The Joy of Horror by M.A. Knights

I am pleased to welcome Martin Knights to the blog today to dicuss his love of the horror genre. Martin is an attending author at Authors in Wonderland the amazing book event taking place in Nottingham in July and run by the delightful Annalee Adams. Thank you for your time today, Martin and for explaining why the genre of horror is so appealing to you.

Thanks for inviting me onto you blog today, Val. It’s taken me a long time to realise it, but I'm actually a horror fan.

Believe me, the realisation came as a bit of a shock. Not being a fan of the glorification of violence or the ubiquitous jump scare, I’ve spent my life avoiding horror books and movies like the plague.

Or so I thought!

I have always enjoyed a good story featuring a gothic mansion. I slowly came to the conclusion that this fondness spread to all types of gothic fiction. I have also always had a love for folklore, fairies, and tales of the strange. I know it might sound odd, but I never considered any of them proper horror. Not really.

Maybe it’s a side effect of growing up in the 80s and 90s, the age of the slasher flick. That’s what always sprang to mind when I thought of horror. But the truth is horror comes in all shapes and sizes and it can even be, well, cosy!

The first series I wrote, Trussel & Gout: Paranormal Investigations, grew out of my love for the strange, the weird, and the downright bizarre. I set out to write a cosy fantasy series, and I did…but there is more than dollop or two of cosy horror in there too. Seven novellas following two wonderfully mismatched paranormal investigators. Cosy, spooky, and just a little absurd.

Then came The Lord of Misrule, the first book in the Castle Blackwood series: darker, rooted in British folklore, and very much a story about the things that wait patiently in old places.

Again, it's a fantasy book, and heavily inspired by authors such as the late, great, Sir Terry Pratchett. But once again I've found that spooky edge has worked its way in there. From spirit haunted trees and a forest full of strange creatures, to cult-like religions and vicious magical monsters, it definitely has its share of the horrific.

What I've discovered is that I do like horror…I just like it with a cup of tea and maybe a jam scone or two!

I write for readers who've always felt slightly sideways from the world. Readers who want to be somewhere quieter, stranger, and a little more magical for an hour or two.

And this July, I'd love to meet some of you in person.

I'll be at Authors in Wonderland on 25th July at Eastwood Hall, Nottingham, and I'm so looking forward to it.

On the day I'll have signed copies of my books available, along with some exclusive prints and merch.

If you're coming along, I'd genuinely love to say hello. I'm better one-to-one than in a crowd, and I promise I'll talk about books with you for as long as you'll let me.

See you in Nottingham.

The Author

M. A. Knights is an English writer, BookToker, and firm believer that magic is more useful than data.

After earning degrees in Countryside Conservation and Climate Change, Martin realised he is, in fact, not a scientist at all. Something to do with memory. Or numbers. Or both. Either way, he left the data crunching to braver minds and returned to the fantastical imaginings of his youth.

These days he writes cosy fantasy and supernatural mysteries full of eccentric characters, improbable creatures, and just enough danger to keep things interesting, but never uncomfortable.

Inspired by the farcical and absurd, he delights in stories where the strange is treated as perfectly normal, tea is often involved, and saving the day rarely goes according to plan.

He hopes you'll get lost in his worlds, preferably with a cup of something warm.