What got you interested in horror? Were any of your friends or family members shocked by your choice of writing genre?
I've always been interested in the supernatural and paranormal, ever since I was young. I remember watching silly ghost hunting shows and reading Dracula in the fifth grade. I suppose it stems from my natural curiosity about everything, and horror is always about the strange and unknown. Plus, it's fun to be scared, sometimes.
My family has gotten use to my morbidity, though they question my interest in serial killers at times.
I noticed that your short stories all have to do with unnatural creatures. Which, if any, of the 'standard' unnatural creatures do you believe might exist?
I believe in ghosts, which seems really ridiculous but sometimes a video or audio recording surfaces that just makes you question everything. I also think there are some really messed up things in the deep sea where sunlight never pierces. There's a pretty strong case for the Yeti, providing there aren't a ton of them and they stay far up the Himalayas. Definitely don't believe in Bigfoot, though.
Have you seen any of the shows like 'Monster Hunters' or 'Finding Bigfoot' and if so, what is your take?
My mom loves Finding Bigfoot. We both think all of those shows are really ridiculous and really hilarious. I highly doubt any of them are going to find anything out there, if there was anything to be found in the first place.
What is it about unnatural creatures that makes them so terrifying? Why do some legends which are obviously fake make their way to notoriety?
We are naturally afraid of predators, but there aren't a whole lot of animals that can take us down anymore. These creatures are often a mix-mash of many things, serving to deliver a message or a lesson (the first story in the collection actually deals with this.) The people telling it may not necessarily believe in the existence of the monster, but they do believe in the message the story is conveying.
Which unnatural creature do you consider to be most terrifying?
There's an internet story called the Goatman, based somewhat off the legend of the Skinwalker. The stories go that it finds groups in remote areas and 'imitates' members of the group – if you're not paying attention, its imitation works, but when do look closer you see that its imitation is a poor mask. Its exact reason for infiltrating groups is unknown. I'm terribly frightened by nighttime and any sort of "invasion," so the Goatman story strikes a deep chord in me.
Is there any author that influences your writing in a tangible way?
H.P. Lovecraft's themes of existential, cosmic horror and strange monsters certainly influenced me. The most Lovecraftian story in the collection is probably The Orchard, but there are certainly echoes of him throughout.
I also read a lot of Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, as well as writers on Reddit and Tumblr.
What was the impetus that made you sit down and begin your career?
I've recently started college, so I've been strapped in cash, and thus in the grand tradition of artists everywhere, I started selling my work opposed to posting just posting it online in order to feed myself.
I also love hearing comments and feedback about my stuff, so I hope by putting out ebooks I can attract more people and get more feedback. But it's mostly about feeding myself.
What has been the most challenging aspect of being an author?
Finding inspiration, and then getting yourself to actually sit down and write stuff. I question all the time if my stuff's actually scary, or if the people reading it are just humoring me. Having internet strangers read it and give feedback definitely helps prevent that thinking and keeps me from getting discouraged.
Finally, where can we find your stuff?
· Kobo
· Amazon
· My blog