S.J.Budd

It sounds shallow but what first drew to this delightful little book was the cover. Look at it, it's so gorgeous I simply had to know what was inside! A book cover so cute my three year old daughter kept making off with it. But eventually I found it hidden amongst her dollies and was able to finish, but since finishing it it has suspiciously disappeared again. Published by Eraserhead Press this is a little book containing 9 short stories of bizarro fiction. The characters all have one thing in common, they each receive a surprise package from Tower Ltd Surprise Packages which contain a very odd assortment of items that will change their lives. It gets off to a really good start with Meera's tale, (This was one of my favourites.) who is a dissatisfied young woman who desperately wants to find her perfect date and is not the patient type. After a terrible first date she comes back to her flat to find a package has arrived, containing seeds and a tiny watering can. For ...

I've recently done an interview with Kendall Reviews ,  this is an amazing site that reviews all the latest amazing  horror books coming out as well as featuring loads of fascinating interviews with odd and quirky writers like myself! In this interview I talk  a little about me, what my fave books are, the authors who inspire me and who I'd most like to be trapped on a deserted island with. You can read it here 

It's not often I come across a story this strange but I'm very glad I did. The Kraken Sea is a novella about a young orphan boy,Jackson, who is taken in by a affluent and mysterious woman, Cressida aka The Widow. She gives him a home in an exclusive area of San Francisco and is put to work serving her. But Jackson is no ordinary boy, as this is no ordinary tale. When he grows angry he mutates into a monster with slithering tentacles for hands and feet. He keeps this side of him hidden as he longs to be normal and human. People keep clear of him, all apart from Mae, a young girl from a rival family just north of The Widow's sphere of influence and control. Like him, she also seems to have dark powers lurking just beneath the skin. Mae and Jackson are rivals who should be tearing each other apart but they are hopelessly drawn to one another. Mae exerts a curiosity on Jackson that nothing else can in this strange alien world he finds himself in. E.Katherine Tobler ...

To celebrate the release of Aphotic Realm's first anthology featuring twenty dark twisted tales of strange and sinister fiction, I'm chatting with S.E.Casey, author of, Black Lung Hay Fever. Amazon US Amazon UK Hi S.E.Casey, tell us a bit about yourself. I started writing four years ago based on a random conversation I had with a co-worker about e-books and indie publishing. One day I wasn't writing or thinking about writing, and the next day I was. What started as an absurd game to get something published on Amazon morphed into other games of writing a better story, being published in an online magazine, being included in a print anthology and getting paid for it… I try to make everything into manageable games, otherwise I drift and wallow in an illogical resentment that life doesn't just give me everything I want without having to ask. Who are your biggest influences when it comes to writing? Growing up, the two biggest authors of horror were Ste...

I've been familiar with Calvin Demmer's work for a while now, after we were both published in Sanitarium Magazine way back in 2015. Since then I've been really enjoying his stories which have been regularly appearing on my favourite sites such as, Deadman's Tome, Siren's Call, Dark Gothic Resurrected and most recently the Hardened Hearts Anthology by Unnerving Magazine. The Sea Was a Fair Master is Calvin Demmer's first collection of short stories, available from Unnerving and I was delighted to have a sneak preview before it comes out on 5th June 2018. It features 23 horror tales which encompass an extraordinary range of sub genres, ranging from crime, zombies, gore, fantasy, science fiction and just weird! This is his first collection, a truly remarkable debut. I really enjoyed reading this and it took no time at all to finish as you will want to binge on this when it's out in June. The stories in here are short, what you would call flash f...

To celebrate the release of Aphotic Realm's first anthology featuring twenty dark twisted tales of strange and sinister fiction, I'm chatting with Micah Castle, author of, A Mother's Love. Hi Micah, tell us a bit about yourself When I'm not reading or writing, I love to be outside and hiking. I could spend hours aimlessly walking through the woods, if given the opportunity. Besides that, I enjoy spending time with my wife and my animals. Who are your biggest influences when it comes to writing? Although there are dozens, the primary ones are; HP Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Jack London, Philip K.Dick and A.A.Merritt. Name a great horror book, short story or magazine you've read recently There's two, sorry! 14 by Peter Clines and Fevre Dream by G.R.R.Martin  How long have you been writing for? I started taking my writing seriously about five years ago, before that I was writing on and off for about a year or two. What's typical ...

To celebrate the release of Aphotic Realm's first anthology featuring twenty dark twisted tales of strange and sinister fiction, I'm chatting with Morgan K.Tanner, one of the featured authors. Hi Morgan, tell us a bit about yourself I live in the Black Country in the West Midlands with my missus and little lad who's nearly 8. I love horror in all forms and my metaaaaal: the more extreme the better! I'm a drummer and play in a two piece band, we don't gig all that much anymore but still write and record. Check us out - A Grave Digger Named Pete, or my previous sludge/grime band Black Soul Cancer. I used to teach drums too, but now its all about the writing baby! Who are your biggest influences when it comes to writing? I suppose anyone who writes horror, I would have to mention Stephen King, especially for the way his characters are so, well, real. I'm a big fan of Clive Barker for the fantastical worlds he creates, and the gore-soaked extreme h...