Q&A With Katie Marie 

Today’s Q&A is with horror author Katie Marie. Katie Marie is the author of A Man in Winter, Firefly and many short stories.

Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog and I a little bit about A Man in Winter?

A: My debut novella, A Man in Winter, follows the story of Arthur, whose life was devastated by the brutal murder of his wife. He is also coming to terms with his diagnosis of dementia. 

At the start of the novella, he moves into a new home at a retirement community, and shortly after, his life is turned upside down when his wife’s ghost visits him and sends him on a quest to find her killer so her spirit can move on. 

With his family and his doctor concerned that his dementia is advancing, will he be able to solve the murder before his independence is permanently restricted?

Q: What do you enjoy most about writing horror books?

A: I have been a horror enthusiast since I was very little. 

The first book to influence my love of horror is The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. This was the book that hooked me into horror when my mum read it to me as a bedtime story when I was small. 

The story revolves around a young boy who discovers a mysterious house, where magic is real, and wishes come true. Every day in the house is equivalent to a year in the real world. The house in the story is a trap for unhappy kids and the vivid descriptions stuck with me for years, fueling my love for horror. Everything I love about the horror genre today; I can trace back to that one book. 

I love how wide and versatile the horror genre is. Two people can both say they like horror and be talking about completely different things. For example, I like a good supernatural story, but also psychological horror whereas my friends enjoy a good slasher horror or body horror. 

I love the kinds of story you can tell in the horror genre, how we can examine things you might not in other genres. Dr. Steven Schlozman’s TED Talk revealed how horror can help us approach sensitive topics without feeling overwhelmed. It happens almost surreptitiously. 

“The kind of horror I like, and the kind that I think has the most staying power, are less about the monsters and more about the way people band together to hold off the monsters; they are about friendships,” 

Q: Are you currently writing a new book?

A: Currently, I have a novel called A Walk in the Woods out to an agent. The story revolves around Tobias, an alcoholic search and rescue officer who gets pulled into the woods to solve a series of impossible and often fatal disappearances. During his investigation, he will uncover ancient tragedies, witches, and vengeful gods.

My current WIP, which I am editing at the moment, is called The House and is the story of Beth. 

Beth and her wife Clara have recently had to move into The Willows, an old house, converted into flats, owned by the Murdoch family. Beth recently lost her job and with a baby on the way, the two are really feeling the pressure. Less than a week in the new flat and Beth dies. But there’s no rest for her as she has to figure out what caused her demise, and protect her wife and newborn son from suffering the same fate. 

Q: What do love about the reading/writing community 

A: The reading/writing community is amazing, the sense of community in this group is incredible. I’ve never felt so supported and so seen before. But I must confess that imposter syndrome rages loud. When I see the amazing work being put out other by other indie authors, I often feel like the person who snuck in the back door to the big event and probably shouldn’t be here (in the best possible way). I feel like soon someone will notice me and I’ll be quietly ushered out of the door to not make a scene.  

But on a less depreciating note, it inspires me to build my voice to bring a light to the amazing work being done by creators all over the community. It also makes me feel so privileged to be considered a part of the group. I’ve never met such a fantastic bunch of funny, insightful, talented and wholesome people as those who turn up in the indie writer and indie horror groups. 

So it makes me feel tiny in one sense and so big in others.