Nuts & Bolts: Author Becky Spratford on Librarians, the ‘World of Readers’ They Offer

Nuts & Bolts: Author Becky Spratford on Librarians, the ‘World of Readers’ They Offer

By Tom Joyce -- Becky Spratford recommends a simple strategy for horror writers looking to expand their readership. Go to your local library and meet your new best friends – the librarians. If you’re a local author, chances are good that your local librarians will not only be eager to get your book in front of patrons, but willing to help you promote it. Becky, a Bram-Stoker-Award-winning author and an Illinois librarian who trains library staff world-wide on matching books with readers, offers advice in this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts about why getting your books into libraries is…
NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

Reviewed by Twilight Sage Moon Released: September 17, 2024 by Page Street YA Triggers: Grief, sibling death. Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne is a beautiful mix of so many things. At first glance, it is reminiscent of The Ring and focuses on an evil video game that overhauls a young girl’s life; however, deep grief and guilt underly it all. It is as frightening as it is heartbreaking, and that is truly what makes it such a crucial read for young adults and adults alike. I am a huge fan of young adult horror and have loved watching the…
HWA Poetry Showcase XIII Table of Contents and Cover Revealed

HWA Poetry Showcase XIII Table of Contents and Cover Revealed

The Horror Writers Association is pleased to announced the full table of contents for this macabre and mysterious 13th volume of the Horror Writers Association’s Poetry Showcase. The Showcase features 50 poems of dread-filled dark verse, including the featured works of Nate Atkins, Lee Murray and Yi Izzy Yu. The HWA Poetry Showcase is edited by Colleen Anderson and will be published by Raw Dog Screaming Press. The Showcase cover was designed by Jenn Brisson. Congratulations to all! PRESSING by Lee Murray SERIAL-KILL ME by Kathryn E. McGee THE SWIMMER by James Aitchison BE NOT AFRAID by Mike Allen GRINDING…
Pride Month 2026: An Interview with Angela Sylvaine

Pride Month 2026: An Interview with Angela Sylvaine

Did you have any specific books, television shows, or movies (horror, queer or otherwise) that were early influences on your writing? My biggest influences are the things I grew up watching, movies like Beetlejuice and Gremlins. I’ve always loved the combination of horror and comedy, especially when it’s a little campy. I also love exploring nostalgia for that time period and sometimes set my work in the 80s and 90s. What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it? As a kid I was expected to be very well behaved and always walked on eggshells due to…
NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: Kali’s Web by Mark Matthews

NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: Kali’s Web by Mark Matthews

Reviewed by Lee Murray Released 11 August 2025, Torrid Waters Press Triggers: Addiction, violence. Kaliana Cook is a heroin addict who will do anything to get her parole agent off her back. She plans her escape and goes on the run but discovers too late she’s brought something monstrous along for the ride. With the parole agent on her tail, deadly cargo on board, and a craving for heroin coursing through her veins, Kali is trapped in the web of her own making and is desperate to get out. Kali faces a harrowing truth—escape is not just about escaping her physical pursuers, but…
NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan

NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan

Reviewed by Twilight Sage Moon Released 22 July 2025 from Little, Brown & Company Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan is not an easy read. It is gritty, painful, and filled with dread. Including true-to-life horror concerning murdered and missing indigenous women (MMIW). The book also highlights the atrocities that Hispanic folx go through. With the state that the United States is in, this book could not have been released at a more perfect time. Givhan’s powerful, poetic voice and spirit shine through her work, and I am utterly in awe. Salt Bones focuses on Mal, a mother with trauma from her own…
Pride Month 2026: An Interview with Hailey Piper

Pride Month 2026: An Interview with Hailey Piper

Did you have any specific books, television shows, or movies (horror, queer or otherwise) that were early influences on your writing? Hellraiser was a big one. It tore down what I understood of reality, showing that walls we assume are solid can be as thin as paper. I'm sure also my fascination with the extinction of the dinosaurs in books and TV, a cosmic horror even in itself, was an influence too. And without a doubt, Stephen King's It, which made me realize I wanted to write. What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it? I…
Nuts & Bolts: Interview With Author Vincent Tirado

Nuts & Bolts: Interview With Author Vincent Tirado

By Tom Joyce -- Vincent Tirado can cite a number of reasons why their fellow nonbinary and BIPOC writers should join in solidarity, but the most pressing is survival. They’re among the first writers to be targeted when book bans come along, so fighting back is a matter of necessity. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Vincent shares advice for other BIPOC and nonbinary writers looking to find a community and a readership, gives tips on what to do – and not to do -- before a book launch, and discusses writing techniques from their new horror novel…
Pride Month 2026: An Interview with Jessica Gleason

Pride Month 2026: An Interview with Jessica Gleason

Did you have any specific books, television shows, or movies (horror, queer or otherwise) that were early influences on your writing? When I began writing horror, I pulled from my love of slashers. There isn't a specific film or book that influenced my work. Instead, it was more of a lifelong love affair with slashers. I wrote a short story based on my favorite concert venue and submitted it to a random publication on the internet. I was a little shocked after being accepted and thought I might keep at it. I can say that Hailey Piper is the reason…
Nuts & Bolts: Horror Writing Tips From Genre Legend Ramsey Campbell

Nuts & Bolts: Horror Writing Tips From Genre Legend Ramsey Campbell

By Tom Joyce -- Ramsey Campbell says that if you want to write horror, never stop reading and learning from other authors. And don’t tell yourself you’re too experienced to need it. Ramsey still does it 60-plus years into a career as one of the world’s most influential and respected horror authors. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Ramsey shares what he considers required reading for aspiring horror writers, provides writing tips, and offers career advice for anyone who wants to do this for a living. Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON WRITING GOOD PROSE? A: I…

The Seers’ Table May 2026

Kari J. Wolfe, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Committee The sole purpose of The Seers' Table monthly column is to introduce HWA members to the work of underrepresented demographic writers and editors whose work might not otherwise be viewed, using the broadest definition of the word underrepresented to include, but not limited to, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabled and neurodiverse. You can see any of The Seers' Table posts since inception (March 2016) by going to the HWA main page and selecting the menu item "HWA Publications / Blogs / Seers' Table". Kari J. Wolfe recommends: Allison Church…
Nuts & Bolts: Author Trang Thanh Tran on Connecting with a YA Readership

Nuts & Bolts: Author Trang Thanh Tran on Connecting with a YA Readership

By Tom Joyce -- If you want to win over young adult readers with your horror fiction, go ahead and disturb them. Horrify them. Claw your way into their nightmares and confront them with mind-numbing terrors. But the one thing you absolutely CANNOT do, according to author Trang Thanh Tran, is write down to them. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, Trang gives advice on cultivating and maintaining a YA readership. Q: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE INTERESTED IN GETTING STARTED WRITING YA HORROR? A: Engage earnestly about what it means to be a teenager in a…

The Seers’ Table April 2026

  April 2026 Kate Maruyama, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Committee. The sole purpose of The Seers' Table monthly column is to introduce HWA members to the work of underrepresented demographic writers and editors whose work might not otherwise be viewed, using the broadest definition of the word underrepresented to include, but not limited to, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabled and neurodiverse. You can see any of The Seers' Table posts since inception (March 2016) by going to the HWA main page and selecting the menu item "HWA Publications / Blogs / Seers' Table".   Linda D. Addison recommends:  …

Terrors of Today – “Bedlam In Flesh” by Devin M. Anderson

Terrors of Today - "Bedlam In Flesh" by Devin M. Anderson Originally published in The Horror Zine Spring 2026 issue He stands before you Five foot nothing Eyes ablaze Handcuffs dangling from Fingers bent at Impossible angles Made possible by the Brutal self-determination of Ripping cuffs off Already broken hands Narcotic skull bombs explode You blink, and he juggernauts you Like a fucking garbage truck Speeding through your intersection Meat mitts pounding Grappling, biting, frothing Howling gibberish through Busted lips and the Blood-soaked spit mask Self-inflicted, the cops said The cops who dumped him on us To babysit But this…
NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: A Fragile Thing by Stephanie Ellis

NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: A Fragile Thing by Stephanie Ellis

Reviewed by Lee Murray Released 17 March 2026 from Watertower Hill Publishing Triggers: Mental illness, suicide ideation, violence. Victorian London. Isaac Bercow is a man with great aspirations, nothing to lose, and an offer he can't refuse. Determined to make society notice—and believe in—his powers of mesmerism, Isaac finds himself caught in a trap of deceit, danger, and diabolical dealings. The mind is a fragile thing, and fragile things are easily broken. The mind is a fragile thing. Nothing could be truer. And it is that tender balance of the mind that Stephanie Ellis explores in her Victorian gothic chiller,…
Nuts & Bolts: Sunyi Dean, Author and Co-Creator of ‘Publishing Rodeo’ Podcast

Nuts & Bolts: Sunyi Dean, Author and Co-Creator of ‘Publishing Rodeo’ Podcast

By Tom Joyce -- In 2022, authors Sunyi Dean and Scott Drakeford debuted in the same genre, with the same publisher, under the same imprint. A year later, they described their respective experiences on their podcast, “Publishing Rodeo.” An international audience of aspiring writers listened and possibly poured themselves a stiff drink afterward. “Publishing Rodeo” revealed a set-up in which debut authors with Big 5 publishers have no control over their book’s fate, which is probably the bargain bin. Though Sunyi’s podcast didn’t offer aspiring writers much in the way of encouragement, it did provide them with a valuable tool…
Nuts & Bolts: Author V. Castro on Life-Planning for Writers

Nuts & Bolts: Author V. Castro on Life-Planning for Writers

By Tom Joyce -- Want to be a writer? Make time for research, marketing, business planning, social media, reading for blurbs and reviews, personal obligations, and the other job you’ll need to pay the bills. Oh yeah – you’ll also have to write at some point. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, author V. Castro gives some tips on balancing all those elements. Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT WRITING FULL-TIME THAT BEGINNING WRITERS TEND NOT TO EXPECT? A: You must have a good budget and plan with your short-term and long-term needs or goals.  And this isn't just…

The Seers’ Table February 2026

February 2026 Linda D. Addison, Member of the Diverse Works Inclusion Committee. The sole purpose of The Seers' Table monthly column is to introduce HWA members to the work of underrepresented demographic writers and editors whose work might not otherwise be viewed, using the broadest definition of the word underrepresented to include, but not limited to, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabled and neurodiverse. You can see any of The Seers' Table posts since inception (March 2016) by going to the HWA main page and selecting the menu item "HWA Publications / Blogs / Seers' Table". Kate Maruyama…
Nuts & Bolts: “Crunchy Bits About Anthologies” with Editor and Author Jennifer Brozek

Nuts & Bolts: “Crunchy Bits About Anthologies” with Editor and Author Jennifer Brozek

By Tom Joyce -- What are the pros and cons of being in anthologies for beginning horror authors? How can they find markets and avoid the slush pile? Anthology editor and author Jennifer Brozek answers those questions and more in this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts. Q; WHAT CONSIDERATIONS GO INTO SELECTING STORIES FOR AN ANTHOLOGY? A: I have said many times that stories that don’t get into my anthologies aren’t bad stories. They just aren’t the right stories for the anthology. It occasionally breaks my heart to have to turn away beautifully written and entertaining stories because they…

The 2025 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot Announced

The 2025 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot Announced The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is pleased to announce the Preliminary Ballot for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA is the premier writer’s organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 2,000 members. We have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987. For the full ballot please see HERE. Works on this ballot are not referred to as “nominees” or “finalists.” Only works appearing on the Final Ballot may be referred to as “nominated works” and their authors as “finalists.”  The HWA Board and the…