What is your name and what are you known for?
Hello! I’m Bill Mullen, author of Red Nocturne and the upcoming novel, The Thing in the Wind.
Tell us about one of your works and why we should read it.
My first novel, Red Nocturne, is not a horror novel, but it’s quite dark. It’s an unconventional spy novel that takes place in Boston and focuses on Russian spies in the US through the lens of a 15-year-old girl. It was inspired by the arrest of 10 Russian spies in the NE USA back in 2010. It takes a deep dive into the human condition and the challenging choices we must make in life when all paths lead to a dark place. If you prefer horror, go with the new novel, The Thing in the Wind. 
What places or things inspire your writing?
Overall, it’s more internal, waking up with a craving to write. The external inspiration comes from two places: 1. Reading! Whether it’s learning how to write about childhood horrors as often found in King or experiencing a level of genius as found in Cormac McCarthy or Vladimir Nabokov, reading is the biggest external inspiration. 2. Being around other writers and talking about writing.
What music do you listen to while creating?
I went from needing complete silence when I was younger to blaring Rammstein or similar music while creating. It seems to help keep the creative process going without interruption. When I’d attempt to write in silence, there were just too many distractions that started coming along.
What is your favorite horror aesthetic?
I always enjoy desolate horror, that which takes place out in the wilderness. When a character is far from civilization and comes across something “unknown” and must deal with it on their own (or their group must deal with it) as found in Blackwood’s The Willows, Nevill’s The Ritual, Smith’s The Ruins, or Wilkes’ All the White Spaces. I also love the haunted house, whether it be a well-known haunted house (as in Hell House or The Haunting of Hill House) or unknown to the characters (as in The Conjuring and The Amityville Horror). When done well, it just doesn’t get old.
Who is your favorite horror icon?
I’ve always loved Clive Barker’s work. He took the genre into an interesting direction, mixing horror with eroticism and S&M and expanding on the occult/esoteric branches with a unique and murky veil. I also love that his art is not limited to words on the page. His artwork is also intriguing.
What was the scariest thing you’ve witnessed?
While I’ve certainly witnessed my share of unhinged people and been in creepy situations, I’d have to say the scariest was the Challenger exploding. I lived in Florida at the time, not far from Kennedy. The schoolchildren were out on the playground watching it all because it was the first time a teacher was to go to Space. When it exploded, it wasn’t the fireball in the sky that shook me. It was my teacher’s face going from elation to shock, and then she said, “Oh…my…God.” Then, she ran into the classroom and turned on the radio to hear what the news had to say about it. I was young and didn’t fully understand what was going on in the sky, but, being a human, I certainly understood that something was truly wrong when I saw her face and heard her voice. It was quite unsettling for a five-year-old.
If invited to dinner with your favorite (living or dead) horror creator, who would it be and what would you bring?
While I don’t have a favorite (there are too many greats), it would have been an honor to dine with HR Giger. I would have brought a nice bottle of absinthe from Prague.
What’s a horror gem you think most horror addicts don’t know about? (book, movie, musician?)
There’s an old B-movie called Shock ’em Dead, which mixes heavy metal with horror and a bit of voodoo. It also stars Traci Lords. Overall, it is one of those pieces that just ended up sticking in my head. It may be because it begins with Jimi Hendrix playing in the background…
Have you ever been haunted or seen a ghost?
I was sure that such things did not exist. However, while teaching a study abroad course in Ireland in 2023, we were staying at a former asylum turned hotel in Sligo (Yeats Country). I was in my room, then I heard a loud thud behind me. I thought it was the people in the next room, but no. I ignored it. A few minutes later, the water faucet in the bathroom turns on. I go in and turn it off. It feels eerie in there, but I go back to my desk and continue working. Then, the room door slams shut (it was already shut, but it emits a sound as if lightly slammed shut). I never felt scared or threatened, but there was a sense of unease while there. That was the extent of the unexplained experiences there. We were only there for a night. It’s a place I feel I should go back to and see if it was a one-time experience or if there’s more to it.
What are some books that you feel should be in the library of every horror addict?
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Hell House by Richard Matheson
The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Complete Works of HP Lovecraft
The Willows & The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood
The Passage by Justin Cronin
There are many more…classics like Dracula, Carmilla, Poe’s works, The Castle of Otranto, The Divine Comedy, Wieland, The Devils of Loudon, much of Stephen King’s works, and Joyce Carol Oates…
But, most importantly, they should have plenty of newer works by contemporaries. Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones just to name a few.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on an apocalyptic tale that takes place in New Orleans. I hope to finish it up in a few months.
Where can readers find your work? (URL #1 place for them to go.)
My new book is available at https://www.crystallakepub.com/ on April 5.
Red Nocturne and The Thing in the Wind will be available on Amazon as well.
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