Interview by Crystal Lake Publishing

  Author Spotlight on J.M. Heluk 

Tell us a bit more about you and where you're from...

Heluk: New Jersey gets a bad rap. It's unwarranted. We grow the best tomatoes and have award-winning corn. The beach is only an hour drive away. There's plenty of nature and farmland, too. It isn't called The Garden State for no reason.

I hail from a mystical spot in the middle known as Central Jersey, which some say doesn't exist.

As for me, I'm 20 years in the horror writing game and I've been extremely fortunate.

What inspired your winning story? Why did that particular theme resonate with you?

Heluk: I grew up in the second golden age of horror; the 1980's. As a child, I was weaned on classics like Creature from the Black Lagoon (who I had a crush on) and Atomic-Age films, most notably Godzilla (who I also had a crush on). My heroes have always been monsters.

My teen years were filled with Tales from the Crypt and every amazing horror movie ever made. Entire weekends were lost watching VHS tapes from Blockbuster Video, selected solely by how campy the covers were. And then came my all-time favorite movie, John Carpenter's The Thing.

But one of my first movie memories was, THEM! -- the 1954 classic mutant ant film. That really imprinted on me.

For Prawn of the Dead, I thought, what would be the least of things that could do a huge amount of damage if left unchecked? Something undetected running amok with apocalyptic consequences? As I stood in my kitchen, I realized shrimp are pretty unassuming. And then the title came to me. Right there I knew I'd be writing a story about radioactive mutant shrimp.

I have a medical background, so I often lean into body horror. I find it effective, cruel, and unsympathetic. So, what would happen when these radioactive prawns were ingested? A genetic code would unlock, of course, melding both species into one horrific facsimile.

When, and why, did you start writing?

Heluk: There was always that spark, even as a child. All writers have it. The beginnings of "something" glowing in the back of your psyche. Could be a name, a place, an unlocked memory, or trauma. Even something as simple as a story title. But it always begins as the tiniest spark. Pretty soon, it consumes every waking moment.

For me, the story never stops. It runs constantly in the background until I get it down on paper.

Authors are haunted. All these people that you never knew, but somehow, know better than yourself. They're in your head, telling you their story. And if you write horror, they're going to languish in the most horrific situations. Worse, they want you to know exactly how they'll end.

Writing is being forever haunted by ghosts who have an awful lot to say.

What's your favourite aspect of writing horror?

Heluk: The surprise. It never fails to amaze me where a story goes. Short stories in particular are extremely gratifying for me to write.

What's the best thing about being a writer?

Heluk: You are the captain and crew. The ocean, vessel, storm and sails all at once. You know you've done a great job when you read it back and every scene plays perfectly in your head.

Writing is also powerfully therapeutic.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

Heluk: I am in love with the art of short story telling. My preference has always been an anthology or collection over a novel. Ramsey Campbell has been and remains one of my most admired contemporary authors. S. T. Joshi receives high marks, as does a writer from York named Ian Gordon. Ian also runs a terrific YouTube channel, Horrorbabble. I listen often.

When I read, I trend old-school gothic. Sit me down with some 1930's yarns and I'm in. Some favorites are Algernon Blackwood, Robert Bloch, Ambrose Bierce and Allison V. Harding. And then there's Lovecraft. I have a six-foot-tall custom oil painting of the man glaring down at me in my writing room. He's been a terrific influence on my writing.

Anything special on your 'to read' list for this year?

Heluk: I've been on a Ronald Malfi kick lately. I picked up his novel, Small Town Horror and was immediately dragged into the story. So, I'm playing catch up, reading through Malfi's catalog. Next up, Black Mouth.

I also love thrifting old books. I just found a weird one called Mutants, On Genetic Variety and the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi from 2003. Since I am a body horror fan, I can't wait to dive in.

How do you make time to write, and how do you utilize that time.

Heluk: When I was younger with less responsibility, I could write all night long. These days I write in spurts. Weekend mornings and nights mostly. I form ideas throughout the day. I also have a very long work commute so I write in my head while driving, then hope to hell I can remember any of it later.

Anything about you most folks don't know? Perhaps a hidden talent or hobby.

Heluk: Slasher movies bore me to tears and...

I have an extensive dental and medical background. Naturally, I collect oddities relating to both. I also have a pension for horror memorabilia. In what little spare time I have, I help stray cats with TNR (trap, neuter and release). This summer we discovered a hoarding situation in my neighborhood. An elderly couple was in desperate need. We rehomed and medically assisted 57 cats and kittens. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

What can readers expect from you in the future? Where do you see your career heading in the next five years?

Heluk: Expect a lot.

Stitches & Other Stories is my collection. It will be available later this year from Nightmare Press. Nothing in Stitches is what it seems, leaving the reader to speculate of the origin of its horror—to root out those subtle connections and ultimately, stitch each tale together on their own. I designed Stitches to make the reader an active participant. In the end, you ultimately decide the genesis of the horror.

I am also working on my first novel, THIG.

Where can folks find you online?

www.jmheluk.com

JMHeluk @ Instagram

@JMHeluk on X