As many of you know, we host an annual fall interview series called the Dark Dozen. Every author you will meet in this series will be a contributing author in the upcoming anthology, FULL THROTTLE.
The series usually concludes with the release of the Dark Dozen Anthology but for this year, we are moving the release to March 2025 but will be running the full interview series as normal over the next twelve weeks. This decision was made to allow more time for artwork and proper promoting as I have been busier than normal with the new publishing house and have been dealing with some health issues.
This year's Dark Dozen Series begins with the talented Jeremy Megagree. Enjoy!
If you had three sentences to pitch your most recent book to a new reader, what is your pitch?
(I have two new books releasing this year in October & November, so I’ll list three sentences for both)
Soulmates: Two lost souls find each other in the dark underbelly of the internet. Their toxic trauma bond pushes them to perform unspeakable acts. What’s the worst thing you’d do for love?
Crown of Carrion: The rogue wolf gathers cannibals from all the low places of the world. He forges a flesh-eating clan that worships him like a prophet, all of them desperate to become lycanthropes. He intends to awaken an old feral god and take that essence into himself.
Do you have a favorite book or story of your own that you talk about more than others? What makes it your favorite?
I’m proud of my story Paypig that released in the Human Monsters anthology from Dark Matter Ink. It was rejected 9 times before landing a home with them, and I think it’s a lesson about perseverance. It is the opposite of a feel-good story, and it tends to be polarizing. I won’t tell you too much about it…buy the book and be traumatized. ;)
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? If so, what was the scariest moment for you?
Several years back, my entire apartment complex in West Virginia flooded. I remember wading through four-foot-deep water in the parking lot to reach my car, and so much of the upholstery was saturated and ruined since the water had crept in. It was incredibly surreal, and the water stank of night crawlers and wrongness. It was like suddenly being confronted with a foul ocean in a landlocked state.
Has there been a disaster-based movie or book that has stuck with you since you first watched/read it? What was it and why did it stick?
Storm of the Century is my all-time favorite. It focuses on a blizzard that hits a small remote island off the coast of Maine. And with the blizzard comes the arrival of a dark figure called Andre Linoge, and he takes full advantage of the disaster to weave chaos of his own making. I’m not sure that it has ever been confirmed in Stephen King’s universe, but I always thought that Andre might be another incarnation of Randall Flagg.
What’s the one thing that scares you the most in this world and have you ever written about it?
Abandonment. (And that’s on childhood trauma, haha). I think the theme bubbles up frequently in my work, usually from the subconscious. It’s so interesting to think about the things inside of us that manifest in our fiction without the writer even realizing that it’s happening.
Is there an author that you would like to work with that would be a dream partnership for you?
I’ll cheat and list two. Robert Ford immediately comes to mind. His prose is staggeringly good, and I really respect his vibe in the horror community. He’s chill, low-key, and he keeps his focus on the work. I’d like to think that I’m the same. He welcomed me into the community years back when I was green as hell.
My second is Wrath James White. I feel a kinship with Wrath even though we’ve never met…he’s another big fitness loving guy who writes horror, and each time he posts something on social media, I think that his sense of humor really matches my own. I’ll never forget reading The Resurrectionist & His Pain while growing up.
If you had one hour to speak to any living author, who would it be and why?
Clive Barker. He has had a tremendous influence on my work. His blend of the grotesque and the erotic has always held meaning for me. I’d love the opportunity to pick his brain and get that inside view into his creative process.
What has been one of the proudest moments of your writing journey?
I’ve had short stories accepted into many pro-rate anthologies and collections over the years, and that’s always a great feeling. It validates the work, and it shows me there is great worth in the words that emerge from my bizarre brain. I’ve also had stories in a few different collections that have been nominated for Bram Stoker awards, and it’s been an honor to have that association, too.
Who are you outside of being an author, meaning do you have other hobbies or interests that are your methods of relaxing or for refreshing, creative inspiration?
Outside of writing, I am your standard introverted soul. I love working out, nature, and binging horror movies. I just stay in my lane here in Appalachia and try to savor the little moments in life.
Do you think the horror industry is having a surge of new authors and new readers and if so, do you see this as a good thing?
I absolutely do. I am eternally grateful to have built strong friendships with many individuals that I believe are the next generation of horror authors. People like Mona Kabbani, Spencer Hamilton, Grace R. Reynolds, Joseph Pesavento, Tony Evans, etc. We are all building and growing together. It is a beautiful thing to watch them forge their writing careers, and I am on that same path along with them. And in terms of horror readers, it’s a magical era. RJ Roles has created the ultimate monster via Books of Horror, thousands and thousands of passionate horror readers, and we love them!
Where do you see the industry in ten years with regards to the evolution of tropes, diversity and inclusion, and readers, flourishing or floundering? Explain why.
I see growth. I see powerful voices rising to the forefront. In the indie world, I think most of us are no longer interested in playing it safe. We take chances in indie horror. We let the darkest and the most taboo ideas manifest on the page. All it takes now is the hunger, the passion, and the madness…if you have that? You have a place in the horror writer community.
What is a piece of advice that you WISH someone had given you early in your career?
Know your worth and know the worth of your words. When I began submitting short fiction around 7 years ago, I was a greenhorn through and through. I’d sub to any market…for exposure, for pennies, for five bucks, it didn’t matter. That was my “cutting the teeth” phase.
Now it matters a great deal to me. I am picky about where I submit, which markets I focus on, and what projects deserve my attention. I know the worth of my words. Focus on markets that compensate you appropriately and promote the project effectively. Stick with the publishers that you will feel proud to be working with, and each win with them is a win for your writing career.
Bio:
Jeremy Megargee has always loved dark fiction. He cut his teeth on R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series as a child and a fascination with Stephen King, Jack London, Algernon Blackwood, and many others followed later in life. Jeremy weaves his tales of personal horror from Martinsburg, West Virginia with his cat Lazarus acting as his muse/familiar. He is a native of Appalachia and you can often find him peddling his dark words in various mountain hollers deep within the wilderness.
Follow his work on IG: xbadmoonrising
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