Women in Horror Month #12: Shelly Rosamilia, Co-Host of Lunch Ladies Book Club and Co-Owner of Project Entertainment Network

Hey everybody!  Thanks for hanging out this month.  I'll see you back here Friday with my regular nonsense, and I can't wait to do this again next year!  I think we got to meet a lot of great authors, editors, publishers, and the like.  One thing I really want to keep doing on the blog here, especially for WiHM, is to interview people a little bit outside of the publishing field.  So I'm delighted today to get to introduce one of the most important people in horror marketing and broadcasting, the very talented Shelly Rosamilia!  Let's meet her briefly then jump into the interview.  

About Shelly Rosamilia:

Shelly Rosamilia is the co-host of the Lunch Ladies Book Club podcast and co-owner of the Project Entertainment Network.  You can find her on the LLBC Facebook, LLBC Twitter, LLBC Instagram, and the PEN website.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

SR:  I am 1/3 of the Lunch Ladies Book Club Podcast. We review books from many genres and horror is one of them. I am also married to a horror author and I enjoy reading some horror.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

SR:  Things that can actually happen. A movie that scared me the most in my teens was "The People Under the Stairs." All I could think was that a house with people trapped in it like that could actually exist. I am obsessed with watching "Investigation Discovery (ID)," I love true crimes and seeing how they get solved and I take comfort in knowing the bad guys got caught. I find real life to be the scariest.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

SR:  For my part I don't see any difference. I know as a reader it does not make a difference to me if the writer is male or female, the quality of the work is what stands out.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

SR:  I don't watch much horror but I recently read Darcy Coates and enjoyed my 1st haunted house book. I did read V.C. Andrews, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, as a kid and loved it, instantly fell in love and had to read the entire series.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

SR:  The Lunch Ladies Podcast is my current project. My co-hosts, Ashley, Mimzie and I take turns selecting a book from whatever genre we decide and we break it up over 3 weeks. We discuss it in great detail, giving our opinion of what we like or don't like. Where we feel it is outstanding or where it falls short. At the end of the final episode we give it a rating of anywhere from 0 to 5 spatulas. It has been great to be exposed to books I would have never picked for myself but have enjoyed. It gets us out of our comfort zone and exposes us to new authors.

I am also co-owner of Project Entertainment Network with my husband Armand Rosamilia. We currently have 25 different podcasts on the network, many centered in the horror genre. Two of our newest additions is Cosmic Shenanigans by Mary SanGiovanni and Origins by Jaimie Engle, both amazing woman in horror.

I hope people will check me out on Lunch Ladies BC so we can all read and discuss books together. What makes them great, what do we as readers want to see, what shocks us, what disappoints us. As a reader nothing is worse then finding a book that you cannot stop thinking about and having no one to discuss it with. The Lunch Ladies BC podcast is a great place to share all of your thoughts.

Hopefully people will check out the network because it has so much to offer. Whatever topic you find interesting we have a show for you.

About Lunch Ladies Book Club:

Lunch Ladies Book Club - a blonde, a redhead and a brunette walk into a bookstore... Three well-read babes serving up hot reviews on the freshest indie books this side of the lunch counter. Join Shelly, Mimzie and Ashley each week as they dive deep and give you the breakdown on the books and authors you need to know. Who will win their prestigious Golden Spatula? Tune into Project Entertainment Network's newest girl gang!

Women in Horror Month #11: Monica J. O'Rourke, Author of WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARKNESS

If you've been following our interview series, you've already seen today's guest's name crop up.  That's because she is one of the undisputed greatest authors in the extreme horror genre.  I'm very pleased to introduce you to today's guest, the legendary Monica J. O’Rourke!

About Monica J. O'Rourke:

Monica J. O’Rourke has published more than one hundred short stories in magazines and anthologies, such as CLICKERS FOREVER: A TRIBUTE TO J.F. GONZALEZ, POSTSCRIPTS, NASTY PIECE OF WORK, "Fangoria," and THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF THE KAMA SUTRA. She is the author of POISONING EROS, written with Wrath James White, SUFFER THE FLESH, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARKNESS, and the collection IN THE END, ONLY DARKNESS. Her books and stories have been published in Germany, Greece, Poland, and Russia. She is a freelance editor and book coach.

You can find her on Facebook, her editing page on Facebook, and Twitter.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

MJO:  I’m a horror writer but also an editor. I’ve edited books and stories by a number of our colleagues! Been doing this for about a decade but been a fan of horror since I was a kid. I remember snatching my grandmother’s paperbacks—JAWS, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, THE EXORCIST, ROSEMARY'S BABY, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC—when I was 11 or 12.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

MJO:  Serial killers terrify me. Sexual sadists—men who enjoy sexually torturing their victims—terrify me. Seems like the worst way to die. There’s no reasoning with them because they have no empathy and get off inflicting pain. That just refuses to register in my brain. On the flipside, I have a fascination with/terror of sharks. Never wrote about them though (I have written about serial killers/sexual sadists).

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

MJO:  Ohhhhh … I can’t really answer this in a paragraph. Let’s just say that YES, being a woman in horror has its challenges … the least of which is the sexism and misogyny we face. (Don’t believe me? Grab twenty recent horror anthologies and see how many women are in the ToC.) I’m not saying it’s all sexism. As someone who’s read slush for various publication, women aren’t exactly beating down the door to submit to open calls. This all needs to be addressed. How do we get more women to submit their work? And how do we get men to read and accept this work?

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

MJO:  Interesting. Horror icons, and not horror writers? So do you mean women like Jamie Lee Curtis? Honestly, I don’t have favorites. I’m racking my brains and no one is coming to mind.

SK: What are you working on currently?

MJO:  I’m working on a novel … but it’s slow going. I don’t write as much as I used to! (I was quite prolific back in the day …)

About WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARKNESS:

Manhattan died, along with much of the country. Twelve-year-old Janelle lost her family in one horrific night and managed to escape into a no-longer-recognizable city. As she struggles for survival, she comes across something much worse than the decimated landscape, much worse than the enemy soldiers patrolling the streets night and day. Another force has been unleashed, one hell-bent on destroying the invading enemy—but now that they’re out, there’s no turning back.

Women in Horror Month #10: Christine Morgan, Author of SPERMJACKERS FROM HELL

If you're even tangentially associated with the horror field, you're likely to be familiar with today's guest.  An author, reviewer, fan fiction creator, and just general all-around good person, Christine Morgan is no stranger to fans of horror and bizarro.  (And if you're nice to her, you just might receive a batch of cookies or a demented doll in the mail - or both!)

About Christine Morgan:

Christine Morgan divides her writing time among many genres, from horror to historical, from superheroes to smut, anything in between and combinations thereof. She's a future crazy-cat-lady and a longtime gamer, who enjoys British television, cheesy action/disaster movies, cooking and crafts.

Her short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies. Her most recent novels include MURDER GIRLS, HIS BLOOD, and THE HORNED ONES: CORNUCOPIA. She'll have a collection of bloodthirsty Viking tales coming out in 2017.

She also edits (her current ongoing project being the Fossil Lake Anthology series), is a regular contributor to The Horror Fiction Review, and recently relocated to Portland where she's delighted to be involved with the horror and bizarro writer scene.

You can find her on her personal Facebook, business Facebook, Twitter, and her website.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

CM: First, foremost, and always as a reader and fan. Horror's been my genre of choice for as long as I can remember, since watching old monster movies with my dad and sneaking paperbacks from my grandpa's shelf he had to keep in the garage. I knew I wanted to write horror but held back for a long time, thinking I couldn't do it, thinking I should stick with fantasy ... but I got over that. These days, I write, I review (been a regular contributor to The Horror Fiction Review for a lot of years now), I dabble in editing, and I enjoy horror media in many forms. I also do freaky doll-modifications, many of which tend toward horror, or are from books and movies.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

CM: I felt ridiculously proud of myself recently when, leading up to a medical procedure, I was asked if I was claustrophobic and I was able to say no. It's, like, one of the few phobias I don't have. Creepy-crawlies is probably the big one; things with too many legs or not enough legs freak me right the heck out. Heights. Depths (oceanic; I have a real dread/fascination for undersea horrors). Of course, the bigger-scope things like death and loss and loneliness; particularly with the abovementioned medical procedures, I've developed an even keener appreciation for fearing helplessness, loss of dignity, unfinished business, that sort of thing.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

CM: I don't know how unique they are after all this time. I was a gamer girl in the 1980s and looooong since sick of any of that "girls can't/don't, are too nice, only play healers, only want romance" nonsense. Girls, and women of any age, can be goddamn vicious. It's absurd we still have to point out Mary Shelley spearheading the genre, or the ages of women telling scary stories going back to the dawn of time ... look at our fairy tales, how many of those are pure horror stories ... the Grimm brothers get the credit for collecting them but it was women telling those tales. At this point in my life, I mostly just sigh and eyeroll, though I do reserve the right to smack people with copies of Monica O'Rourke's books, for instance.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

CM: I just namedropped Monica, though I don't know if she quite counts as an icon just yet; same could be said for so many of my contemporary sisters. There are a LOT of super-talented, super-skilled ladies out there. Icons, though, I'm never sure how to define that. Characters? Personae? Mythological figures? I mean, yes, okay, maybe a lot of the myths casting the evil as feminine were more of the same patriarchy arglebargle, but look at some of those fearsome goddesses of old. Look at the blood and moon-magic and powers of creation and destruction. Awesome stuff.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

CM: Currently-currently, I'm working on pretty much bupkus, recovering from cancer surgery and radiation treatments and a whole cavalcade of health adventures. But, once I can finally knock my brain back into shape, I have the first in a series of psychic detective novels to finish up and send off, and I'm working on (with Ed Lee's permission!) a sequel to LUCIFER'S LOTTERY, and have two other extreme horror novels lined up. Plus, of course, there are always the anthology calls. I am a sucker for tempting themed anthology calls. As for promoting, the two biggies are THE RAVEN'S TABLE, my Viking collection from Word Horde, and the gooshy succubus book SPERMJACKERS FROM HELL from Deadite Press.

About SPERMJACKERS FROM HELL:

Let’s summon a succubus, they said. It’ll be fun, they said…

I have some friends and we had a crazy idea: let’s summon a demon. Not just any demon but a sexy devil chick that will do anything we want—even butt stuff. It’ll be easy. It’s not like it’s going to work. Monsters aren’t real.

We were wrong. Really fucking wrong.

The demon is not what we thought and it’s making horrible things happen. People are cutting into each other's junk, some guy is fucking his dog, and sex slugs from Hell are raping us and stealing our semen in order to build a goddamn hive!

We didn’t mean for any of this. But we’re gonna fix it... Just after a few more beers and bong hits.

From Christine Morgan, author of MYTHIC LUST: THE MINOTAUR, and THE RAVEN'S TABLE: VIKING STORIES, comes a sleazy and deviant satire about sex, occultism, and nerd culture.

Women in Horror Month #9: Claire C. Riley, Author of ODIUM

Hey everybody!  My favorite memory of today's guest comes from the first Summer of Zombie, organized by our good friend Armand Rosamilia.  I gather there must be another author with her same first and last name - hence she uses her middle initial as well.  (This is pretty common in the writing field.)  For some reason, every time Armand would release an updated list of participants, it would say just her first and last, so every time she would say, "Don't forget the C!  I need the C!" and then Armand would promptly drop it again on the next revision.  This finally culminated in Armand saying, "Oh, you'll get your C!"  Eh, maybe you had to be there.  In any case, it's been far too long to go without having her on the blog, so please allow me to introduce the very talented Claire C. Riley!  

About Claire C. Riley:

Claire C. Riley is a USA Today and international bestselling author. She is also a bestselling British horror writer and an Amazon Top 100 bestseller.

Claire writes on the darker side of fiction, dipping her pen into genres such as post-apocalyptic, dystopia, thrillers, and even some horror. She writes characters that are realistic, and kills them without mercy.

She also writes under the pen name of Cee Cee Riley, where she writes in the MC romance and post-apocalyptic romance genres.

Claire lives in the United Kingdom with her husband and three daughters. She believes that cupcakes, rum and bathroom rap battles are the solution to most of life’s problems.

Claire is represented by Michelle Johnson of Inklings Literary Agency.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and her website.

Author of:

ODIUM (DEAD SAGA Series - 5 part)
ODIUM ORIGINS Series - 3 part
LIMERENCE (The OBSESSION Series)
OUT OF THE DARK (LIGHT AND DARK Series)
TWISTED MAGIC

Co-authored books with Madeline Sheehan:

THICKER THAN BLOOD
BENEATH THE BLOOD AND BONE
SHUT UP AND KISS ME

And by Cee Cee Riley:

The RIDE OR DIE: A DEVIL'S HIGHWAYMAN MC Novel Series

Coming soon!

BLOOD CLAIM
ODIUM IV THE DEAD SAGA
BEAUTIFUL VICTIM
ODIUM 3.5
OUT OF THE DARK
The RED EYE series

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

CCR:  I’ve been writing in the zombie horror genre for several years now and have several bestselling series in it, including ODIUM the DEAD SAGA and a co-authored series THICKER THAN BLOOD. I’ve contributed to several horror themed charity anthologies too where I write some non-zombie themed horror stories. These books benefit survivors of PTSD, cancer research and more. I also have my first full length horror novel coming out around May time.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

CCR:  I can’t tell you that or I’d have to kill you! But I will say that if it has eight legs and comes near me I’m not going to be happy…

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

CCR:  I think maybe at the start it was an issue, but other horror writers are very respectful of each other and being a woman in this industry isn’t as strange as it used to be. There are some amazing female authors out there now that are doing great things with moving the genre forwards, adapting it, and in turn adapting the reader into wanting something different.

I feel very lucky that I’ve had the privilege of working with some great authors in this industry, both male and female.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

CCR:  Growing up I used to watch the "Hellraiser" movies. They scared the shit out of me but I loved them. The Cenobite Princess used to freak me out because all I could think about was what if she shrugged and ripped the skin from her head! She stands out to me as a huge female horror icon. On the opposite end of the scale, at least in the form of appearance, Ms. Argentina from Beetlejuice kicked some serious ass too! Considering she had such a small amount of screen time, she made a huge impact on me.  :)

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

CCR:  I’m currently hard at work writing the sixth book in my ODIUM series - ODIUM VI The Dead Saga. I’m honoured that my readers took my heroine—who can be a grade A bitch at times—into their hearts so much. I get the biggest kick out of writing this series and developing the characters and storylines. I think I still manage to make the zompoc genre fresh and keep my readers on their toes!

I’m also getting ready to promote my latest horror novel – BLOOD CLAIM. I’m seriously psyched about this project as I wrote it over 18 months ago but wasn’t sure if I’d ever publish it. Now seems the right time though and I can’t wait to share it with my readers. It’s about a group of gold miners who decide to go to Ghana in West Africa to dig for their fortune, only they find much more than they bargained for.

About ODIUM:

From USA Today Bestselling Author Claire C. Riley comes the first book in the intense & deeply real post-apocalyptic series, ODIUM. Bringing life, love & survival together for one thrilling read.

Nina’s life was irrevocably changed when humanity’s dead began to rise.

Now, she lives in the barricaded city, erected by the government to protect the remnants of civilization. However, they have become a brutal dictatorship- causing the inhabitants within to starve, steal and claw for survival. Life behind the walls has become as terrifying as roaming the zombie-ridden landscape beyond.

Citizens trade what they can to gain food, water, and shelter. Nina has only one currency—her body and she is tired of submitting herself to the greedy hands of the self-proclaimed leaders.

An opportunity to escape presents itself in the fate of a young girl named Emily-Rose. For the price of a stale piece of bread, she is set for banishment from the city, and most likely a horrific death at the hands of the deaders. Nina tells herself that it is sympathy and not self-preservation that makes her follow the young girl out of the walled metropolis, and into the overgrown world beyond.

Unused to fighting the deaders, Nina tries to scrounge for her survival and against her better judgment, begins to care for Emily-Rose. However, when you have a bread-stealing liability providing your only back up, survival seems even tougher. Nina is forced to fight for their lives, and with every zombie slain, she becomes fiercer, faster – a grim reaper with her not-so-sharp butcher’s knife.

Along the path to a safe-haven that might not exist, Nina and Emily-Rose meet Mikey who introduces them to a new life they could not imagine, a life above the ground. However, this new world brings new dangers, and darker shadows than she knew.

Nina finds out that the deaders aren’t the only thing to fear beyond the wall.

And that fear will not be ignored, or Forgotten.

Women in Horror Month #8: Suzanne Robb, Author of BY MIDNIGHT

Hello, all, and welcome back!  I've known today's guest for several years, and I was ashamed to realize I hadn't yet had her on the blog.  Well, today we'll unfuck that.  I'm very pleased to introduce the talented Lego-enthusiast and author Suzanne Robb!  Let's meet her briefly then jump right into the interview.

About Suzanne Robb:

Suzanne Robb is the author of DEAD BY MIDNIGHT, APOCALYPSE BY MIDNIGHT, the Z-BOAT trilogy published by Permuted Press, and CONTAMINATED published by Severed Press. She is an Active member of the ITW. In her free time she reads, watches movies, plays with her dog, and enjoys chocolate and LEGOs.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

SR:  Right now, I am involved in the world of horror via the books I have written, and to some extent the ones I write now. I also try to keep up with the books my friends put out and, of course, watch movies.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

SR:  That's tough. All the usual things scare me: dentist, zombies in real life, 80's hairstyles, and expired yogurt. But, what really gets me is sharks, scare the crap out of me. Oh yeah, and world leaders joking about nuclear arsenals puts me on edge.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

SR:  A few years back, I was asked this question. Sadly, my answer is still the same. I see so many challenges for women in horror. Grab an anthology and look at the names in the table of contents, mostly if not all men. Men's books tend to be promoted a lot more heavily than women's are, and are more predominant. And still, there are men that get upset we even have a women in horror month. I think that until we get to a time where women are recognized more often and people do not have to wrack their brains for the name of a female writer they like, Women in Horror Month is a must.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

Icons? Tough, again, I am assuming you are speaking writing wise. I love Angela Carter, Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Their story telling is amazing. Of course, I have to mention a couple of friends as well here - Emma Ennis, an Irish writer than has a knack for sucking you into a story within the first few paragraphs. Nancy Holder who is just awesome on every level.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

SR:  Currently, I am working on an urban fantasy/paranormal/humor/horror mash-up series. The series name is BY MIDNIGHT, and the books are titled DEAD BY MIDNIGHT and APOCALYPSE BY MIDNIGHT. Book 3 comes out later this year. They cover most of the bases writing wise and are a lot of fun. I flip mythology over and do a what if scenario when it comes to werewolves in the first book. I think people should check it out only if they want something a bit quirky and not the standard fare when it comes to mythology. And of course if people like a good laugh.

About DEAD BY MIDNIGHT:

What happens when you bite a wolf back on the night of the full moon?

After Zach Harris is attacked by a wolf, the most bizarre consequence isn't that the police suspect he's the serial killer… or that he's growing hair in funny places, wants to mark his territory and chase rabbits…not even that he's falling for Lucy Lane, a tenacious reporter who can expose his secret. What is truly strange is the wolf who bit him now turns into a man during the full moon.

Sucked into a murder investigation, Zach races against the clock while the Moonlight Killer taunts the police. As the pickled body parts pile up and one of Logansville’s finest goes missing, Zach forms a strange alliance to avoid life in prison orange, catch the real murderer, and try to save the woman he loves.

“Suzanne Robb is a natural storyteller. With Dead by Midnight, she has developed into the kind of writer whose work, in all of its addictive glory, will be called “effortless,” Pat Shand (Robyn Hood)

Women in Horror Month #7: Damien Angelica Walters, Author of CRY YOUR WAY HOME

Hey everybody!  I'm not sure how, but I somehow managed to finagle today's guest into coming on the blog, and she absolutely did not disappoint with a no-holds barred interview.  So today I'm pleased to bring you the legendary Damien Angelica Walters!

About Damien Angelica Walters:

Damien Angelica Walters is the author of CRY YOUR WAY HOME, PAPER TIGERS, and SING ME YOUR SCARS, winner of This is Horror’s Short Story Collection of the Year. Her short fiction has been nominated twice for a Bram Stoker Award, reprinted in THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR and THE YEAR'S BEST WEIRD FICTION, and published in various anthologies and magazines, including the Shirley Jackson Award Finalists AUTUMN CTHULHU and THE MADNESS OF DR. CALIGARI, World Fantasy Award Finalist CASSILDA'S SONG, "Nightmare Magazine," "Black Static," and "Apex Magazine." Until the magazine’s closing in 2013, she was an Associate Editor of the Hugo Award-winning "Electric Velocipede." She can be found on the web at www.damienangelicawalters.com and on Twitter.

Interview:

SK:  How are you involved in the world of horror?

DAW:  I'm an author of short fiction and novels.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

DAW:  Many, many things, but right now, those currently in governmental power are more terrifying than anything else.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

DAW:  I wish gender was irrelevant. I really do. I wish there wasn't a Women in Horror month. I hate it, honestly. There's a month where everyone talks about us, makes lists, and then boom. The other eleven months of the year we're pretty damn invisible. It's frustrating and never seems to change.

Case in point: At the beginning of every year, when it comes time to list favorite stories or best novels or what have you from the year before, overwhelmingly, the lists are male and usually white. The "there aren't as many women writing horror" excuse doesn't work anymore. It really hammers home the idea of invisibility, and I feel like we could scream about this from the rooftops and nothing would change.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

DAW:  And here's where I'm supposed to say Shirley Jackson and Mary Shelley and everyone nods and says, of course. Well, certainly, they go without saying, but there are so many women who've influenced horror with their words. Authors like Daphne Du Maurier, Octavia Butler, Tananarive Due, Joyce Carol Oates, and Margaret Atwood. Toni Morrison. Caitlin R. Kiernan. Susan Hill, Anne Rice, Kathe Koja. Not to mention more modern authors who are quickly becoming icons, authors like Helen Oyeyemi, Han Kang, Gemma Files, Sarah Langan, Livia Llewellyn, Lauren Beukes, Priya Sharma, and I could go on and on and on. It's impossible to distill the list down to a few favorites because they're all writing amazing things.

I think, perhaps, it might be easier to pick a few iconic works that everyone should read, so I'll specifically point out Margaret Atwood's THE HANDMAID'S TALE and Toni Morrison's BELOVED. Honestly, everyone should have already read them, and while there have been debates as to whether or not they should be considered horror, I don't think that should be a question at all.

And from an editorial standpoint, Ellen Datlow and Paula Guran have done wonders for the genre. I'm not even certain how many of their anthologies I have on my bookcases, but I've discovered most of my favorite short stories through them.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

DAW:  My second short fiction collection, CRY YOUR WAY HOME, was just released on January 2nd from Apex Publications. It contains seventeen stories originally published from 2014 through 2016 in a variety of magazines and anthologies and is available for purchase from all the usual haunts. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, saying "Short sharp shocks, finely developed settings, and eloquent prose make this collection a standout."

About CRY YOUR WAY HOME:

CRY YOUR WAY HOME brings together seventeen stories that delve deep into human sorrow and loss, weaving pain, fear, and resilience into beautiful tales that are sure to haunt you long after you turn the last page.

"Once upon a time there was a monster. This is how they tell you the story starts. This is a lie."

Sometimes things are not what they appear to be. DNA doesn't define us, gravity doesn't hold us, a home doesn't mean we belong. From circus tents to space stations, Damien Angelica Walters creates stories that are both achingly familiar and chillingly surreal. Within her second short story collection, she questions who the real monsters are, rips families apart and stitches them back together, and turns a cell phone into the sharpest of weapons.

"Once upon a time there was a girl ..."

Featuring the following works:
"Tooth, Tongue, and Claw"
"Deep Within the Marrow, Hidden in My Smile"
"On the Other Side of the Door, Everything Changes"
"This Is the Way I Die"
"The Hands That Hold, the Lies That Bind"
"Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys: The Elephant's Tale"
"The Judas Child"
"S Is for Soliloquy"
"The Floating Girls: A Documentary"
"Take a Walk in the Night, My Love"
"Falling Under, Through the Dark"
"The Serial Killer's Astronaut Daughter"
"Umbilicus"
"A Lie You Give, and Thus I Take"
"Little Girl Blue, Come Cry Your Way Home"
"Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice"
"In the Spaces Where You Once Lived"

Women in Horror Month #6: Kelly A. Evans, Author of THE MORTECARNI

Hi all!  Last year I got a comment right here on the blog, requesting to be a part of the WiHM interview series for 2017.  Well, the commenter was a bit late for that - I usually have this whole thing planned out early in January.  But I was happy to invite her back for 2018, and I'm pleased to introduce you all to today's guest, the talented Kelly A. Evans.  Let's meet her briefly and then jump right into the interview.  (Incidentally, if you ever want to be on the blog for any reason, my contact info is here.)

About Kelly A. Evans:

Kelly Evans was born in Canada of Scottish extraction but moved to the UK after graduation where she worked in the financial sector. She returned after nearly 20 years away and now lives in Toronto with her husband and three rescue cats. Her horror stories have been published in numerous magazines and E-zines. She is also the author of The Northern Queen, an historic fiction taking place in Anglo Saxon England, and The Mortecarni, a medieval horror taking place during the Black Death.  Kelly is currently working on the second book in the Mortecarni series.

You can find her on Facebook, Amazon, and her website.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

KAE:  I'm not only a huge fan, particularly of the old black and white classic horrors and the 50s/60s giant-animals genre, I'm a writer of horror. My short stories have been published in both e-zines and paper magazines, and my first horror novel came out last year.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

KAE:  Water! I'm terrified of the stuff, won't get in a boat unless I can see the shore, can't even look at pictures of underwater ships etc. Man, don't get me started on those horrifying Titanic images! And all of the creepy sea creatures, like aliens. Is that a fear, or a healthy respect? Hmm...

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

KAE:  The horror market is absolutely dominated by men! Maybe because, in the early days of horror, thinking about, never mind writing about, dead bodies, beasties, creatures, death, etc etc, was NOT a very lady-like activity. Thankfully those days are gone but we're still very much playing catch up with the boys.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

I'd have to say I enjoy reading about the history of Lady Bathory, as well as Delphine LaLaurie. In film, Sigourney Weaver, hands down.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

I'm currently working on the second of my historic horror novels. But folks should absolutely check out the first, THE MORTECARNI. It takes place during the Black Death in England in 1348 (lots of research went into it to make it as historically accurate as possible!) There's a physician monk, some undead nuns, a 'witch', a mortecarni child, and, of course, lots plague! Fun for everyone!

About THE MORTECARNI:

THE YEAR IS 1348 AND THE BLACK DEATH IS RAVAGING ENGLAND. For Brother Maurice, a monk and physician, the disease is the most terrifying he’s ever seen. But Maurice soon learns of an even more deadly threat: the exanimate Mortecarni. After his first unexpected encounter with the creatures, Maurice is pulled into a world of savagery and secrecy. As he travels across the country, investigating both the plague and the Mortecarni, Maurice questions how such unholy suffering is possible. When his own family is struck down, his beliefs falter. Can he regain his faith and save both England and himself?

Women in Horror Month #5: Pippa Bailey, Author of LUX

Welcome back, everybody!  I'm very pleased to introduce you to one of the most fun, funny, sarcastic people I've gotten to know on Facebook over the past few years: Pippa Bailey!  Let's meet her briefly then jump right into the interview.

About Pippa Bailey:

Pippa Bailey lives in rural Shropshire, England. Principally a horror writer, independent reviewer, and YouTube personality, her supernatural, and sci-fi stories have featured in several anthologies, and zines. She is known for her ‘question of the day’ on social media, where she asks authors probing or just plain scary questions. Her debut novel LUX is due for release summer 2018.

You can find her on Amazon, Twitter, and her website.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

PB:  I have been writing horror for about three years, and published for just over a year in several anthologies. My first novel LUX is due for release this summer (when I am finally happy with it).
I also run an independent review company The Ghoul Guides which has been going almost two years, working with horror, sci-fi and alternative creators. All our reviews are video ones and can be found on the YouTube channel.

SK:  Who or what terrifies you?

PB:  I suffer from a phobia called thanatophobia, it’s not a particularly common phobia but it is something I sometimes struggle with. It’s a crippling fear of death. Not how I die or why I die, but the concept of no longer existing. I happily write about death and decay. I struggle with things about nihilism and physics. I can’t watch things about space and time without feeling incredibly nervous. So, I tend to try and avoid them. I’ve been medicated for it in the past, as it has been totally crippling at times.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror, or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

PB:  I do think there are challenges to being a female author, let alone working in horror. It’s harder to get noticed, and there is an automatic assumption that our writing will be less gritty or hard hitting because we are the “softer sex”, which I hate. We have to fight for every word to be recognised. I am proud to be part of the community, and the support I have been offered has been invaluable.
I wish I could say gender is irrelevant, but at the moment it’s still a major issue in most industries.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

PB:  Oh gosh that’s a hard question, I’d have to say I’d be looking at indie creators. Rather than looking at the big names, I draw my inspiration from the people I work with or look up to such as author Mercedes Yardley and artist Katie Whittle. They are fantastic women working in the horror industry, incredibly talented and I wish more people knew about them.

I don’t really look up to film stars as such, but I must say I love Winona Rider a hell of a lot more since her portrayal as Joyce Byers in "Stranger Things," which I am absolutely addicted to.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

I am currently working on my debut novel LUX which should be out later this summer, but you can find my works on Amazon. Later this year I’ll be featured in an anthology of horror drabbles (100 word stories) with authors such as Richard Chizmar (GWENDY'S BUTTON BOX with Stephen King), Lisa Morton (Horror Writers Association) and Michael Bray (author and screenwriter – film “Monster” currently being filmed).   (SK: This interview was conducted a few weeks before posting. It's available now!)

2018 is set to be a busy year and I can’t wait to see how it progresses.

About SPARKS:

This is a public service announcement on behalf of Burdizzo Books.

Ghosts in the machine? Killer currents? Demonic disturbances? 

Then you need Sparks! 

Keep your family safe from bulbs and batteries that go bump in the night by reading Sparks. 15 electrifying tales of horror, sci-fi, bizarro and fantasy. Visit post-apocalyptic nightmare worlds, listen to recordings of the dead, feel the friction of electric lady love and be struck by lightning from the past. 

Plug in, turn on, tune in and get buzzed. 

Sparks – it’s alive!

Women in Horror Month #4: S.L. Perrine, The Witch Writer

Hey all!  I've known today's guest for years and interacted with her regularly on social media, so it occurs to me she's long overdue to stop by the blog.  Let's meet the talented author of horror and fantasy S.L. Perrine, then jump right into the interview!

About S.L. Perrine:

S.L. Perrine is a wife to a mechanic and mother of four crazy teenagers (3 are boys) who eat her out of house and home. While raising her children, she has obtained three degrees; Associates in Art and Criminal Justice is among them. She now works to feed this bunch as a Registered Medical Assistant in a private physician's office in the city she currently resides. She is a native of Schenectady and Saratoga Springs, New York, having spent equal time growing up in both cities.

She writes fantasy, romance, and horror, and is known as being 'The Witch Writer,' because of her series THE CRAWFORD WITCH CHRONICLES.

You can find her on Facebook, her website, Instagram, Twitter, and Amazon.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

SLP:  I have two short stories in horror anthologies. CROSSROADS IN THE DARK II & III from Burning Willow Press, LLC. I’ve been writing a continuation of the story "Dream Sequence" from CROSSROADS II, but it seems to have gone stale. I have recently finished and signed a vampire series with Hot Ink Press. It could be considered horror.

SK:  Who or what terrifies you?

SLP:  The idea of death. I didn’t ever latch on to any particular belief of an after-life. When I think of my death I picture a black void where my subconscious will reside for all eternity. It’s going to be boring as hell.

SK:  Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

SLP:  I don’t see gender when I think of genre. Maybe there are a few souls out there who think only men are capable of coming up with things that will truly make someone quake. However, we’ve given birth. We know what real pain is and how to describe it in full detail. Women have set a new precedent for sure. I think over time initials will disappear again. Women will be seen as the truly horrific creatures that we are, and all will be right with the world. Until then, I’ll just keep writing. I don’t find I have any challenges, except that it may take someone looking at my books for other reasons before they realize there is a definite fear factor in them.

SK:  Who are your favorite female horror icons?

SLP:  Believe it or not I don’t have any. I don’t read horror. When I do I have nightmares, but I can write it all day. I don’t watch horror movies either, or at least I try not to.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

SLP:  I’m releasing book II in the BLOOD RITES trilogy, TURNING THE STONE on January 26th. (SK: This interview was conducted a few weeks before posting. It's available now!) It’s a paranormal fiction with a bit of horror hidden inside. One scene describes a mother having her child cut from her, but not willingly. It’s horrific to say the least.

My next release will be the first in my vampire series. THE DARKER SIDE OF ME will debut in March.

About TURNING THE STONE:

"Love Cares Little for Names and War"

In 1868, Seraphina Crawford created a safe world for witches to grow and live without fear. Her immortal magic was transferred into a ring, so that she may grow older and wiser to become the matriarch of a long line of High Priestesses. Though in her early twenties, she took the power back, living an unnaturally long life until she’d given it up for good. However, the next in line for her powers would not be able to access the magic within the ring. There was a failsafe. Only when the right Crawford witch was in need of it, the ring would open.

The year is now 1996. Gwendolyn Crawford is preparing to take the powers of her family. To become the high priestess of the coven of The Silver Shadows. She was eager to help the covens heal the rift between them. Little did she know the way to heal such a rift was to right the wrongs of her ancestor and risk her heart and her life.

Silas Sigmis Jr., the high priest of The Black Willow was only following orders given to him by his father. He hadn’t thought of what the consequences of his actions would be until he came face to face with the Crawford girl. Her long raven hair and sapphire eyes caught him off guard as much as her power.

Two people who should have been at odds with each other will soon find they are each other’s only allies. Even amongst their own families.

This book can be read as a standalone but is the second installment of the BLOOD RITES trilogy.

Start the series today with Book 1 BLOOD RITES.

Women in Horror Month #3: Jennifer Loring, author of "All in the Family"

I first met today's guest when we crossed paths at one of my publishers...then again at another publisher (that didn't pan out).  Then her name kept cropping up again and again in my feed and I knew I wanted to invite her on the blog.  (Plus I never pass up the chance to talk to a fellow Philadelphian.)  Let's meet the incredibly talented Jennifer Loring, then jump right into the interview.

About Jennifer Loring:

Jennifer Loring has been, among other things, a DJ, an insurance claims assistant, and an editor. Her short fiction has been published widely both online and in print; she has worked with Crystal Lake Publishing, DarkFuse, and Crowded Quarantine, among many others. Longer work includes the novel THOSE OF MY KIND, published by Omnium Gatherum. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University with a concentration in horror fiction and teaches online in SNHU’s College of Continuing Education. Jenn lives in Philadelphia, PA with her husband, their turtle, and two basset hounds.

You can find her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Amazon.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

JL:  I was first published in the genre twenty years ago and have put out short horror fiction pretty regularly since then, plus a novel and a novella. I've always been a huge fan--I can remember watching horror movies as early as four years old, and I started writing at 11. My MFA in Writing Popular Fiction comes with a concentration in horror; I enjoy exploring it from an academic perspective as well and will be presenting a paper on extreme horror at StokerCon's Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference. I've been a member of the HWA off and on for a number of years.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

JL:  Aside from Trump? ;D Honestly, anything that would prevent me from writing--sight loss, dementia, that kind of thing. Loss of autonomy and being immobilized, which are forms of claustrophobia.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

JL:  It should be irrelevant--I think women have more than proven that they can write/direct horror as well as (and in many cases better than) men. Being genderfluid, I don't think about gender when I'm writing or submitting; I just produce the best work that I can and hope it finds its audience. I know there are editors and even readers out there who won't consider anything by a woman, but I feel more pity than anger for them. They're the ones missing out on great stories, so I hope they recognize that and allow themselves to see beyond gender.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

JL:  Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley, Tanith Lee, Drusilla from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Lucy Westenra from DRACULA, Pam from "True Blood," Karyn Kusama, Ellen Datlow, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Livia Llewellyn, Maria Tatar for her examinations of the darkest aspects of folklore, Gillian Flynn (who is rarely considered a horror writer but who writes some truly horrific stuff--SHARP OBJECTS, anyone?)... I know I'm forgetting people, but it's a good start. :)

SK:  What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

JL:  My most recent short story publication is one I co-wrote with Mike Thorn called "All In the Family," which appears in the anthology BEHIND THE MASK: TALES FROM THE ID. It's my first collaboration, and Mike was a delight to work with. I'm in between major projects, but I have two novellas and a novel planned for this year, and of course, more short stories!

About BEHIND THE MASK:

Come closer. Take off your mask. No, wait… leave it on. I’d like to see who you’re pretending to be, or who you think you are. There’ll be time enough to find out who you really are later… much later. Like when you’ve seduced me to your bed, or lured me to my death, or… but wait! You’re not planning any of those things, are you? Why, you’re just frightened; hiding behind that rubber skin for fear of being mocked or hassled; or to blend in. Well now, let’s peek at who you really are, shall we? Oh… Oh, it’s you?! But I thought –

22 short stories with one common theme: masks. From the editor Steve Dillon: "But why masks? I’ve always been a lover of masks and have collected them and worn them for as long as I can recall. One of my school paintings was a self-portrait which, having completed it and deemed it too ugly, I painted a clown-mask over the top of it. Whether or not that resonates with readers of this introduction, I think it’s safe to suggest we all use masks of one sort or another, both to protect us from ourselves, as well as to prevent our detection by others, or project a different image of who we are. We hide behind them, gain strength and courage from them, deflect judgement with their use so we can ‘fit in,’ and so on. "For this anthology, I hoped for memorable, dark, frightening stories. Tales of psychological or supernatural horror with a mask of some sort that was central to the story. I’d originally thought of theatrical masks, or clowns such as Jimmy Stewart’s character Buttons in ‘The Greatest Show on Earth.’ But, of course, masks can also be devised using cosmetic surgery, whether that’s to hide behind, or for transformation, beautification or gender-identification. Masks are also used extensively in roleplay, acting, disguise, and as part of a concealment by religious or traditional costume. Without offering any spoilers here, this anthology contains great examples of each of the above types of masks, and some I hadn’t considered… enjoy! "

Women in Horror Month #2: Veronica Smith, The Mistress of Horror

Hey, everybody, thanks for stopping by!  For the entire month of February, aka Women in Horror Month, I'll be interviewing some of the biggest, scariest established names and up-and-comers in the genre.  Today I'm pleased to introduce author Veronica Smith.  Let's meet her briefly and then jump right into the interview.

About Veronica Smith:

Veronica Smith once fancied herself the next Carolyn Keene when she was but a pre-teen. When she reached adulthood, she wanted to be the next Stephen King or Anne Rice. Now that she's older and wiser, she realizes it's better to want to be herself and morphed into The Mistress of Horror. Besides writing, she developed an obsession for all things horror, and even started many petitions to make Halloween a year-long holiday. Despite the support of several Senators and a retired US President, the bill was vetoed in the House. To her chagrin, Halloween still remains a one-day holiday only. But she decided to improvise, putting out her Halloween decorations in the yard at Christmastime as well. So far no one has had her arrested for it. She and her husband live in Katy, Texas with their son and several pets, including a small horse-sized mastiff.

You can find her on Amazon, Amazon UK, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, BookBub, and her blog.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

VS:  I love horror! I read it, I watch it, I write it. Obviously my favorite holiday is Halloween. I have assorted dark trinkets (skelly hand, skeletons, skull goblet) along the top wall of my cubicle at work and I keep getting asked if I know Halloween is over yet. I keep telling them it’s a state of mind and it’s nonstop. Haha.

I’ve been reading horror since I was young. I started with Stephen King and branched out several years later. I discovered Richard Laymon and almost fainted when I realized I’d been missing out on his books for years. I spent a year buying and reading almost all his books. I read almost exclusively indie now. I’ve found that indie authors have so much to offer the world and have the most unique ideas. I love all types of horror: zombie, psychological, thriller, but my favorite is post apocalyptic. I know that genre is sometimes thrown in the SciFi mix but since SciFi and horror make wonder combinations, I think of it as horror.

My husband and I like to binge watch the cop shows ("Criminal Minds," "CSI" -  still a horror element to all those as well) but when it comes to movies I’ve got to have a horror movie. I love Netflix and have discovered a lot of little known gems. Good thing my husband loves horror movies just as much or we might have a fight over the remote. The only time I can’t watch horror with him is if it’s subtitled. He’s not crazy about foreign films but I love them. I still find time to watch them on my own.

I’ve always loved to write and naturally with my love of horror, I prefer to write horror. I don’t write one particular type either. I write about zombies (my first novel, SALVATION, is a zombie post apoc based on a collectible card game called "Survive") and I’ve also had some short stories published in several zombie anthologies. I do love my psychological horror as well. And I have written several stories about real horror (car jacking, home invasion, etc). The realistic horror can be the scariest because you know those things can really happen. I’ve even begun some dark humor lately, something I’d never tried before but I loved it. I still write my monster, blood, and gore too. But if you don’t want anything quite that harsh I have a crime thriller with a hint of supernatural that I published a couple years ago; a novella titled "Chalk Outline."

I love writing and find that I can put anything down to paper if I feel like it. I just have to keep remembering to clean my browser history on my laptop once in a while.  Haha.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

VS:  I’m terrified by large bodies of water. I won’t go into the ocean past my knees; if I can’t see my feet I freak out. Lakes – same thing. But I can go into a river or a pool, weird I know. I have a deep fear of drowning but I have a larger fear of what’s in the water that I can’t see. I wrote a story called "Beneath the Floodwaters" once and I tried to put all my fears into it. In fact that story is based on a park in Houston that I drive by to and from work. It floods very easily (giving me the idea to write it) and had been closed for months from Hurricane Harvey flooding this past fall. I still get the creeps driving by even though it’s now cleaned up and reopened.

People sometimes scare me. Their disregard for another life; I just can’t see that sometimes; especially when I see what some people do to children. I was held up at gun point when I was 15 and I can never forget that. But the unknown (yes, especially under the water) is still so much more scary.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?

VS:  A good writer is a good writer, no matter the sex. When I want to read some extreme horror I open up some Wrath James White or Billie Sue Mossiman. She is one of my favorite female horror writers. Her books and stories are amazing; I think I own every one of her books. One of my favorite gifts to get is Amazon cards and I usually use it up it as soon as I get it with books from all my favorite authors and new ones. I discover so many new authors and their books nowadays; I love it. One of my favorite things is when I discover some new book I’d never heard of; I read it and love it. Then find out it’s the first of a series and I have a dozen more to buy and binge read. Just thinking about that makes me wish for the weekend already. I used to go through so many books but since I have less time to read now I have a huge To Be Read folder on my Kindle. I will eventually get to all of them.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

VS:  Jamie Lee Curtis is my top favorite. I loved her in Halloween. I know she’s done a lot of other thing besides that but when I think of a scream queen, she’s always the first one I think of. I actually got to meet her at a book signing she was doing for her childrens' book series. She was a wonderfully sweet woman with a great sense of humor.

Naomi Grossman is another of my favorites. She plays Pepper in "American Horror Story." Again, I’ve met her as well and she was so funny. In real life she loves to scare people and she does things I wish I dared do. I watched her do a video last Halloween of putting on a mask and scaring people in a Halloween store. She got in trouble but I was laughing my ass off. It was so funny.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently? Why should folks check it out?

VS:  Since I’ve been writing short stories for several years I finally decided to put them all together into their own book. I’m going to publish my own collection. I still haven’t figured out a title for it yet, but hopefully I will have by the time this interview is published. The stories in this book will be ghost stories, slasher, psychological, monsters, thrillers, and yes, my dark humor will make its grand entrance (PEOPLE OF WAL-MART AND WHY WE'LL SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE – catchy title huh?) There will be all elements in horror in this book. I even have a story unlike anything I’d ever done before. Wait for it … Clown Space Apocalypse. Yeah, I know, very unlike me. But I tried it and really got into it. In fact I think it’s one of my better stories. When you buy the book you’ll see it in there: "Rescue Mission of the Krikos." I’m mixing some of my old flash fiction in between each story. Mini bites of horror. I have four stories left to edit then I go over the whole thing one final time. Three times minimum for everything I write always. Hopefully it will be done, edited, and formatted within the next couple of months.

I’m still a relatively new author. I only had my first story accepted into an anthology in 2014. But I’ve learned so much since I first started writing and expanded my ideas and the way I write. My short story, "Last One in the Chamber," I’m told, is a most unique story, a very Texan story. Haha. The idea for it literally came to me while I was shampooing my hair. This one will be in my collection as well. When I get a weird idea I just have to get it down. Sometimes I come up with ideas on my commute home from work; had to buy a small audio recorder for that. Nightmares also make great stories and I sleep with a pen and notepad next to my gun. haha

So if you’re into horror of all kinds, you should check out the collection when it comes out. Please follow my Amazon and Facebook author pages as I’ll be keeping them updated.

About SALVATION:

18 years after the “Blistering Flu” decimated humanity and gave rise to the world of fear and sorrow that is now owned by the dead, the remnants of humanity continue to fight for their right to live.

Regrettably, nothing has changed in the mentality of man. Very quickly people had separated into factions that declared war on each other. These petty wars did us no good. They detached us from what was rising in the wastelands...

Will humanity be able to survive what is coming or will we continue to be assistants to our own destruction?

Women in Horror Month #1: Suzanne Madron, Author of FOR SALE OR RENT

Hey everybody!  Welcome to Women in Horror Month 9!  Our inaugural post for this year's interview series is someone who I met at Scares That Care IV in 2017 when she gave a dramatic reading of Ralph Bieber's dramatic reading.  I'm delighted to introduce to you a hugely prolific writer and fascinating person, Suzanne Madron!  Let's meet her briefly and then jump right into the interview.

About Suzanne Madron:

Suzanne Madron was born in New York City and has lived up and down the east coast. Currently, she resides in a house built on a Civil War battlefield in the wilds of south-central Pennsylvania where she has been known to host some interesting Halloween parties.

She has authored several novels and stories under various names including Suzi M, James Glass, and Xircon.

You can find her on Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter.

Interview:

SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?

SM:  I am a writer primarily, with background experience in film and art.

SK: Who or what terrifies you?

SM:  Clowns, though I'm getting better about that.

SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant? 

SM:  There are definitely challenges, mostly the preconceived notion that women wouldn't know enough about "horror" to be able to successfully write horror. Meanwhile, we live in a society where women walk out the door with weaponized keyrings, ready for an attempted assault on a daily basis, knowing we're on our own to save ourselves should it arise - and statistics show us that it's not a matter of if but when it will happen.

SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?

SM:  Ann Radcliffe, Bette Davis, Sigourney Weaver, Lily Munster, Elvira, and Morticia Addams.

SK: What are you working on/promoting currently?
SM:  

Working on:

I'm currently working on the fifth book in the IMMORTAL WAR Series as well as a short story for an anthology and the fourth book of the METATRON MYSTERIES (written as James Glass).

Promoting:

FOR SALE OR RENT, The IMMORTAL WAR series, APOCRYPHA OF THE APOCALYPSE, MIDDLETOWN APOCALYPSE 3, and SHADOWS OVER MAIN STREET 2.

SK: Why should folks check it out?

If you're in the market for some new reads: my stories run the gamut from literary speculative fiction to gives-you-nightmares horror (as was the case with my long short story FOR SALE OR RENT. Everyone who read it messaged me to either praise me or yell at me for scaring them to the point they couldn't sleep. My work here is done).

The IMMORTAL WAR series deals with a truly messed-up bizarre love quadrilateral between vampires, an angel, and a Titan. Yeah, I know, vampires, they're so undead. These ones are a bit different, though. They're ancient Greco-Roman deities.

APOCRYPHA OF THE APOCALYPSE is a bit of a sampler with some flash pieces and the novella "The Lazarus Stone" [Conspiracy Edit] included.

MIDDLETOWN APOCALYPSE 3 is a collection of a single zombie story told by different authors. My story "One Last Night on the Stigmata Tour" is sharing a TOC with the likes of Jaime Johnesee, Jay Wilburn, Eric Shelman, Rebecca Besser, and Chuck Buda, to name a few.

SHADOWS OVER MAIN STREET 2 contains my story "The Water Shed" and also features stories from Joe Lansdale, C.W. LaSart, Eden Royce, Damien Angelica Walters, and many more.

About FOR SALE OR RENT:

The house across the street seems to go on the market every few months, but this time nothing about the sale is normal, including the new owners. No sooner has the for sale sign come down and the neighborhood is thrown into a Lovecraftian nightmare and the only way to find out is to attend the house warming party.