Category: Interviews

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

 

Your novel Arithmophobia is out now on Kindle, what can you tell us about it?

It’s a collection of short stories all wrapped in the theme of numbers. Numbers can be scary, especially if they’re NEGATIVE numbers that happen to appear in my bank account. But numbers surround our everyday lives and sometimes they are magical and other times…deadly. Oh and by the way…Arithmophobia is also available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Kindle AND paperback. I just thought I’d throw that out there.

How long have you been writing for?

I’ve been writing since I was in first or second grade. My first stories were knock-offs from ones I’ve read. I remember one called, The Mummy Brothers. It was bad but I was 8! I wrote on and off as I got older but it wasn’t until the last twelve years or so that I began to write in earnest.

Any rituals or superstitions you have before beginning a new story?

Actually, I don’t. When I get an idea I just sit and pound it out on the keyboard. I can make one up though. Like most writers, I can make up some pretty tasty lies. Ooh, here’s one…before I begin writing something new, I dig up a long dead author and pluck out their fingers and I use those bony phalanges to do the typing on my computer. It brings me inspiration…and visits from the police.

How often is your writing interrupted by your pets?

One of my cats will jump up and start chewing on my laptop the second she sees me getting into a groove.

I believe cats are writers in fur suits. So when they see you’re writing and being creative they attempt to steal your juju!  But..since they don’t have thumbs, they become disgusted at their lack of appendage so they thwart our efforts to write.  Fuzzy bastards.

Any advice to writers that are just starting out?

Don’t write to get famous or make money. Write because you love to write and NEED to write. I’m not saying a person CAN’T make money writing because one can, but it takes a lot of blood, skin and one’s first born.  If you are starting to write, hone your craft and find your voice. I’m a humorist, I don’t use flowery language and I’m skilled at dialogue. Those are the areas where I shine. I write to my strengths. But that doesn’t mean a writer shouldn’t expand themselves. There’s ALWAYS something new to learn about yourself and your writing.

Do you have a special playlist of songs for writing?

I need silence to write. I’m a musician also, so if there’s music on I end up singing harmonies or listening to the guitar part and trying to figure it out. But if I HAD to choose a playlist, it would be; The Sound of Silence, Outside the Silence, Enjoy the Silence, Silence is Golden and my personal favorite–Please Shut the Hell Up I’m Trying to Write.….you get my drift here.

 

 

 

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I take time off and let my head wander. There’s nothing wrong with taking a few days off if you’re not on a deadline. I’ll ease back into it with some micro or flash fiction from a writing prompt. Sometimes that scrambles the brain into creating something. Or…I ask someone for an idea. I may have NOTHING but a friend might have a great simple bone of an idea where I can add some flesh and sinew…and maybe an eyeball… or two

Do you have any projects coming out that you’d like our readers to know about?

Why, yes I do. Thank you for asking! I have a novella in the editing process which will be looking for a home sometime soon. I have three or four short stories being considered for publication in different anthologies. I am tossing around ideas for a new book. I just haven’t had one that stuck to the wall just yet. But in the meantime, I’m blogging and writing micro and flash whenever the mood strikes.

 

Thank you so much for the interview Shawn!!

 

Find out more about Ruschelle at the following links:

www.ruschelledillon.net

Twitter

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Youtube VideoFor Don’t Punch The Corpse

Mothman Mockumentary

 

How long have you been writing for?

That’s a question with several different answers. If we’re talking about writing in general, I started writing a horribly derivative fantasy epic when I was around 11 year old. It was about a barbarian and his sorcerer friend (Conan anyone?) but it never really went anywhere. Later, when I was considerably older, I started a novella set in a pre-iron-age fantasy world, loosely based on New Zealand – and that felt like the point where I started to go from someone just messing about in MSWord to something a bit more serious.
In around 2013 I began frequenting the Writing Prompts area of Reddit – and quickly became hooked – which in turn led to the discovery of the NoSleep subreddit.
I’ve been writing regularly ever since, and don’t ever plan to stop.

What is it about horror that made you think ‘This is the genre for me’?

Fantasy and Sci Fi are my ‘home’ genres, but I guess familiarity breeds contempt, because they don’t seem very exotic to me anymore. Being a complete newbie to the horror genre gave it a bit of a shine that I guess still hasn’t worn off.
Horror is a very challenging genre to write in; I don’t feel I’m a natural horror writer at all, so each story is like a complicated puzzle that needs solving – and I’m a huge fan of puzzles!

You mix a lot of fantasy in with your writing. What I’ve always loved about your stories is you’re true to the fantasy aspect of it. How are you able to seamlessly marry the two genres?

I think the origins of Fantasy are rooted firmly in folklore and fairy tales, and what many people don’t realise is that fairy tales are the original works of horror, long before Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker put quill to paper. Fairy tales were designed to frighten and warn people away from dangerous places, or to scare children into doing what they were told. Anyone reading the works of The Brothers Grimm will immediately identify all the common roots of modern horror stories, from bone-chewing witches, to evil relatives willing to sell you into tortured slavery.
So I guess I’m less blending two genres than I am returning a genre to its origins

Any tips for combatting writer’s block?

Inspiration comes from experience; so if you’re not out and about experiencing things, inspiration will come slowly. If you find yourself at a loss, ride a bus or a train somewhere new while checking out the passengers and the view. Alternatively, go for a long walk through a neighbourhood you’ve never been to before, or visit a friend you haven’t seen for a while.
And if none of those are an option, just pick up a book and read something. All the greatest writers I know have or had ferocious appetites for books!

 You’ve had your stories featured on audio podcasts before, what’s it like listening to somebody else bring your work to life?

Utterly magical, especially when they’re a good fit. While I’m terrible at script writing and screenplays, I do appreciate hearing or seeing my work in another medium. If a story holds up well in all formats, you know you’ve created something special.

Any rituals you have before starting a new story?

I usually go through a week-long process of brainstorming before I start typing anything, so I suppose that’s almost a ritual? Other than that, my only real requirement is that I get up early and have a cup of tea before I get to work on my latest manuscript.
Music is also a must most of the time. I generally don’t enjoy writing in silence.

How do you handle character creation? I find using Dungeons and Dragons character sheets helpful but it’s fun to see the many ways other people go about this.

That’s something I couldn’t honestly tell you. This is a process that happens entirely in my head and I think there is a big component of intuition here, so I’m very fortunate that it just ‘works’, however it might actually be happening. Having lived a very interesting life and having met an incredibly diverse array of people, I think there is just a lot of ‘personality paint’ in my head with which to create new characters.

Any projects coming up (or currently out) you’d like to share with us?

Currently I’m in the middle of editing my novel, which is a YA Sci Fi story. It’s no longer in the creative phase, so it’s not a particularly exciting project at the moment, but it will be when it’s finished!
Other than that, I’ve recently finished the sequel to A Seaside British Pub, which is hopefully even better than the original story.
And for those who keep asking after it, The Red Sword will be completed this year sometime, though my novel takes precedence over everything else.

How can we support your work?

I guess by spreading the good word if you like my stuff!
Otherwise, if people feel inclined, my short story collection The Silver Path is available on Lulu.com if they’d like to purchase it.

Any advice to people just starting out in their writing careers?

Try not to be ‘like’ someone else. I see many people striving to be like Stephen King or Peter Straub, but often all these people are doing is trying to cram their talent into a particular cookie-cutter shape. When you do that you can end up cutting off vital parts of what makes you unique as a writer – and if you do that you’ll never find your true voice.
Explore! Experiment! Find out what your strengths are from reader feedback. Challenge yourself with things you think are too hard for you to write, and try writing well outside your genre comfort zones.
Writing should be fun. Writing should be therapy. The creative process of writing should never be drudgery or hard slog and if it always feels like it is, then go and do something else that you enjoy instead. Not everyone is destined to be a writer and that’s OK 🙂

 

Caitlin can be found on twitter here

You can purchase a copy of her bestselling short story collection The Silver Path here

How did you first get involved with voice acting?

Voice acting as a career was always something in the back of my mind up until recently. Growing up, I loved cartoons and acting on stage, but going into voice acting was half an accident. I remember in 2012 I did some minor voice projects here and there as a hobby and one of the people from those communities suggested I listen to a certain horror anthology podcast. I noticed they were accepting auditions for narrators and the rest is history.

 

Do you have a favourite character that you’ve played?

I’ll tell you what, my favorite character to play so far is in a project that isn’t even out yet. But as far as the NoSleep Podcast, my favorite character would have to be the narrator from “How Did I Ever Get Into This Mess?” from season 7. One of my more emotionally meaty roles, and I always enjoy something I can sink my teeth into, y’know? Especially toward the end of the story.

 

Do you have any rituals you go through before recording to protect your voice?

I always have a cup of water nearby when I record. Maybe on days when my throat is especially dry I’ll go for a juice drink. I’ve heard around that there’s a special tea that’s literally called “throat coat” and I’ve been thinking of giving that a try, too.

 

Any projects you have coming up that our readers should know about?

So, that role I said was my favorite but the project it’s in isn’t out yet, it’s called Congeria. It’s coming out very soon! You can catch it’s release via the official twitter account!

 

How can our readers support your work?

In different ways! They can support the NoSleep Podcast by listening, buying the season passes, buying merch that you can find right on their website, or attending a live show! And though this isn’t very horror exclusionary, I’m also a freelance artist (I’ve even done some art for the NoSleep Podcast). I do a lot of pop surrealist-ish digital paintings and character design. So any readers interested in commissioning a $10 twitter icon or maybe just wanna directly support me and get some art on the side, they can do that, too.

 

Any tips for people that want to get started doing voice work?

Anyone wanting to start voice acting, I say consider getting your foot into general acting, first and foremost. It’s one thing to act with your face and body, it’s a whole other ballpark to act with ONLY your voice. For those who have acting experience and are jumping into voice acting, I say closets, blankets, towels, pillows, and knick-knacks are your best friends. On top of a decent mic, you need to soundproof EVERYTHING. When your recording sounds like a disembodied head speaking into a void, you’ve got it right.

 

Any fun/nightmare stories from a recording session?

I remember for one story my character was screaming in fear. I don’t usually scream, so to really push something out of me I blasted heavy metal into my headphones and tried to scream over it (safely, of course. This is why you need acting lessons). In the end it sounded more like someone screaming at a silent concert (and i dont think it ended up being used) but it was fun!

 

What is it about the horror genre specifically that you enjoy so much?

I love the challenge. Fear is such a basic, primal, feeling in people and for me, exposing myself to scary things is empowering. I used to be SO afraid of ghosts and demons when I was younger. I would be literally paralyzed in fear for hours late at night just seeing a shadow moving slightly around my closet. It’s powerful stuff! It wasn’t until I was old enough to read/watch horror stories and movies that I could start fighting that fear. So the horror genre is something I feel allows people to confront horrifying things without real (or perceived) risk to themselves.

 

You have a lot of fans (us including and especially us), anything you’d like them to know?

It’s cliche, but I’ve mentioned before now that the NoSleep Podcast is my first job as a professional voice actor. It’s a little bit of a gamble whenever you start something new, y’know? Even my audition with David was nerve racking; every acting audition is but I don’t think I was very sure with my own ability at the same time. I almost expected to be turned down, believe it or not. But against the odds, David had me on to narrate some stories. And then as a regular contributor. I realize this is becoming half for David as it is for the fans, but, I really, really, really, cannot stress enough how much it means to me that there are people here that gave me a chance, an opportunity, and welcomed the work I put out with open arms.

It’s scary to put yourself out there, no matter what you try to do. And while nowadays I do recognize that I do have skill and talent, and that’s part of why I’m still here with the NoSleep Podcast and soon-to-be other projects, i think without the massive support and love from the community I probably would’ve stopped at some point, thinking I was going nowhere. So I wanna thank David, the NSP crew, and the fans for helping me find a home and space to grow here. My voice acting journey began with this community, and I will always be grateful to them.

 

If you’re interested in telling her how awesome she is or commissioning some art you can find Alexis on twitter Here

You can hear Alexis as a regular narrator on The NoSleep Podcast

You can follow the progress of Congeria on their twitter account here