A special feature for our readers, the Twisted Tales editor interviewed by Elizabeth A. Merz, author of The Last Gate.

Annette Gisby is the author of Silent Screams, an exciting mystery thriller and the editor of Twisted Tales. She grew up in Rathfriland, a small town in Northern Ireland, moving to London when she was seventeen. She attended St. Mary's High School and Our Lady's Grammar schools in Newry, doing very well in her English exams. Even while still at school, she had articles published in newspapers, most notably The Mourne Observer.

When not writing, she enjoys cinema, theatre, wandering around old ruined castles, walking along deserted beaches, good places for inspiration. She loves travelling and has recently returned from a trip to Australia with her husband.

She is currently working on her second novel and still lives in London with her husband, a menagerie of stuffed animals and enough books to fill a small library.

Silent Screams tells the story of Jessica, a young women with secrets. After a failed suicide attempt, she is referred to a psychiatrist. At first she is reluctant to reveal why she tried to kill herself, but the truth emerges over several sessions. It soon becomes clear that Jessica isn't the only one with secrets and some of them should have remained buried...

1) Who most inspired you to become a writer?

Oh, that's a difficult one. I read a lot of Stephen King when I was a teenager (didn't we all?), but lately I've been reading a lot of Barbara Wood and Sheri S. Tepper. I don't remember a time when I didn't write, even as a child I used to make up stories and plays that I would use my dolls to act out. My English teacher was very encouraging when one of my friends told her that I was writing short stories, she read some and said I should get them published. I don't think I could say that one particular person inspired me to write, good books helped in that I would think, 'I wish I could write like that.' Bad books also helped in that I thought I could do better! I also loved stories of Robin Hood, knights and anything medieval really. My husband was also a good influence, in that he wouldn't read my book until I'd finished it, so it spurred me on to get it completed!

2) In your bio, you mentioned growing up in N. Ireland. That brings to mind castles, beautiful countryside, and political conflict. How did your life in Ireland shape you as a writer, and a person?

The countryside is beautiful, and it is a shame that some people can't get on with other people. It was a little disconcerting to go about and see soldiers on the street with guns, and sometimes tanks driving down the roads. As children, we weren't allowed to play with toy guns outside in case they'd be mistaken for real ones.

I love castles and every Easter, we used to go to Greencastle, a ruined 12th century castle near Kilkeel, and have an egg race, where we rolled our hardboiled eggs down the moat. It was a great place to explore, you could go up the towers and investigate lots of nooks and crannies.

We also lived near the place where Patrick Bronte was born, father of the famous writers. Maybe writing's in the air there!

It started because sometimes as I was watching an episode, I thought maybe they hadn't explored a particular scene deeply enough, or that I wanted a different ending, so I wrote my own. I was writing fanfic before we'd ever got the internet, but once we did, I posted some stories and got some really good feedback from readers and other writers. I also wanted to explore a romantic relationship between Mulder and Scully, which at the time wasn't happening on the show.

4) Of all the stories you've written for your fanfic page, which is your favorite?

Only one? I think it'll probably have to be "By Choice." This was a post episode for "Never Again", which a lot of fans, including me, thought left things up in the air. My effort was to try and clear some of them up, and I received a great deal of positive feedback on my story.

5) I have to ask......did the producers of X-Files ever contact you to use any of your stories?

I wish! No, at least not yet! That would be so exciting, but I don't think it's something that would ever happen. It's nice to have a dream, though.

6) Okay, almost done with X-files questions.....How did you feel about the way they wrapped up the final season with Scully and Mulder?

As a shipper, I have to say I loved it! (Spoilers ahead) That final scene where Mulder kissed Scully as she's holding the baby just made my day. The episode still left a few questions though, which I suppose is their way of having it open for another series. I think Mulder was the father of the baby, but it wasn't spelled out, it was left up to the viewer to decide. And I've decided, he is the father! (grin)

7) Not only do you write thrillers, and X-Files fanfic, but you are also the editor of your own eZine, Twisted Tales. What made you decide to start up Twisted Tales?

As a writer starting out, I know how difficult it can be to get someone to read your work, never mind publish it anywhere. I decided to start Twisted Tales as a showcase for writers, the main criteria that they write good stories or poetry. It doesn't matter whether they've ever had a book published or none, if the story is good it gets published on the webzine. If they have a book to promote, they can include a URL with their story, so it's a bit of free promotion for writers as well. There's no payment, I'm doing this as a hobby, not a business.

8) In November, your critically acclaimed book Silent Screams will be on the market, published by Barclay. What are you most looking forward to once your book is released?

I would love to go into a bookshop and see my book sitting on a shelf, with lots of people picking it up and thinking of buying it.

9) Do you have any other upcoming projects that you'd like to share with our readers?

At the moment I'm working on my second novel, tentatively titled "Drowning Rapunzel." It's another thriller, but this time with a bit of a supernatural/horror bent. Two of my short stories, "The White Room" and "Pretty" have been selected as part of a sci-fi anthology entitled "Alien Light", edited by Carl Rafala and Paul Hughes. Publication is set for sometime this summer. They both started off as fanfic, but went through a bit of re-write for the anthology. The proceeds are going towards literacy programs.

10) In closing, what advice would you give writers?

Write what you would like to read and what interests you. Read, read and read. And most of all, write. You can't get published if you haven't written anything. It's a tough road, but if you want it, you'll get there in the end. You need to develop a tough skin to cope with all the rejections, but remember, even the famous writers probably didn't get accepted by the first publisher they contacted. Never give up.

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