Interview: Jeani Rector, Editor of ‘Shadow Masters’

Welcome my special guest, Jeani Rector, editor of the very popular The Horror Zine. Her newest anthology, Shadow Masters, has just been released by Canadian publisher Imajin Books. Jeani was generous enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some of my questions about Shadow Masters, which, by the way, is already a bestseller on the Imajin website.

Congratulations on the release of Shadow Masters: An Anthology from the Horror Zine. How did you first get the idea for this anthology?

As the editor of the monthly online magazine The Horror Zine, I receive submissions of fiction, poetry and art every day. But then I had the idea to compile the best new fiction that doesn’t appear anywhere else…not in the ezine and not in any other publication…brand new. And what if that brand new fiction not only contained the best talents in the genre, but also contained some of the best-selling authors in the genre?

That’s what you find in Shadow Masters: An Anthology from the Horror Zine. Exclusive fiction from some of the best in the genre.

Featuring never before published works from best-selling authors such as Bentley Little, Yvonne Navarro, Scott Nicholson, Melanie Tem, Elizabeth Massie, Earl Hamner, Simon Clark, Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Ronald Malfi, Lisa Morton, Jeff Bennington, JG Faherty and many others, this amazing collection of works also includes a Foreword from Joe R. Lansdale.

Are there any common themes that bind the stories together?

From classic horror and exciting suspense to Twilight Zone-type speculative fiction with twisted endings, Shadow Masters delves into the darkest corners of our nightmares and delivers the shivers.

What do you first consider when putting together an anthology?

Quality.

How long did it take you to put this anthology together? What was the most challenging aspect?

Because this antho has original fiction, it took many months to collect all the works. After all, I had to wait until the stories could be written!

The most rewarding?

Reading the stories for the first time. I am always amazed at the talents some people possess. It never gets old for me.

What makes a successful horror anthology?

The diversity. Shadow Masters not only contains classic horror, but also has exciting suspense and Twilight Zone-type speculative fiction with twisted endings. This book has it all.

What advice would you give to people who are considering putting together an anthology?

Expect to work hard and unfortunately, expect to reject a lot of fiction that is good, but not good enough.

Tell us where readers can purchase and find out more about Shadow Masters: An Anthology from the Horror Zine.

Learn about the book here: http://www.thehorrorzine.com/Shadow/ShadowMasters.html