Let’s shine a spotlight on author Maggie Holman. Her story ‘Watch Out for The Master’ Is featured in our anthology Tangle and Fen, and it is a ghost story with a twist, as the ghost isn’t a horror, but a protector. I admit I adore these types of stories! I love them with a passion–turning something traditionally threatening and instead making it protective. It brings out the idea that the true horrors of this world aren’t supernatural. However, there’s still an additional twist to this story, as Mary isn’t the only ghost around… I admit, when I found out what the true villain was I was stunned as it wasn’t who I thought!
In the years that followed the tragic fire which took the whole household, Mary had been stuck in this house, trying her best to avoid him, caught in his cat-and-mouse game. In life, he was in the stronger and more powerful position, in their master-servant world, and death had not softened his attitude. Mary didn’t know how much she could do to protect Bella, but she had to try. Bella didn’t know what he was like, because she didn’t even know he was there.
Watch Out for The Master by Maggie Holman, featured in Tangle & Fen: A Dark Fiction Anthology (p. 253). Crone Girls Press.
Q (Crone Girls Press): What inspired your story in this anthology? Tell us the “story behind the story.”
A (Author): My grandmother was a servant from the age of thirteen, in 1915, until she got married in 1923. She told me stories of this time and she hated the experience. Also, there was a ‘big house’ across from my grandmother’s home. As a small child, we would spy on the garden parties there from an upstairs window. I remembered the music, the lights and the fancy dresses and suits.
Q: Why do you write horror? What about the genre appeals to you as an author?
A: I’m not motivated by writing (or reading) realistic fiction. I’m much more fascinated by the possibilities of looking at the world in a speculative way and from ‘unreal’ perspectives.
Q: There are a number of different flavors of horror. Where does your story fit, and what drew you to this particular category?
A: My story is in the supernatural genre. I originally wrote this story in a different way and then changed it to the point of view of the ghost. I wanted to show the real-life horror that servant girls experienced at the hands of their frightening masters and I felt that having the story being told after death, and that the threat from the master was still there, was a way to show this.
Q: The world has been through some turbulent times in the past few years. How have current events changed (or not!) your approach to the genre as a writer?
A: I feel that speculative fiction genres are a way to explore real-life issues, and this has never been truer than at the moment. Authors are exploring the risks and possibilities of recent events, such as Covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in order to make sense of these serious human events. In particular, I’ve found myself wanting to develop ideas about the 21st-century refugee experience.
Q: What’s next in your writing journey?
A:I’m working on two projects: 1) A collection of short stories about women who can or need to breathe under water and 2) a speculative YA novel about a group of free-runners (parcour) and street dancers and how they deal with a shock event in their friendship group.
About The Author
Originally from the North East of England, Maggie Holman now lives in Belgium. She writes speculative and supernatural fiction, both for children and older readers, and has self-published five books: The Things We’ve Seen, The Wishing Sisters, Footprints in the Snow, The Knocking, and Save the White Stag. Her writing has been longlisted for the Mogford Prize and the National Literacy Trust modern fairy tales anthology, and shortlisted for the Stories of the Nature of Cities anthology.
Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, and her website: www.maggieholman.com
Be sure to check out their story in Tangle & Fen: A Dark Fiction Anthology
Crone Girls Press 