We’ve previously reviewed the first in your Yresrun Semyhr series. What have you been up to since then?
Getting ready for the second book! THE LAMB WAS SURE TO GO tells my version of Mary and her little lamb, and they’re not so nice… It’s in pre-publication now and should come out around summer.
I have also written short stories for Horror anthologies and having fun promoting them at conventions with original costumes! Once this next novel comes to life, I will be bringing Mary and her lamb to life too and I can’t wait!
I enjoyed the first book a lot and found the concept pulled off really well. How many different nursery rhymes did you go through before finding ones that would make perfect horror stories?
I sat down and wrote plot ideas for all the classics, all the best-known ones that stand out. Periodically I added some things and changed some things but just wanted to get an overall idea down for each story. Then, I took a few that I thought were the strongest and started writing. Once in a while I’ll go back and look at the other potentials and see if my thoughts go any further.
Are there any you’ve tried to adapt but ran into some problems? Are there any you just plan on not touching?
I have changed my mind on a few, because making someone a vampire versus a werewolf changes the story entirely. I STILL don’t know what direction to take a certain character in, but it will take some more notes and brainstorming to get the story I want that best re-tells the nursery rhyme in a way that is appreciated and still recognizable. I want to do most of the well-known ones before doing lesser-known ones.
How can our readers support your work?
Spread the word! I am looking to reach the readers that like the kind of stuff I write, and the stuff I write lurks in dark, deep corners that needs to come out into the open! Authors love it when you enjoy their work and then tell other people they think will enjoy it, too. There is no better compliment that helping us reach more readers and give them a story they would enjoy. You never know what is out there! Reviews always help, too!
What is it about horror specifically that made you think ‘This is the genre for me’?
I am in the horror industry already as an actor, or as some call it, a “scareactor” so it came easily to me. It became clear that my worlds of acting and writing were meant to come together in the most fun ways possible. I love bringing my characters to life on paper…and in person!
What advice can you give to people going through writer’s block.?
Sometimes if nothing is coming to you, then nothing is coming to you. Don’t hate on yourself. Take a break! Watch a movie, play video games, be lazy. You never know when something will trigger a thought or idea later that will come in handy and make you turn on your computer again. Wait for those moments!
Anything fun you have coming out soon we should be on the lookout for?
In April my piece in the horror anthology CARNIVAL OF FEAR comes out! My story “Bottoni” is about a puppet who tried to fight off his abusive master but got left for dead. He is still alive, and he is going to get revenge. I have attached a picture of Bottoni…aka me in costume. Can you see it? Is the top part cut off or is it visible?
And of course, Watch for THE LAMB WAS SURE TO GO coming out soon: the story of Mary and her lamb as evil emissaries from Hell…
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Follow Jackie at her personal website http://www.jackiesonnenberg.com for updates
Follow Jackie on Twitter here
Read our previous interview with Jackie here
Read our review of Jackie’s book My Soul to Keep here