Author Archives: gwendolynkiste

Sincerely, Sinister: For the Love of Epistolary Horror

Last month, my short story, “The Man in the Ambry,” made its debut in Typehouse Literary Magazine. I remember quite vividly receiving the acceptance letter: it came on Thanksgiving Day, giving me one more thing for which to be exceptionally grateful.

Letters are of the utmost importance to this conversation, seeing that “The Man in the Ambry” unfolds through a series of letters written by a young girl and delivered to the creature living in the walls of her family home. Epistolary fiction–that is, stories that use documents, be it diary entries, blogs, or regular old send-in-the-mail letters–isn’t quite as popular as it once was, but the format remains one of the most tried-and-true of the horror genre.

My personal inspiration for writing “The Man in the Ambry” came after I recently reread Richard Matheson’s “Graveyard Shift.” Matheson’s 1960 story unfolds through correspondence between two family members who are trying to make sense of what happened to a little boy and his now-deceased mother. It’s a pithy little tale–only four pages–but the diminutive length in no way diminishes its effectiveness.

But Twilight Zone scribe Matheson was neither the first nor the last to use the epistolary form in the name of horror. The earliest devotees to the narrative-by-letter format would be Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. That’s right; the epistolary form has pretty much been around as long as horror literature has. If counting two of the original genre stories in your corner doesn’t earn respect, then nothing can.

And it wasn’t just 19th century writers who loved epistolary. Everything from Stephen King’s teenage-angst-gone-wild Carrie to Max Brooks’s World War Z includes letters, interviews, and/or newspaper articles as storytelling devices.

These days, the epistolary format has morphed to reflect new technology. You can find a variety of twenty-first century stories that use tweets, blogs, and other social media to tell gruesome and otherwise macabre yarns. For as long as there’s horror literature, epistolary will be there, lurking around corners and in mailboxes to haunt your nightmares.

Happy reading!

Sanitarium Siren: Interview with Brooke Warra

As part three of my Women in Horror Month author spotlight, I present to you the one-of-a-kind Brooke Warra.

I met Brooke through the Sanitarium Magazine Faculty forum. After we were both published in the magazine, she and I joined a group of “doctors” who help editor Barry Skelhorn field incoming submissions. Since meeting Brooke, I have been repeatedly impressed with her professionalism and dedication to her craft as well as her wit and down-to-earth nature. Consequently, I decided I just had to feature her on my site. She was kind enough to oblige and answer a few of my questions.

Okay, some icebreakers: when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, and who are your favorite authors?

I don’t ever remember not wanting to be a writer. My parents often joke they should have gotten a typewriter tattooed on my forearm at birth. I remember writing ghost stories for my friends in elementary school- my parents fielded a couple calls from concerned mothers about that–ha! It’s so hard for me to pick my favorite authors! The easy answer is Stephen King, and I have read every book he has out, including his non-fiction. I spend a lot of time re-reading my favorites from childhood–R.L. Stine, Shel Silverstein, and a giant collection of Scandinavian fairy tales. I think the influence of these stories shows quite a bit in my writing.

You recently posted on your author page about working at a daycare. Since children have been the inspiration for some seriously creepy stories, does your proximity to a large group of kids ever inform your horror writing?

Kids are a great inspiration for my writing. They live in this world that is completely new to them, everything is a mystery and magic still exists. You tell them the dollar under their pillow is from the Tooth Fairy and they just accept that as a fact. I think a lot of my stories are like that. When I am storytelling, I’m asking you to let me suspend your reality for a bit and let me lead the way through the deep, dark forest. Childhood in general is a huge inspiration in the way I tell a horror story but make no mistake, my stories are definitely not for kids!

Fiction writing can be a very diverse trade, especially when dealing with fantastic topics like horror. Are there any themes or threads that connect all your work?

I’m really fascinated with my Finnish heritage and like to include little clues about that in my stories. I love writing with mild undertones of fairy tales. Also, I was born with birth defects and raised in a small fishing village in Washington State where I was the only kid with a physical disability in the entire school. So, my monsters always have a connection to their humanity. I create monsters because I have a deep affection and understanding for them.

Out of your published stories so far, do you have a personal favorite piece?

Of my published pieces, I’d have to say “Sleepyhead” (published in the December issue of Under The Bed Magazine) is my favorite. When I was growing up, I used to listen to old loggers telling stories about horrific on the job accidents, really gory stuff. That, coupled with the scenery of my hometown, the dark woods, the swamps, the stories we told each other as kids about the things that lived in those swamps, the cruelty of children, all came together in that story. I also love the readers’ reactions to the ending, every time.

In what directions would you like to see your horror career go? More published short stories? Novels? Nonfiction? All of the above?

Definitely more published short stories! That has always been my first love. But of course, I have a writer’s ego and I think there is a novel lurking in my brain as we speak. I’ve actually outlined one! A talented friend of mine is working on a youtube project (think of the days when kids sat around the radio in the living room to listen to dramas complete with actors and sound effects) that I’d really love to be a part of. That’s still in its infancy, right now.

What projects are you currently working on?

Right now I have several projects going. I’m working at getting a blog up and running. My main goal over the next year is to finish a collection of short horror pieces–but in that collection there will be several stories that are all tied together, sort of like a novella hidden inside the book of short stories.

Big thanks to Brooke Warra for answering all my macabre questions. Be sure to check out her Facebook author page where she posts everything from writing advice to creepy, cool pictures. And of course, stay tuned for the upcoming issues of Sanitarium Magazine where Brooke, myself, and a whole host of other talented writers help field the inmates!

Until then, happy reading, and happy Women in Horror Month!

Interview with Author Kristin Roahrig

As the second installment of my Women in Horror author spotlight, I once again had some help from editor Sarah Glenn. She introduced me to the versatile Kristin Roahrig.

Ms. Roahrig’s latest story, “Sputter from the Flames,” appears in Mystery and Horror, LLC’s newly released History and Mystery, Oh My! Based in ancient Rome, Roahrig’s tale follows a woman searching for answers in the death of her niece. Was it indeed a suicide by wolf’s bane? Or was there something–or someone–else to blame? The beautiful setting belies a truly timeless quest for the truth after the loss of a loved one.

In addition to History and Mystery, Oh My!, Kristin Roahrig’s poetry and short stories have appeared in various publications, including The Horror Zine and Indiana Horror Review. She is also the author of several plays. A current resident of Indiana, Ms. Roahrig is most definitely a horror and mystery writer to keep your eye on.

Sarah shared this interview she recently did with Kristin as the two discussed writing and upcoming projects.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

As long as I knew how to write I’ve always written, whether it was plays, poems, or stories. I never considered writing as a possible profession, it was only something I enjoyed. It wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I realized that I would actually like to be a writer and be a part of that field.

You write mysteries. Does your inspiration begin with the crime, the detective, the setting, or some other place?

My inspirations can be found in all sorts of places, sometimes they have even come from footnotes in nonfiction books. For the story “Sputter From the Flames”, the first concept I had for the story was the setting and time period.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on a young adult novel that takes place during the Salem Witch Trials. The novel was originally inspired by an ancestor’s involvement with the trials through the jury.

You can read Ms. Roahrig’s story, “Sputter from the Flames,” along with nineteen other mysterious tales in History and Mystery, Oh My! The book is available now at Amazon and Smashwords.

Interview with Author Rosalind Barden

If you haven’t already caught my other recent articles, then I am quite excited to inform you that February is Women in Horror Month. This auspicious occasion is a perfect opportunity to discover new female horror writers.

So for my dose of great fiction, I turned to Sarah Glenn from Mystery and Horror, LLC. She and her partner Gwen Mayo (another Gwen! serendipitous, right?) have just released History and Mystery, Oh My! This is the companion piece to History and Horror, Oh My!, and both anthologies focus on historical genre fiction.

Sarah shared with me an interview she recently did with Rosalind Barden, which appears below.

But first off, who is Rosalind Barden? A very successful writer, that’s who! Her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, webzines, and competitions, including Shriekfest Film Festival. Also a talented artist, she wrote and illustrated the children’s book, TV Monster. Prolific and diverse, Barden’s darkly humorous novel, American Witch, is available now at Amazon. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

So on to the interview!

How did you come up with the idea for your story in History and Mystery, Oh My?

I’ve always been drawn to Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill, though it was only later that I learned its sad history. The place is like a vanished dream. I would have loved living there. “The Monkey’s Ghost” grew out of my haunted feelings about what has been forever lost. But not to worry–the story still has plenty of funny bits!

What are you working on now?

I’m tinkering with drabbles, short stories of exactly 100 words. This January 13, Specklit.com posted my drabble, “The Human Dynamo Theory,” and will post my “Flight of the Guinea Pig” on February 16. Specklit.com posts a drabble every other day. I enjoy seeing how other writers craft full blown stories of only 100 words. It’s fascinating. And coming up is my short story– much longer than 100 words–“The Demon of City Hall” in Mystery and Horror, LLC’s anthology, “Strangely Funny 2 1/2.” I love writing satire, and this story is a city hall full of satire!

Okay, so you’re an author. What do you enjoy reading?

I have so many favorites and I am always reading. Short stories are the perfect bedtime “treat” for me, and Mystery and Horror, LLC provides plenty of satisfying short story anthologies for my noshing. I am a P.G. Wodehouse fan and enjoy his humorous mystery short stories in “Wodehouse on Crime.” I read book-length stories too, fiction, non-fiction–whatever catches my curiosity. Most recently, when I was in Santa Fe, I picked up “The Harvey Girls,” and learned about the adventurous young women who worked out West in the Harvey House railroad hotels. Sounds like my kind of job! The Harvey Houses are another vanished world, like Bunker Hill, so I suppose my dreamy thoughts pull me toward the hopelessly gone. (Still waiting for Vaudeville’s return!) Fortunately, Santa Fe’s beautiful La Fonda is a surviving Harvey House. I endured the bout of freezing weather during my visit, snug by the lobby’s fireplace, wineglass at the ready, writing away, while the friendly staff made sure I stayed comfy. Can’t get better than that!

You can read Ms. Barden’s story, “The Monkey’s Ghost,” along with nineteen other mysterious tales in History and Mystery, Oh My! The book is available now at Amazon and Smashwords.

Ambries, Audrey, and Acid Babies: More January Fiction

One-twelfth of 2015 is almost over, and it’s quite a year already. I’m currently in the throes of a Hitchcock-themed horror story that may be the coolest thing I’ve ever written–or might become the most beautiful hot mess this little writer has committed to the ether. Only time–and rewrites–will tell.

But in the meantime, I am excited to announce my latest publications. Add in the stories I included in my last post, and this has been a major month for me, the best of my fiction writing career so far.

So here we go for this round:

If you’re in the mood for a coming-of-age story that features creatures who go bump in the night, then check out “The Man in the Ambry” in the current issue of Typehouse Literary Magazine! (P.S. My story is also epistolary! Super retro, right?)

If you ever thought, “Wow! I really wish someone would do a modern-day update of Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” only with monsters!”, then I can pretty much promise you will love my story, “Snowfall in the Morning”. It is part of the latest “flock” at Thirteen Myna Birds, which is available for a limited time only, so read, read, read!

If a surreal tale of lost-and-found love will assuage your Valentine’s Day longings, then head on over to The Teacup Trail for “Blue Dreams in Motel Rooms”!

If you have just a little time to spare, then spend it with “The Shape of a Heart” and “The Butcher Is In” at Microhorror, the purveyors of super pithy dark fiction!

If you have no time to spare but still want a quick, offbeat read, then head over to Brouhaha Magazine for my 200-word flash piece, “Acid Baby”!

Finally, if you’d like a cool ghost story (that is also my first-ever reprint), be sure to check out the ceremonious return of “Audrey at Night” in Issue #29 of Sanitarium Magazine!

But that’s not all in the fiction department. Several more publications are slated for the coming months, so watch for my stories at After the Pause, 99 Pine Street, the Breakroom Stories, and Saturday Night Reader.

As February descends upon us, I have some new things in the works, including an update to this site as well as a brand new feature in which I’ll be spotlighting my fellow writers and their latest endeavors. That means if you’re an author and you want some easy, free promotion, send me a message or comment on this post.

Thanks for visiting, and happy reading!

Happy New Year & Happy Short Stories!

I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest horror stories!

If musical chairs with a casket is your idea of a fun diversion, head on over to Danse Macabre and read “The Same Game”.

If a weird tale of a dinner party gone awry is more your speed, then settle down at the table of Sirens Call’s latest issue and enjoy my yarn of domestic terror, “Pink Moon”!

And if you’re in the mood for a good old-fashioned ghost story (with a modern twist, of course), check out “Audrey at Night” on Dark Fire Fiction.

This has been an exciting few weeks, not only because new work is making its rounds, but because I sincerely admire these publications. Dark Fire Fiction does a great job of discovering the best in offbeat horror, and I love the little icons on the main page that represent each story: super simple yet effective. I will admit to speculating on what would be selected for my piece, and upon its release, I wasn’t disappointed!

Sirens Call Publications is a major player in promoting female power in horror. Each February, the magazine does a tie-in with Women in Horror Month, and throughout the year, Gloria Bobrowicz, Nina D’Arcangela, and Julianne Snow work tirelessly to promote new talent.

Last but in no way least, I remember first hearing of Danse Macabre years ago, back when I was still focused on horror filmmaking and screenwriting rather than horror literature (long ago days indeed). To be a part of the publication all these years later is a humbling yet exhilarating experience. It was also serendipitous that the theme for this month was “Fete Champetre” meaning my story of revelry gone awry, “The Same Game,” fit perfectly with the issue. Oh frabjous day!

I am in awe of the small presses out there that do such amazing work on behalf of independent writers. There might be a lot of rejection and disappointments in this business, but places like Sirens Call, Danse Macabre, and Dark Fire Fiction (along with other favorites like Mystery and Horror, LLC and North 2 South Press) make life a little bit easier for us authors.

Before I put my fangirl away for the night, I also want to announce that more of my stories will be making appearances later this winter. Be sure to watch Typehouse Literary Magazine, After the Pause, 99 Pine Street, The Breakroom Stories, The Teacup Trail, Sanitarium Magazine, and Saturday Night Reader. More announcements soon to follow.

Thanks for visiting, and happy reading!

The Release of Strangely Funny II

I am thrilled to announced the release of Mystery and Horror LLC’s Strangely Funny II. My short story, “Bedroom Bureau,” is among the twenty-one tales included in this humorous paranormal anthology.

The e-book for Strangely Funny II is now available on Amazon, and the print book will be in stock soon as well. You can also check out the Good Reads page for the anthology.

For the entire month of August, I will be posting author interviews and further updates about Strangely Funny II, so check back soon! In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful cover reveal!