Horror

There’s a particular kind of welcome that comes with returning to a series you’ve already built. The world doesn’t need explaining to you anymore—you know the weight it carries, the rules that govern it, the exceptions that make those rules interesting. You know Mick Hargraves and Diana Reeves. You know what they’ve survived. But returning to them with a new case, a new threat, means asking: what hasn’t been tested yet? What question about this universe have we left unanswered? ...

When I set out to write The Hound — the first prequel in The Mythic Symbiote Series — the words arrived with a generosity I’ve rarely experienced. Celtic mythology, Cú Chulainn, the alien suit finding a host in a seven-year-old boy: the story seemed to want to be told, and it came quickly, with momentum and heat. The Dragon had no such arrangement with me. Vlad III — Vlad Țepeș, Vlad the Impaler — was a man I had already established in the main series as one of the suit’s darker hosts. I knew what he was. What I underestimated was how difficult he would be to write. Every time I leaned into the historical record, into the cold methodical arithmetic of the man’s actual decision-making, the prose became what I can only describe as a thorough manual on fifteenth-century Romanian governance. Accurate. Comprehensive. Entirely without horror. ...

In this exclusive interview, we dive deep into the intricate metaphysical framework underpinning the “Black Eyes and Broken Souls” series. The author shares insights on crafting a supernatural horror world from an agnostic perspective, their unique approach to demons and angels, and the literary influences that shaped this distinctive universe. Interviewer: Your metaphysical framework in “Black Eyes & Broken Souls” presents a fascinating alternative to traditional religious horror. What was your primary goal in creating this system? ...

In the shadowy corners of London, where streetlights struggle against persistent rain and ancient buildings harbor secrets older than their foundations, Michael “Mick” Hargraves is fighting demons. Literally. “Black Eyes & Broken Souls” introduces us to Mick—an ex-detective turned private investigator whose career ended after a devastating case involving a child killer. When we meet him, he’s drowning his guilt in bourbon, his promising career reduced to checking on cheating spouses and tracking down petty thieves. ...