Welcome back! Today I’m thrilled to spotlight author Maria Haskins! Maria’s stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Flash Fiction Online, Gamut, and Capricious, among other outlets. At her blog, she maintains a monthly roundup of her favorite short speculative fiction (which has featured this very humble blogger right here), and she is also an accomplished music journalist.

Recently, between her many wonderful projects, Maria and I discussed her most recent publications as well as her inspiration as a writer.

A couple icebreakers to start: when did you first decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors?

I’ve been writing stories as far back as I can remember, and becoming a writer was always something I wanted to do. In a way, I’ve decided to become a writer twice. I grew up in Sweden and debuted as a writer there when I was 20, and had several books published in Swedish. After doing many other things (including going to university, traveling, moving to Canada, and having kids), I ended up stuck in a long spell of terrible writer’s block. I wrote almost no fiction at all for over 10 years. Then, last year, I kind of decided again to become a writer, and to take the step to write in English, the language I’ve been living in and with for over 20 years. I’m hell bent on making it stick this time.

I have a lot of favourite authors. My “old standbys” – writers I’ve been reading since my tweens and teens and keep coming back to – include J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, Swedish writer Vibeke Olsson, Alan Garner, John Le Carré, and Umberto Eco. Newer favourites are Kai Ashante Wilson, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Angela Slatter, and N.K. Jemisin.

Your flash fiction piece, “Scent,” recently debuted in Flash Fiction Online. Quite a beautiful and haunting tale! What inspired you to weave together a story using a cache of perfumes and a highly complex mother-daughter relationship?

Thank you for the kind words about my story! The initial inspiration for “Scent” was the memory of my mom’s perfume collection. To be clear: my mother is nothing like the story-mother (thankfully!) but she has always had a lot of perfumes, and I can vividly remember being a child and looking at all those beautiful bottles with all these amazing scents. It was a very strong sensory memory of smell and touch and sight. From that, the story sort of spun itself, and it came to me with that image of a cabinet full of perfumes and a child reaching for a bottle. I did have the intention to write something fairy-tale-ish, because I believe that there is a lot of truth in the way that fairy tales describe childhood as perilous and often fraught with danger and fear. This was one of those stories that just seemed to arrive more or less fully formed: I wish that happened all the time!

In addition to your fiction, you are also a music journalist. How did you first become interested in writing about music, and do you often find music creeping its way into your fiction? Also, which songs are on your current playlist?

I started out writing about music a few years ago when Brian Basher of Hard Rock Nights (a great online radio show) asked me to write reviews for his website. Before that, I had been getting into a lot of new rock and roll, listening to new, often unsigned bands, and realizing how much great music was out there. I was still in the midst of my writer’s block and felt unable to write any fiction. Writing about music was a way for me to write (and have fun writing) even when I wasn’t writing, if that makes sense. A couple of years ago, I started up my own music blog, Rock And Roll, and I’ve just kept writing about bands and music I like as a way of sharing the love, I guess. Right now I have two wonderful writer friends (Maria Savva and Darcia Helle) who contribute to the site as well. I think it’s part of my personality to want to jump up and down and tell everyone about things I like (whether it’s music or stories), and blogging and sharing things on social media is a good place to do that.

It’s only more recently that music has crept into my fiction. One of my recent short stories called “Metal, Sex, Monsters” was accepted by the new magazine Gamut (I am deliriously excited about that), and it was inspired by rock and metal music in general, and Judas Priest’s music in particular.

My current playlist is extensive. I’m always listening to both old stuff and new stuff. Right now, it’s mostly a mix of tunes including Judas Priest, Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, Rival Sons, Ragdoll (a fantastic Australian band), the latest EP from Graham Greene called The Guitar Vinci Code. And some Crucified Barbara and Monster Truck and Trucker Diablo… Stop me now! It’s a long list and I will keep going on and on forever!

If forced to choose, which is your favorite part of the writing process: developing characters, writing dialogue, or establishing mood?

Ouch, that’s a very tough choice! If you twist my rubber arm I’d probably pick establishing mood. I love that part of writing: thinking about how to describe things and places and people in a way that conveys the mood I want to capture in the story. The mood of a story is probably one of the first things I have to make clear to myself before I can really write, because it influences everything: the characters, the POV, and the voice I use within the story.

Where would you like to see your writing career in five years?

Hopefully able to write and sell a lot of short fiction. Hopefully also hard at work on novellas or even a novel. Just… still writing, I guess. After not being able to write for so long it’s an amazing feeling to be writing again, and I don’t want to lose that.

What projects are you currently working on?

Lots of short stories! It’s really my passion right now and the ideas are flowing for me in a way that hasn’t happened in…probably forever. I love short stories: reading them, writing them… My main project right now as I’m doing this interview, is a short story that does involve music. It’s a story that’s been giving me some trouble, but I think I’ve finally cracked it.

Big thanks to Maria Haskins for being part of this week’s author interview series! Find her online at Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and her official website!

Happy reading!

Welcome back! For this week’s author interview, I’m pleased to spotlight the talented Tonya Liburd. Tonya is the author of numerous short stories, essays, and poems. Her work has appeared in Postscripts to Darkness 6, Expanded Horizons, and Grievous Angel, among other publications, and she also serves as the Associate Editor at Abyss & Apex.

Recently, Tonya and I discussed her inspiration as a writer as well as her plans for the future.

A couple icebreakers to start: when did you first decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors?

I don’t recall a moment when I decided I was going to be a writer, because I’ve always been good at English. I had a saying I could do English class blindfolded upside down with my hands tied behind my back, and if I ever failed English, something was WRONG.  Music was my first love, and still is, but writing has come to the forefront. In Trinidad, where I grew up (I’m Canadian by birth though), there was a main focus on postcolonial literature, so I grew up on a diet of books like The Year in San Fernando, A House for Mr Biswas, Crick Crack Monkey and so on.

Around my 20th birthday, and I was in Canada by this time, someone handed me something to read. It was book two of the Twins’ trilogy from Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I fell in love with it, and sought out the other two in the trilogy, and sought out Weis’ other work. From then on, I gorged myself on a diet of Dragonlance books. Raistlin is still my favourite character.

As I have settled into being a serious writer, I have made sure to try and do my homework. I haven’t gotten around to reading everything the black writers and the people of colour have written, but I have read quite a few short stories. I LOVE Malon Edwards’ work; I’ve read Tade Thompson’s stories on Expanded Horizons magazine; Eden Royce’s First book of short stories, Spook Lights, is well worth the read. I have recently finished Lucy Snyder’s While The Black Stars Burn and Mike Russell’s Strange Medicine, both excellent reads. I’m working my way through M. Lopes da Silva’s The Dog Next Door And Other Disturbances. The title story made me stop and percolate for quite a while after I finished it! [Also,] Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and I love Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet.

Your horror story, “The Ace of Knives,” which appeared in Postscripts to Darkness 6, has been met with widespread acclaim. What was the inspiration behind this work?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. I had a kernel of an idea of a story where someone would manipulate metal, etc. but writing prompts can come from anywhere. I have like 50 plus possibly short story ideas. The writing prompt for this came from two main things: a creative name someone was using playing Team Fortress 2 (I’m an avid video gamer; I told you, it comes from anywhere!) naming themselves The Ace of knaves and me at first seeing it as The Ace of Knives. That sounded like something worth writing. So that was bouncing around in my head. And then… I read Amal El-Mohtar’s wonderful “Wing” over at Strange Horizons. I went, I want to do that when I grow up! The thing that unpopped the cork though, was when someone at a crisis centre (I have cPTSD and a couple of other diagnoses, and I needed a break and some support) told me “Don’t apologize for what you have to write. Ever. Because if you don’t do that you won’t get to what you have to write.” I wrote “The Ace of Knives” in a weekend; it was the fastest thing I had ever written, and the shortest. I’m really happy Nisi Shawl uses it in her workshops as an example of code switching; there’s so much to this story.

“Shoe Man,” your wonderful fantasy story, recently appeared in Expanded Horizons. In addition to the superb language and fantastic character development, I in particular loved the ending, which was filled with profound hope. Do you usually know in advance how you will end a story, or do you allow a piece to develop organically? Or is it a bit of both—some planning as well as organic growth?

Sometimes; I’m a pantser, or in other words I let things grow organically. I have a general idea of what is going to happen, but not how I’ll get there, with the novels I’ve started.  The ending I tend to know in shorter fiction and how I’ll get there.

You serve as the associate editor at Abyss & Apex. How, if at all, has your work as an editor shaped your writing? Also, do you have any recommendations for authors submitting to the magazine?

Seeing the same subtle errors in the slush that I tend to do was instructive, and I learned a lot being coached on how to help an author rewrite a story to make it stronger.  Also, when Wendy and I check what we think of a story in 2nds with each other I learn from the comments of the other editors on staff.

In terms of recommendations? Read our editorials – many of them are ‘teaching’ editorials.

You’ve written short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and novels. Does your process differ from one form to another? Also, do you have a personal favorite of these writing forms?

I used to consider myself a person who writes long, as my stuff would be  in the 7-9k range. This year I’ve managed to not only get poetry published, but I’ve written flash… even microfiction! I would have thought that impossible for me a couple of years ago. I’ve been told the key was that since I came from writing novels first, I had way too many threads going for something to be short fiction, when I tried in vain to cut longer pieces back then. I’ve found this to be true.

What upcoming projects are you working on?

Right now I’m wrapping up a novel, and shopping around some short fiction.

Where would you like to see your writing career in five years?

Fame, fortune, millions in the bank account…  seriously though, the novel I’d have finished by then would have found a good home, and I’d have broken into some pro genre short fiction sales.

Big thanks to Tonya Liburd for being part of this week’s author interview series! Find her online at her blog and website as well as on Twitter!

Happy reading!

Welcome back! Today I’m thrilled to present author Catherine Jordan. This interview is quite a special treat for me, because I am incredibly fortunate to be Catherine’s mentor through the Horror Writers Association’s Mentorship program. Catherine and I have been working together since July, and as these things so often go, I find myself learning as much from her as she probably learns from me. Her passion and talent for writing as well as her enthusiasm to gain as much knowledge about the industry as she can inspire me to be a better writer—and I hope—an even better mentor for her.

Recently, Catherine and I discussed her novels through Sunbury Press as well as her work as an editor and writing workshop instructor.

A couple icebreakers to start: when did you first decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors?

I started writing fanfiction when I was about six. In middle school, I wrote stories to read aloud in English class. I wrote short stories and dark poetry in High School. At Penn State, I wrote for the college newsletter, and continued business writing afterward. I decided to become a professional writer about 10 years ago. I had completed the original version of Seeking Samiel and decided to see if I had the stamina for publication, which I knew involved re-writes, edits, and query letters, and rejection. Five years later, my persistence paid off, and my first novel was published.

Ira Levin is one of my favorite authors because he managed to weave humor into dark topics with his pen’s fine needle. The Stepford Wives is a 145 page classic. The title itself makes me giggle. Yet, how horrifying (and gratifying on some sick level) to be known as a Stepford Wife. Deathtrap, Rosemary’s Baby, A Kiss Before Dying; his writing is concise, precise, and so much fun to read.

Anne Rice is another favorite author because she has integrated her religion, her beliefs and her life into her work without authorial intervention. She brings her characters to life as individuals.

I devoured Gillian Flynn’s books. For some reason, I really love to read about evil women. Gone Girl was a compulsive read. Sharp Objects was one of the darkest books I’ve ever poured through.

Congratulations on the release of your novels, Seeking Samiel and The Book Seller’s Secret, through Sunbury Press! What was your process like when you were writing these books, and did you face any particular challenges during the first draft or subsequent edits?

I’m a pantser—I write by the seat of my pants. Then, when I’m about 3 or 4 chapters in and after I have a firm handle on quest and my main character, I’ll write a premise. The premise helps me stay in check, and keeps me aware of when I’m writing tangents.

The biggest challenge I faced in subsequent drafts of my novels was avoiding clichés and melodrama. My novels are based on true events in South Africa, and those events inspired my horror story. A lot of research was involved, and I wanted to write something creepy and scary, all while weaving fact with fiction. Not easy.

Not only are you a novelist, but you are also a short story writer. How does your approach differ when writing short fiction compared to longer narratives?

My approach to short fiction and novels, to me, begins very similarly—I’m a pantser. However, the process differs with my focus on plot; no subplots and few sublayers, if any, are in my short stories. If I have a theme or a prompt, I can bang out a short story. Editing? Well that process is the same for shorts and novels, no matter what—it’s laborious, and involves judicious use of the “delete” button.

You facilitate numerous workshops in the central Pennsylvania area. What inspired you to teach writing, and what is your favorite class you’ve instructed so far?

I never intended to become a writing facilitator; I sort of fell into it. My writing mentor asked me to substitute a class for her. I said yes, though I thought, who am I to teach others? Well, I fell in love. Apparently, I made a good impression, was asked back, and have embraced every opportunity since. My favorite class to teach is critique, because its practicum; it allows students to put all their lessons into practice while receiving constructive feedback. I believe every writer should find a critique group filled with a mix of new and professional writers.

In addition to your work as an author and a teacher, you are also an accomplished editor. What inspired you to become an editor, and do you feel that your work as an editor has shaped your work as a writer?

I was inspired to become an editor through my critique classes. Editing is the next step to critiquing, and I plunged into it when a friend asked me to edit her memoir. I have since then edited anthology collections. The selection process—as well as the back and forth between the writer, has allowed me to see just how important structure (even something as basic as “quest”) is to a story, and how often it’s overlooked. Structure has shaped my writing in such a way that I can go back to my previous works and say, “Oh, well that’s what was wrong with this story.”

What current and upcoming projects are you working on?

Right now, I just completed editing an anthology titled Strange Magic. Launch and promotion are the next steps. I’m working on a personal collection of short stories for all the major holidays, not just Christmas. I’m also writing my third book in the Seeking Samiel series.

Where would you like to see your writing career in five years?

Currently, as a writer, I’m doing the things I had only dreamed about. Within the next five years, I’d like to turn my novels into scripts—I’d like to get my characters out of my head and off the pages, and onto the big screen! I’d also like to see my books on the “must read” lists. And I wouldn’t rule out being an editor on staff. At the same time, I see myself having assisted many others in their quest toward successful publication.

Big thanks to Catherine Jordan for being part of this week’s author interview series! Find her at Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook, as well as her author site!

Also, please check out the HWA Mentorship Program! It’s a wonderful initiative and a highly recommended one!

Happy reading!

Welcome back! This week’s author interview is with the talented Nemma Wollenfang! Nemma is a speculative fiction and romance writer with a host of short stories as well as a novella available through such outlets as Flame Tree Publishing, Titan Books, Roane Publishing, Romance Magazine, and more.

Recently, Nemma and I discussed her inspiration as an author as well as her favorite (and least favorite) parts of the writing process.

A couple icebreakers to start: when did you first decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors?

Since I was little I’ve been penning stories. Recently my mother found my first ‘book’ written when I was around six years old titled ‘the dirds’. Apparently I was a young Hitchcock who had trouble differentiating ‘d’s and ‘b’s. As many adult know though, finding time to write can be tough. While at university I had little time to spare – doing a dual science degree didn’t help with that. When I completed my masters I took a gap year, not with the express intention of writing, just to explore options and have a break from laboratories. I’d also lost someone close to me and wanted some quiet time. Writing wasn’t even on my radar. In the end, I sort of fell into it. After reading an old Greek myth about Actaeon, an idea for a zombie apocalypse novel sprang to mind. I know, odd connection, but I couldn’t let it go. That was when I ‘caught the bug’, so to speak. Writing turned out to be therapeutic and freeing and it was pretty much the only thing I wanted to do after that.

Of course, as with many writers, it took much longer to refine my technique, then to start submitting out. Now, I’ve had stories appear in various publications, including Murder Mayhem (Flame Tree Publishing), A Bleak New World (RIP), Come Into the House (Corazon Books), and Romance Magazine. My first ever novella, a fantasy romance called Dragon Law, has also recently been released in the anthology Masked Hearts by Roane Publishing. Longest story published to date!

As to favorite authors, that’s just tough! There are so many. But here are a few who have particularly stuck with me. People who have developed fabulous worlds I’ve revisited more than once. Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire), Jules Watson (Dalriada Trilogy), Kresley Cole (Arcana Chronicles). If you haven’t heard of the last two I highly recommend having a look.

Your story, “Clockwork Evangeline,” appeared last year in Flame Tree Publishing’s Science Fiction Short Stories anthology. What was the inspiration behind this particular piece?

It was a competition run by Steampunk Journal in 2014. When I saw the advert I was intrigued – I’d never heard of steampunk before. After doing a little research into what it was I was hooked. Victorian-era fashion combined with steam-powered devices? I wanted to write about that! While twiddling my thumbs over potential plots and listening to an OST score, the clockwork girl in her holographic clothes quite literally danced into my head. Thus, Clockwork Evangeline was born.

The story subsequently won first place in the over 18 category and was published by Titan Books on their website. “Clockwork Evangeline” was my first ever short story to be published, so I was thrilled.

Now, I’m developing it into a fully-fledged novel…

Your fiction sometimes delves into the historical. Do you have a specific approach to research when you need to find and verify historical details in your writing, or do you allow each project to dictate your process?

Usually I just go with the flow of an idea. If research needs doing, I can mostly sort it later – usually I just need to clarify details. You see, I’ve grown up with a lot of historical fiction, and around a lot of history – my mother often took me to visit historic British sites growing up: burial cairns, standing stone circles, old ships, cathedrals, castles, etc. – so a lot of it comes naturally, as I at least have a vague idea. If I do have trouble getting the feel of a particular era, sometimes I find that watching films or reading novels set in the time helps before embarking on a new historical project. It allows me to get the feel of accents, fashion, etiquette and language – the smaller details that sometimes get bypassed. And, as always, a brief internet search can usually answer a lot of questions. To not hinder the flow while writing, I tend to leave the more trying details until later.

In your university work, you’ve studied both biology and parasitology. Do elements of these fields ever creep into your fiction?

This is where I test out my mad-scientist cackle, and don my white overcoat and goggles. Hehe…

A while ago, someone asked me this question and my immediate answer was ‘no’. Then I thought about it… and actually, elements do creep into my work. A lot of my university career was spent around blood-sucking insects and the parasites they transmit, specifically ticks, but I learned plenty about the vast array of vectors and parasites that exist worldwide and how they can not only invade a host body but alter their behaviour to suit their own needs. Creeped out yet? One of my favorite science fiction short stories, “GOD is in the Rain” (published in A Bleak New World by RIP), is about a parasitic type of technology that runs rampant, invades human bodies and alters behaviour. I had a lot of fun writing that one. Likewise, Clockwork Evangeline (the novel) has a number of ‘science-gone-wrong’ moments, with several mad scientists thrown into the mix who think it’s a-okay to play God. Many of the tinier details in these stories came from things I learned during my degrees. So yes, my science background seems to have given me a lot of delicious fictional fodder to work with.

If forced to choose, which is your favorite part of the writing process: drafting new ideas, crafting a first draft, or polishing an almost finished piece?

When the idea for a new story strikes, and you can’t leave it alone, that is one of the best feelings in the world. When the characters really speak to you and new scenes keep popping into your head and you just can’t stop typing… Like many writers, I have little notebooks constantly nearby – to jot down all the things I’ll otherwise forget if I wait too long to reach a computer. They even went with me to my best friend’s wedding the other week – where the strawberries on the buffet table gave me an idea for a new romance novella. I find it a lot harder when it comes to actually piecing a story together, chapter by chapter. That’s when the tougher decisions come into play and things get cut. Editing, I’ve found, is the longest and most tedious part of the process. Knowing when a piece is finally finished and ready to send out can be hard.  However, that sense of achievement when you’ve been working on a piece for a long time and you finally type ‘The End’ can be fantastic.

What projects are you currently working on?

The biggest is Clockwork Evangeline (the novel). After it won a prize as a short story and was later published in Flame Tree’s deluxe gothic fantasy hardback, I decided to expand the story. It just kind of took flight and its first draft won Retreat West’s First Chapter Competition in February. It also later received an Honourable Mention for a grant from the Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF). Currently I’m working on some final editor’s notes, before taking a deep breath and handing it out to Betas.  Then… we’ll see.

I also have another novel in the works, a historical one called Rose Gold: A Piratical Tale. As you can tell, it’s about pirates. It has been shortlisted in three novel awards so far but still needs work. There’s also the infamous zombie apocalypse novel too! So at the moment I have plenty to keep me occupied.

Big thanks to Nemma Wollenfang for being part of this week’s author interview! Find her at Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads as well as on Amazon.

Happy reading!