 Please tell us who you are, and why you chose to review horror? My name is Lydia Schoch. I’m a speculative fiction author, blogger, and reviewer. Horror appeals to me because it drags our deepest fears as human beings out of the corners of our minds so they can be examined critically. There’s something about facing fears head-on that makes them a little less scary to me in stories and in real life. Reading and reviewing horror is like figuring out what’s causing that eerie tapping noise in the next room instead of pretending like it doesn’t exist or assuming you already know it’s a benign sound and rolling back over to go to sleep. How long have you been reviewing for, and where can we find you? I’ve been a reviewer for 9 years. You can find my reviews at https://lydiaschoch.com and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8186591.Lydia_Schoch. I’ve also written some reviews for GN Horror which can be read here: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/apps/search?q=lydia+schoch. Do you have a mission statement regarding what you hope to achieve with your reviews and website? I believe in uplifting and promoting indie authors in the horror genre (as well as all other speculative fiction genres), especially when they belong to any underrepresented groups. While not everything I review is indie and I certainly do review the work of straight white men as well, I think there’s something to be said for doing my part to draw attention to authors and works that generally don’t receive as much attention as they deserve. As Gandhi once said, “Whatever changes you would like to effect in our society has to begin with you.” What's been the biggest hurdle you have faced in your time as a horror reviewer? My biggest hurdle as a horror reviewer is finding enough short stories and novellas written by and about people who aren’t straight, cisgender, able-bodied, white men! They are so ubiquitous that I have to work to keep my editorial calendar a bit more balanced when deciding what to read and review next. I have a strong preference for shorter works in general, so that already narrows the playing field when I’m thinking about what to read next. If anyone knows of good places to find lists of these sorts of horror stories, please do speak up. What's your prefered subgenre of horror? Supernatural horror is always my preferred subgenre. I’m endlessly intrigued by restless spirits finding peace many years after their untimely deaths. The funny thing is, I don’t actually believe in the existence of ghosts in our world and am undecided on the existence of an afterlife in general. I simply love the idea that it’s never too late for justice and healing to prevail even if that’s not always how these tales turn out. How would you describe your reviewing style? I’d describe my review style as thorough, honest, kind, but a little tough. I do not give out four or five star reviews easily, so it’s a big deal when I rate a book so highly! With that being said, I review the way I do because I want every author to reach his or her potential and amaze their future audiences. It’s thrilling to give out a perfect star rating to someone I gave two or three stars to for their last work. I literally cheer out loud for them each time that happens. What was the biggest low point of your time as a reviewer, and what has been the highpoint? I once had an author attempt to start an argument with me about some weak and inconsistent character development I noticed in their story and mentioned in my review. I chose not to engage with that person. It can be hard to take constructive criticism, especially for people who haven’t had many experiences reading lower-rated reviews of their work. Luckily, most authors understand that reviewers do the work we do out of a love for the genre(s) we read and a genuine desire for all authors to improve and succeed. The highpoint for me as a reviewer happens every time someone decides to buy a book as a result of one of my reviews or an author thanks me for the time and effort I put into reviewing their work. It’s wonderful to be appreciated and to encourage the sales of more books! How do you organise your time as a reviewer, do you have any tips for other reviewers? Organizing my reviewing time begins with carefully selecting what I want to read. Generally, I say yes to books that excite me and pass on the ones I only feel lukewarm about unless I happen to have a lot of extra time on my hands that week and nothing in my queue. Once I know what I’m going to read, I block out time on my online calendar for reading and reviewing. If I reach the end of that hour (or those hours) and I’m almost finished, I’ll keep chugging along if possible that day. It’s nice to write those last few paragraphs while I’m still in the zone. The beautiful thing about reviewing short stories and novellas is that sometimes I can finish multiple reviews on the same day. That always makes me feel quite productive! I’ve also found that it’s best for me to take at least two days off a week when I don’t think about reviews at all. Resting makes a big difference in how much and how often I can review. It’s no different than taking a rest day from exercise, Do you have a favourite review of yours? I thought this one was well done: https://lydiaschoch.com/solitary-fear-a-review-of-christmas-eve-on-a-haunted-hulk/ The concept of Victorian Christmas ghost stories in general is spectacular as well. I look forward to continuing this blogging series next December. Sadly horror is a genre that is still "ruled" by white males, have you had any negative responses from the because you are a woman reviewing horror? Yes, I have had negative experiences with men who only seem to want to interact with other straight white men. It hasn’t always been easy for me to determine if their behaviour is due to me being a woman or me being queer. Maybe it’s a little bit of both? At any rate, gatekeeping is unfortunately alive and well in the horror community (as well as the speculative fiction community in general). I use the mute and block button liberally with anyone who isn’t willing to listen to reason. It’s been my experience that change happens slowly at times, but it is happening. All I can control is my own behaviour and who I associate with. I do my best to be a warm and welcoming presence in these communities as well as to guide new folks to people and sites I know will treat them kindly. In terms of the genre itself there is still a nasty lingering concept of the woman only being there as a focus for violence, terror or as the damsel in distress, what's your reaction to this? I loathe those stories and do my best to avoid them unless the blurb indicates that it will be making fun of this trope. Horror writers are such a creative bunch. Surely they can come up with some fresh storylines! Do you have any recommendations for books that allow women to break past this stereotype? Let’s Play White by Chesya Burke is an excellent example of how to write scary stories by and about women without falling into this trap. I wrote a glowing review of it here: https://lydiaschoch.com/a-review-of-lets-play-white-by-chesya-burke/ What was the last good book you read, and what are you planning on reading next? I recently read “Boo and the Boy - A Ghost Story” by Wayne Barrett and will be reviewing it on my blog in the early spring. It was an excellent middle grade paranormal horror tale about someone who wakes up in the desert, realizes they’re dead, and has no idea what happened. Next on my list is an eerie short story by Madeleine L’Engle called “The Fact of the Matter.” The description of it says its paranormal horror, but that’s all I know about it so far!  Lydia Schoch is a science fiction and fantasy author from Toronto who has been blogging on various platforms since the early 2000s and publishing books since 2014. She is a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Handmaid’s Tale. She is not a big fan of brussels sprouts. You can also connect with Lydia on Twitter, Goodreads, or through the contact form below. Please note that this blog does not accept guest posts or sponsored content. This site is always updated on Mondays and Thursdays. Additionally, it often participates in the Top Ten Tuesday and Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge blog hops. As of May 6, 2019, Lydia has begun interviewing people who love speculative fiction. If you’d like to be interviewed, follow the instructions in this post. Elsewhere on the Web BLOGGING AS AN ART, PRIVACY & MORE || BLOGLETTERS INTERVIEW WITH LYDIA Interview with Lydia Schoch Gif Interview with Lydia Schoch   Comments are closed.
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