J’AIME SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023

ooks and movies,” says Gary. “I grew
up in the 70s and 80s – part of what you
could call ‘Generation VHS’. We were the
kids who listened for voices in the white
noise at TV closedown, said things into
mirrors and watched Damian grow up.
“When it comes to books, Stephen
King remains the master, of course, but
modern horror fiction is going through a
renaissance at the moment, with lots of
interesting authors about. I’d recommend
The Whistling, by Rebecca Netley and
Come With Me by Ronald Malfi for a
start.”
And while Gary has plenty of reading
recommendations, 13 Doors comes with
plenty of acclaim of its own.
“It’s been very humbling to see the reviews coming
in, and I’ve been blown away by how it’s been
received,” he says. “ When you’ve poured yourself
into a project like this you can only hope that people
will like it, so it has been wonderful to see how
readers have connected with the book, its characters,
and the stories that they tell. I’m hoping now that,
as Halloween approaches, more people will be brave
enough to open 13 Doors!”
And while 13 Doors hopefully won’t be the last we
hear of Gary’s writing, he’s in no rush to start work
HOPWAS WOODS INSPIRED ONE OF
THE CHAPTERS OF SUPERNATURAL
THRILLER 13 DOORS, WHICH
FOLLOWS A JOURNALIST AS HE VISITS
HAUNTED LOCATIONS
on novel number two just yet.
“I have a few ideas in place, but at the moment I’m
concentrating on getting as many people as possible
to read 13 Doors,” he says. “I’ve waited 30 years to
write my first novel, so I’m enjoying the sensation of
having it out there on the shelves!”
13 Doors by GJ Phelps is out now, published
by The Book Guild, and available in
paperback and ebook format from retailers
nationwide including Waterstones, WH
Smith, Amazon and more.
AUTHOR GJ PHELPS HAS JUST RELEASED
HIS DEBUT HORROR NOVEL
8
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