Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?


I’m a New England transplant currently living in Southern California. I write horror, fantasy, science fiction and weird west stories, dozens of which have been published internationally in podcasts, anthologies and magazines. In addition, I co-founded the San Diego chapter of the Horror Writers Association.


When I’m not tending to two tiny humans, I enjoy seeking out new coffee shops, vintage X-Men comics, beachside towns, and carnivals. I also love collecting Back to the Future memorabilia.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?


Science fiction, both in films and books, has had a big influence on me. Growing up, I loved X-Files and comics. The works of sci-fi luminaries like Octavia Butler, Ursula Le Guin, Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, George Orwell, and many others opened my eyes to various styles of brilliant writing in the genre.


There’s also a lot of crossover between science fiction and horror that I enjoy. When I was younger, I was obsessed over The Twilight Zone as well as movies like the Alien trilogy, The Fly, and Independence Day. These influenced my writing in several ways: dealing with enormous stakes, subverting expectations, and facing a fear of the unknown.


The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

Many audiences associate horror with graphic, senseless violence and pulpy storytelling. In particular, horror isn’t always recognized for its ability to be intellectual or to convey meaningful insights. Modern creators like Jordan Peele, Michael Flannigan, and others who push the bar with fresh takes on horror tropes are helping to change those popular cultural notions.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?


I think it’s always a good time for cosmic and sci-fi horror, especially as we’re faced with the rapidly changing (deteriorating) state of our ecological world and societal structures. A sense of unknown looms especially large in this uncertain future. That foreboding—juxtaposed with the excess of frenzied information and extreme isolation many are contending with—makes right now an excellent time to deal with fears and stressors through the catharsis of horror.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

I would love to see more diversity and varied women characters throughout, as well as a better male/female ratio in movies (this goes for most genres). It’s improved, but there’s still a lot of stereotypes and cliched writing in popular horror books and movies.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

For me, the first draft is the most difficult and intense part of writing. As fun as it is to create worlds for the first time, I also find it stressful since my process is more of a “pantser” and very inefficient—it pains me to throw away thousands of words that end up not fitting into the piece.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

I typically don’t write excess graphic violence – I’m too squeamish to go into really extreme horror and it doesn’t serve my writing.


Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

As a kid and teen, I wrote several (unpublished) fantasy and sci-fi novels. During college I took a long break from creative writing as I tried to figure out what to do with my life. Once I settled into a career I enjoyed and my adult life became more stable, I returned to writing more seriously, first short stories, and then novels.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

I like the advice of not strictly adhering to any specific writing tips. I first came across this suggestion from Chuck Wendig’s blog and it was liberating. Rather than stressing over a particular writing tip (e.g., “write every day”), I try to stay fluid and experiment with different outlines, structures, schedules, etc. to see what best yields forward movement for that particular story.


Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

My debut horror-fantasy western novel, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger (Brigids Gate Press, February 2023) is like “The Witcher meets Bonnie and Clyde,” featuring a re-imagined Old West full of monsters, diverse characters and fast-paced adventure. The main characters, stoic sharpshooter Melinda West, 29, and her charismatic partner, Lance, offer their monster-exterminating services to desperate towns in the Old West. They fight everything from giant flying scorpions to psychic bugs until they accidentally release a vengeful demon that steals their friend’s soul. They must travel across treacherous lands to track a dangerous outlaw and battle a menagerie of creatures—all before an army of soul-devouring demons descend on Earth.


I’m currently at work on the second Melinda West book, which will feature even more gruesome monsters and an ensemble of new characters and towns.


If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

One horror cliché that annoys me is a character slowly entering dark rooms or basements calling out “hello.” I’d be in and out of there quickly and quietly. Also, people staring in silent horror at their blood-soaked hands is a visual that’s been overdone.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?
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I like the question, “what type of character would you be in a horror movie or book?” Personally, I’d like to be the keeper of arcane-but-useful knowledge, such as the bookseller/store owner/mystic/etc. who has the air of mystery and helps the protagonist put together the pieces of the puzzle in the second act.

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In an Old West overrun by monsters, a stoic gunslinger must embark on a dangerous quest to save her friends and stop a supernatural war.

Sharpshooter Melinda West, 29, has encountered more than her share of supernatural creatures after a monster infection killed her mother. Now, Melinda and her charismatic partner, Lance, offer their exterminating services to desperate towns, fighting everything from giant flying scorpions to psychic bugs. But when they accidentally release a demon, they must track a dangerous outlaw across treacherous lands and battle a menagerie of creatures—all before an army of soul-devouring monsters descend on Earth.

The Witcher meets Bonnie and Clyde in a re-imagined Old West full of diverse characters, desolate landscapes, and fast-paced adventure.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a writer, film critic and filmmaker based in Columbus, Ohio.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

I’d least like to meet Brian from the short story “Aggrieved” in the new anthology Incubate, not because I’d be afraid of him but because he’s terribly unpleasant.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

My family. My sisters, my husband, my son – they’re all such vivid, fascinating people. I love the way they talk and think, and I steal from them all the time for stories.


The term horror, especially when applied to fiction, always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

I love the term horror, but I respect the fact that a lot of people don’t. It does bother me when something that’s clearly horror – The Silence of the Lambs or Get Out, for instance – gets relabeled as “psychological thriller” because the people dishing out labels can’t deny its quality. That offends me, as if it’s impossible for something to be both horror and of high quality. But I do recognize that a lot of people go out of their way not to be scared, the world is scary enough and that’s not how they escape. For a lot of us, that is how we escape, or at least how we deal with things.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate. Considering the current state of the world, where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I predict a lot of stridently, magnificently feminist horror – not unlike Incubate. The #MeToo movement awakened something and there’s been tremendous struggle to hold on to what little progress was made. Anti-trans legislation and attacks on women’s autonomy have turned the entire U.S. into hostile territory. All art, and horror in particular, reflects the culture of its time. Misogyny is hardly new, but it is so out in the open right now, it is such a violent attack, that it’s bound to be reflected in horror.
Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre, why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

Because you survive it. No matter what happens to characters, and no matter what kind of horror you enjoy, the fact is that you, the reader, make it out alive. It’s cathartic and safe.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

New voices, which is what’s missing from every art form and medium. I love Poe, I love Stoker, but it’s hard not to feel like you’re reading the same story when every story you read came from the imagination of a heterosexual, middle aged white man. The adage is that there are only so many stories and they are constantly being retold, but maybe that’s not true. Maybe it just seems like it because, since Aristotle, we’ve almost exclusively heard stories told by men. I want to read stories that are wildly new to me – stories that speak to what I know personally, and stories born of experiences I have never had.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice of?

The writers in the collection Incubate – LCW Allingham, River Eno, Dale W. Glaser, Sydney Hodges, A.R.C. Mitra, Maureen O’Leary, Sofia Tantono and Ef Deal – are remarkable. Many of these women are veteran writers, but I want to call each out because I so enjoyed their work in this anthology. Samantha Kolesnik and Hailey Piper have written my favorite books of the last couple of years.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative, that have stayed with you?

One reader said a story made him feel like he was peering through a back porch screen, witnessing something he wasn’t supposed to see. I loved that, (and also admired his ability to conjure an image).

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

I always struggle finding the balance between saying too much and not saying enough.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

I think there is probably an angle you can take that respects every topic. I don’t know if there’s anything I’d forbid myself from writing about, but that’s the glory of horror. Anything you would not want to write about is likely horrific, so in this genre, you may be able to show that horror without exploiting it.


I cannot imagine writing romance, though.


Writing is not a static process. How have you developed as a writer over the years?

When I finish something, I evaluate for myself what I did well and what maybe needs work. I tend to write dialog well, and I also tend to rely too heavily on dialog to tell the story because I do it well. So, this year I wrote one story with no dialog at all, to force myself to concentrate on other story elements. Then I wrote one in second person, which is to say, I wrote one that was exclusively dialog. I think I just try to make sure I don’t get lazy, don’t write the same thing or the same way each time.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

Not to self-censor. Writing is hard. For me, it’s best to write exactly what’s in my head as it comes into my head without deciding if it’s valuable, if it’s mean, if it’s nasty or whatever. If it turns out to be too much, I can always edit it later.


Which of your characters is your favourite?

There’s a character in a film I wrote that I love the most. He’s a pastry chef who sings macabre versions of Christmas carols as he uses his culinary skills on hapless victims. He’s, to me, such a bizarre mix of cartoonish comedy and real terror that he makes me proud.

Which of your books best represents you?

Roost is, essentially, an autobiography peppered with fictional murders. It’s set in my hometown, in my childhood home, and populated with my sisters, parents, neighbors. It’s very me.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?

Damn, nothing tastes as good as self-righteous indignation and cowardice.


Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Incubate, an anthology from Speculation Publication that contains one of my short stories, is the latest. The entire collection harnesses the rage inspired by recent orchestrated attacks on women’s autonomy, and in particular the attack on Roe v Wade, and I’m honored to be included.


I’ve just finished a draft of a new novella about a horror movie festival judge whose own life starts to look like the movies she’s watching. I’m a massive, massive horror movie nerd, so it’s been really fun to write.

If you could erase one horror cliché, what would be your choice?

“The death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world.”


Fuck that. Just fuck it right in the eyeball. God, I am so tired of that.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I loved Samantha Kolesnik’s True Crime so very much.


On the other hand, I just read one of Charles Bukowski’s last publications, a memoir of sorts from his final years illustrated by Robert Crumb called The Captain Is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship. I was underwhelmed, which surprised me because I love him.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

Q: Where do you find reasonably priced, flattering women’s jeans with a 36” inseam??


A: I wish I knew.

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?


I’ve wanted to tell stories for as long as I can remember. I love the art and tradition of storytelling. As a child, using action figures from numerous and very different franchises, I created Rube Goldberg-like domino rallies that would explode into action with a nudge. That evolved into writing down stories, creating home video movies, and finally studying writing in college. It’s been a journey, for sure.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?
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Most of them! My published work contains characters that are just horrible people or amoral monsters. Wanda from Portrait of a Nuclear Family is particularly bad since she strives to maintain the appearance of a normal, loving housewife and mother while hiding in her home committing horrific acts. I would hate to walk into her house for her to decide to “improve” me.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?


It’s a cheap answer, but everything. I started out reading Tolkien, then DragonLance, then Rice, then Vonnegut. I could list authors all day. Now, I mix in various non-fiction books into my TBR list to find and develop new and different ideas, to feed the mental compost pile as Neil Gaiman would call it. There is something to learn from everything and anything you consume, even if what you learn is, “I would never do that if I wrote it.”


The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?


When I think of horror, the first thing that comes to mind are the slasher movies of the ‘80s. That was my very first exposure to the genre, but I’ve come to realize that horror isn’t just blood and guts. It’s the psychological trauma of being powerless, facing overpowering fears, and the fight to overcome. In a lot of horror, the protagonist fails, but they almost always find the will or desperation to fight, win or lose.
To break these assumptions would require an effort from television and movies to step away from the idea of cheap scares like the jump scare or buckets of blood spraying everywhere. We need to get back to diving into the characters and their fight. Monsters are fun, for sure, but how about a monster that has a motive the viewer can understand beyond, “kill, eat, next.” The most effective villains are the ones the audience see their twisted point of view and begrudgingly relate to them.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?


It could go in several directions. There’s the evergreen possibility of the social dystopia or a rash of escapist monster-of-the-week stories. With the current trends and discussions regarding choice, preferred pronouns, and identity, there is an opening for some very interesting body horror stories for the right person to explore. I would be very interested in reading that.

Given the dark, violent, and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?


Everyone enjoys some level of a scare. Grandparents enjoy being startled by their grandchildren, but may not want to watch even the tamest of horror movies they can find on many of the streaming services these days. That release of tension after a good scare can be invigorating.
It also gives us a safe way to confront the ideas and imagery that may haunt us in our nightmares and imaginations. Horror spans such a rich and diverse spectrum, there is something for everyone if they are willing to explore the options ranging from the horror comedy to the most extreme slaughterhouse blood fest.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?


I think one would be hard pressed to pinpoint something missing. The genre spans centuries, continents, and cultures to the point that writers throughout the ages have adapted little known folktales into full fledged franchises. If there is an unexplored corner for horror to squeeze into, I would be astonished.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?


I’m pretty new and up-coming! Though a few names have fluttered by on social media. Daniel Volpe, Rebecca Rowland, Brianna Morgan, and Stephen King… That guy is just not getting any attention. It’s a travesty.


Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

Of course! All the negative reviews stay with you if you’re foolish enough to read them. Everything from, “What a waste of time,” to “It just didn’t work for me. Too obvious.” The negative reviews with constructive advice as wonderful, though. I know I’m still trying to figure this whole job out, so constructive criticism is always useful, even if it stings the first time around.
Positive reviews leave a warm, glowing feeling in me that help keep me going while collecting the rejections. Nothing specific in a review has stayed with me, but the people who I form friendships with afterward have been a great emotional support when I’m getting frustrated in the middle of a project.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?
Rewriting and rejection.
I’ve gotten better at dealing with rejection. I only start to get annoyed at the tenth consecutive one rather than the third. Baby steps.
Rewriting is just the worst for me. I love coming up with the idea, plotting it, and discovering all the details as I write. Once that rough draft is done, going back over it is a slog. I get short bursts of enjoyment when I discover an element that needs exploring, but those are short lived. But as many have stated, “writing is rewriting,” so I do the job and try to find something in the process to enjoy and keep moving forward.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
I don’t like to say never, but it is highly improbable I will ever write erotica or anything overly romantic. That’s just not my wheelhouse.


Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?
I’ve become more disciplined with a daily routine and learned to emotionally compartmentalize the work. In order to receive and consider the feedback of alpha and beta readers, a little emotional distance is required. Leaning into one’s strengths, not one’s hopes, is another important lesson. One may want to write like a specific writer, but that may not be the writer one is.
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I hope my work is becoming better and more sophisticated, but that isn’t for me to judge.


What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

Brian Stelfreeze, known for his work in comics such as Black Panther, Domino, and Demon/Catwoman, once read an early draft of a graphic novel script I am still trying to get published. He said, “Your dialogue is beautiful. It’s like watching two dancers flowing together in a well-choreographed ballet. That’s wrong. Dialogue should be like a sword fight! ‘I want this!’ thrust “But I want this other thing!” parry. Your characters may want similar things, but no one wants exactly the same thing. Everyone should be maneuvering for better position to strike the winning blow and win the prize.”


That has stuck with me for something like fifteen years. I will never forget it.


Which of your characters is your favourite?

Published? Probably, Wanda, even though I would never want to meet her. She’s by far my most fleshed-out character and I am super proud of that.

Unpublished? I have a half-decayed, insane, capuchin monkey called Mr. Wriggles in the YA Fantasy I’m working on now who speaks in rhymes and reappears and disappears like the Cheshire Cat. How could I not love that one?


Which of your books best represents you?

Well, as I only have one, I would have to answer Portrait of a Nuclear Family. It definitely represents the struggle one fights against when battling mental illness. Wanda suffers her “one bad day” and goes off the rails. The people around her either enable or disregard her problems until they are well out of hand for anyone to course correct. So, in that way, it’s a worst nightmare scenario for any parent or anyone silently suffering from a mental illness who is too afraid of what others might think if they asked for help.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?


Nothing comes to mind. I have an odd relationship with my work. No matter how many times I go over it, I always feel the need to rewrite it or tweak it, of delete it outright. I only stop rewriting when the idea of going over it one more time makes me want to punch my computer screen. That’s when it goes out to beta readers. They always find lines they end up loving, so I tend to leave those alone, but nothing sticks out at me as personally noteworthy. Not yet, at least.


Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?


My most recent novel is Portrait of a Nuclear Family. It follows Wanda who discovers her older son, Nathan, is hiding a secret that threatens to tear apart the façade of the perfect family she’s worked endlessly to present to the community. After confronting Nathan with what she’s found, events turn from bad to worse as she struggles to keep the horrors within her own walls from escaping into the world for all to see.


The book I’m working on is the perfect follow-up to an extreme psychological horror novel, a YA Fantasy! Billy is going through a rough time and in a burst of self-involved anger falls through the cracks in reality to find a young blind girl who has lived there for almost fifty years, her decaying, insane capuchin monkey pet, and angelic creatures bent on his capture. The book explores the idea of beautiful evils and honorable monsters as our heroes explore a vast new world and rekindle the hopes and fears of it’s peoples.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

Smart characters doing incredibly stupid things. Post-apocalyptic survivors keep making bad decisions that should have gotten them killed within the first week of the end of the world. Groups keep splitting up in the haunted house/murder house. The guy who got bit by the zombie and hid it but no one notices him acting all sketchy.

It drives me nuts.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?


I’m currently reading Ken Liu’s collection The Hidden Girl and Other Stories. The book is a treasure and he has found a steadfast reader for all time.


It’s been a very long time since I read a book that disappointed me. Some books I go into knowing that it’s not going to be a literary masterpiece so there is no disappointment. I’m reading it for nostalgia’s sake.

I read Sock by Penn Jillette back in 2013 and found it underwhelming. I’m very careful about what I read and there is a lot of great stuff to easily fill the TBR library.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?


I don’t have a question I hope to get asked, but I do have one that I think no one should ever ask the same way again.


“What is the best piece of advice you can give to a starting out writer/struggling writer?”


I hear this question at so many workshops, convention panels, and in author FAQS. The answer is always the same.


“Write all the time. Read all the time.”


That’s it. That is the universal answer. So, my suggestion to everyone out there is when you ask the above question, amend it to, “What is the best piece of advice you can give to a starting out writer/struggling writer OTHER THAN write and read all the time?”


Hopefully, you’ll get more interesting answers.