Labels

So, Horror is a dirty word in the publishing world. Horror doesn't sell, they say. Tell that to Thom Harris, or Michael Crichton, or Hel, even Patricia Cornwell. Call it mystery, or suspense, or dark fantasy, or even gothic romance...it all boils down to semantics doesn't it. Mainstream publishers are quick to call a book anything other than Horror, but the reality is just the same. A label, for good or ill, comes attached with a certain amount of baggage and we "Horror Writers" are not the only ones to suffer.
Truth be told, my work probably is more properly called gothic fantasy or dark romance, or some such...I certainly lean toward the "Dark Shadows" end of the horror writing spectrum. I find that women tend to love my work, particularily in the case of Cairnwood Manor, which has a dash of romance and a helping of suspense. I don't apologize for this at all. I write what I like to read...I am moved by characters and how they deal with supernatural situations. I also am unabashedly enthralled by the "classic" monsters of myth: vampires, werewolves, mummies, witches, and the like.
So label me a Horror Writer if you will. I am not ashamed. I am proud of the genre and proud of the work, and though others might be labeled differently in an attempt to garnish additional sales, it is still Horror no matter how you try to redress it.