Horror author Colin Leonard is chatting with me about his debut novel, Country Roads today.
Bio:
Some grotesque creatures lurk in the ancient countryside of County Meath. Colin Leonard is one of them. He writes horror fiction mostly set in Ireland, and his short stories have appeared in a number of anthologies and online venues including Horror Library Volumes 7 & 8, It Calls From The Veil, Eyes, The Vampiricon and Fudoki Magazine. Country Roads, his debut novel, was published in 2023 by Brigids Gate Press.
Welcome, Colin. Please tell us about your current release.
Country Roads is a folk horror set in rural Ireland. In the small village of Kilcross, evil creatures from Irish mythology are creeping through the countryside, haunting the trees and ditches. Around the time that Luke Sheridan arrives there with his wife and baby, the creatures are beginning to get bolder and murderous. Luke’s old friend Declan, a local Garda (policeman), is no angel either. We meet a varied cast of characters as the everyday problems of life are superseded by fears of the supernatural and a fight for survival.
What inspired you to write this book?
I grew up in the Irish countryside and, although I spent my young adulthood living in the city, I eventually returned to the spooky and ancient landscape of Co. Meath. The land around me is both magical and dark. Ghosts and legends haunt the trees, the ruins, old graveyards and fields. As a horror fan and creator, I feel compelled to incorporate an Irish twist to my monsters and there is so much to draw from in the well of our folk tales and history. I also like to write about contemporary Irish society and Country Roads, like most of my work, is a combination of these two strands.
Excerpt from Country Roads:
“Just ahead he could see the Twisted Tree. He didn’t fancy slowing down beside it—it creeped him out—but he wanted to see if there was anything unusual, anything that might make sense of the night before. The branches appeared busier and fuller than he remembered. He stared at it for a split second too long while passing, so he wasn’t watching the road when he heard a snap like the crack of a whip. He slammed on the brakes instinctively and swerved towards the side, just about halting before his tyres met the soft verge.”
What exciting project are you working on next?
I have a bunch of projects on the go at the moment and if I was wise, I’d just concentrate on one of them. I’m putting the finishing touches to a story of demonic possession set in Dublin, I’m on the first draft of a novella mixing gangland crime and werewolf lore and I’m constantly tipping away at short stories as they come to me.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Thanks to parental encouragement, I felt that writing was something I was good at from a very young age, but for a few years, in my early teens, I had stories published in my school yearbook as part of a competition and that affirmation meant a great deal to me. It showed me that I could write the kind of things that I liked to write, and it might get an appreciative audience.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full time and have to fit my writing around a busy family and work life. I have found that the best way to get writing done is to be clever about any empty chunks that might arise during the day and being ready to get some words down if I get a spare half-hour. On the days that those chances don’t occur naturally, I try to prioritize a writing session over sitting in front of the TV in the evening or stay up that bit later. There are some days I don’t get to write, but all the little bits add up over time.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
There is a particular Irishness running through my writing. Even if it isn’t overt in some stories, there will be a rhythm or a word choice that gives it that flavor. Occasionally an international editor might query a turn of phrase for clarity’s sake but mostly it’s just ingrained in my voice.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
For a while, I wanted to become a lawyer because I loved the TV shows Matlock and Jake and The Fatman. I’m not sure what it says about me that my childhood role models were old men in the American legal profession.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Anyone who is looking for original and exciting horror fiction should really check out the small press scene. There is such a great choice of novels, novellas and anthologies that showcase the range of horror and all its sub-genres. I would spotlight my own publisher, Brigids Gate Press, and shout out to others like Dark Moon Books, Crystal Lake, Eerie River and more. Get their stuff and get terrified!