Getting to know author, M. Purkiss

1. You write horror & psychological thrillers. What kind of fiction do you choose to read, similar?
I tend to read a lot of horror and thrillers, as this is what I have always enjoyed. I do sometimes venture out of the genre and enjoy a variety of subjects. But I always end up back with what I love and that’s horror and it’s many subcategories.

2. How many books have you written and published and what are the titles?
With the upcoming release of Lurks, I will have officially released 7 books, although this is complicated. The complete list of my releases are as follows;
– Entity (2015)
– Entity 2 (2016)
– Entity 3 (2017)
– Entity: The Complete Trilogy (2024) (Compiles all earlier releases in one book)
– Spirals of Grey (2024)
– New Fears Unlocked! (2025)
– Lurks (Releasing May 1st 2026)

3. Which is your favourite of all your own books?
An interesting a difficult question to answer. I love the Entity trilogy, this is my baby and the first ones I released so it will always hold a special place for me. But each of my releases are similarly special. My upcoming book Lurks is extra special because it helped me navigate a very traumatic breakdown I was experiencing last year and I used Lurks as an outlet to help me get through that dark time.

4. How old were you when you discovered you wanted to be an author?
I have always wanted to write. I can’t remember the age exactly. It’s always something I’ve wanted to do. I struggled to read and write during the early years of school. I was placed on remedial style sessions to help me read and write and even then I knew I wanted to be a writer. I always thought it was just some fantasy for me, but I persevered and hope to inspire others who maybe struggling to find their voice and overcome their obstacles.

5. What was the first book that really gripped you as a young reader?
I always remember reading the goosebumps books as a child and enjoyed the unusual stories they told.I The first adult book I read cover to cover was The Shining by Stephen King. Although, my all-time favourite book, which I’ve read multiple times and continue to enjoy is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

6. What are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
I always have multiple books on the go at the same time, which some people find interesting. I have recently finished The Surrogate Mother by Frieda McFadden. I am also reading a short story collection by Stephen king and The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn.

7. Do you have a favourite author?
I have authors I tend to gravitate to because I have enjoyed most or all of their work. The main ones being Stephen King, Ania Ahlborn, Frieda McFadden and Rick Wood. Although I will try anyone who piques my interest.

8. How about non-fiction. Do you read books about history, travel, self help or anything else?
My non-fiction reads are very much on theme for me. I read real-life serial killer and murder investigations. Randomly I do like reading about Tudor England and its monarchy.

9. If you were going to write a non fiction book what would be your topic?
I would love to investigate and explore more about historical people such as Vlad the Impaler, Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth Bathory.

10. What’s your favourite word?
I love this question. Without knowing, when I’m writing a book I subconsciously choose a word I repeat throughout, much to my editing teams amusement.

11. Scrabble or crosswords?
Crosswords, although I can never finish one!

12. If you could be a character in a classic novel, who would it be?
The Monster from Frankenstein. Everyday! I think I can see a lot of myself in that character. The character is quite tragic, misunderstood and isolated by the way he acts and looks. I was bullied in school and have felt different all my life, so I feel quite sympathetic and empathetic for the monster (aside from the part where he kills people)

13. What’s your latest book about?
My latest book Lurks, follows a group of four friends as they depart on a well-deserved break away from the boring mundane world of work. When they arrive they soon discover they are not alone and others are watching them. The two worlds collide and it is chaos. It is, as I mentioned, special to me in terms of the fact it helped me through my breakdown, so subsequently it is a lot darker and more graphic than my other works. But on the basis it taps into the need for survival.

14. Do you have an idea for your next book?
There are so many ideas for future books. I Just hope I have enough time to explore them all. Keep an eye on my social media pages. I have announcements coming soon!

15. Where can people buy your books?
My books are available on Amazon and on Kindle. They can sometimes also be found on websites like Waterstones etc.