Chilling Tales that will take you through
a labyrinth of historical horror.
You will encounter a tormented Roman general.
A Norse woman who must confront her terrifying destiny.
Meet a troubled Saxon brother, searching for his twin's murderer.
A young nurse tries to solve the mysteries of an asylum for the insane.
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn wander through a haunted garden
and elsewhere, a lost slave girl is the soul survivor of a mass slaughter.
I'm pleased to welcome author Samantha Wilcoxson to talk about the new anthology, 'Hauntings'.
Tell us about your latest book
Hauntings is an anthology of ghost stories written by members of the Historical Writers Forum. With ten authors involved, the variety of stories is a journey through history and a sample of writing styles. Some ghosts are friendly, others look to share their place in the spirit world with their victims. Each contributing author brings something special to this short story collection.
What is the Historical Writers Forum?
The HWF began as a Facebook group, created to be a place where authors support each other. The membership includes well-known names and writers working on what they hope will be their first published work.
The group has grown to include over 800 members and has added new ways to support writers, including a Twitter account and monthly Zoom talks which are available on our Youtube channel. Hauntings is HWF’s latest step in creating a supportive platform for historical writers.
Stories from Kate Jewell and Danielle Apple are their first published works, and other contributors will already be quite familiar to readers through their library of previous works. HWF is a place where writers can receive feedback, ask questions, find help, and so much more.
Tell us about some of the stories
My story takes place at the Northern Michigan Asylum in the autumn of 1927. I have placed a young, new nurse into an Edith Wharton style story with mystery and peril that do not always come from the anticipated sources. Poor Lotte discovers that a ghost may not be the worst danger she encounters in the midst of Traverse City’s northern beauty.
I enjoyed reading the stories from the other nine authors as well, especially those that were new to me. These short stories are a wonderful way to be introduced to an author who might become a favorite! The settings range from an atmospheric story of a Roman general haunted by the English druids upon whom he ordered a brutal attack to a 1960s hotel with a full cast of ghostly occupants.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during the process of publishing an anthology.
I had no idea what it would be like to write a ghost story or to work with a large group on a publishing project. I’ve met some new friends and added several books to my ‘to be read’ shelf! Everyone has been extraordinarily patient and supportive.
We’ve had a few bumps along the way (we will make sure to have everyone use a template next time to simplify compilation), but the project came together in less than a year with wonderful results. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and look forward to the next HWF anthology. This process has helped me step outside my comfort zone and look at other opportunities that exist for me as a writer.
How can people join the Historical Writers Forum?
Our main focus is still the Facebook group, and this is where we track our membership. One need not be a member to follow us on Twitter or Youtube.
What is HWF planning to do next?
Group administrators are always coming up with new ideas! Besides our regular weekly activities that include days for feedback, Twitter sharing, and other daily themes, we have October’s Zoom talk coming up on the 23rd, which will have several of the Hauntings contributors discussing the project and our stories. We also have an upcoming talk planned on the topic of women in historical fiction.
Samantha Wilcoxson
Samantha Wilcoxson
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Contributors: foreword by Sharon Bennett Connolly and stories by Simon Turney, Danielle Apple, Judith Arnopp, Kim Barton, Lynn Bryant, Stephanie Churchill, Kate Jewell, Paula Lofting, Jennifer C Wilson, and Samantha Wilcoxson
Universal link: mybook.to/HauntingsAnth
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