Featured Author: Eryn Hiscock

We are over the moon to be able to include this Canadian author and her story "The Bog Feeder" into our newest anthology "It Calls From the Forest: Volume Two" this August.

Eryn grew up in a housing project in the east end of Toronto, raised, along with her siblings, by a single mother. She read Edgar Allan Poe as a child and remembers how struck she was that his stories evoked such fascination and fear. She’s been preoccupied with writing her own strange tales ever since.

Today, she is a poet and author of both fiction and non-fiction published in numerous literary journals and various anthologies. Recently, she worked as an entertainment and pop culture content contributor for an online publication where her articles earned 15+ million views within one year.

Although she dabbles in many styles and genres, Eryn feels most at home when crafting weird, chilling and out-there tales. She’s currently immersed in two ongoing speculative fiction novel manuscripts, going back and forth between them so when she hits a snag with one, she can turn to the other.

Have you always written, or was there a catalyst that prompted you to begin this journey?

Always have written. I remember repeating phrases and words that caught my ear over and over to myself as a very young child, marveling at their sounds. I’ve always been intrigued by the power of words and how they can invoke fear in someone, move their hearts, their souls, make them excited, thrilled, angry, scared, and so on. Many of my writing projects have begun as a few stray, interesting words or earworm phrases that kept ringing through my mind until I somehow made them into a story or poem.

What is your favourite genre to read?

Celebrity biography, letter collections, memoirs of people who interest me, artists, etc. Honestly, I hardly ever read anything anymore. I read a ton and I mean a TON as a younger person and started writing later in life so now feel the need to spend all my free time writing which doesn’t leave a lot of time for reading. I wasted a lot of time when I was younger not writing!

Do you remember the first piece of writing shared publicly? What were people’s reactions, but more importantly how did you react getting it out there?

Helen Keller speech, around fourth grade, when I was about ten years old. That speech won first place in a public speaking contest at school so reactions were very positive. I got a really cool trophy which I was very proud of at the time.

What is your workspace like? What kind of atmosphere do you need to write?

Stretched out on my living room couch in front of a muted television. To really focus, I need silence, limited sensory input and minimal distractions. I can’t have music on, I don’t want to hear background television dialogue, but I guess I like the television on for company. I would never go out to a public place to write like a coffee shop; I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.

Horror occasionally veers into the paranormal or supernatural, that's what makes it fun in my opinion. Do you believe in the supernatural?

I don’t believe in the supernatural.

Without giving too much away, tell us about the short story you have featured in “It calls to the Forest: Volume Two”. What inspired you?

This story was inspired by my watching a PBS documentary about the very well-preserved bog bodies found in European bogs dating back centuries. Upon examination, many of these bodies (who presented from all walks of life, from kings to peasants) exhibited evidence of extreme brutality inflicted prior to death. I started contemplating a fictional idea from there, considering this notion of violent, ritualistic murder from the closely-knit perspective of a small, localized community…

Want the full interview with Eryn and all our Eerie Authors? Head on over to our Patreon account for full interviews, monthly short stories, free eBooks and more!

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PREORDER AVAILABLE NOW!

They warned us not to enter, but we didn't listen. The call too strong to ignore. And now there is no one left to save us.

Beware, these things within the forest will rip out your heart and devour your soul. You will tremble as they revel in your madness, taking everything from you and leaving you with nothing. Delve inside this anthology of what truly lurks within the shadows of the trees.

Eerie River Publishing brings you another round of exceptional horror by award-winning authors from around the globe.