I have had two novels and one collection of stories published so far. Terminus (a novel) and Unauthorized Contact (A collection) came out in 2011 and 2012 respectively published by Greyhart Press. My latest novel, High Cross was published in 2018 by Horrific Tales Publishers. I have had stories in various publications including Murky Depths, Dark Horizons and a story in an anthology called Shoes, Ships and Cadavers; Tales from Northlondonshire, published by Newcon press, edited by Ian Whates with an introduction by Alan Moore. I am also a member of the Northampton Science fiction Writers Group.
THE FIRST HORROR BOOK I REMEMBER READING
That would be The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley. I was about 12 and I found a copy in my Grandad’s spare room. Odd, because he was quite a moral man and I Couldn’t imagine him reading something like this. He’d been in the Navy most of his life and fought in the battle of Jutland. I wasn’t much of a reader then and I remember reading chapter after chapter, really getting into it.
THE FIRST HORROR FILM I REMEMBER WATCHING
And Now the Screaming Starts. I was 8, watching it alone in my room and it scared me so I turned it off. I watched The Omen when I was 10 which was a big influence on me. I watched that to the end though
THE GREATEST HORROR BOOK OF ALL TIME
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft. Herbert West: Reanimator gave me nightmares.
THE GREATEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME
The Wicker Man. Visually stunning, raises questions about religious fanaticism and it has songs in it. Not many films have songs in them. If they ever attempt to make a sequel or do a proper re-make it needs an acid/folk sound track and the characters must sing.
THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME
George Orwell. 1984 is still relevant today and changed my life when I read it. He just nails the fear of having to pretend to toe the party line, be something you’re not and believe in something you don’t.
THE BEST BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME
I do have a soft spot for Brian Lumley’s Necroscope series imagery.
THE BEST FILM POSTER OFF ALL TIME
‘Malificent’. Not strictly horror but Angelina Jolie looks amazing in those horns.
THE BEST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN
I have an unpublished novel called Dark Choir which is about six people with severe disabilities who get revenge on their tormentors by supernatural means. I did lots of research into debilitating medical conditions and it took me to places I’ve not been before. It’s also quite emotional which is an important ingredient in horror.
THE WORST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN
I wrote one about a spaceship which landed in a field in England in 1951 and people just ignored it. It even had National Trust status. My writers group told me unflinchingly that the idea didn’t work. At all.
THE MOST UNDERRATED FILM OF ALL TIME
Wakewood A strong idea and a grim, rural Irish setting. I don’t hear it mentioned and being influential among my horror colleagues.
THE MOST UNDERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIME
The Bible. Historical Document, supernatural epic, a story arc which contains, the ultimate twist. Not a page turner but well worth the effort in the end. But read the whole thing. Don’t cherry pick like the fundamentalists do. With out the Bible there would be no Paradise Lost, No Faust, No Exorcist and no His Dark Materials Trilogy.
THE MOST UNDERRATED AUTHOR OF ALL TIME
Joseph D’Lacey. Meat and Garbage Man were great novels. Meat could have gone on to be a series and I found the cult of non meat-eaters an alluring bunch. The central theme, the farming of meat, was truly horrific. Garbage Man was also interesting and, I think, said something deeper about our society and the human condition. I would have liked to have seen more from him and would have liked to have seen an epic book from him one day. Some of his writing reminded me of Gaiman’s American Gods but with a domestic and horror feel to it.
THE BOOK / FILM THAT SACRED ME THE MOST
Book: Last Days by Adam Nevill. Genuinely unsettling and made me look behind doors and turn on lights. Some of the scenes, namely the flat on London ones, really scared me.
Film: Ghost Stories. A relatively recent film but left me with a queasy existential anxiety. Like someone had walked over your grave.
THE BOOK / FILM I AM WORKING ON NEXT
I am working on a psychological thriller set in the 90’s about a group of Born-again Christians. (reading the Bible comes in handy for this). One of them is being stalked by another church member. The situation escalates into a violent climax but it’s in the fallout that the bitter protagonist decides to enact his revenge.
THE FIRST HORROR BOOK I REMEMBER READING
That would be The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley. I was about 12 and I found a copy in my Grandad’s spare room. Odd, because he was quite a moral man and I Couldn’t imagine him reading something like this. He’d been in the Navy most of his life and fought in the battle of Jutland. I wasn’t much of a reader then and I remember reading chapter after chapter, really getting into it.
THE FIRST HORROR FILM I REMEMBER WATCHING
And Now the Screaming Starts. I was 8, watching it alone in my room and it scared me so I turned it off. I watched The Omen when I was 10 which was a big influence on me. I watched that to the end though
THE GREATEST HORROR BOOK OF ALL TIME
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft. Herbert West: Reanimator gave me nightmares.
THE GREATEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME
The Wicker Man. Visually stunning, raises questions about religious fanaticism and it has songs in it. Not many films have songs in them. If they ever attempt to make a sequel or do a proper re-make it needs an acid/folk sound track and the characters must sing.
THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME
George Orwell. 1984 is still relevant today and changed my life when I read it. He just nails the fear of having to pretend to toe the party line, be something you’re not and believe in something you don’t.
THE BEST BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME
I do have a soft spot for Brian Lumley’s Necroscope series imagery.
THE BEST FILM POSTER OFF ALL TIME
‘Malificent’. Not strictly horror but Angelina Jolie looks amazing in those horns.
THE BEST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN
I have an unpublished novel called Dark Choir which is about six people with severe disabilities who get revenge on their tormentors by supernatural means. I did lots of research into debilitating medical conditions and it took me to places I’ve not been before. It’s also quite emotional which is an important ingredient in horror.
THE WORST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN
I wrote one about a spaceship which landed in a field in England in 1951 and people just ignored it. It even had National Trust status. My writers group told me unflinchingly that the idea didn’t work. At all.
THE MOST UNDERRATED FILM OF ALL TIME
Wakewood A strong idea and a grim, rural Irish setting. I don’t hear it mentioned and being influential among my horror colleagues.
THE MOST UNDERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIME
The Bible. Historical Document, supernatural epic, a story arc which contains, the ultimate twist. Not a page turner but well worth the effort in the end. But read the whole thing. Don’t cherry pick like the fundamentalists do. With out the Bible there would be no Paradise Lost, No Faust, No Exorcist and no His Dark Materials Trilogy.
THE MOST UNDERRATED AUTHOR OF ALL TIME
Joseph D’Lacey. Meat and Garbage Man were great novels. Meat could have gone on to be a series and I found the cult of non meat-eaters an alluring bunch. The central theme, the farming of meat, was truly horrific. Garbage Man was also interesting and, I think, said something deeper about our society and the human condition. I would have liked to have seen more from him and would have liked to have seen an epic book from him one day. Some of his writing reminded me of Gaiman’s American Gods but with a domestic and horror feel to it.
THE BOOK / FILM THAT SACRED ME THE MOST
Book: Last Days by Adam Nevill. Genuinely unsettling and made me look behind doors and turn on lights. Some of the scenes, namely the flat on London ones, really scared me.
Film: Ghost Stories. A relatively recent film but left me with a queasy existential anxiety. Like someone had walked over your grave.
THE BOOK / FILM I AM WORKING ON NEXT
I am working on a psychological thriller set in the 90’s about a group of Born-again Christians. (reading the Bible comes in handy for this). One of them is being stalked by another church member. The situation escalates into a violent climax but it’s in the fallout that the bitter protagonist decides to enact his revenge.
High Cross by Paul Melhuish
High cross has laid empty since World War Two. Deserted, abandoned.
Until now.
Property developer Mark Grange had renovated the old village into a community fit for the twenty first century. As the first residents move in, an evil which has lain dormant stirs.
Lady Grey has woken. As human as sin but as eternal as the devil, Lady Grey enslaves the hearts and minds of these new villagers using their sins, secrets, fears and desires. And these new residents harbor some very dark secrets indeed.
Unless Mark can stop her, Britain’s Newest Village will become a hell on Earth.
Until now.
Property developer Mark Grange had renovated the old village into a community fit for the twenty first century. As the first residents move in, an evil which has lain dormant stirs.
Lady Grey has woken. As human as sin but as eternal as the devil, Lady Grey enslaves the hearts and minds of these new villagers using their sins, secrets, fears and desires. And these new residents harbor some very dark secrets indeed.
Unless Mark can stop her, Britain’s Newest Village will become a hell on Earth.