Julian M. Coleman Unleashes the Supernatural Through Psychological Horror and Deeply Human Stories

Exploring the Shadows of Fear and Love in a World Where Reality and the Supernatural Collide

Julian M. Coleman crafts chilling horror narratives inspired by sleep paralysis, history, and psychological depth, blending graphic intensity with compelling storytelling to create unforgettable characters and hauntingly immersive worlds.

Julian M. Coleman weaves horror with deep psychological complexity, creating stories that challenge the boundaries between reality and the supernatural. Her fascination with the eerie and unexplainable is rooted in both personal experience and a lifelong admiration for masterful horror storytelling. Inspired by Stephen King and her own encounters with sleep paralysis, she crafts narratives that are as unsettling as they are deeply human.

Her ability to breathe life into characters—whether demonic lovers, haunted souls, or vengeful spirits—stems from her keen observational skills. An introvert by nature, she absorbs the nuances of human behaviour, translating them into layered, compelling figures that blur the lines between good and evil. Through her work, she masterfully constructs intricate relationships and conflicts, ensuring that every act of violence or passion serves a greater purpose within the story.

Blending historical and contemporary settings, Coleman crafts narratives that explore duality—of time, of character, and of morality. The Fury of Angels, for instance, intertwines past and present, forcing its protagonists to confront not only external horrors but their own evolving identities. Similarly, in The Demon Lover’s Chronicles, she presents a vampire saga where the true strength lies not in the creature’s immortality but in the unwavering bonds of sisterhood and maternal love.

With each novel, Coleman invites readers into a world where unseen horrors lurk just beyond perception, yet human resilience and connection remain the most powerful forces of all.

A masterful storyteller, Coleman delivers gripping supernatural tales infused with emotional depth, historical intrigue, and psychological realism that keep readers enthralled from start to finish.

What inspired you to write graphic horror novels, and how do you approach balancing graphic content with compelling storytelling?

Poverty inspired me to escape through reading. Writing was a natural progression. Sleep paralysis, and my absolute admiration for Stephen King, inspired me to write horror novels. I believe graphic content shouldn’t be gratuitous. Sex and violence must add something to the story and enhance the psychological development of the characters.

How do your personal experiences or background influence the creation of your characters and settings?

As an introvert, I prefer watching people instead of engaging in conversations. We can all learn a lot from observing body language as opposed to listening to words. When I write, I try to adopt the personalities of all of my characters. Gender and sexual orientation don’t matter (I research to keep my ignorance from showing). I hope “wearing” their behaviors while writing keeps them from becoming flat, or one-dimensional characters. I also love creating despicable characters and making the reader care about them despite their diabolical misdeeds. A soulless demon who unexpectedly falls in love and devours his competition? Check. A sociopath murdering her way through the 1880s, learns to love while relying on her 2000s doppelgänger. Check.

What challenges did you face while writing stories with such intense and supernatural themes?

My primary challenge is finding the time to write. Since I also suffer from sleep paralysis. I’ve seen and experienced horrors in my wake/sleep state and add them in books. For example, shortly after moving into my historic (old) house, I had a nightmare where I “saw” a black figure standing over our bed, reeking of intense hatred. I remember trembling because I had never experienced an involuntary shaking that wasn’t because of cold weather. Eventually, whatever was had disappeared, and I fell back to sleep. Make my behavior make sense? The next day, I recreated the entity and added it to The Prophet’s Mother.

By the way, the human eye can only see a fraction of the light spectrum. I believe there are things around us we can’t see.   

Can you share your creative process for developing the intertwining relationships and conflicts in your novels?

My process is simple for intertwining relationships and conflicts in my novels. Before I get started at the computer…no pen or paper…I have the complete storyline in my head. It’s like writing down the scenes from a movie. Naturally, there are kinks when an idea doesn’t quite fit. I usually run a few miles to pump oxygen into my brain. The first plot twist in “The Prophet’s Mother” came to me near the end of my three-mile run. That twist led to a second cliffhanger. Besides “wearing” characters, I also use past and present relationships for character development. The demon in The Demon Lover’s Chronicles is based on a real person I once accused of “draining the life right out of me.”

How did you come up with the concept of blending historical and modern settings, as seen in The Fury of Angels?

When I did the first draft of The Fury of Angels, I didn’t like it. Sara was the primary character, and despite her horrendous circumstances, I didn’t think the reader would care one iota about her. My second draft I added depth to 19^th century Sara by having Sammy experiencing Sara’s struggles in a distinctly modern way. The update also highlighted the duality of their characters. Sara, the badass gunslinger, softens and falls in love. Sammy, the sweet rich kid, loses her Pollyanna approach to life and toughens up. The teens need each other to survive.

What message or emotions do you hope readers take away from your works, particularly those in The Demon Lover’s Chronicles?

Ironically, the sensual vampire love story isn’t the primary focus of The Demon Lover’s Chronicles. The creature, Cesar, was fun to write. I loved giving him a voice and presence. But the real love in my series centers on the unshakeable bonds between the priestesses: a sisterly love that corrupts death, and a frayed mother and daughter relationship that gives rise to a powerful supernatural leader who must face a vampire horde.

“The real love in my series centers on the unshakeable bonds between the priestesses: a sisterly love that corrupts death.” – Julian M. Coleman