Melissa Stanziale’s short story “The Children of Ororo” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
Definitely vampires. Zombies are mindless corpses that, in my opinion, cannot believably be endowed with a personality. There is, however, a broad spectrum of vampire personalities in literature.

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
Haunted House. A Haunted Mental Asylum is frightening, but seriously lacking in the romance department. Give me a dilapidated Victorian mansion with a dark European secret!

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
Yes. “Pigeons from Hell” by Robert E. Howard. I was actually frightened by this short story and had to put it down for a moment. Howard’s style is so great that you forget you’re reading.

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
I’m not sure that I do enjoy it. It happens whether I want it to or not.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
I’m working on a few short stories.

MELISSA STANZIALE lives in Rhode Island with her husband and their two pets. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Rhode Island in Providence. Her short fiction has appeared on websites such as Microhorror and Flashes in the Dark. It has also appeared in online magazines such as Black Petals and Death Head Grin. The Gothic Blue Book Volume Two is her first print publication.

Daniel Kraus’ short story “Nora and the Gravedigger” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
My preference is neither. There are so many new horrors to be dreamed up that don’t rely on established icons. But I suppose that answer is a cheat. There have been more zombie books that I’ve enjoyed than vampire books, so I guess there’s your answer.

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
Mental Asylum all the way. If you believe in ghosts, the kind of psychic energy stored up in an asylum must be staggering. Recently I read about this institute that habitually dissected the dead inmates to try to learn more about their conditions, and they kept all of the brains on shelves in jars of pickled liquid. They just sat there, year after year. There is no peace in an end like that. If anyplace is haunted, that’s it. (more…)

Jennifer A. Smith’s short story “Last Summer” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
I prefer vampires.  Zombies have so little to say, and they are so inelegant.

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
That’s a tough one.  I want to do both!  I think that the inhabitants of the haunted house might be more articulate, but that might be a bit judgmental of me. I stayed in Lizzie Borden’s bedroom once, but she was not terribly forthcoming that evening.

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
I don’t think I’ve ever had to put one down.  I tend to want to read on to find out what happens next!   There are several Ray Bradbury stories that have really pleased me with their horrifying subtlety.  “The October Game” is one that comes to mind.

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
I love the cozy feeling of being spellbound in a haunted place.  I love Victorian ghost stories, because I love Victorian ghosts!  I like Halloween stories because they are set in chilly autumn nights, with rustling leaves and strange creatures lurking in the darkness.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
I belong to a writing group and we encourage each other by sharing our stories and giving feedback.  I am always thinking of things around me in a horror kind of way.  I try to keep them in my mind until I can write them down and create a story.  I have many stories on my computer hard drive.  I told my daughter that after I’m dead she should gather them all and have them published in homage to my dead greatness!

JENNIFER A. SMITH writes tales of horror and unease.  She was born in Minnesota during the second half of the twentieth century.  A childhood love of reading, along with a penchant for old horror films has awakened a love for the dark and unholy; thirty years of working at a small town post office have nourished that obsession.

Wednesday Silverwood’s short story “Angelique” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
Vampires! Don’t get me wrong, I love zombies too but the figure of the vampire has a particular menace and romance for me. So long as they have the proper carnal appetites that is!

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
I think it would have to be the Haunted House. Mostly because the Haunted Mental Asylum just sounds way, way too scary!

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
Sadly, I don’t experience that sense of terror very often anymore, but I do remember a children’s book that really scared me. It’s the Usborne Book of Ghosts and Hauntings and it has these utterly terrifying illustrations. I still find that book scary!

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
I love supernatural fiction. It’s the only kind of fiction I’ve ever wanted to write. I have a real love of the gothic, particularly the mood and aesthetic. I’ll never tire of the genre, there’s still such a lot to be said.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
I’m mainly working on a gothic-themed novella at the moment. It centres on a horror writer and her son Byron and takes place in an old dark house. It’s still very much a work in progress at the moment, but I intend to release it on Kindle before Christmas. I’ll be updating my website as soon as it’s available!

WEDNESDAY SILVERWOOD is a horror writer from North London, England. Her recent work can be found in publications from Pill Hill Press and Static Movement. She has more stories forthcoming from Red Skies Press, Siren’s Call Publications and Morpheus Tales. For more information, please see her website at www.wednesdaysilverwood.co.uk.

Carl Palmer’s poem “Visitation” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
My preference is that neither be portrayed as fiction since Vampires and Zombies are real.

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
As in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the asylum inhabitants are visible and available, yet locked up at night. Haunted house poltergeists and spirits tend to be evasive in daylight, yet disruptive in the dark. I’d probably get more writing done during my overnight stay at the asylum.

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
Presidents of the United States writing instant best sellers while in office scare me. Aren’t they busy enough? Do they need the extra income? Will their book be in the library dedicated to their legacy?

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
I can create my own reality, get away with using family and friends as my renamed story characters.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
Deciphering the code, finding the pattern and understanding the strategy.

CARL PALMER has been nominated twice for the Micro Award in flash fiction and thrice for the Pushcart Prize in poetry. Palmer is from Old Mill Road in Ridgeway, VA but now lives in University Place, WA.
Palmer’s motto is ‘Long Weekends Forever.’

David Massengill’s short story “Bellevue” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
Zombies. I’d love to see an author stray from the zombie apocalypse storyline and do a historical gothic/horror novel in the Haitian zombie tradition. Maybe like Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour only with witch doctors and set in the Caribbean?

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
Haunted house. I find the topic of mental institutions depressing, and I hate the thought of people’s spirits trapped inside those places.

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
Scott Smith’s The Ruins and Richard Matheson’s Hell House. The Ruins is a great work of organic horror. I think what disturbed me most about that novel was the physical invasiveness of its natural–and surprisingly believable–antagonist. What’s terrifying about Hell House is its characters’ loss of self-confidence and control. They’re stranded in a haunted house with no windows, and the force inside that house worms its way into each character’s identity and causes rot.

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
I think writing gothic/horror fiction is a safe way to confront and process personal and societal fears. I believe society needs its scary stories to stay sane. For years, I only wrote literary fiction, and then I began writing horror because I enjoyed reading it so much. I find writing horror to be more fun than writing literary, but I’m most satisfied when I’m able to blend the two together.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
A collection of tales involving very dangerous insects.

DAVID MASSENGILL lives in Seattle and visits Bellevue only occasionally.  His short stories and works of flash fiction have appeared in numerous literary magazines and the anthologies Long Live the New Flesh:  Year Two and State of Horror:  California.  You can read more of his fiction at www.davidmassengillfiction.com

K. Trap Jones’ short story “The Flailing Arm” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
I actually have to answer this in two parts because I like each of them in two different time periods. For vampires, I prefer classical literature like Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I really don’t care for all of overabundance of mainstream vampire novels that have oversaturated the market. For zombies, I do like Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend and Joe McKinney’s Dead City. Plus, I’m a huge fan of The Walking Dead.

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
Although both would be extremely cool to spend the night in, I would have to go with a Haunted House for the simple reason that there is a certain intimacy when you’re dealing with a particular ghost that haunts a house. It seems like a better detailed story than 50 or so ghosts that may haunt an asylum. However, I would never turn down the opportunity to spend the night at either of them.

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
Amityville Horror by Jay Anson is the type of book that just stays with you far beyond the last page. I think the fact that it is based on true events and the horrible nature of the DeFeo crimes that took place just thirteen months prior to another family moved in just sets up the background and it never lets you go.

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
Literary Horror has always been a passion of mine. To me, classical literature is just so raw, emotional and so far off the mainstream path that it actually blazes its own trail. Writing narrative literary horror is a way for me to express myself and fully invest in the characters that I am creating.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
I have a couple projects that I am working on and a few upcoming releases. I finished writing The Sinner II, which is the sequel to my award winning novel published by Blood Bound Books. I also have a handful of short stories coming out. My short story, Burn the Witches will be appearing in DOA II Anthology alongside great authors like Jack Ketchum and Wrath James White. Another short story, The Butterfly will be in Blood Rites Anthology alongside Brian Lumley, Joe McKinney and many other authors. Both of these will be out soon by Blood Bound Books. I also have a short story coming out in Urban Horror Legends from Sirens Call Publications and a circus one coming out in Pyscho Circus from Ephemera Publishing. Whew! It’s been a busy few months!

K. TRAP JONES is an award winning author of literary horror novels and short stories. With a strong inspiration from Dante Alighieri and Edgar Allan Poe, his passion for folklore, classic literary fiction and obscure segments within society lead to his creative writing style of “filling in the gaps” and walking the line between reality and fiction. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association. More information can be found at http://www.ktrapjones.com.

Emma Hinge’s short story “Penance” will appear in the Gothic Blue Book: The Revenge Edition this month.

1. Vampires or Zombies? Which do you prefer in fiction?
Zombies – because I think they have more social relevance. Vampires are a little too all over the place. They are scary, now sexy, and then scary again. Zombies could never have that kind of identity problem.

2. Haunted House or Haunted Mental Asylum? If you had to spend the night in one to write about your experience which would you chose, and why?
Neither. If I spend a night in either of them, I’d probably end up in a mental asylum.

3. Have you ever read a book or a fictional story that frightened you so much you had to put it down at least once while you were reading? If so, what was it? What frightened you?
Hmmm. I don’t think I have. But I am a sucker for psychological horror. Old folk tales scare me. The Slenderman is a good example.

4. Why do you enjoy writing Gothic/Literary horror/horror/paranormal fiction? Or just, why do you enjoy writing in general?
I think it takes quite a lot of courage to write. The payoffs are great if you can put yourself out there, though. Horror is hard because it leaves you wondering whether ‘normal people’ have dark, twisty plot lines running through their heads.

5. What other projects do you have in the works?
I wrote an entry for a romance competition recently (for a bit of a change). I’m also considering putting an entry in for a picture book competition here in New Zealand too, though my Mum is entering as well. I’d like to find an editorial job now that I’m finishing off my last year of study.

Follow me on twitter if you are interested (@missoilcan)!

EMMA HINGE is an English Honours student currently studying at Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand. New to the art of writing, Emma enjoys challenging the assumptions we make about the narratives of everyday life. Emma likes writing horror because of its ability to surprise – perhaps it isn’t surprising however that most of her great ideas occur during witching hour…