Interview with Sonora Taylor
Horror Author Sonora Taylor #Interview
Congratulations on your new book Seeing Things! Please tell us a little about it.
Thank you! Seeing Things is my third novel and follows a teenager named Abby who discovers she can see the dead. Unfortunately, none of them want to talk to her. She leaves for an annual summer visit to her uncle’s house with tons of questions, and it’s during that visit she gets answers -- but she may not like what she finds out. It’s a contemporary Gothic story and definitely turns some dark corners as Abby figures out just what the hell is going on.
What was the inspiration behind Seeing Things?
I used to see this elderly man walking through my old neighborhood every so often. He never had anyone with him, and no one else ever acknowledged his presence. I used to pretend that only I could see him. From there, I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if someone could see the dead, but none of them wanted to talk to her?
The idea started as a short story prompt, and was originally more about grief and letting go. I wrote some notes and several passages, but felt stuck; so I set it aside. I revisited it in summer 2019, when Little Paranoias: Stories was out for edits, because I was struck with an idea: what if instead about grief, it was about dark secrets? I also thought up Abby’s family, and from there, it expanded into a novel.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
Never seen one, but I’ve heard them. Usually it’s something rustling or a bit of static. I’ve also seen ghost lights and flickers of paranormal activity.
This is your sixth novel. What is one tip you learned along your writing and publication journey that you wish you knew ahead of time?
First, to clarify, it’s my third novel -- my other three books are short story collections. It’s definitely been quite the journey writing and releasing all of them. It’s a journey that was very nerve-wracking, and as such, I was afraid to promote myself in the beginning. I didn’t want to seem like a show-off, like someone needing attention, etc. But other writers I met online made it a point to say that marketing is part of the job. You wrote this thing -- you should be proud, and you should tell people about it! So, I’ve tried to promote myself more, even if it means saying some version of “Hey folks, me here, I hope you’ll buy the book I wrote. Link is below.” I wish I’d known that earlier, because now, I need to do retrograde marketing for the earlier books! But that’s the beauty of books: they’re out there as long as they’re being published, so they always have a chance to be found and read.
You are the co-founder of www.frightgirlsummer.com, which is an inclusive platform to boost the signal for women in publishing. Please share a little about this. How did this idea come about? What do you hope Fright Girl Summer accomplishes?
The idea originated with V. Castro, author of Maria the Wanted and the Legacy of the Keepers and, most recently, Hairspray and Switchblades. She wanted to create a festival to celebrate authors on the margins and have it be for the summer. I believe she said “Something like Hot Girl Summer but for books,” so I suggested, “How about Fright Girl Summer?” So she chose that name, and then I contacted her and volunteered to help with the website as well as curating reading lists and putting out calls for fiction, nonfiction, art, etc.
I hope it encourages people to read beyond what they’re used to, and to keep doing it throughout the year. As our list shows, there are TONS of books to choose from that aren’t written by cis white authors. Expand your TBR. Add more Black voices. Add more queer voices. Add more.
How can individuals participate in Fright Girl Summer?
If you’re an author, essayist, blogger, or artist, you can submit to us! We want to read your work. Check out our guidelines on the front page: frightgirlsummer.com
For readers and authors alike, you can participate by writing reviews, filming yourself doing readings, and most of all, reading books! We’re challenging participants to choose three books from our list to read this summer. Check out our page for more: https://www.frightgirlsummer.com/reading-list
How can people find you online?
My website is the most efficient way to learn more about me and my books: sonorawrites.com
I’m also active on Twitter. In addition to tweets about my books, I talk a lot about hockey (when it’s on), movies, and beer.
I’m also on Instagram and post a lot of the food I cook. I aspire to be like Ina Garten.
I’m also on Facebook and Goodreads.
Finally, you can find my books for sale at the links below:
Is there anything else you wish to add? Closing thoughts?
Nope! Thanks so much for interviewing me.
