I had the pleasure of reading today’s featured book last spring, and with horror, comedy, science fiction, mystery, and paranormal short stories, it offers something for everyone. I like this author’s plan of dealing with a killer loose in the woods, and I fully intend on following up to see how he’s time-traveled. Welcome Hugh W. Roberts!
Would you rather walk through a haunted graveyard at midnight or spend the night in a haunted, abandoned house?
Given that the option of walking through the haunted graveyard is only at midnight, I’d go for that option as it seems the quickest of the two.
However, I’d have to wear a mask that had tiny peepholes for eyes. Why? Well, shortly after my 21st birthday, it suddenly dawned on me that it didn’t matter which graveyard I went into, the first grave I looked at always had the date of death of the occupant as my birthdate. I’m not talking about the year, just the month and the date.
At first, I thought it was a coincidence, but now I’ve stopped reading the tombstones of graves because seeing my birthdate engraved on one gives me the shivers.
Would you rather be abducted by aliens or a serial killer?
Aliens. Who knows, they could be friendly and take me on another trip through space and time (something I want to do more of). Keep this to yourself, Teri, but as I’ve already time-travelled several times, I’d like to check out if time-travel is possible on another planet.
Would you rather be locked in a haunted insane asylum or lost in the woods with a killer on the loose?
I’d rather be lost in the woods with a killer on the loose.
Unlike many of the movies I have watched where somebody is lost in the woods with a killer on the loose, I’d climb the first biggest tree and take in the view. That way, I could see if the killer is anywhere in sight. If he/she is, I would do my impressions of an owl and hope that the killer would walk on by.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in the same setting, where would you choose?
London. Even though I lived and worked in London for 27 years, I have an unfinished book based on my time living and working there. It’s currently in the deepest archives of the hard drive of my computer.
I’m confident that by going back to live in London, I would get the book finished and have started the second book of the series. I would serialise the first book either on my blog or on Wattpad to see whether or not it had any chance of becoming a success.
My inspiration for doing this comes from the ‘Tales of the City’ books by Armistead Maupin, although he serialised the first book in a newspaper before it actually became a book.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
I hope you don’t mind me doing this, but I’ve turned this question around. For me, as a gay man, it’s writing from the point-of-view of a heterosexual man that I can sometimes find difficult. Does that make sense?
I’ve written a short story about two men in a relationship, and I’ve written a story about an elderly widow who goes on a strange, eerie journey so she can be reunited with her dead husband, but I had never been able to write a proper story about a man and woman in a heterosexual relationship.
However, after telling my editor I’d never write a rom-com, she challenged me to write one. Well, it took me a long time to come up with something and, after telling her the two main characters would be a man and a woman, both she and I were amused and shocked by the results. I’m not sure how much she really liked the story, but I saw it as a challenge I had completed and included the story, ‘Double Eighteen’, in my latest collection of short stories.
What are you working on now?
Having recently returned from a six-week blogging break, I’m currently spending all my writing time on writing new articles for my blog.
For some reason, I don’t feel now is the right time to be writing more short stories for my next short story collection. I have a lot more subjects to write about on my blog, and my readers seem to be enjoying the blog posts I am publishing.
I always enjoy giving my readers food-for-thought. Thus, the majority of my blog posts are attracting large amounts of comments which I enjoy reading and answering.
Do you believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden? Or know the real truth about what lurks inside every mobile phone? Would you steal items from a blind person, or send your neighbours on a time travelling adventure fraught with danger and menace in order to save the human race from a bug? How about staying in a sleepy village where many murders have taken place, or coming to the aid of royalty while out shopping? These are just some of the subjects covered in the second collection of short stories and flash fiction from author and writer, Hugh W. Roberts.
‘More Glimpses’ gives the reader an opportunity to take a peek into the lives of normal, everyday people whose lives are all on a path full of twists, turns and unexpected endings. However, it’s not only about the humans; nothing escapes the extraordinary journeys Hugh has planned for you.
If you are a lover of shows such as ‘Black Mirror’ or ‘The Twilight Zone’ then you’re in for another exciting trip in this second collection from Hugh. Come and meet the characters who had no idea their lives were about to be turned upside-down.
Enjoy the ride!
Purchase Link
Bio
Hugh W. Roberts lives in Swansea, South Wales, in the United Kingdom.
Hugh gets his inspiration for writing from various avenues including writing prompts, photos, eavesdropping and while out walking his dogs, Toby and Austin. Although he was born in Wales, he has lived around various parts of the United Kingdom, including London where he lived and worked for 27 years.
Hugh suffers from a mild form of dyslexia but, after discovering blogging, decided not to allow the condition to stop his passion for writing. Since creating his blog ‘Hugh’s Views & News’ in February 2014, he has built up a strong following and now writes every day. Always keen to promote other bloggers, authors and writers, Hugh enjoys the interaction blogging brings and has built up a group of online friends he considers as an ‘everyday essential’.
His short stories have become well known for the unexpected twists they contain in taking the reader up a completely different path to one they think they are on. One of the best compliments a reader can give Hugh is “I never saw that ending coming.”
Having published his first book of short stories, Glimpses, in December 2016, his second collection of short stories, More Glimpses, was released in March 2019.
A keen photographer, he also enjoys cycling, walking, reading, watching television, and enjoys relaxing with a glass of red wine and sweet popcorn.
Hugh shares his life with John, his civil-partner, and Toby and Austin, their Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
Social Media
Blog: Hugh’s Views and News
Twitter: @HughRoberts05
Flipboard
Mix.com
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Universal Link for buying Glimpses
Universal Link for buying More Glimpses
Books and Such 
I read both “Glimpses” and “More Glimpses” earlier this year. They were excellent reads.
I love your lost in the woods answer, Hugh. Now I’m curious as to how good of an owl impression you can do. If it’s not a very good one, you should probably just stay quietly in the tree. The killer wouldn’t notice you up there anyhow… Nobody ever looks up.
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Hi, Tori. I hate to post this here but didn’t know how else to reach you. I checked your website for the animal interviews, but couldn’t seem to locate it.Could you share the link or email me at maeclair@maeclair.com?
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Hi Mae, it’s on my blog, not the actual website. But no worries, I’ll eMail you in a bit.
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Awesome. Thanks!
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Ahh, thanks, Tori. I’m making those owl noises right now and am getting strange looks from my partner and the dogs.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed both my books. As Halloween is approaching, I have some blog posts coming up about them over the next couple of weeks.
And you’re right about looking up. We should do it far more often.
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Hugh, I don’t doubt that about the strange looks from your partner and dogs. Haha!
I look forward to reading those posts.
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That is so freaky about the cemetery, Hugh. I’d get weirded out by tha,t too!
I like the idea that your stories end with an unexpected twist. That’s my kind of reading. I’m going to have to check into “Glimpses” and “More Glimpses.”
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Thank you, Mae. It seems I’ve become ‘known’ for my ‘twists,’ Ever since I wrote my first short story and published it on my blog, those twists keep following me everywhere. I like them, though.
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I love the idea of your personal cemetery hex. (Sorry, but it’s so intriguing.) I’m a big fan of short fiction, and wish you all the best with it.
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I thought so too, Craig. So weird that the birthdates were the same.
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Thank you, Craig. With 60 short stories and pieces of flash fiction now published, I do still have lots of unpublished short stories in my archives. They are currently under tight wrap, waiting for the day to pounce on me again. They have a habit of doing that when I least expect it.
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They seem to ebb and flow. My brain isn’t in short mode at the moment, so I’ve been working on longer projects.
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I have a longer project in the archives, but it’s been there since 2014! Whether it will ever see the light of day, who knows?
Good luck with your current WIP.
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Thanks so much for allowing me to participate in Bad Moon Rising, Teri. Your questions were fun to answer. I’d forgotten about my spooky cemetery experiences until I saw your question. I wonder if I should try going into a cemetery again and looking at the date of death of the first gravestone I see?
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Thrilled to have you again, Hugh! If it were me, I’d have to give it a shot just to see if it happened again.
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Maybe you always see your birthday on a tombstone because you’re just subconsciously attuned to that date. It’s still freaky, though.
Loved your answer about climbing a tree. Excellent choice.
All the best to Hugh. Thanks, Teri.
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I like the tree idea also, Staci – except I’m vertically challenged, so I’d have to hope for low limbs, lol.
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You could be right, Staci. Given that I don’t celebrate my birthday (it’s just another day to me). maybe that’s why I keep seeing the date on gravestones?
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OMG, Hugh — what if the killer is in that tree? 😉 It’s good to see you at Bad Moon.
Teri, thanks for hosting Hugh. I love his imagination. He always adds something unexpected. Hugs on the wing!
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Just think if you and Hugh combined your creative imaginations, Teagan.
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I’ve been in WordPress hell most of the day. I’m sure Hugh could come up with quite a story on that scenario.
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I’ve already covered blogging and bloggers in ‘The Truth App’, a story in my first collection of short stories, Glimpses. Some bloggers told me they couldn’t finish the story because it was so true to fact and had them very frightened. That was just the feedback I wanted. 😀
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The Truth App is what I was thinking of when I made that remark, Hugh. Fabulous story.
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Thank you, Teagan. I hope it didn’t scare you as much as it did other bloggers. 🎃
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I never thought of that, Teagan. However, as Tori mentioned in an earlier comment, ‘look up.’ If I ever find myself in the woods/serial-killer situation, I’ll be sure to keep looking up (as well as behind me).
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Your experiences with graveyards have certainly been very creepy, Hugh. I would avoid them too. My son, Greg, has strong feelings that I must not photograph any graves, so when I want pictures I have to take them on the sly so as not to offend him. You are very good at short stories and another book would not go amiss.
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Thank you, Robbie. Greg has a great plot for a short story with what he says about photographing graves. I’ve seen ‘Orbs’ appear in the photos of graves. It’s almost as if they know you’re taking the photo.
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Wow, I haven’t had that, but I haven’t taken many photographs of graves. I like to respect my son’s views.
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It is always a treat to read a Hugh interview. The gravestone birthday story was different for sure. I would stay out of graveyards if that were me. Thanks, Hugh and Teri.
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I don’t wander into graveyards anymore, John. I prefer, instead, a nice quiet walk in the park. Nothing can happen there, can it?
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That is weird about your birthdate and the cemetery. I’d stop reading tombstones too!
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I’ve stopped reading them now, Joan. However, I’ve started noticing my birthday come up a few times in books I’ve read where somebody has died.
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