T. M. Gray
Encyclopedia
T. M. Gray is an American horror author of many short stories, several novels and a nonfiction book on ghost hunting. Gray lives in Birch Harbor, Maine and is a member of the Horror Writers Association
.
to nearby Winter Harbor, Maine
. T. M. Gray attended schools in Gouldsboro, Maine
and Sullivan, Maine and took secretarial classes in Bangor, Maine
. At age 17, she wrote her first novel
and met Stephen King
in October 1980. In December of that year, she fell in love with Robert Gray, a lobster fisherman from Wonsqueak Harbor, Maine. They married on August 10, 1984. They have two children, son Thomas Gardner (born in 1985) and a daughter Robyn Elizabeth (born in 1991)
winning author Weston Oches). Since then, Gray's stories have been published in print magazines such as Morbid Curiosity, Thirteen Stories, Scared Naked and in various anthologies (Small Bites, The Blackest Death, Vol. II, and Femmes de la Brumme to name a few).
Gray's first novel, a rambling, error-ridden erotic vampire tale written in high school, was never published, nor was Gray's second novel, Eriksson's Vinlanda, a work based on the Icelandic Sagas. The third try was a charm, however when Mr. Crisper (mass market size tpb) was published in 2004 by Hellbound Books, and later that year The Ravenous
(trade paperback) was published by Black Death Books. Ghosts of Eden
(hardcover) was published in 2005 by Five Star, a Thomson Gale
imprint. Gray's nonfiction Ghosts of Maine was published by Schiffer Books in February 2008.
or Rapunzel
, perhaps...and later on, George A. Romero
's Night of the Living Dead and King's novel Salem's Lot. I've been asked why I chose horror as a genre for my writing. I always say it's the other way around: horror chose me."
Gray revealed the most memorable thing anyone has said about her work in an interview at The Eternal Night, a book review site in Britain. Says Gray: "Well, a few years ago, I submitted a story to an editor who wrote back and said it was the sickest thing she ever read, but then she said it was "sick in the best sense of the word". I may be warped, but knowing that the editor had seen a lot of bizarre stuff in her career, I took her comment as a huge compliment, especially since the story was as psychological as it was gritty-physical. I went on to sell it elsewhere (twice!), and it received a Stoker recommendation, so I guess others thought it "sick" as well."
Gray's books and stories take place in Maine, and according to a 2005 Library Journal review: "Gray (Mr. Crisper and The Ravenous) continues her tradition of creating compelling horror tales with a strong foothold in setting and regional folklore." In a 2005 interview by Kopfhalter! magazine, Gray explains why so many of her works happen in coastal Maine: "I like to think it's more cerebral than merely writing what I know, but when it comes right down to the wire, New England is a fairly scary place. Without question, coastal Downeast Maine is beautiful, breathtaking even, but bottom line is this: it's an isolated, harsh and natural beauty, and nature itself is neutral, neither bad nor good. It just is. Only when something terrible happens...it seems mighty evil. That's what's really frightening: the misinterpretation of events and the inability to foresee what lies ahead..."
horror writer, Darren Franz.
in Cemetery Dance magazine, Michael Laimo
, James Newman and Brian Keene
. A book review in the Bangor Daily News
(February 2005) declares "T.M. Gray proves herself a writer to watch in the horror field." In an Amazon.com
review, Harriet Klausner
writes: "T.M. Gray has talent and will one day be one of the superstars of the genre..."
Horror Writers Association
The Horror Writers Association is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark Fantasy writers. It was formed in the 1980s with the help of many of the field's greats, including Joe Lansdale, Robert...
.
Early life
At four years of age, Gray's family moved from Bar Harbor, MaineBar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
to nearby Winter Harbor, Maine
Winter Harbor, Maine
Winter Harbor is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. T. M. Gray attended schools in Gouldsboro, Maine
Gouldsboro, Maine
Gouldsboro is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States on the Schoodic Peninsula. The town was named for Robert Gould, a landholder in the town. The town has many historically separate fishing and summer visitor villages, including Birch Harbor, Prospect Harbor, and Corea...
and Sullivan, Maine and took secretarial classes in Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
. At age 17, she wrote her first novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
and met Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
in October 1980. In December of that year, she fell in love with Robert Gray, a lobster fisherman from Wonsqueak Harbor, Maine. They married on August 10, 1984. They have two children, son Thomas Gardner (born in 1985) and a daughter Robyn Elizabeth (born in 1991)
Career
T. M. Gray's professional writing career began with short horror stories. "Compassion" was one of the first to be published (in 1999 at Bloody Muse, a zine owned by Bram StokerBram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
winning author Weston Oches). Since then, Gray's stories have been published in print magazines such as Morbid Curiosity, Thirteen Stories, Scared Naked and in various anthologies (Small Bites, The Blackest Death, Vol. II, and Femmes de la Brumme to name a few).
Gray's first novel, a rambling, error-ridden erotic vampire tale written in high school, was never published, nor was Gray's second novel, Eriksson's Vinlanda, a work based on the Icelandic Sagas. The third try was a charm, however when Mr. Crisper (mass market size tpb) was published in 2004 by Hellbound Books, and later that year The Ravenous
The Ravenous (novel)
The Ravenous is a 2003 horror novel written by T. M. Gray. It is Gray's second published novel.T. M. Gray's novel The Ravenous is about a rural Maine town where most of the adult citizens are members of a human-sacrificial cult. The plot involves a teenager who discovers the horrifying truth about...
(trade paperback) was published by Black Death Books. Ghosts of Eden
Ghosts of Eden
Ghosts of Eden is a 2005 horror novel written by T. M. Gray. It is Gray's third published novel.Ghosts of Eden is the 1947 story of a young woman who returns to her childhood home in Bar Harbor after spending several years in a mental ward....
(hardcover) was published in 2005 by Five Star, a Thomson Gale
Thomson Gale
Gale is an educational publishing company based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the United States, in the western suburbs of Detroit. It was part of the Thomson Learning division of the Thomson Corporation, a Canadian company, but became part of Cengage Learning in 2007.The company, formerly known...
imprint. Gray's nonfiction Ghosts of Maine was published by Schiffer Books in February 2008.
Writing style
In an interview with Staci Layne Wilson of About.com, T.M. Gray admits being drawn to write dark tales at a young age. "[Fairytales] triggered something in my psyche as a small child. Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
or Rapunzel
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698...
, perhaps...and later on, George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
's Night of the Living Dead and King's novel Salem's Lot. I've been asked why I chose horror as a genre for my writing. I always say it's the other way around: horror chose me."
Gray revealed the most memorable thing anyone has said about her work in an interview at The Eternal Night, a book review site in Britain. Says Gray: "Well, a few years ago, I submitted a story to an editor who wrote back and said it was the sickest thing she ever read, but then she said it was "sick in the best sense of the word". I may be warped, but knowing that the editor had seen a lot of bizarre stuff in her career, I took her comment as a huge compliment, especially since the story was as psychological as it was gritty-physical. I went on to sell it elsewhere (twice!), and it received a Stoker recommendation, so I guess others thought it "sick" as well."
Gray's books and stories take place in Maine, and according to a 2005 Library Journal review: "Gray (Mr. Crisper and The Ravenous) continues her tradition of creating compelling horror tales with a strong foothold in setting and regional folklore." In a 2005 interview by Kopfhalter! magazine, Gray explains why so many of her works happen in coastal Maine: "I like to think it's more cerebral than merely writing what I know, but when it comes right down to the wire, New England is a fairly scary place. Without question, coastal Downeast Maine is beautiful, breathtaking even, but bottom line is this: it's an isolated, harsh and natural beauty, and nature itself is neutral, neither bad nor good. It just is. Only when something terrible happens...it seems mighty evil. That's what's really frightening: the misinterpretation of events and the inability to foresee what lies ahead..."
Collaborations
Over the years T.M. Gray has teamed up with other writers. In 2003, she and fellow Maine horror writer Mark Edward Hall wrote 'The Ruby Necklace', a short story published by Lost Village Publishing Enterprises. In 2004, Gray and British horror writer Mark West penned the novel 'White Meat'. A collaboration of a new novel is in the works by Gray, West and New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
horror writer, Darren Franz.
Reviews
Gray's books have been favorably reviewed by David Niall WilsonDavid Niall Wilson
David Niall Wilson is an American writer primarily known for his works of horror, science fiction, and fantasy fiction.-Background:...
in Cemetery Dance magazine, Michael Laimo
Michael Laimo
Michael Laimo born in 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, is a popular horror author whose novels include Atmosphere, Dead Souls, Deep in the Darkness, The Demonologist, Fires Rising, and Sleepwalker. He is currently at work on a sequel to his best-selling novel Deep In The Darkness, entitled Return To...
, James Newman and Brian Keene
Brian Keene
Brian Keene is an American author, primarily of horror, crime fiction, and comic books. He has won two Bram Stoker Awards.- Background :Keene was born in 1967. He grew up in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and many of his books take place in these locales. After graduating high school, he...
. A book review in the Bangor Daily News
Bangor Daily News
The Bangor Daily News is an American newspaper that was founded on June 18, 1889; in 1900 the paper merged with the Bangor Whig and Courier. The Bangor Publishing Co. publishes the paper in Bangor, Maine, in addition to two weekly papers distributed by the BDN and several others distributed by the...
(February 2005) declares "T.M. Gray proves herself a writer to watch in the horror field." In an Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
review, Harriet Klausner
Harriet Klausner
Harriet Klausner is a reviewer of books. She was the #1 ranked reviewer on Amazon.com until October 24, 2008 when the company began a new ranking system and, as of May 28, 2011, is ranked number 706 with over 24,500 reviews total....
writes: "T.M. Gray has talent and will one day be one of the superstars of the genre..."