As the holiday season draws to a close and we begin what we hope to be a happier New Year, I had the opportunity to chat with Lindy Ryan, award-winning editor of Dead of Winter, a new seasonal horror anthology from Black Spot Books. This collection features eight chilling tales to read during the cold winter months—including five stories penned by women, and two from debut authors.
Q: Good to chat with you, Lindy! Tell me some details about your upcoming release from Black Spot Books, the Dead of Winter anthology.
A: Dead of Winter is the second seasonal holiday anthology from Black Spot Books, following A Midnight Clear in 2019, which won the 2020 International Book Award (anthologies) and was a finalist for the 2020 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Readers’ Choice Awards. In the new collection, we’re bringing eight new chilling tales of holiday horror to readers—from traditional winter ghost stories to fresh holiday haunts, and everything in-between.
Q: After the success of your anthology A Midnight Clear in 2019, what aspects of Dead of Winter did you want to include in the new anthology that will separate the two while still providing readers with the same powerful stories?
A: We have a special love for anthologies at Black Spot Books; putting these together is becoming an annual tradition. A Midnight Clear featured stories from our best-selling and award-winning in-house authors who contributed seasonally appropriate fantasy and horror tales. In Dead of Winter, we wanted to push ourselves just a little farther—to give our authors the opportunity to get a little darker with their stories and to also bring in fresh voices to showcase emerging talent in the genre (including two debut authors, one of which is our very own former publishing intern, Daniel Buell!). While it’s safe to say this new collection is a bit darker than last year’s anthology, ghost stories and spine-shivering chills have long been a staple during the dark days of winter and we’re gleefully continuing the tradition in Dead of Winter.
Q: Are there any specific stories in Dead of Winter that caught your attention right away? If so, which ones?
A: Booklist says Dead of Winter “has something for every horror reader” and that’s a review we’re terribly proud of, because we completely agree! From holiday hauntings to things a bit more macabre, our incredible contributors have truly covered the gamut of holiday horror. This is what makes the collection so special: Dead of Winter authors have brought their unique voice and perspective into each of the eight stories in the collection—Sam Hooker’s characteristic wit, Cassondra Windwalker and Tiffany Meuret’s gifts of haunting prose, Alcy Leyva’s knack for phantasmagorical terror, and so on. Picking a favorite would be impossible. I think it’s more a matter of pick your poison, because you’ll certainly find it within these pages. Just…be careful what you wish for!
Q: You mentioned that this collection features an editor woman in horror, a foreword by a Bram Stoker award-nominated woman in horror, and that 5 out of the 8 authors are women, one of them—N.J. Ember—making her debut. Why do you think it’s so important to represent women in this genre?
A: Women have historically been underrepresented in horror, and with the genre undergoing something of a renaissance, we believe it’s time women in horror finally get their due! Representing diverse and emerging voices has always been a priority in our publishing endeavors at Black Spot Books, and over the years we have published projects from new and emerging authors, spanning from darkly humorous fantasy to genre-bending speculative fiction and dark fantasy. Going forward, Black Spot Books will focus predominantly in showcasing the work of women in horror, and we felt there was no better way to start than with our first publication of 2021, Dead of Winter
Q: Finally, what do you want readers to know before they dive into the world of Dead of Winter?
A: The darkest of days bring the brightest of mornings, so cozy up, stay warm, and keep the fire burning. (I suppose this not only applies to Dead of Winter, but to life in general right now, doesn’t it?! I stand by it!)
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me, Lindy! Check out the chilling stories in the world of Dead of Winter coming January 26, 2021 from Black Spot Books!
