I’ve always been drawn to the dark and the strange.
As an introverted kid in rural Missouri, I spent most of my time alone with my nose in a fantasy novel or my hands on a game controller. When I wasn't hibernating in my den, I explored tens of acres of untouched woodland behind my house with my dog. There, I found a love of adventure and mystery. From the wildlife (LOTs of coyotes), the long abandoned house covered in overgrowth, to the Civil War era gravestone of a Cavalry soldier alone on a hilltop--I grew to develop an active imagination with an infatuation with the dark and unknown.
That same infatuation found alone in those dark woods brought me to seek other worlds to get lost in. My curiosity led me to HP Lovecraft--who taught me dread lives in the unknown. To CS Lewis's, Chronicles of Narnia, that showed me that worlds can breathe. Then to, Robert E. Howard's, Conan the Barbarian, which blended my love of fantasy worlds, action, and dark themes all into one.
That’s where Hell Knight: Rise of the Betrayer was born—a dark fantasy world seen through the eyes of the villain. It’s 50,000 words of grit, and hopefully soon, you’ll hear it in audio.
Other than novels, I'd always enjoyed a good video game. I worked odd jobs and saved birthday money for months to save up for an Xbox. The first game that became an obsession was Halo. I loved playing as Master Chief--the sole hope for humanity--saving marines and fighting hordes of enemies. My favorite, were the flood. They added that mix of horror that I grew to love. They were chaotic, yet connected to a hive-mind intelligence, and spread like a disease. They were like zombies in space...
That--mixed with the humor and quirkiness of my favorite comics--were inspirations for Shotgun Grandma. Eight volumes of Margaret McDaniel blasting zombies with a wit deadlier than her shells—it’s horror with a twisted grin. I'm humbled that readers have left 93+ reviews on Volume 1 alone. I always joke that I was born 84 years old, so I really enjoyed writing in Margaret's point-of-view. Finishing the series is bittersweet. I'm excited to delve into new horrors and adventures, but part of me will always want to write Margaret.
Right now, both Hell Knight and Shotgun Grandma are shifting wide, breaking free of KU, and I’m stoked to share them everywhere. Next up? Dreadful Delights: A Horror Collection—a feast of fear, served one terror at a time, dropping soon. I'm having a lot of fun with this one and look forward to sharing snippets of it with you.
Writing’s my way of turning fear into fuel. Follow me on X (@EvanGrantAuthor) for more chaos.