Steve Stred is one of horror’s nice guys. Super supportive and a terrific writer in his own right, it’s nice to give him his own moment. He joins us in the Inferno in the Seventh Circle, with his story ‘Alone’.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

My story was more about the despondent levels people can get to when they make poor choices or things happen and everything they’ve ever loved gets taken from them. As a father, I could never imagine my life without my child and I think that really drove the narrative.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

I think that’s a very tough question. I’d think with where I’m at in life, hell on earth would be the slow degeneration of my mind. Losing the ability to remember people, memories, and the ability to read and/or write. I’ve had a few people in my life deal with chronic illness/degenerative illness and friends who have had parents deal with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s etc, and to just watch that change is horrible. I hope I never get to experience the other side of it.

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels now, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

I think so much has happened now in the world that it’d be difficult to rename them, as the idea of sin itself has, at least for me personally, seemed to fall to the wayside for the most part. Growing up ‘sin’ was a scary word, because that meant you’d be sent to hell. I think for most people who are not overtly religious, the word sin is just that – a word. This question is one that could end up being a Masters Thesis!

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

I typically write to music and use it as a sense of the emotions I want to infuse into each work. For this one, I’d suggest one of my favorite songs of all time – ‘In Praise of Bacchus’ by Type O Negative.

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Oh jeez, what a question! I don’t know if I could even answer that. Hmm. I’d suspect that if you went to the level that my story is on, The Seventh Circle, and specifically violence against oneself, you’d find a lot of musicians who’ve taken their own lives. So, at least there you could catch a concert? I don’t know, that feels horrible even typing that!

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten. Can you share a recipe?

I don’t do hot or spicy well. And as I don’t cook, I can’t share a recipe! I will say, years ago, I was hanging with my friend Robert Esmie. He wanted to take me to a restaurant he loved, which was Jamaican. He had a dish named after him (he was part of the Gold Medal team for Canada in the mens 4×100 relay race) and he said I had to try it. I think it was jerk chicken, but I couldn’t tell you. The entire place was laughing so hard as I started coughing and crying. My mouth was on fire!

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

I’d say it’s a tie between Jareth the Goblin King and the mist in Stephen King’s novella The Mist. Labyrinth was one of those movies I watched at such a young age that had a profound effect on my imagination. Just seeing this world open up. But the entire thing is based around Jareth taking Toby and being in control of all of these hazards to prevent Sarah from trying to get him back. As for the mist, well, that novella really scared me. To the point I’m still petrified of dense fog. The basic idea that you really don’t know what might be lurking in there is one of my biggest fears.

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

To continue to challenge myself and write the stories I want to read. To inspire my son to use his imagination and follow his dreams.

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

Have fun. Be kind. Support others and build people up.

Bio:

Steve Stred writes dark, bleak horror. He is the author of a number of novels, novellas and collections and has appeared alongside some of Horror’s heaviest hitters in some truly amazing anthologies. He is proud to work with the Ladies of Horror Fiction to facilitate the annual LOHF Writers Grant. Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog OJ. You can find everything he has going on at stevestredauthor.wordpress.com.

Latest publication:

One of my most recent releases is my collection ‘Of Witches…’ which features 8 short stories as well as 15 stunning illustrations and photographs from my friend Miranda.

The Infernal Clock was the brainchild of David Shakes, a long-time writer friend from my early flash fiction days, and previous editions bore both our names. This time, due to circumstances, David had to step back from this role but still provided us with a terrific story for the Seventh Circle, ‘Reunion’.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

I’ve always been fascinated by The Wood of Suicides, I used to stare at illustrations and artwork – William Blake’s in particular. I wanted the original story to be a bright seam running through the story but also wanted to treat the subject matter with respect, whilst maintaining the horror. I leave the reader to judge how successful I was. I’d done a lot of research for my CalenDark story ‘The First Visitor’ so I returned to WW2 for the setting, and that’s helped drive the detail of the story. I also have to thank Dr Lauren McIntyre (@noddinggoth) for her support in understanding the process of body decomposition under various conditions. Finally – the music I listen to always flows in and around my writing, that’s why Steph and I get along so well.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

Children’s Soft Play warehouses, anything that’s billed as team-building or requires role play, a world where one half wastes money on diet fads because there’s an obesity crisis whilst in the other half children die of starvation and malnutrition.

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels now, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

I’d keep Limbo, entry-level hell is where I’d meet all my favourite people I’d imagine. Lust can go and we’ll combine Gluttony and Greed. Anger becomes conscious unkindness, with the next layer becoming deliberate cruelty. Heresy is gone, so all the religious types who backed the wrong side can breathe a little easier. The fifth and final layer would be for the completely inhumane. Think we’re covered at 5:

1 Limbo 

2 Gluttony and greed

3 Conscious unkindness

4 Deliberate cruelty 

5 Complete inhumanity

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

I should probably say something by The Screaming Trees, but I’ll go with I’ll Never Smile Again by Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra which makes an appearance in the story. Alternatively, The Garden of Jane Delawney by Trees for on-point lyrics and a nice folk-horror tinge. 

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there? 

I’d visit Limbo, make sure there were people I could get on with there and that they still had pubs. I’d hope to see a barman who wasn’t Lloyd from The Shining. 

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten? Can you share a recipe?

I live in Birmingham. My brother came to visit and, as we both love hot food, I took him one of the original Kashmiri restaurants in the Balti Triangle. I’d warned him how authentic it was, but after embarrassing himself by trying to order lagers (it’s unlicensed as you can’t bring your own, plus we’d both had enough already) he made a great show of asking how hot they could make the Jalfrezi as he only liked hot stuff. One mouthful was the hottest thing I’d ever tasted. His hell on earth would be having to eat that forever! He tried to save face by asking for it to go, but the waiters knew, the chef knew, the owner knew – we all knew!

• 2 tsp Indian restaurant spice mix 
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or 1/4 tsp cayenne mixed with 3/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 1/2 tsp tandoori masala
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 4 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp garlic/ginger paste 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste with enough water to dilute to the consistency of passata
• 1 tbsp coriander stems – finely chopped
• 10-12 oz pre-cooked chicken or lamb
• 2 finger hot green chillies cut into half then split (or 20 for my brother’s version) 
• 4 cherry tomatoes halved

• Mix the spices and dilute your tomato paste. 
• In a separate pan fry off your meat or veggie supplement – but don’t cook thoroughly.
• Heat the oil and fry the onion and the green pepper skin side down (you want it to blister) 
• Add the garlic and ginger paste plus the coriander stems, stirring vigorously. 
• Turn down the heat and add the dry spice mix and the chillis.
• Then turn it up again, adding the diluted tomato paste. You’ll probably see the oil separate at this point – don’t worry.
• Add the meat to finish cooking in the liquid. 
• Watch it thicken.

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

I really like Negan as portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan on The Walking Dead – he does a really good job of giving that character great depth. I’ve always liked anti-heroes, going back to an early affinity for Pinkie Brown in Brighton Rock. I’d steer clear of history – one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist. 

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

To actually get it started properly and to stop postponing it. (Yes, he must – Steph.)

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

I threw out more than 50% of my Inferno story because small parts of it weren’t good enough. I probably lost at least one good idea and a number of great images. My advice is to keep all your notes, all your drafts – learn from what didn’t work as much as what did.

Latest publications:

NONE (he says but check out his previous stories in The Infernal Clock, CalenDark and DeadCades. He also has a collection of flash and poetry in Persistent Remains – Steph)

Irene Lofthouse is a writer introduced to me by Alyson Faye and from the quality of her submission is definitely one to look out for in the future. She joins us in the Fifth Circle with her story, ‘Food for the Gods’.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

A trip to Saltburn-by-the-Sea after lockdown had eased, its stories of the pirates, its mortuary on the sea front. In addition, the falseness of many artist statements I’ve heard/read as well as the many experiences (not just my own) had of creatives who leech ideas from others and present them as their own, with no credit to the originator of the idea. The ‘hell of lockdown’ – being confined, not being able to find a space of one’s own – and the anger that accompanied that gelled with the Saltburn location.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

So many. Surrounded by English demanding a British fry-up in the wilds of Spain, France, etc; caught in the middle of chattering classes braying (think Abigail’s Party, Brideshead Revisited); having to watch as trees and land are uprooted and cleared for greed and being unable to do anything to stop it; ethnic cleansing happening now; reprogramming of our brains to delete any creative ideas – happening now; incompetent governments – also happening now… Seems I’m actually living my hell on earth… 

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

All the ‘sins’ are still with us magnified by the increase of technology – though misuse of all technology has been with us through time.

The ‘sins’ are created by a Western Catholic viewpoint, so I’d look to other cultures to see what was/is acceptable before looking at redefining – after all human sacrifice was acceptable for thousands of years before becoming unacceptable cf The Lottery/Shirley Jackson

Infernal Clock:They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

That’s a poser! Really can’t think of one – but would be in early blues genre, a Ma Rainey or Leadbelly… 

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Fourth – Greed. Rupert Murdoch, Apple & Facebook founders and all social media platforms for not policing effectively; big brands that rape the environment and people; banks that launder money; all brands/marketing that mislead (the majority); businesses that use animals for cosmetic testing; deforesters; arms dealers – I could go on, but you get the drift

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten. Can you share a recipe?

One of my own veg chillis when I had a cold and wasn’t able to taste things properly. It was OK to eat when I had the cold, but when I defrosted to eat a few weeks later, it took my head off! 

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

I think many of my favourite ‘villains’ actually aren’t at all, they’ve become ‘evil’ due to their treatment. I’m thinking Medusa, Clytemnestra, Boadecia, Eve. 

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

Difficult question. I write in many mediums (children, plays, memoir, educational, adult) and genres; they all have different audiences and levels of success. Like most writers, it would be great to make enough money to pay the bills… 

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

Write, write, write; read, read, read; explore and experiment until you find a ‘voice’ that works for you. Work out how many different ways you can use your work and make money from it (eg written, spoken, audio, stage etc)

Bio:

Irene Lofthouse is author of over thirty plays, writer/editor on 26 Characters projects. Work appears in The Understory, ‘Transforming Being, Armistice 100 Days, Stories from Stone, Tyto Alba, All This amongst others. Her short stories ‘If That Happens’ and ‘Pomegranate Seeds’  were broadcast on BBC Radio Leeds in 2020 and in the 2019 Waterloo Festival competition she was a selected winner. Her children’s collections include Strange Tales in the Dales, Strange Tales in Bradford Dale and she’s the editor of the Stories from Stone anthology. Irene’s appeared at Edinburgh Fringe, in films, on radio and theatres across the UK; she’s adapted stories and hidden histories for stage and radio. Co-founder of and Artistic Director of Fresh Aire Productions with Pete Aveyard. Their ‘Queens of Dawson City’ radio sitcom Series has aired on many local radio stations, and ‘Torrent’ a ‘hard-hitting, disturbing but important’ verbatim audio play on domestic abuse/violence was broadcast on Chapelfm in 2020.

Latest publications

A Bloomsbury Response, 26 Writer in Residence, Bloomsbury Festival, 2020

The Gower Street Beat, EYE:SPY 26 Characters, 2020

‘White Wedding’ and ‘The Threshing Field’ in All This’, Comma Press, 2020

Robert Allen Lupton first joined the Infernal Clock in the DeadCades anthology with a great tale from the 1960s so I called him back to join us in Inferno. This time, he plunges into the Fourth Circle, with his story ‘Cookie Jar’.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

Greed. People are blinded by greed, politicians, businessmen, and even everyday people. Decisions are made every day clothed in piety, which are selfish and self-serving. The protagonist of the story wears his greed like a crown, proud and unashamed, but greed can be its own punishment.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

A world ruled by a religion or government that ignores science and punishes people for their individual rights and beliefs. I expect that a true god doesn’t care whom one chooses to love, how one chooses to live, and what choices one makes about one’s own body – when those choices don’t harm other people.

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

Wow, long question. In keeping with my answer to # 2, the levels would be based on doing harm to others.

First, I’d do away with Limbo.

Second, I’d combine levels, two, three, and four. Lust, Gluttony, and Greed are three sides of the same coin. A three-sided coin – how about that. All three can be described as a variant of lust, gluttony, and greed. Greed for sex, lust for food and drink, and gluttony for riches.

Anger is a little more difficult. Anger or rage is not necessarily a bad thing. I get angry when people abuse animals or children. I feel anger at people who punish others for their beliefs. Is that anger a sin? Perhaps it is in the eyes of others. (My anger is justified – your anger is not.) I’ll leave anger in place.

Let’s add a new level here – Hypocrisy.

Eliminate level six, heresy. Heresy is just another way to day that people who don’t agree with me are going to hell. 

Level seven, violence, stays, but it needs a little work. Murders still get their own ring. Rapists, child abusers, bullies, and the like all get a ring. Blasphemers get a pass. The only difference between blaspheming, heresy, and doctrine is which side of the pulpit you’re standing on. The last ring of violence is for suicides. I have some difficulty with punishing people for suicide. After all, I didn’t walk a mile in their shoes.

Levels eight and nine are fraud and treachery. The difference between the two are a matter of scope and context. Let’s call the new combined level, “Deceit for Personal Gain,” and let it go at that. Give it some rings if you feel the need to define it more tightly. There’s no end to how many different types of fraud or treachery we can list. Seems a shame that the human mind hasn’t been more focused on how to help each other rather than on how to cheat, deceive, and betray each other.

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

I Want It All by Queen

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Level 8, fraud. I’d live to see every minister, priest, pope, shaman, and preacher who every used his position for financial gain or to sexually abuse a parishioner of any age.

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten? Can you share a recipe?

Good New Mexico Red Chile Posole – note that chile is not misspelled, that’s the way red and green chile is spelled as opposed to chili, as in Texas, or chilly, as in cold.

Ingredients

1 cup red chile sauce (recipe below)
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 lbs pork loin cut into 1″ cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups hominy

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season pork loin with salt, cumin, and pepper. Add to pot and brown on both sides. Remove pork.  
Add onions to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 30 – 60 seconds.
Add back in pork, red chile sauce, chicken broth, and hominy. 
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until pork is cooked through and tender.  

Top with desired garnishments. 

Red Chile Sauce

Ingredients

24 red chile pods (HOT – depending of the season and source pods could be mild, medium or hot)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  
Remove stems from red chile pods. Place chiles in water and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. 
Transfer chile pods to a blender, along with one cup of the water the chiles were cooked in. Blend until smooth, adding more water, if necessary, until consistency is similar to tomato sauce. 
Strain sauce through a sieve to remove any peels and seeds.  
Return sauce to pan and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  
Sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 6 months. 

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

Hard question. Darth Vader immediately comes to mind as does Voldemort. Sher Kahn from the Jungle Book is certainly a contender as is the Nome King from the Oz stories. I considered Cruella de Ville, but the one that kept me up at night was Hannibal Lector. He gets my vote.

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

I’m 72. I want to keep writing as long as I can. I’d like one of my novels or stories to be filmed.

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

Writing is a numbers game. Write every day. Bad writing can be edited, but you can’t edit a blank page. Rewrite as necessary and don’t be discouraged. Submit, submit, and submit again. An un-submitted story is a waste. My first professional sale (10 cents a word) was rejected 23 times before it sold. Submission and acceptance is another numbers game as well. If you don’t submit a story, no one can buy it. Grow a thick skin – I need to work on this one myself. (It doesn’t matter what the editor says or edits as long as they buy your story.)

Bio:

Robert Allen Lupton is retired and lives in New Mexico where he is a commercial hot air balloon pilot. Robert runs and writes every day, but not necessarily in that order. More than a hundred and fifty of his short stories have been published in several anthologies including the New York Times best seller, Chicken Soup for the Soul – Running For Good. His novel, Foxborn, was published in April 2017 and the sequel, Dragonborn, in June 2018. His first collection, Running Into Trouble, was published in October 2017. His collection, Through a Wine Glass Darkly was released in June 2019. His newest collection, Strong Spirits was released on June 1, 2020. His third novel, Dejanna of the Double Star is scheduled for publication in October 2020. His edited anthology, Feral: It Takes a Forest to Raise a Child was released September 1, 2020. Follow Robert on Facebook and read over 800 drabbles, his 100-word short stories.

Latest publication:

“Feral, It Takes A Forest To Raise a Child.”

I also right an Edgar Rice Burroughs themed drabble every day – over 900 as of November 2020. All are available, along with several articles on my page at https://www.erbzine.com/lupton/

TC Parker has only recently arrived on the horror scene but has already made a splash with her novel Saltblood and more recently A Press of Feathers (both are terrific reads). When she was suggested as someone to approach for a short story, I couldn’t wait to see what she came up with – and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. TC takes us to the Third Circle with her story, ‘Cerberus’.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

Classical Hollywood! And especially Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? I love those ‘50s narratives about unlikeable people thrust together through mutual dependency who don’t get much more likeable as the narrative progresses, but whose very unlikability keeps you entertained. See also: Norma Desmond, Margo Channing/Eve Harrington and about a thousand others!

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

There are so many to choose from! I’m a gay woman with a lot of opinions – things wouldn’t have gone so well for me in most periods in history I can think of! Not that things are perfect now, I hasten to add… 

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

I think probably decrease, significantly! 

I’m an atheist, so I’d like to see Limbo and Heresy go, as well as some of the more theistic Rings (… though, equally, as an atheist, perhaps it wouldn’t make much different to me if they stayed or went!) 

The Lust circle feels unnecessarily punitive, so I’d probably lose that one too.

Greed, Wrath and Violence still feel like pretty solid choices, though. 

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

Anything with an angry female vocalist would probably do the trick. But the three songs that spring to mind (all of which I’m sure I was listening to when I wrote the story) are Marianne Faithfull’s Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Skunk Anansie’s All I Want and the Cell Block Tango from Chicago.

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Given Dante’s moral compass, I feel like most of the people I’ve ever admired would be there, in one circle or another.

I’d definitely check in on Michel Foucault – probably in Heresy, though I’m sure more than a few of the other circles would be happy to have him. And maybe Ada Lovelace, while I’m there.  

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten. Can you share a recipe?

Unfortunately, my kids like it bland, so I don’t have much opportunity to cook much with heat at the moment! But I love beef rendang, which can get pretty hot, and a decently-strong Thai green curry. 

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

She’s a movie character rather than one from literature, but Linda Fiorentino’s character in John Dahl’s The Last Seduction is an absolutely perfect villain, for me: clever, amoral, sociopathic and, best of all, always six steps ahead of everyone around her. If she’s down in the Inferno, then she’s running it. 

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

Just to keep on producing books, really: I’ve had four out this year, and am working on a fifth which I’d like to finish before Christmas. In the immediate term, I’d like to wrap up my con-artist trilogy – I hate leaving things unfinished, and it’s hurting me to be only 2 books into a 3 book series! 

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

Write for an audience, not only for yourself – with a focus on clarity and intelligibility as you communicate your ideas. And keep the narrative interesting – you want people to want to read on, so – simplistic as it sounds – make sure that things keep happening in your story. Unless you’re Virginia Woolf, you probably don’t want 100 pages of an internal monologue meditation on whether or not to buy the flowers. 

Bio:

TC Parker is a writer and researcher based in the fox-ravaged wilds of Leicestershire, where she lives with her partner and two extremely energetic children. A former copywriter and lecturer with a PhD in media and politics and nowhere to put it, she runs a cultural insight agency by day and dreams up horror and crime fiction at night—including Saltblood, a dystopian-survivalist creature-feature set on an island prison in a near-future Scotland and, as Natalie Edwards, the con-artist thrillers The Debt and The Push. She can be tracked down online at https://www.tcparkerwrites.com/, tweets enthusiastically at @writestc, and has just published her new novel A Press of Feathers—a Midlands-set tale of female rage, haunted houses, marauding crows and the human horrors of recession. No doubt because of her tendency to write long in almost all circumstances, Cerberus is her first short story. She hopes you like it.

Latest publications

As TC Parker, I’ve released 2 horror novels this year:

And also the first 2 books in my El Gardener con-artist trilogy (written under my real name, Natalie Edwards):

Book 3 in the series, tacitly titled The Remembrance, hopefully soon to come!

You can find me online via my website, www.tcparkerwrites.com, and on Twitter as @WritesTC

Alyson Faye is a writer I’ve come to know and admire over the past few years, and is one of the most supportive people I know to all writers. She is also an editor par excellence and jumped onboard (or should I say plunged into the abyss) when this project threatened to become overwhelming. As well as her editorial contribution, she has supplied a fantastic story, MaXXed Out for the Third Circle. It is a pleasure to give the spotlight over to Aly herself.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

My story had to feature the sin of ‘gluttony’ so I began thinking about what character I could create who was hugely obese, a slave to his appetites. Due to my interests in film/TV and acting, I created the character of Max Llewellyn, a massively popular TV comedian who is also morbidly obese.
Max’s appetites lead him into very dark places, and then his life unravels big time.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

There’s a lot of scope with this idea:- one possible hell is an eternal loop where you live out your worst mistakes again and again with no let up.

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

Pass on that one, I’m not big on listing sins! and the world is messed-up enough without me listing all the ways!

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

The Devil’s Harmony:- I’m much more of a film fan than a music buff, so I’d always go with a movie – if that’s allowed – The 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum, an early example of 2 strip technicolour.

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Just a pop-in quick visit though – I wouldn’t want to linger- not sure this is the top tourists’ destination spot – wouldn’t mind a quick ferry ride with Charon and a cuddle with Cerberus, but after that home for tea.

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten. Can you share a recipe?

Probably a curry or an American tacos dish when I was over there.

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

Villains get all the best lines in books and films – not so much in real life I suspect. Alan Rickman in Die Hard comes to mind.

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

I want to keep writing and enjoy it and improve, and look back on these years and think ‘Yes, you did good there.’

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

If you want to write, then do it and keep at it.

Bio:

Alyson Faye lives in West Yorkshire, UK with her husband, teen son, trio of cats and a rescue dog, called Roxy. Her fiction has been published widely in print anthologies – DeadCades, Women in Horror Annual 2, Trembling with Fear 1 &2, Stories from Stone, Ellipsis, Rejected ed. Erin Crocker), Strange Girls, and in many ezines, but most often on the Horror Tree site, in Siren’s Call and The Casket of Fictional Delights. In 2019 Demain published her Gothic story, Night of the Rider, in their Short!Sharp!Shocks series and her noir crime novella, Maggie.
Recently she has had stories in the NHS charity anthologies, Diabolica Britannica, Kitchen Sink Gothic 2, Things in the Well’s Trickster’s Treats 4, and she has released her own collection, Darkness Calls. (available on amazon).
Her work has been read on BBC Radio, local radio, on several podcasts (e.g. Ladies of Horror), posted on YouTube and placed in competitions. She performs at open mics, teaches, edits for an indie publisher and hangs out with her dog on the moors—in all weathers. She’s on twitter @AlysonFaye2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkness-Calls-Shadows-Alyson-Faye-ebook/dp/B08DM7K4FQ

Cassie Daley is an upcoming writer whose stories I first took note of earlier this year. Although she has only published a couple of short stories so far, I enjoyed her ‘voice’ in those tales so much, I had no qualms with inviting her on board. Cassie takes us into the Sixth Circle with her story, Off Course.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

I’ve always been one of the morbid folks that reads a lot of true crime, and is grimly fascinated by how dark and monstrous regular people can be. We often hear stories about people who show signs from a young age of being “troubled” – hurting animals, etc. The killers that scare me the most are always the ones that showed no outward signs beforehand, and who everyone else would have sworn was a great person. For my story, I tried to imagine one of these types of people, and aimed to make her both sympathetic as a character, but also unredeemable. I’ll also admit that I wanted to have fun with this one, since it’s the first thing I’ve written that features any sort of sex or violence – two things I love reading, but either blush or get squeamish while writing, I’ve discovered, haha

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

A world filled with people who lack empathy for other people. This year especially has taught me so much about how far kindness and support and compassion can go, both in regards to my own struggles as well as in witnessing other people dealing with theirs. There are people who don’t prioritize those things, and it shows in their actions and the ways that they go around hurting other people – my idea of hell on earth would just be more of that, I think! Also, lots of long lines! I really hate waiting, haha

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

I’d probably change them up to put less of a focus on how much sex people have and how much people want to sit around or eat, and more on people who hurt, manipulated, and cheated others. I don’t think Limbo would work quite as it does for Dante, especially in regards to shunning the nonbelievers! I’d also maybe nix the middle violence ring, since it seems pretty awful that folks who would be in a rough enough spot to opt for suicide would then be made to suffer even more (via… tree transformation and harpy feeding? Is that right? Ouch!)

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

The Gits – Second Skin

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Honestly, all of the levels are pretty terrifying. Is there a way to safely take a glass elevator tour? I don’t need to meet anyone in particular, but a drive by glimpse of Medusa or Cleopatra would be pretty cool!

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten? Can you share a recipe?

I like regular spicy food, but can’t really handle overly spicy food because my belly is a baby! But here’s a fun story: the first time I ever tried sushi, the friend that took me to the restaurant told me that wasabi was meant to be snorted before your meal. They were joking, but I am extremely gullible, so I did it quickly before the food came. I suffered greatly. Would not recommend.

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

I have a lot of favorite villains – I always end up liking them more than the heroes! One of my favorites is Jubal Early from the Firefly TV show. He’s a bounty hunter sort of modeled after Boba Fett, and he’s super terrifying – a methodical sadist whose own mother could sense some sort of darkness inside him.

I also really love Pyramid Head from the Silent Hill 2 video game – super scary, and such a great character design! A lot of the villains in Silent Hill are pretty great, really. And they’re all manifestations of people’s pain and grief and mistakes in monster-form, which adds a whole other layer of scariness to them in my opinion!

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

I don’t have a lot of big goals for writing, really. I started writing to help me work out some of the anxieties and problems in my brain, and so far, it’s been great for that. I’d love to hold a full book that I’ve written in my hands! That’s my main goal right now, really!

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! There are so many things I just had no idea about before this year, and I’m so grateful to the people who have offered advice or tips or answered my questions about anything writing related. There are a lot of books on the craft, but not a lot of resources on the nitty gritty how-tos for unrepresented new writers looking to submit to publishers. When in doubt, ask! There is usually someone around who won’t mind answering

Bio:

Cassie Daley is a blogger, artist, and writer living in Northern California with her boyfriend and three dogs. Her first published short story, ‘Ready or Not’, debuted as a part of Fright Girl Summer, and is available to read online. Aside from writing, she runs an online art shop and is a contributing team member to the Dead Head Reviews and Ladies of Horror Fiction websites. She is the creator of THE BIG BOOK OF HORROR AUTHORS: A Coloring & Activity Book, and is also a host on The PikeCast, a book podcast dedicated to reading and discussing the works of Christopher Pike. You can find Cassie on Twitter as @ctrlaltcassie, or letsgetgalactic.com.  

Latest publication and links.

Writing:

“Ready or Not” – Free online story, part of Fright Girl Summer: https://www.frightgirlsummer.com/ready-or-not

Nonfiction article in Issue #14 of Unnerving Magazine: https://www.amazon.com/Unnerving-Magazine-14-King-Inspired-Extended/dp/1989206565

“Ruthie’s Garden” – story in WE ARE WOLVES: A Charity Anthology by Burial Day Books (out later this year – https://twitter.com/BurialDay)

My own books:

The Big Book of Horror Authors: A Coloring & Activity Book (https://www.etsy.com/listing/839579430/the-big-book-of-horror-authors)

You’re Out of This World: A Magical 12-Month Self-Love Planner & Activity Book for Boss Witches (https://www.etsy.com/listing/878544959/youre-out-of-this-world-witchy-planner)

Lynn Love is a writer introduced to me by Alyson Faye and I am so glad she did. Lynn leads us into the Inferno at the dreaded point of Limbo, a place I think we might all feel familiar with at the moment. Her story Limbo, is the first story in the First Circle.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

When I saw the theme of Limbo, this ex-Catholic schoolgirl’s mind instantly went to the Magdalene Houses, laundries run by the Catholic Church and other bodies that housed unmarried mothers and their children. The women were used as cheap labour, often verbally and physically abused and many of their children were taken from them and forcibly adopted.

There was a strong pull in my mind between the old Catholic belief of Limbo (a place where the souls of unbaptised babies went after death) and the laundries, especially those such as the convent run by the Sisters of our Lady of Charity in Dublin where 155 bodies were found in a mass grave.

When I was doing my research, I read that some women weren’t made aware they could ever leave the convents, so they just stayed. I began to imagine what the life of one of these women might be like, someone who had lived her whole life in Limbo – first in one such institution, then as a live-in carer.  I imagined the dialogue, the bond, between the woman and those neglected children buried in a mass grave and the story grew from there.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

On a serious note – my son being badly injured or seriously ill. I can’t imagine a more effective torture for Satan to devise for me.

On a not so serious note – being forced to watch the ultra-cheap, ultra-cheesy, sickeningly sentimental Christmas films that fill the Channel Five schedule in December whilst Baby Shark is played at ear melting volume. (Almost tempted to put a link to Baby Shark here but thought better of it – Steph)

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

I’d dispense with the lot because the only factor that should determine whether someone’s condemned to Hell or not, is what harm they did in life. If you did more harm than good,  an eternity of cheesy Christmas films and Baby Shark should be yours.

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

As an old Goth, I recommend a Siouxsie and the Banshees song from the album Peepshow – Rawhead and Bloody Bones. The music is discordant and very unsettling and the lyrics talk about unpunished misdeeds, a sense that something sinister lurks at the bottom of ponds and wells, in chimneys, waiting, if not to right wrongs, then just to do very bad things to you.

Also Andrew Bird and Matt Berninger’s version of A Lyke Wake Dirge, describing the soul’s journey to Purgatory. Fitting for this story, but I’d listen to it when reading anything unsettling – it’s hypnotic.

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

A couple of candidates for me – Galileo Galilei, a heretic according to the Catholic Church of the 17th century. I’d love to listen to the man explain how he had the courage to promote the Copernican model of the Solar System, of the Earth orbiting the Sun, even though he must have known the Inquisition would try him for it. I might not understand what he was saying, but I’d still be in awe.

The other is the blues musician Robert Johnson, who (if rumours of his womanising are to be believed) is probably in the Second Circle of Hell, Lust. There are very few recordings of Johnson, so I’d love to hear him play, to see if he was as amazing as reputation would have us believe. Most of all, I’d like to know if the story is true, that he really did sell his soul to the Devil in return for his musical talent.

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten. Can you share a recipe?

We eat a lot of curry in our house – I mean, a lot – so the hottest would be a tough one to pin down. There’s a sweet potato vindaloo recipe by Meera Sodha which is pretty pokey. It might not be the hottest thing I’ve eaten, but it’s hot, tangy and bloody delicious.

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

Ooh, so many! The Anchorites from David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks and Slade House are pretty repellent. They’re sort of soul vampires, gaining eternal life from the murder of others. Neil Gaiman’s created some outstanding villains – The Man Jack from The Graveyard Book, Croup and Vandemar in Neverwhere. As for an historical villain, there’s nothing ‘favourite’ about her, but the serial killing baby farmer Amelia Dyer is an interesting person. I wonder how she was emotionally detached enough to murder an estimated 400 children placed in her care. She’s at once fascinating and repulsive.

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

I’m not naive enough to think I could write full-time, but to earn a reasonable amount of my income from writing would be brilliant. My debut Urban Fantasy novel is being read by agents now and I’m taking my mind off that terrifying thought by writing my next novel, a supernatural thriller set during the early 1970s.

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers.

I have two. Write a lot. I mean, a real lot, more than you imagine is necessary to be good. But also, develop your writers’ gut by sending your work to trusted readers for feedback. Read that feedback, digest it, even if it’s not glowing. Over time your gut will tell you what advice to follow to improve your work and what to ignore. In the end it’s your story and only you know what it should be.

Bio:

Lynn Love is a Bristol based writer whose serials and short stories have been published in various magazines in the UK and in online outlets including Writing Magazine, The Horror Tree and The People’s Friend. She was a guest blogger for Mslexia and was mentored by author Ruth Ware (In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10) through the WoMentoring Project.

Her debut Contemporary Fantasy novel is out to agents and she’s currently writing a Supernatural Mystery set in a rundown coastal town in the early 1970s. 
Twitters at: @Lynn800XLove.

Latest publication and links.

She blogs at Word Shamble https://lynnmlovewords.wordpress.com/

C.C. Adams is a writer who pulls no punches. A fixture on the UK indie scene, he joins the Inferno at its deepest, darkest point in Circle Nine with his story ‘Janine Inside Me’. Whilst he was writing his story, I picked up a copy of Forfeit Tissue from Demain Publishing and realised we would be in for something special. Here are C.C’s infernal views on the darker side.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

One thing I like to explore is when everyday narratives are become something insidious. Malicious. Twisted. All the good stuff. Without giving too much away, I wanted to take the kinds of characters I imagined would have a pleasant and well-rounded existence and shift them to somewhere harrowing. Yes, you might like to think that you’d never let your loved ones come to harm – but what if that basic status quo has changed? What do you do?

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

Now this is discomforting here…

One thing I suppose would be hellish is the idea that we as humans are prey. Yes, there are instances where we as human beings succumb to animal attacks; mauled by dogs, bitten by snakes, eaten by crocodiles. Those are exceptions rather than the norm; like how people eat chicken. Or beef. Or fish.

It’s not a pleasant thought that we as humans could be culled and harvested like livestock.

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. No; looks pretty comprehensive to me. I might take out Lust though.

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

Off the top of my head? I’d say it would be ‘Imagine’ – not the John Lennon version, but the cover by A Perfect Circle. Because while the lyrics suggest a peaceful future, the music behind it is haunting and melancholy. When the drums kick in, there’s a sense of fury, whether it’s simmering or spent – but it’s there.

I’ve never been a fan of the original track – each to their own, I suppose, but I heard this cover by accident. All because the ‘Counting Bodies Like Sheep…’ track appears on the teaser trailer for the Fantastic Four (Chris Evans, Jessica Alba) – ‘you know that looked cool.’ I loved that enough to get the artist’s album, which is Emotive. And then I heard the cover of Imagine. Which is one of my all-time favourite covers of any song.

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

Intriguing. I’m tempted to go with Fraud.

See, I used to have this thing where I wouldn’t lie – that it was dishonourable. I say that remembering at least one job where a call came through for a boss. Boss in question said, ‘tell them I’m not here.’ But the older I get and the more I see, I decide lies aren’t so bad, if they’re done with honourable intent. If someone with a gun visits you at home asking for your child, you might lie to protect your child. But those who lie and cheat without that honour? I don’t wish such hell on them but if they’re sent to Hell, I won’t lose sleep over it.

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten? Can you share a recipe?

Could be anything! I can do mild spicy, but I’m not a spice fanatic. I have a hankering for Lebanese food and around the mid-range on the Nando’s scale. West Indian heritage and upbringing means I know the taste of Encona hot pepper sauce, as well as the yellow pepper sauce. Although I remember trying to down some Danish schnapps in Denmark years back – and that was hot. Took ages just to sip a mouthful.

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

You do realise this’ll be a major trip down the rabbit-hole, right…?

Oh, man, where do I begin? I mean, as a Spider-Man fan, I’ve still got several hundred original-issue comics – mainly Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man. Favourite Spidey villain? Can’t pick just one – although the Lizard and Electro have always been favourites. As is, I’m still re-reading the Spidey vs Lizard ARC, No Turning Back, which features Morbius, the living vampire. Suspenseful, violent, and very clever. Also pays homage to Amazing Spider-Man #100 – #102.

TV villains, I’d go with Angelus from Buffy The Vampire Slayer / Angel. The ‘demon with the face of an angel’ isn’t one for histrionics, but he has a cold and ruthless humour in place of his humanity. Personal favourite appearances are Passion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Soulless (Angel). Compelling. “Oooh, provocative. Get me all riled up.”

As for film? Too many films to remember, let alone choose from. One standout has to be the antagonist from Fallen (which is my second favourite film of all time behind John Carpenter’s “The Thing”). And what I like about the antagonist here is that even when Reese is dead, you’ve got a cunning and seemingly invincible foe. How do you defeat that? You know what also sells it? The film hardly has special effects, but from the story point of view, how the …mechanics of the antagonist present themselves is unsettling. You see it in Denzel’s performance – his character doesn’t know which way to turn, he’s out of his depth. At least, he is at first.

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

To run with it as far as I can and make a good living from it. I don’t want or need to be a celebrity with it though. For all the mileage so far, I do my best to stay humble and heed the basics: write good stories that engage and move the audience. And maybe scare the shit outta them.

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers.

For any author who wants to write stories: write. Start a story, finish a story, repeat. That’s the bottom line, the alpha-omega – and it’s so deceptively simple on paper that some people will fall down when it comes to putting it into practise.

Bio:

London native C.C. Adams is the horror/dark fiction author behind books such as But Worse Will Come, Forfeit Tissue and Downwind, Alice. His short fiction appears in publications such as Turn To Ash, Weirdbook Magazine and The Third Corona Book of Horror Stories. A member of the Horror Writers Association, he still lives in the capital. This is where he lifts weights, cooks—and looks for the perfect quote to set off the next dark delicacy.

Visit him at www.ccadams.com and here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrAdamsWrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrAdamsWrites
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CC-Adams/e/B00J438GCI
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/CC-Adams/e/B00J438GCI

Latest publication:

Meet Alice Morecambe.

After two years away, a chance encounter with her ex-boyfriend Kieran proves awkward and sours when Alice lashes out at him, before storming off. An unfortunate turn of events that would soon blow over, right?

Wrong.

Because, unfortunately for Alice, Kieran is …different now.

For the last couple of years, Kieran has kept a tight rein on more than his feelings – but now he’s going to do more than tell Alice how he really feels.

He’s going to show her.

And Alice won’t know what’s downwind until it’s too late.

Downwind, Alice              –              https://www.ccadams.com/downwind-alice

V. Castro is an author I feel privileged to include in Inferno. If you like gritty, powerful writing, check out her novella, Hairspray and Switchblades from Unnerving (I sprinted through this fantastic page turner not long ago). V. fires her way into the Sixth Circle of Inferno with At the Bottom of my Lake of Blood.

Infernal Clock: What was the inspiration behind your story?

When approached for this anthology I knew I wanted it to be from a different perspective. I have been The Other all my life and I relish sharing that experience because although it has caused much pain, it has made me the woman I am and becoming. I’ve also been to very dark places at the bottom. Exploring that is important to me and I think its important for other people struggling to know they are not alone. You can be at the bottom, but there is always a way out. You don’t have to settle. You don’t have to believe you are not enough.

Infernal Clock: What is your idea of hell on earth?

My idea of hell on Earth is not living the life you truly want to live, even if it means a little pain and hard work. Hell is not being true to yourself, denying who you really are and not going for what you really want out of this very short life.

Infernal Clock: The Inferno was created on old ideas of sin. If you had to label the nine levels how, what would you call them? Would you keep it at 9? Increase or decrease?

For me there is one sin and that is not treating others with love or respect. This goes for humans, animals, children, and Earth.

Infernal Clock: They say the Devil has all the good tunes. What song would you recommend as an accompaniment to your story?

I wrote this story to Seasons In the Abyss by Slayer. I love music and write all the time to music. For this theme, I thought it was appropriate because the song begins slow, almost like an obsessive thought. The beginning captures the simmering rage. The gong is when the thought turns to action.  There is a building of the tempo and arrangement that marks the “breakthrough” in the story. That is when the music speeds up. All hell breaks loose (literally) after that.

Infernal Clock: If you were able to visit the Inferno, what level would you want to go to and who would you want to see there?

I want to see Satan. The chamber would most likely be empty or a mirror with our own reflection.

Infernal Clock: What is the hottest food you’ve ever eaten. Can you share a recipe?

Probably a Madras curry here in the UK or my very own salsa. I use multiple dried chilis to give it a complex spicy flavor. The recipe is too long! The curry was in a restaurant.

Infernal Clock: Who is your ‘favourite’ villain in history or fiction?

My favorite villain would be Satan. Consider who tells the story in the first place. You never know.

Infernal Clock: What is your long-term ambition for your writing?

My stories made into films. My stories to have meaning even if it is for one person.

Infernal Clock: Top-tip for other writers

Don’t compare. Your journey is your own. The story you write can only be told by you. Find your voice and express it without apology especially if you are from a marginalized community.

Bio:

V. Castro is a Mexican American writer originally from Texas now
residing in the UK with her family. When not caring for her three
children, she dedicates her time to writing.

For more information about her books and other publications, please
visit www.vvcastro.com. Violet is also co-founder of Fright Girl
Summer, a book festival for women in horror. You can also follow her
on Twitter and Instagram @vlatinalondon.

Her latest publication:

Goddess of Filth from Creature Publishing is available for preorder! Click on the book cover.