I have three essays in the newest book from Horror Addicts Publishing, The Horror Addicts Guide to Life #2. Here’s the pitch:
Do you love the horror genre? Do you look at horror as a lifestyle? Do the “norms” not understand your love of the macabre? Despair no longer, my friend, for within your grasp is a book written by those who look at horror as a way of life, just like you. This is your guide to living a horror addict’s life. Our month-by-month almanac with important dates, movie lists, puzzles, crafts, articles, and recipes will guarantee your whole year is occupied with delightful horror activities. Don’t miss our monster guide with articles about vampires, zombies, ghosts, and some creatures that just can’t be categorized. Enjoy interviews with creators of horror content and hear perspectives from different cultures and backgrounds. Read stories of real hauntings, nightmares, and vile vacations. Allow us to curate your horror lifestyle.
With articles by: Angela Yuriko Smith, Carrie Sessarego, Chantal Boudreau, Courtney Mroch, D.J. Pitsiladis, Dan Shaurette, Daphne Strasert, Geneve Flynn, H.E. Roulo, H.R. Boldwood, J. Malcolm Stewart, Jaq D Hawkins, Jonathan Fortin, Kate Nox, Kristin Battestella, Ksenia Murray, Lee Murray, Lionel Ray Green, Mark Orr, Martha J. Allard, Naching T. Kassa, Pamela K. Kinney, Priscilla Bettis, R.L. Merrill, Rena Mason, Selah Janel, Sumiko Saulson, Valjeanne Jeffers, and so many more!
Available now on Amazon.
I sat down with Emerian Rich, the mastermind behind the Horror Addicts empire, and asked the questions I’ve always wanted to.
Author, artist, voice actress, and editor, Emz is best known for being the Horror Hostess of HorrorAddicts.net, an internationally acclaimed horror podcast, now its 17th season. She is the author of the Night’s Knights vampire series and has been published in over 40 fiction anthologies. Find out more at emzbox.com.
When – and why – did you create Horror Addicts?
Emerian: I had been podcasting my vampire novel Night’s Knights. When I got a few chapters away from the end, I didn’t want to lose all my “Biters,” the affectionate name I made up for my vampire listeners. So I decided to start a horror podcast that they could follow me over to. I’m so glad I did it, because otherwise I wouldn’t have all these great horror fans to chat with today. Although the cast has grown and mutated over the years, I’ve always had the readers in my mind. I am a Horror reader and I want to promote, produce, and curate Horror for readers like me.
What came first for Horror Addicts: the podcast, the blog, or the publishing company?
The podcast came first and then—due to different staff that wanted to grow the site in different ways—it grew into a blog, a site, a publishing house, and we are still growing every year. This year, we are branching out into Audible productions and a new magazine called Horror Curated.
Can you reveal any of the details about the magazine?
Yes! Some. I can tell you it will be a full-color, digital magazine, and each issue will focus on a theme important to Horror Addicts. I’ve got some of the staff lined up. The sub call for the first issue will go out in June. Our first issue will release this winter with the “Gothic Holiday” theme. Interested authors and readers should check horrorcurated.com where more info will be coming later in the year.
The podcast has changed a lot over the years. It hosted the Next Great Horror Writer contest, The Deadbringer audio drama, and all the great interviews and music.
I’m one of those people who get bored with repetition, so every year I try to update, change, and better the show. The Next Great Horror Writer contest was something I wanted to do because I’m a sucker for project reality shows, and yet…I’ve never seen a writer one. It was great fun and something I hope to do again in the future. The Deadbringer audio drama was the last in a line of great audio dramas we’ve had on the show. They can all be listened to in full at our site starting with the comedy show GothHaus we did back on Season 5. We also have, Gothmazing Race, Black Magic, End of the World Radio, Black Jack, Blood of Socorro County, Dogtooth, Darkvein Manor, They Wound Like Worms, and lastly The Deadbringer. This year for Season 17, we’ve changed our format a little. We are producing each story like we did the audio dramas, so there won’t be a running story to follow, however. Each episode will have a fully-contained dramatic reading.
What’s been your favorite feature on the podcast?
Looking back at the fourteen years I’ve been doing the cast, there are so many good memories. Probably my favorite times are the contests like the Wicked Women Writer’s Challenge. I also really love our finale shows. They take forever to produce, but they are so fun with in-studio guests and interviews with people like Andrew Neiderman, Comika Hartford, and the #1 Elvira Impersonator, Patterson Lundquist.
What do you hope to do in the future?
I just want to keep upping the ante. I never want our show to get boring or stagnant. I want to keep bringing Horror news, interviews, music, and fiction to those who need it the most…our Horror Addicts!
The Horror Addicts blog has compiled an enormous variety of subject matter online. What kind of posts would you like to see more of in the future?
I would love to see more stuff on lifestyle. We get tons of movie, book, and TV show reviews — and that is great — but I’d love if we got some bloggers passionate about Horror-slanted jobs, locations, and living situations. Got a Horror food-truck? Refurbished an old hearse to drive around town? Do Horror portraits for a living? Are you a costume fashion designer? Ghost hunt for a living? We want to hear all about it.
When you started the podcast, did you also intend to be running a publishing company?
No. I was just trying to keep my vampire readers. Ha! But I’m glad my staff and contributors pushed it that way, because books are really what I’m all in for. I really love publishing new and seasoned authors and helping them get their stories out there.
How many books have you published now? It’s been quite a spectrum!
We have 14 full-length books under our belts right now, including two Horror Addicts Guides, two stand-alone novels, and a Spooky Author’s Planner. We also have five short-story eBites and will soon have Audible titles coming out.
This volume of the Horror Addicts Guide to Life could qualify as an omnibus. Can you tell us what all is included in the book?
Horror Addicts Guide to Life 2 really has something for every Horror Addict. If you love monsters, you’ll love the beginning of the book where we talk about all kinds of creepy creatures. If you like interviews and articles about how diversity plays a role in today’s Horror, you’ll love our “Perspectives” section. If you love puzzles and coloring, you’ll have tons to do throughout the month-by-month almanac. If you like movies like The Shining or Night of the Living Dead, you’ll get your fan-fix for sure. If you’re a crafter, there are tons of things to make in here. It’s like a love letter to the fans out there. It will make you think, inspire you, and hopefully give you hours of enjoyment.
You’ve got a bunch of events coming up to promote the book. What are you looking forward to?
I’m sure everyone can relate to this answer… I’m looking forward to see the Horror Addicts! It’s been so long since I’ve seen them and it will be really great to reconnect.
Check out the whole schedule of events here: https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2022/05/14/horror-addicts-guide-to-life-2-book-event-calendar
Listen to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/horroraddicts-net/id286123050
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My morbid memoir This Morbid Life brought home a gold medal!
I’m dipping my toe into in-person programming again this weekend at BayCon, the Bay Area’s major science fiction/fantasy/horror/gaming/costuming convention.
Afterward, I’ll be at the Liminal Fiction table in the Dealers Room, if you’d like to pick up a copy of Tales for the Camp Fire, Tales of Dread, Morbid Curiosity Cures the Blues, or one of my novels. Come say hi!
Then I met Lex from 
The first book in the series, Alondra’s Experiments, is now on sale at Amazon. In this book, Alondra discovers in San Francisco that vampirism requires sacrifices she doesn’t expect. She solves the Philosopher’s stone in Prague. She searches for the perfect valentine in Oslo.
I’m returning to in-person bookselling this weekend!
