-Interview by Desi D

1. What is your favorite line in a song/book/movie? And why?

“What can’t be cured must be endured.” This is quote attributed to Robert Burton’s book THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY, but I first read it in FOUR PAST MIDNIGHTby Stephen King (and has reappeared in his other works). The first time I read it, I felt like I got shot—because it resonated with me so strongly. It’s a saying that encourages patience, but I love it because it put into words what I had thought so often about my childhood.

2. As a writer, how would you describe the difference between horror and dark fantasy?

As an author, I believe the difference between the two is that there is an element of the unknown in horror and that fantasy stories have a lot of world building and lore that’s pertinent to the plot. So, the moment an author begins to explain the mechanics of what’s happening, or readers need to know those mechanics for the story to make sense, then that’s when a horror story starts to dip into the realm of dark fantasy.

3. What is about dark fiction that draws you in? And tell us a little about The Thing in the Labyrinth book club for Denver Horror Collective.

I enjoy dark fiction because it’s what I resonate with the most. I grew up in a tumultuous household, so I guess I’m always trying to figure out why people do terrible things, and I suppose dark fiction is a way for me to try to figure that out.

The Thing in the Labyrinth is a monthly, virtual horror book club with members spanning from coast to coast. We read novels but also poetry collections, short stories, and scripts. We also frequently invite the authors to join the book club. One of my favorite aspects of the book club is that we have a lot of horror writers as club members, so our discussions can get deep into craft and theme.

4. What about the art of storytelling excites you? And of course, what is the next story we can look forward to reading from you?

I love the ability to choose words to create a whole other reality. With the right words in the right order, we can transport ourselves and others into another world as different people.

I have a few stories in the works, but I’m very excited to announce an anthology I’ve edited for Denver Horror Collective, FRONTIERS OF FRIGHT: A SOUTHWESTERN HORROR ANTHOLOGY. It launched on Halloween and has 18 terrifying tales that take place in the Southwest ranging from frontier to modern times.