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I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost – Lee ‘Haunted House’ Mountford interview

Lee Mountford

1. Who is Lee Mountford:

Lee Mountford is a horror author from the North-East of England. His first book, Horror in the Woods, was published in May 2017 to fantastic reviews, and his follow-up book, The Demonic, achieved Best Seller status in both Occult Horror and British Horror categories on Amazon.

He is a lifelong horror fan, much to the dismay of his amazing wife, Michelle, and his work is available in ebook, print and audiobook formats.

In August 2017 he and his wife welcomed their first daughter, Ella, into the world. In May 2019, their second daughter, Sophie, came along. Michelle is hoping the girls doesn’t inherit her father’s love of horror, but Lee has other ideas…

2. How did you get into writing? 

I’ve always loved writing, and at school my favourite lessons where the ones where we got to write fiction. For my English literature exam, I actually tried my hand at a sequel to Dracula, in the form of a short story. It was garbage, of course, but definitely in keeping with the genre I loved. But it wasn’t until 2016 I decided to give novel writing some serious attention. After many failed attempts at actually completing a book, I set to work in writing two – Horror in the Woods and The Demonic. Both were released in 2017, and I’ve managed to keep going from there.

3. Describe your writing style as if it were the demonic love child of 2 or more of your favourite authors, genetically spliced together in a lab and grown in a vat of green goo.

Ohhh this is a good one! I’ll actually go of what some of my kind readers have said – a mix of Laymon, Barker, and Herbert. So we’ll make it a three way love child! Of course, I’m not a patch of any of those authors, but the comparisons are certainly nice to read.

4.Tell us about you biggest achievement or proudest writing moment to date?

Putting out my first book to great reviews is up there, as is the commercial success of my second book, The Demonic. But I think my biggest achievement so far isn’t one book, but the Haunted series I’m currently writing. Having a running story with intertwining plot lines has proved challenging, but very rewarding, and something I am really proud of, considering the fantastic feedback I’ve received so far.

5. Now tell us about you lowest moment and how you overcame it? Go on, be a hero… 

The first bad review is always a kicker, but I suppose the way I got over it is being prepared for it. EVERYONE gets them, and the trick was realising it isn’t a personal attack. Not everyone will like your work. Not everyone SHOULD like your work. And that’s a good thing. Variety and diversity is what fuels the world.
Dan: ah, those negative reviews. My favourite of my own to date had the headline ‘Would have given it zero if I could.’ Ouch!

6. What’s your spookiest life experience?

Hmmm, tricky one! I can’t really remember anything spooky happening to me, personally, but I have heard stories from other people. I remember my Dad, when he was younger (and dinosaurs walked the Earth… which he’ll kill me for saying lol) played about with a Ouija board with some friends in one of their houses. He said that all the doors – cupboard doors, doors to rooms etc – all slowly drifted open at the same time. The dog suddenly jumped up and bolted out of the room. Then, all the doors slammed shut at the same time. No word of a lie, growing up he always told me that if he ever found out I’d used a Ouija board in the house, he’d kick me out!

7. What’s the best book you read this year, and why?

Well, I’m currently on with Dune (as per your recommendation, Dan) and it is fantastic. I can’t see it being topped, despite me reading some amazing books.
Dan: I chuffed you’re loving it, and I think you got the Folio edition too. That’s a beautiful object. They make amazing books.

8. What book/story do you wish you could have written?

 

There are probably thousands of books I wish could have written, but I’m going to go with Dracula. And that’s as much for the legacy Stoker gained from writing it as it is from the story itself (which is still amazing).

Dan: Can’t argue with a classic.

9. Which monster from fiction – books, TV or film – would you most like to be and why?

This one took some deciding upon. I considered Pinhead, as he just tends to slowly walk around looking like a boss, and doesn’t really need to move too much, just calmly throwing a hook out every now and again (and the lack of running and physically exertion really appealed!). Jason and Michael Myers… I think being either of those would get boring real quick. Cthulhu and Azathoth and others from the Lovecraft universe would just be too alien to enjoy. I get the feeling they don’t have a lot of fun. Dracula could work (who needs the sun?), and Freddy would be fun given he can shape the world around him when in someone’s dream (though he is still stuck in someone else’s dream all the time), but I think I’m going to go with Dorian Gray! I know that sounds boring, but given I just turned 40, the idea of eternal youth appeals to me a whole lot right now!

10. Which one of your books would be best adapted into a movie? And who would you cast in the lead roles?

That’s another tricky one. I think the Haunted universe could work well, but that would (hopefully) be more of a series. Tormented would be crazy to see, given what happens in the story, and Forest of the Damned would be something… though I think that one might upset a few people. So I’m going to pick Horror in the Woods. It starts off with the familiar mutant-cannibal-hillbilly tropes, but slowly shows a Lovecraftian influence. I’d cast Rose Leslie (Ygritte from Game of Thrones) as Ashley, Gary Oldman could do something special with Ben (the deranged father) and, strange as it sounds, Kate Winslet as Adele (the deranged mother).

11. You have a really active Facebook group for your fans. You even poll them for suggestions for upcoming projects. Can you tell us about something creative that’s has come out of interactive with your fans?

Oh, where to begin? I’m so lucky to have the best readers in the world, and their help has been invaluable! They’ve helped with closing cover designs, giving opinions on which books to write next, even giving suggestions for cool locations and urban legends to research. They’ve helped shape so much of my work so far. And I just figure that, if I want options on things… who better to ask than the people who read my work?

12. Where did the idea for your last book come from?

My last book was Haunted: Possession, Book 4 in the Haunted series. I’d just wrapped up the events around Perron Manor, which took three books to do, so I wanted to move the story to a different location. I liked the idea of setting it in a cathedral – a place that shouldn’t be haunted – and also involving a possessed priest. That was the crux of what I started with. I remember watching the movie The Nun, and thinking it was terrible, with so much wasted potential. I guess this book was a way to try and take that kind of story, but do it justice. I then started researching possible locations and ran from there. The trick for me was trying to tie it back into the overarching story I’d set up, and finding cool new ways to push everything forward. Hopefully, I succeeded there. Early reviews seem to indicate so.

13. Can you tell us something about your current ‘work in progress’?

So I have to things to mention here. I’m currently plotting out Books 5 and 6 in the Haunted series, but I’m also fleshing out a completely new series, which will be set in Victorian Britain. It will be a kind of horror, dark fantasy tale, with lots of monsters, lovecraftian threats, conspiracy, and violence. The story for the first book is pretty much set, but I’m taking my time creating the world around it, as it’s so different from anything else I’ve written before. I’m really excited about it, though.

14. What book of yours should people start with?

I would say either Haunted: Perron Manor, The Demonic, or Horror in the Woods. Any of those three, depending on your tastes (Horror in the Woods is more gory and violent, and the other two are haunted house tales, with The Demonic a stand-alone, and Perron Manor the start of a series).

Dan: I’m enjoying Netherwell at the moment. Lovecraft meets Herbert. 

15. Have you got a newsletter/reader magnet?

Yes! People can sign up to my newsletter by visiting my website and clicking the link, or via my Facebook Page. Or… by clicking here: http://eepurl.com/dlXhy1 For signing up, readers will get the ebook version of The Nightmare Collection, which is a novel-length short story collection.

16. Where can people stalk you online like a serial killer?

I have a website, which is www.leemountford.com, but am most active on Facebook. My Facebook Author Page is: @LeeMountfordAuthor. Twitter: @LeeMountford01. Serial killers are fine, as long as they promise to buy my books! I think that’s fair.
You can find him at:

Dan: it’s a good deal:)

18. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Yes, I think you are doing awesome work by showcasing other horror authors, Dan, and should be commended for it. It’s selfless and shows a love for readers as well as the genre. As a fantastic author yourself (and you’ve been kind enough to share some of your ideas, which I’m totally stealing!) it’s really kind of you to do. Oh, and everyone should support indie horror – it’s where all the cool kids hang out!
Dan: Aw shucks! Thanks for saying that, but really I’m the one benefiting from interacting with all these great writers. And you’re right, indie horror IS where all the cool kids are…
Take a look at all Lee’s wonderful horror books here:
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