Horror Author Eve Harms #Interview
Eve Harms Interview
Congratulations on the release of your successful series The Demonic Diaries! Can you tell us a little about these books?
Thank you! The books are a mix of occult horror and suspense, with humor thrown in, told in blog format. With the blog format, there is a lot of emphasis on the character's voice, in this case a twenty-something horror writer named Kendra Temples. The first book was actually posted online as a blog and written under the pen name of the main character, but I've since transitioned to writing under my real name. Probably a good thing, since Kendra tends to be a polarizing character!
Without giving away spoilers, do you have a favorite out of the three books?
Definitely the third book, Shadow Puppet. It's more conceptual than the first two, and has more twists and turns. I let myself run a little wild with it, but I think it still nestles into genre fiction and doesn't get too literary. But you have to read the first two to get the most out of it!
On your website, you describe yourself as writing “freaky fun horror fiction.” What inspired this brand?
It encapsulates my writing style. Whatever I write ends up being some ratio of weird, dark, and goofy. Practically, my brand has sort of morphed into being about the occult, which is a passion of mine, but I don't want to be pegged into any specific subject matter.
How much of your work is autobiographical?
There will be snippets of my actual experiences throughout my life inserted into some of the books, but the characters are never meant to be me or anyone I know. For example, in Shadow Puppet, Kendra goes to an experimental, noise music show. Readers who aren't familiar with those kind of shows might think I made all of those weird details up, but at one point in my life, I would often go to shows almost exactly like that.
But the most autobiographical aspect of my work is theme. Book 2, Hellcrafter, is all about loss and trauma, and my experience of the sudden loss of my brother drove the thematic aspect of that work. Shadow Puppet has a theme of losing and striving to regain bodily autonomy. There aren't any trans characters in the book, but retrospectively, it's a narrative highly informed by my experiences transitioning, as well as my history with chronic illness and pain.
How would you like to see the horror writing industry evolve in the next ten years?
More diverse voices!
Please tell us a little about The Cornfield Creeps and Other Stories, which is the free book given to those who sign up for your newsletter.
The Cornfield Creeps is a Kendra Temples novelette that is her sort of origin story, and explains how she got exiled from her hometown and ended up in Los Angeles. I included additional short stories so readers can get a taste for my non-Kendra work.
I send out a newsletter twice a month, one is an original article on an occult or esoteric topic of my choosing, and the other is highlights of esoterica around the web and book recommendations. If you don't mind me dropping my sign up link, here it is: http://eveharms.com/free-book/ :)
What is the most fascinating piece of information you’ve learned from your occult studies?
Right now, I've been diving deep into Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism. It is the most fascinating, and spiritually nourishing aspect of my studies so far. I love it so much, and want to share it with others, but I have no idea how to distill it into a single tweet and/or article.
When it comes to folklore, one of my favorite figures is Aicha Kandicha. She's a half-jinn from Moroccan folklore, who appears as a woman with camel hooves, and lures men into the desert to kill them. Theories of her origin range from a Phoenician Fertility deity, to a real noblewoman, or even an anti-colonial resistance fighter. I consider her a part of a club of misunderstood female "demons", along with Lilith and Medusa, that I have a special affinity for.
What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?
My next series is going to be based on the Kabbalah! It's going to be a sort of metaphysical dark fantasy series with aspects of neo-noir, and will take place in the spheres of the Qliphoth, the demonic shadow realms of the tree of life. It may take awhile, because I'm researching heavily, and I have no idea how many books it will be. I'm still in early stages. I may release some standalone books and short stories in the meantime.
Where can people find you online?
My website as well as twitter and instagram.
Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?
Thank you so much for the interview!
