Tag: Beautiful and Terrifying

Author Interview

Inside the imagination of Laura Holt: Mythology, magic, and writing without limits

Mandy Webster

From gothic horror and tragic romance to epic fantasy and southern folklore, Laura Holt writes with a deep love for stories that blur the line between myth and reality. Holt is also featured in Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny with her short story “After Alice,” a fitting addition to a collection shaped by eerie beauty and unsettling imagination. In this interview, Holt reflects on the authors who shaped her creativity, the unexpected lessons she’s learned about storytelling and publishing, and the themes she returns to again and again in her work. She also discusses writing authentic stories in a trend-driven world, finding inspiration in mythology and folklore, and why coffee, cookies, and carefully curated playlists remain essential parts of her creative process.

Author Laura Holt discusses mythology, horror, storytelling, and her short story “After Alice,” featured in Beautiful and Terrifying.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: Some of my earliest literary influences were authors like Roald Dahl, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, R. L. Stine, and J.R.R. Tolkien. For me, Dahl’s book The Witches was my gateway read to the fantasy genre, likeable villains, and morally gray characters, so he will always hold a special place in my heart. Poe and Shakespeare introduced me to poetry and short stories, as well as tragic love and darker subject matter, both of which play a big part in my writing today. And there is one author who has cracked the code on how to write the perfect story every time, it is Stine, so along with reading his books for a good scare, I study his writing style a lot.

Continue reading “Inside the imagination of Laura Holt: Mythology, magic, and writing without limits” →
Author Interview

Author interview: Kathy Hess on Beautiful and Terrifying, “First Drink,” and writing across fiction and poetry

Mandy Webster

In this contributor interview, Kathy Hess discusses her short story “First Drink” and her poetry featured in Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny, along with the influences and writing practices that shape her work.

Kathy Hess writes with a sense of devotion to both story and craft, weaving together fiction and poetry that linger in memory long after they’re read. Her short story “First Drink” and three accompanying poems in Beautiful and Terrifying reflect her fascination with the supernatural, the emotional depth of relationships, and the quiet rituals that shape a creative life. In this interview, she shares the literary works that first sparked her imagination, the discipline behind her daily writing practice, and the ways in which memory, family, and imagination continue to guide her work across forms.

Kathy Hess is the author of “First Drink” and three poems featured in Beautiful and Terrifying. Her work blends the supernatural with deeply human moments.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: One early literary influence that has stuck with me was when I read Les Misérables in high school. It was the summer project, and I loved it. I bought a copy myself and read it so much the following years that the cover broke off and the binding split in half. I would keep the two halves of the book tied up with a ribbon. I have other copies of the book now, but I still have the crumpled, warped, coverless version with the pink ribbon holding it together.

Continue reading “Author interview: Kathy Hess on Beautiful and Terrifying, “First Drink,” and writing across fiction and poetry” →
Author Interview

Author interview: Emily J. Weisenberger on Beautiful and Terrifying, speculative fiction, and storytelling across worlds

Mandy Webster

In this contributor interview, speculative fiction author Emily J. Weisenberger discusses her short story “Marrying Age” in Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny, her early literary influences, and how anthropology shapes her approach to storytelling.

Emily J. Weisenberger writes speculative fiction that blends curiosity, humor, and sharp observation, creating stories that feel both imaginative and grounded in real human experience. Her short story, “Marrying Age,” featured in Beautiful and Terrifying, reflects her interest in exploring culture, identity, and the complexities of the worlds we build—both real and imagined. In this interview, she discusses the authors who shaped her early love of storytelling, how her background in anthropology informs her approach to character, and the balance of absurdity, heart, and insight that drives her work across genres for both children and adults.

Emily J. Weisenberger, speculative fiction author and contributor to Beautiful and Terrifying, whose story “Marrying Age” explores the complex boundaries between culture, identity, and imagination.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: Eva Ibbotson (Which Witch?, Island of the Aunts, Journey to the River Sea) and Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events) were authors I came back to again and again as a child and have continued to draw from as an adult. Their stories were so strange and so full of heart. Goodness persevered in Ibbotson’s books, while life was harsh but weatherable in Handler’s. Both gave me important and different ways to view the world, and lessons in how to capture young people’s sense of curiosity about life. These are still among my favorite books.

Continue reading “Author interview: Emily J. Weisenberger on Beautiful and Terrifying, speculative fiction, and storytelling across worlds” →
Author Interview

Author interview: William M. Chippich on Beautiful and Terrifying and Nevermore: The Heir, The Witch, and The Fool

Mandy Webster

In this contributor interview, William M. Chippich—author of the upcoming novel Nevermore: The Heir, The Witch, and The Fool and contributor to Beautiful and Terrifying—shares the literary influences, writing habits, and creative philosophy that shape his character-driven fiction.

William M. Chippich brings a deep love of character-driven storytelling to every page he writes, whether he’s crafting the darkly atmospheric short story “Three or Four Miles, Mostly Flat” for Beautiful and Terrifying:Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny or building the richly imagined world of his forthcoming novel, Nevermore: The Heir, The Witch, and The Fool. In this interview, he reflects on the writers who first shaped his imagination, the discipline and creativity behind his process, and the themes of love, hope, and the unknown that continue to guide his work. From comic book legends and literary classics to the quiet rituals of everyday writing life, Chippich offers thoughtful insight into what it means to tell stories that truly connect with readers.

William M. Chippich, contributor to Beautiful and Terrifying and author of the upcoming Nevermore: The Heir, The Witch, and The Fool is pictured at Dunnottar Castle in Scotland.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today.
A: My earliest influences were writers like Stan Lee, Chris Claremont and John Byrne of Marvel comics. The great comic book writers of that era are very overlooked. Stan Lee in particular made comic writing and stories legitimate. After that, everything from Mary Shelley to Steinbeck, Hemingway, and too many classics to name. Guys like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Christopher Moore are definitely stand outs for me as well. Every one of these great writers build amazing worlds, but I think the real influence on me were their characters. They make fantastic, fictional beings seem real to people. You love them, you hate them, you feel for them. That’s the real magic of these greats.

Continue reading “Author interview: William M. Chippich on Beautiful and Terrifying and Nevermore: The Heir, The Witch, and The Fool” →
Author Interview

Author interview: Emily Persichetti Schuster on Beautiful and Terrifying, poetry, and writing through grief

Mandy Webster

In this contributor interview, poet Emily Persichetti Schuster discusses her work in Beautiful and Terrifying, the themes of grief and memory that shape her writing, and the creative process behind her deeply personal poetry.

Emily Persichetti Schuster writes with a quiet intensity, exploring grief, memory, and the fragile threads that connect identity, family, and place. Her work in Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny reflects a deep attentiveness to both the emotional and the everyday, drawing inspiration from poets like Marie Howe and Mary Oliver while carving out a voice distinctly her own. In this interview, she shares how early reading shaped her imagination, how she balances writing with the demands of daily life, and why poetry remains a powerful way to hold both individual moments and larger, unfolding stories.

Emily Persichetti Schuster, is a contributor to Beautiful and Terrifying.

Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: Roald Dahl’s The BFG is the first book I remember reading completely on my own, when I was in early elementary school. I loved all Roald Dahl’s books when I was a kid, and I love reading them to my kids now. Through all the creepy, uncanny, and seemingly hopeless events of his books, the heroes always prevail because they’re never willing to give up. His books taught me to face my own fears and build resilience in the face of adversity.

Continue reading “Author interview: Emily Persichetti Schuster on Beautiful and Terrifying, poetry, and writing through grief” →
Elderfly Press

Beautiful and Terrifying releases today: Step into the uncanny!

Mandy Webster

It’s here—and it’s been a long time coming. Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny officially releases today, and I couldn’t be more excited (or a little unsettled) to finally share it with you.

Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny is available for purchase today!

This anthology brings together a collection of short fiction, poetry, and black-and-white art that all live in that uneasy space where beauty and horror overlap. These are stories that don’t just aim to scare—they linger. They follow you. They ask you to look a little closer than you’re comfortable with.

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Call for Submissions

Beautiful and Terrifying releases April 23, 2026: A new anthology from the edge of the uncanny

Mandy Webster

Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny, the newest anthology from Elderfly Press, will be released on April 23, 2026, bringing together haunting fiction, poetry, and black-and-white artwork that explore the strange space where beauty and fear collide.

The cover of Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny, Elderfly Press’s upcoming anthology of eerie fiction, dark poetry, and black-and-white art, releasing April 23, 2026.

I’m thrilled to finally share the release date for this collection, which has been such a meaningful project to bring into the world. From eerie woods and submerged cities to folklore retellings, grief-soaked landscapes, and intimate encounters with the supernatural, this anthology embraces the unsettling and the sublime in equal measure.

Continue reading “Beautiful and Terrifying releases April 23, 2026: A new anthology from the edge of the uncanny” →
Call for Submissions

Submissions open for Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny

Mandy Webster

There’s beauty in the things that unnerve us. Beautiful and Terrifying is the next anthology from Elderfly Press—an exploration of the eerie, the intimate, and the in-between. Submissions are now open for short stories, poetry, and black-and-white art that linger in the shadows of the strange and the sublime.

There’s beauty in what haunts us.
Submit to Beautiful and Terrifying today!

This collection seeks work that blurs boundaries—between beauty and fear, humanity and monstrosity, love and decay. We’re drawn to dark, literary narratives and haunting imagery that leave readers with a sense of wonder and unease. Not every story needs to fit neatly into horror or realism; the best pieces often live in the uncanny space between.

What Elderfly Press is looking for:

This anthology invites a wide range of voices and forms with themes of transformation, obsession, decay, beauty, violence, or the supernatural:

  • Genre fiction: horror, speculative, gothic, dystopian, weird, sci-fi, supernatural—anything that chills, disturbs, or unsettles
  • Literary fiction: moody, shadowed, emotionally raw
  • Poetry: rooted in chaos, shadow, or change
  • Visual art: black-and-white art that captures the eerie, surreal, or dreamlike
Continue reading “Submissions open for Beautiful and Terrifying: Tales and Visions from the Edge of the Uncanny” →