Horror Author and Poet Sara Tantlinger #AuthorInterview
Sara Tantlinger Interview
Sara Tantlinger is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes. She is a poetry editor for the Oddville Press, a graduate of Seton Hill’s MFA program, a member of the SFPA, and an active member of the HWA. Along with being a mentor for the HWA Mentorship Program, she is also a co-organizer for the HWA Pittsburgh Chapter. Her other books include Love for Slaughter, The Devil’s City, and To Be Devoured (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in Long Fiction), and she edited the anthology Not All Monsters, out with Strangehouse Books. She embraces all things macabre and can be found lurking in graveyards or on Twitter @SaraTantlinger and at saratantlinger.com
1. Congratulations on your poetry collection Cradleland of Parasites! Can you please tell us a little about it?
Thank you so much! The collection draws most of its inspiration from the Black Death and other ancient plagues, and also from the rumors that have surrounded Plum Island (a federal research facility that has sparked controversy and conspiracy over the years). I started the collection last year before the current pandemic, so while the timing feels weird and spooky, I hope people will give the collection a chance. I love historical horror and meshing fact with speculation, so the poems play a lot with those blurred lines and with storytelling.
2. Without giving away spoilers, do you have a favorite poem from the collection?
One that I’m pretty fond of is titled “Princess Joan”. It’s based off the real story of Joan of England, a daughter of Edward III, who was betrothed to Peter of Castile. The Black Death hadn’t really made its mark in England when Joan travelled to Castile to be married, so she embarked on the journey with such a grand entourage and such a gorgeous wedding gown that I knew I needed to use those details to write a poem for her. She died so young, so unaware of the plague and how it would destroy her. I really wanted to write a poem for Princess Joan -- I had hoped to celebrate the details of her royalty, but the poem turned into a warning song, a plea for her to stay at home and not take the voyage that would end her young life. The plague spared no one, youth and royalty were no exception.
3. Congratulations on your Bram Stoker Award for The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes! Can you tell us a little about this book as well as how you celebrated your win?
Thank you so much! The Devil’s Dreamland really paved the way to show me how much I love historical horror. Researching Holmes is something I’ve talked about a lot, so in an effort not to repeat myself too much here, I will say that the book challenged me to do something entirely different than my first poetry collection, Love For Slaughter, and I am really humbled and grateful for the excellent responses The Devil’s Dreamland has received! I celebrated my Stoker win at StokerCon in Grand Rapids with some excellent friends and my publisher (and a few vodka cranberries). It was the absolute best night, and the whole experience was truly unforgettable.
4. When did your love of poetry develop?
It’s a bit of cliché answer, but reading Edgar Allan Poe in middle school was honestly my gateway into poetry, particularly dark poetry. Reading so much of his work inspired me to write, but my love for writing poetry developed the most while studying creative writing in college.
5. You were nominated for a Bram Stoker award for your novella To Be Devoured. Do you have a different research/writing process for developing poetry versus a novel?
I love research, so I am always utilizing it no matter what I write. When I studied literature in college, my favorite part of the process was always gathering my sources, engaging with critics, and using the research to make my essays stronger, so I’ve found that love carries over well into my fiction writing. With The Devil’s Dreamland and Cradleland of Parasites (both poetry collections), historical horror really captured my soul and dominated the process. With a current project I’m working on (prose), I’ve been doing more scientific research and doing my best to study entomology, so I think research is bound to follow me wherever I go.
For poetry, to borrow a phrase from the great Linda Addison, it comes more “organically.” It never feels forced, and I don’t have to create as strong of a plan or outline when I dive into poems as I do for prose -- but I am learning to enjoy outlining for novels/novellas more and more these days!
6. What are you currently reading?
I just finished Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which was an excellent work of literary horror. I think it would be such a strong book to teach in the classroom. I’m always reading way too many books at once, so right now I’m reading poetry (Cries to Kill the Corpse Flower by Ronald J. Murray) and Worst Laid Plans, an anthology of vacation horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik!
7. Let’s have a little fun. Would you rather watch the tape from The Ring or have to say ‘Candyman’ in front of a dark mirror?
Oh definitely Candyman. Children terrify me in general, especially vengeful ghost children, so living in The Ring is something I would not handle well.
8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?
I am currently working on some short stories and a very vague outline for my next novella! There’s always a lot going on behind the scenes, so I am hopeful I will have some new projects out before the year is over.
9. Where can people find you online?
My website and Twitter -- you can also find me on Instagram . My Amazon author profile has all my books listed here: https://www.amazon.com/Sara-Tantlinger/e/B06X6GBXZB
10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?
To my fellow writers, embrace the writing community and support each other! Remember to celebrate the success of others and that anyone else’s success does not negate your own hard work.
Horror Author Nicole Henneman #Interview
Nicole Henneman Interview
1. Congratulations on you forthcoming Witch of Whidbey series! Can you tell us a little about these books?
Whidbey Island has always been a special place for me. My step-father was in the military and I grew up there. The concept for the books came to me while I was sitting in a 9th grade history class learning about one of the island’s first white settlers, Isaac Ebey. He was decapitated by a group of Native Americans as retaliation for a military attack, but I always wondered how the narrative would change if it had been someone else who killed him. While Ebey’s Landing is a fictionalized account of those events, it is rooted in island history. The first book follows Ebey’s life up to his eventual death, while the second book is set in modern day.
2. If Witch of Whidbey were made into a movie, who would you want to play the heroine, Andrea?
The Witch of Whidbey series has two quietly determined female protagonists facing very different circumstances. In Ebey’s Landing, Olivia practices folk magic and is wronged in the process. I could see her being played by Morfydd Clark or Maggie Rhee. Andrea is newly single, lives in San Francisco and knows nothing about magic. Andrea not only struggles with catastrophic events but also the aftermath of her own naiveté. Her character would be a good vehicle for Florence Pugh or maybe Laia Costa.
3. On your website, you mention you write paranormal fiction among other genres (mysteries, children’s imaginative fantasy, YA adventure). Have you ever experienced anything paranormal?
When I was younger, I encountered lots of shadow people but never the infamous Hat Man. As I got older, the experiences became less frequent but one time I was home alone and heard a man call my name from another room. My most recent experience was in 2013 when we videotaped an orb floating through our living room. Generally, they have been fairly benign experiences. Strangely, later I did have a dream of the Hat Man. In my dream I was screaming and I woke up standing straight up on the floor-still screaming.
4. Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?
The Witch of Whidbey was borne out of my love of lore. In elementary school I read Greek mythology books and the Legends of King Arthur repeatedly. I still spend time researching myths of various countries and people. While those stories have not inspired any books yet, I am definitely influenced by their tone and structure.
5. When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
I have always loved stories but did not realize I could create my own until I won a writing award in second grade. However, I was not one of those writers blessed with the perseverance to write a novel early on or forge my way into the industry. I am an introvert who experiences anxiety and intense writer’s block. The Witch of Whidbey series has been a decades long project in the making, so the fact that I am still working on manuscripts stands as an inner testament to the craft.
6. In your opinion, what one stereotype about horror writers is absolutely wrong?
That we base characters on people in real life just so we can kill them off. Wait, no, we do that. Okay, maybe that we only wear black. I definitely own a few grey shirts. So that stereotype is completely wrong.
7. Let’s have a little fun. Would you rather spend a weekend in the house from The House on Haunted Hill or The Overlook Hotel with Jack?
That is a hard one. While each location has its merits and challenges lurking amongst the walls, I think ending Jack would ultimately prove easier.
8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?
I will be publishing a YA book (The Mack Morgan Mysteries) and working on a new paranormal story (Catfish).
9. Where can people find you online?
My website
10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?
Thank you for this great opportunity! Please check out my books and continue supporting the work of horror writers.
Nicole Henneman
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!