More From This Author
Books & Stories
Should you wish to support my lifelong struggle of having to eat every day, you can get a copy of Spider Mafia
Ava Paints the Horses is up on Cast of Wondersis up on Cast of Wonders
White Casket was recently reprinted in Cosmic Horror Monthly #30:
Born in a Tomb is scheduled for publication on April 4th in the next issue of Cellar Door
Story Art Sneak Peek
Amazing Artwork By Daniela Rivera
"Vesper's Garden"
Anthology: More Than A Monster
Release Date: Sept 8th, 2023
Preorders: Coming Soon
About the Author: Ville Meriläinen is an award-winning Finnish author. His horror and fantasy short fiction has appeared in various journals and anthologies online and in print, including Pseudopod, Cast of Wonders, and Intergalactic Medicine Show.
Release Date: Sept 8th, 2023
Preorders: Coming Soon
About the Author: Ville Meriläinen is an award-winning Finnish author. His horror and fantasy short fiction has appeared in various journals and anthologies online and in print, including Pseudopod, Cast of Wonders, and Intergalactic Medicine Show.
Q & A
How does it feel to have this story published for the first time?
I don't really have strong feelings about publications themselves, but being able to afford the better cheese is nice.
What inspired the idea for your story?
This story is quite old, so I doubt there was more inspiration than a vague note of direction like: "There's these magic deer monsters and they, I dunno, want to kill people. Yeah, that'll do it." They were simple times.
We know that writing can be a tumultuous journey with a lot of obstacles, what is your kryptonite as a writer?
Excessive self-criticism. I'm dissatisfied with everything I finish, so most works never do get finished.
Clearly, you’ve succeeded at writing a captivating story for GrendelPress, but we all start somewhere. What advice would you give yourself as a young writer?
Finish your drafts, ya dummy. Be a tortured artist once you can afford the better cheese.
We’d like to argue that every good story makes both the author and the readers feel something. What perspectives or beliefs have you challenged with your story?
Stories are powerful. They evoke emotions and enlighten us, serve as vehicles for messages and as catalysts for self-reflection. Nonetheless, fewer families are reading books together than before. This is not only saddening, but reckless parenting. My message is simple: Not a single child must suffer because a magic deer monster wanted to kill them and they didn't know any stories to distract it.
(I know we like to joke around here but seriously, read to your kids. Read to adults. Light up some candles and read to your partner. It's a good time.)
(I know we like to joke around here but seriously, read to your kids. Read to adults. Light up some candles and read to your partner. It's a good time.)
What do you love most about your story’s genre?
The concept of spending hours researching the anatomy of the brain and how fear works on a hormonal level to justify the sentence "and that is why the intrepid heroine shoots bees out of her eyes" is really funny to me.
Tell us about your favorite author. What about their book(s) call to you and how do they inspire your own writing?
I see you fishing for answers to my security questions and I will not fall for it.
What are some other genres you’d like to break into and why?
I've long been intrigued by the idea of a film series fusing elaborate gothic whodunnit plots with hardcore porn. The concept of a cynical detective delivering a heartfelt monologue about the inextricable relationship of violence and the human condition in the middle of a BDSM scene is really, really funny to me.
If you had to pick another story of yours to share with your readers, what would it be?
Ava Paints the Horses. I don't like recommending my own work on account of the aforementioned self-criticism, but this one's okay.
