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