M.R. Cullen

My writing career began when I was five and reading Where the Wild Things Are to myself. When I say reading, I mean I was making it as I went along using the beautiful illustrations. That story started a lifelong love affair between myself and storytelling.

I’d love to say I’m one of those precocious children who grew up to be exactly what they said they would be when they were younger, but I’m not. I had a bit of a detour. Ten years working in call centres. 16 years -so far – as a conference producer. 23 years as a drunk with anxiety problems.

It took getting sober – a journey that began on December 27, 2016, for me to even begin clawing my way back to my childhood dream. But I did it. And I’ve managed to stay sober too. Even during the pandemic.

After working my way through several courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre I decided it was time to put finger to keypad. So I did. I wrote a story about a young boy who, with the help of a wizard trapped in the body of a Scot Terrier, has to find Santa who has been kidnapped. Several other novels followed all of which live on my computer.

One day, while listening to a interview with Neil Gaiman I heard the dreaded words all writers hate. Just do it. It’s always struck me in the past as flippant, but for some reason it kicked me in the bottom that day and I began to write Confession. Family and friends all looked at me like I’d grown a new head, but I’ve always loved horror and despite looking like I’d turn green at the sight of a dribble of blood (I would btw) this is imaginary. A place to go and kick your demons in the balls.

Confession was released and it did okay. I was already up to my eyeballs in writing In His Words by then and when it came out I sat back and waited for Hollywood to come a’knockin’. They didn’t. Obviously that was very rude of them, but my delusions aside, In His Words is still my favourite child.

2022 has been a rollercoaster and I found myself running at full pace just to keep up with the stories pouring out of my head. I wrote 4 chapter books for young children. I wrote two full length YA gay romance novels and I’ve half drafted my next horror novel.

This site and blog is dedicated to the horror and suspense career. I’ll have another one – one day – for the other sides of muse.

Until next we meet among the poison ivy.