02/22/2026 Author Spotlight: Craig Brownlie

Candace Nola
1 hour ago
2 min read

This week, Craig Brownlie is our spotlight author. I met Craig at my very first Authorcon in 2022, hosted by Scares That Care, as a fan of my work, so quite a surreal moment for me as I was not yet used to anyone saying they were a fan of mine, let alone being excited to meet me.

Craig was an aspiring author at the time and we quickly became friends. He's kind, gentle, and truly a wonderful person to know. Check out his interview below and be sure to pick up one of his books!

MEET CRAIG BROWNLIE

Introduce yourself in 4 sentences or less.

Craig Brownlie is much better from the 3-point line than doing layups because, frankly, he has no ups. He is licensed to argue cases before the Supreme Court though no one has ever asked (nor should they). His first published book was the Commercial Banking Handbook from Financial Publishing Company. He designed the set for the American debut of The Bishop’s Bonfire by Sean O’Casey.

Describe your style of writing in 2 sentences or less.

Fanciful horror with exposed emotions and body parts.

What is your favorite type of horror to write?

I like telling stories which swerve. Sometimes it’s in the plot and sometimes it’s in the telling. I believe the type of horror is another way to swerve, so I like writing anything that feels off-kilter.

What is your favorite book or character you’ve written so far?

I’m fond of so many, but Gil from A Book of Practical Monsters might be closest to my heart.

Who are your top 5 favorite authors ?

Charles Dickens, Kage Baker, Chester Himes, Cordwainer Smith, N.K. Jemisin

What most inspires you to keep writing when imposter syndrome hits the hardest?

Every book, song, painting, play, film, show, building, etc. that speaks to me. They exist because someone showed up and did the work. The work was messy, interrupted, interminable, bad, brilliant, and too damn heavy some days. Consuming art as often as possible is what keeps the burners firing.

Is there a genre, sub-genre, or trope you’ve not written, that you’d like to try?

I’d like to do more theatre, but it would be starting from scratch at this point rebuilding those contacts.

What is your hope for your writing career for the next five years? As in where do you see yourself?

Fingers crossed, in five years, I’m living on a beach with an ocean view sitting at a laptop writing another best seller. I can live with it not being a best seller, but I really hope someone wants whatever it is I’m typing.