WiHM 9 Presents - F. B. Hogan

Death comes calling and decides to stay. A selection of dark fiction for lovers of gothic horror. Pull the shutters and bolt the door. Keep the fire burning and the candles lit. Something is coming. Listen for the knock at the door but whatever you do, don't let it in.

1) As a female horror writer what do you bring to the table in terms of what of you write?

I would like to think that I bring a taste of old style gothic horror, bringing back the ghost story, which is in my opinion the most perfect kind of horror story. I like to build suspense through description, clever story-telling and atmosphere. Basically, I write the type of horror I like to read myself – dark, twisted tales I would like to think are akin to Poe and Lovecraft or Joyce Carol Oates. I do believe that my work is more nuanced as a result of my being a poet and a woman, that my stories are lyrical and rather more descriptive and visual.

2) Do you think female authors are underrepresented in the horror genre?

Not at all. Horror is filled with amazing female authors – Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe, Marjorie Bowen, Shirley Jackson, Anne Rice, Joyce Carol Oates, Daphne du Maurier, Kate Mosse and Susanna Clarke, just to name a few.

3) Tell us about your book(s)

I have included several horror short stories in my collection – The Lights Went Out and Other Stories (written as Fiona Cooke Hogan), several dark faery tales about the Irish Banshee, changelings and abduction, and a psychological thriller.
I have two collections of horror short stories under the name F B Hogan – Death Comes Calling and The Nightmare.
These two books contain a mix of gothic and contemporary horror and contain stories such as “Our Friends Electric” – a bittersweet story, vampiric in nature set in an Irish music festival, “This Won’t Hurt a Bit” – a demon soul gatherer masquerading as a doctor, “The Nightmare” – a teenager’s imagination manifests her worst nightmare and “Dragon” – a case of there’s something nasty in the playhouse.
I am currently writing a psychological horror set in the South of England that moves between Victorian and contemporary times and involves possession.

4) Why is horror writing important to you?

Horror writing is my favourite genre to write. I am obsessed with all things horror, having scared myself silly from a very early age and being ridiculously obsessed with the occult. Last October, I spent two weeks binge-watching horror short films and the product was my latest horror collection – The Nightmare, mentioned above. I grew up on a diet of Stephen King, Robert McCarron, Peter Straub and the old greats, Edgar Allan Poe and H P Lovecraft. My favourite short story is W W Jacobs’ The Monkey’s Paw. I live, breathe and dream horror. My favourite possession is a skull I bought off a man in a top hat with a rat on his shoulder in Camden Market, London in the 1990’s (it’s a copy). I write horror to ensure that there will always be enough to go around!

5) Is the future of horror female?

That’s a difficult question to address, I would like to say, yes, the future of horror is female as in Me. I like to think that I’m bringing my love of the old gothic form back from relative obscurity. But, to be honest, gender means nothing to me regarding horror, I don’t particularly look for female or male authors -  I look for the best horror writers, both traditional and Indie. I want to read a tale that scares and excites me and makes me want to be a better writer, like the works of John Connolly and Neil Gaiman. I look forward to reading more undiscovered Shirley Jackson works and hope that the excellent Susanna Clarke (author of Jonathan Strange and The Ladies of Grace Adieu) writes another collection of short stories. I’m always on the lookout for new, great horror authors both male and female, lead me to them.

About the Author:

Fiona Cooke Hogan is a writer and blogger living in rural Ireland. She is greedy and refuses to be tied to genre. The Lights Went Out and Other Stories is her first publication and is a collection of quirky fiction. 
What Happened in Dingle is a romantic fiction novella set in wild, windswept Dingle, Kerry, it follows the shenanigans of Ruth who comes to Dingle for her wedding anniversary.
Fiona's latest novel - Martha's Cottage will be available to buy in February 2018, yes, it really will be. She realises she has been saying this for a long time but you see, she had to get it just right for her readers. Thankfully, she is happy with it now. 
She also hopes to publish her work in progress - a psychological horror, in October,2018.

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