story, however in life, I am a romantic person at heart.

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

I’m a little on the cliché with this one. I am a strong Stephen King fan and loved also reading the works of Richard Laymon and Clive Barker. I also love J RR Tolkien and JK Rowling. The worlds in which I’d dived into with their works had left me with life-long inspiration, and I have been known to re-read their books.

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

My perfect horror-themed night in would be getting together with my mates and playing a horror RPG. Snacks, drinks, creepy ambiant music, an excellent GM, a dam scary story and no time limit. This is my idea of horror-themed heaven.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Setting myself in a quiet spot, dim the lights, perhaps some snacks or a cup of tea, research/reference material at hand, ambient music is a must, and a warm rug on my lap.

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

What readers probably don’t know about me yet is that I’m a musican. I love playing the guitar and singing. I also have been writing my own music ever since I was in early high school. I would like to share my music in the future when I get my solo album finished. I was in a four-piece rock band in the 90s and we played a few venues around Melbourne. Music, like art and writing, has and always will be a part of me.

Where can we find you online?

Feel welcome to visit my website at: davidschembri.net I am also on Facebook and have my author’s page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063595146407

A Scary Interview with David Turnbull

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 David,

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

I'd say to write horrible things you need to be aware of horrible things and exactly why they are horrible, which is miles better than someone who does horrible things and is oblivious to what a horrible person they are.

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

I'm a sucker for Stephen King. The first thing I read of his was Salem's Lot. I was a big fan of Dracula but the main characters - a lawyer, a professor, a doctor, a Lord - all seemed a bit far removed from the world I knew. King's characters were ordinary people in a small town, which made the notion of vampires all the more scary. King's novels usually come out in Autumn which means I usually end up with his latest outing for my birthday gift in November.

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

In the town of Selkirk in the Scottish borders where I grew up, there's a story of a poor old woman called Tibby Tampson who stole a ball of wool and was denounced by her neighbours as a witch. She was unjustly put to death. The stone rolled over her unmarked grave in the hills allegedly cracked when it was struck by lightning. There is a marker there and people leave coins wedged in the crack for good luck. As a kid it I used to have nightmares about going to visit the stone and being chased over the hills by Tibby on her broomstick. 

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

In another life I was the officer in Unite the Union responsible for the Fair Tips Campaign. I coordinated strike action in TGI Fridays and campaigns in Pizza Express for the fair distribution of tips and helped change the law concerning tip and service charge allocation.

Where can we find you online?

You can find my regular Substack London Fantastical here  London Fantastical | David Turnbull | Substack

A Scary Interview with Robert Runté

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 Robert,

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

I like John Linwood Grant’s An Unkindness of Shadows, Ain’t No Witch, and Occult Detective Magazine--though those might be more weird than horror, per se? And of course, I have to mention Premee Mohamed, the Canadian author whose The Butcher of the Forest (to take just one example) is blindingly brilliant.

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

The local museum is said to be haunted (it started out as the local hospital), as is the old 1900s-era theatre where my kids attended acting camps. Does that count? I’ve written a few stories based on my family’s history with ghosts, though none of those were strictly horror—mostly just encounters with recently dead relatives announcing their passing a continent away from where they passed, before word reached us in the more conventional ways.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I need a specific tea to write. For several decades, it was David’s Tea’s (Montreal-based Canadian chain) “Chocolate Chili Chai”, but they discontinued it, leading to a long dry period for my creativity. I experimented with two dozen other brands’ variation on the theme, but nothing else came close. I eventually found Creative Tea & Herbal Products’ (Elora, Ontario) “Chocolate Chili Pepper” which I have grown to love even more than the original David’s Tea. Unfortunately, Creative Tea is strictly a wholesaler, so I have to go to McQuarrie's Tea & Coffee Merchants in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, about 8 hours from where I live. The round trip is worth the drive for the boost to my writing output. The rest of the time I drink teas my almost-son-in-law brings back from his trips to China.

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

I need people to understand that I am not mansplaining. There is no gender bias in me; I pontificate at everyone equally. Pontification is not just a professional hazard as a retired professor, but reflects that as neurodivergent editor and author, I’ve done deep dives on a great number of ridiculously obscure topics as part of my job. Consequently, I know stuff. If I am spouting, unasked, on some topic you do not wish to hear about, you can stop me using the magic phrase, “Will this be on the test?” (That works to deflate most educations mid-spiel.)

Where can we find you online?

I’m still on Facebook (Dr.Robert Runte), though the medium is becoming so toxic, it’s driving more and more of us elsewhere. My websites are SFEditor.ca, EssentialEdits.ca, and I blog at “I’m Not Boring You, Am I?” at https://runte.blogspot.com/ My Amazon page is https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Runte/author/B07CZ12GNL