Terror that stays with you

There are some childhood fears we outgrow, but some still have the power to terrify us.

Terror through the eyes of a child is the focus of the first anthology of short stories from Sirens Call Publications, Childhood Nightmares: Under the Bed.

Included are stories by Julianne Snow, Colin F. Barnes,  Nina D’Arcangela (who also worked on the production of the book), Phil Hickes, Amber Keller, Kim Krodel, Lisamarie Lamb, John McIlveen, Kate Monroe, Brandon Scott, Joshua Skye, and Jack Wallen. Roughly half had previously been published through Sirens Call.

Most are from the child’s perspective, though the fears of adults are woven into the stories as well. In Wallen’s “Forgotten,” parental guilt is inextricably linked to a child’s ghostly encounter. In Snow’s “Madeleine,” a child’s night terrors cause her mother increasing concern until a great-aunt provides an unorthodox solution.

Kalla Monahan and Nina D’Arcangela both read submissions and were involved in the editorial process behind the collection.

“No one experiences horror like a child,” says D’Arcangela.

Werewolf Wednesday: Catherine Lundoff’s Silver Moon

If you think the modern werewolf tale is a thinly-veiled metaphor for raging hormones, Catherine Lundoff would say you’re right.  Just maybe not be the ones you’re thinking of.

Lycanthropy in pop culture has become so attached to the adolescent (I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Teen Wolf were early examples) that we ignore other times of change in the human body — such as the transition from middle age to one’s golden years.

But in Silver Moon, Lundoff eschews that obsession with youth by focusing on women “of a certain age.”

“I got the original idea for menopausal werewolves from watching the werewolf film Ginger Snaps, which features teenaged protagonists,” she says. “It’s also funny and political and very grim, and I wanted to do something a bit like that, except with a protagonist who was definitely not a teenager.”

Guest post: Armand Rosamilia, author of Dying Days 2

Today I’m very pleased to host the second blog tour to stop by As You Were, and it happens to be from another zombie writer, Armand Rosamilia.  Don’t try to pigeonhole him to flesh-eating undead, though.

While he’s currently on tour supporting his new zombie novel Dying Days 2, Armand is also the founder of horror publisher Carnifex Press and a prolific horror author in his own right.

He is also, however, a huge expert in another field: heavy metal. Armand has also written a series of non-fiction titles chronicling the exploits of the women in heavy metal.  If the only ones you knew about were Lita Ford, Vixen, and Doro Pesch, read on…

Guest post: Julianne Snow, author of Days With the Undead

Today, hot on the heels of my interview with Julianne Snow on her new zombie novel, Days with the Undead, Julianne has kindly agreed to write a guest post for As You Were.  She touches on a subject near and dear to my heart, the influence of music on an author’s writing. Without further ado, take it away Julianne…

The zombiepocalypse comes to Canada

Today I’m pleased to present an interview with a Canadian zombie writer, a none-too-subtle reference to Julianne Snow, which should come as no surprise to those of you who follow her (@CdnZmbiRytr) on Twitter.

Julianne is in the midst of a marathon blog tour for her new novel, Days With the Undead, which brings her her to As you Were today.

Julianne was born in Toronto, Ont., where she still lives, and was the only girl in a family with four children.

She got her taste for horror early, watching Alien at age four with the rest of her family (her older siblings chickened out, but Julianne hung in till the end).

Zombies, werewolves and writing, oh my!

Things have been quiet here at As You Were this week, but that’s because I’ve been working on two interviews to bring you, both with writers of new monster tales.