About Sadie Hartmann:
Sadie Hartmann, aka Mother Horror is the co-owner of Night Worms and reviews horror for "SCREAM" magazine and "Cemetery Dance" online.
Interview:
SH: I’ve been a fan of horror and dark fiction since I was a very young reader. I was reading mysteries and grim stories appropriate for my age, like John Bellairs's books. Eventually my eyes began to wander over to my mom's full library of Stephen King and other horror authors. I read SALEM'S LOT at thirteen and never looked back from there. Today, I review horror books for "SCREAM" magazine, "Cemetery Dance" online and a variety of horror blogs. In 2018 I also started a business with a fellow horror lover called, Night Worms, which is a curated horror book subscription service. We deliver quality horror to our clients and they read & review it with the same fervent passion that we encourage through example.
SK: Who or what terrifies you?
SH: I’m actually a very timid person in my real life. I have a variety of phobias, the most intense one being my fear of spiders. I’m also extremely nervous about crowded places, sharks, heights, bridges, you name it and I’m probably afraid of it. That’s why I love horror though—I get to feel risky and adventurous through the extreme stories that I read.
SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel gender is irrelevant?
SH: I wouldn’t say that gender is irrelevant. My personal experience has been positive for the most part. I feel like I am celebrated for being a female horror enthusiast. I think that men in the industry have grown tired of the gender biases and were looking for some female voices to add something fresh and new to the community. I was intentionally sought out by both SCREAM and "Cemetery Dance" for that reason (not entirely for that reason, I have more than just my gender to add to my reviews, but I do feel that both companies were looking specifically for a female persuasion). I don’t want to overlook that there have been some struggles along the way. I wasn’t embraced by many of the already established male book reviewers. I’m not sure if they excluded me openly because I was a woman or because they saw me as a threat to their own pursuits in the industry but some of the male book reviewers in the community have been hostile and catty towards me and that’s been difficult but only in a “missed opportunity to be unified” sense—it doesn’t hold me back.
SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?
SH: Fun question!! Going off of my “Mother Horror” alter ego on social media, I fancy myself more of a Morticia Addams rather than an Elvira--Understated, quiet, dark and dangerous. Ha! But my horror icons in the horror book industry would be Anne Rice, Agatha Christie, and Shirley Jackson. My modern horror author icons are: Ania Ahlborn, Kristi DeMeester, Damien Angelica Walters, Nadia Bulkin, Caroline Kepnes, Alma Katsu, Sarah Pinborough, Gwendolyn Kiste, Lucy A. Snyder, Sarah Lotz, and Jennifer McMahon. Just to name a few. *wink*
SK: What are you currently working on/promoting and why should folks check it out?
SH: Like I mentioned in a previous answer, I am the co-owner of Night Worms. We started out as a reading and reviewing group of seven friends who enjoy reading horror books and reviewing them on social media platforms. Over the course of a year, we saw a need to scale what we do into a business opportunity. Primarily because fans of horror fiction want to know what’s available to them and if it’s worth buying and reading. Our book stores fail us in the horror category. Very rarely can you find a dedicated horror section in a new or used bookstore. I also think horror is growing in popularity due to very successful movie adaptations of popular horror books but for the most part, the general public doesn’t understand the horror genre. My business partner and I love to gather the best horror books the writing community has to offer from large/small/indie and self published platforms and send them to eager horror enthusiasts every month. We also include some goodies to enhance the reading experience. It’s been a very successful business venture so far! Our subscribers love Night Worms!
"Horror is our Happy Place"
Night Worms began in March of 2018 to encourage reading and reviewing horror. We post photos and consistent, honest reviews to social media and the feedback from authors and publishers has been immensely enthusiastic. Our desire is to bring in more Night Worms that want to join us on our mission to read and review horror.
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