An Interview with Jennifer Dornbush: It's California creepy!

Mackenzie Kiera | Ladies of the Fright:  A couple of icebreakers to start: when did you decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors?

Jennifer Dornbush: I didn't decide. I just knew. I was that kid creating backyard plays and forcing my parents to sit through them. I stated at 8 years old I was going to be a writer. I have SOOOOO many favorite authors ranging from children's literature to young adult to classic fiction. If you were to see my office full of books, you would see all my favorites.

MK | LOTF: Where are you in the world and what is it like?

JD: I recently just moved back to Phoenix after living in Los Angeles for 14 years. I LOVE the Sonoran desert. I really do. The first thing I did was renew my membership to the Desert Botanical Gardens. I can spend hours there observing and writing. If you really look at the design of desert plants, they look like something created for a horror flick. They're all spiky and twisty and misshapen. And some of them are poisonous. As is a lot of the wildlife: gila monsters, scorpions, rattle snakes. While I find the desert a beautiful and exotic place, it's also a horrifying place, by the way. Everything is designed to maim or kill you. You have to constantly be on the lookout around every corner. It's full of suspense. Everytime I put on my shoes in the garage I have to shake them out in case a scorpion has lodged inside. We've already killed three garage scorpions in just six weeks. How horrifying is that?!?

MK | LOTF: When in your life did you start to get into horror?

JD: Since I could remember. I mean, I grew up with human body parts in my freezer, vials of human blood in our spare fridge, and a guy's leg stored in a 55 gallon drum in our barn. I lived in a house of horrors. Hmmm…. do you think maybe that's why I gravitate to watching comedy so much?

MK | LOTF: A lot of people have been having a hard time finding their creative muse this year. How has your experience been?

JD: My experience has been outstanding! I have been able to do a lot of creative work this year and get so many projects off the ground. I have to say, the stay-at-home, cancel culture has definitely worked in my creative favor. It's like I finally got to take a long hiatus from so many other obligations that always get in the way and I have been able to really concentrate on creative endeavors. This includes reading. I have read more this year than in years previous.

MK | LOTF: Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to discuss?

JD: I'm writing a short story for an anthology to be published next year called Murder, Music and Mystery. It's theme is The Eagles album, Hotel California. Each author take one track from the album and creates a story around that track. I was lucky enough to get the title track, Hotel California. To my surprise, there are definitely horror elements creeping into my story. Usually I write straight thriller or mystery, but I'm loving the horror aspects to the story. It's California creepy!

MK | LOTF: Which (or which one(s)) classic book have you NEVER read and don’t intend on reading? (Think, like, Moby Dick, Wuthering Heights--that stuff)

JD: Tolstoy's War & Peace. Ugh. Just looking at that thick text sends palpitations in my heart. But maybe, just maybe, someday I would consider listening to it on audiobook.

MK | LOTF: Do you have a favorite monster? And why have they stolen your heart?

JD: I know it might be cliche, but Frankenstein is my monster. I'm in awe of Mary Shelley's creation and the way her themes stand the tests of time. I think they are more relevant today than they were in her era. The biggest question that she poses is what happens when we start creating our own little Frankensteins-- and believe me, they are already in the works through DNA, RNA, cloning, invitro fertilizations, hybrid human/animals — what place do they have here and how will we love and accept them into culture and society?

MK | LOTF: and where can our listeners/readers find you?

JD: I've got all the things… so easiest just to go to my website which is a one-stop shop. www.jenniferdornbush.com

---

Jennifer Fornbush is a screenwriter, author, speaker, and forensic specialist who aims to shed light and hope in the dark places of the human experiences.

Fright Girl Summer | An Interview with V. Castro and Sonora Taylor

Fright Girl Summer is a book festival to promote women in horror with an emphasis on women from marginalized communities. The organization is currently keeping the fun going into the witching season with Fright Girl Autumn.

---

Ladies of the Fright: Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. It is our hope that we can all connect on the podcast in what we hope hope hope is a better year, 2021. But, we couldn’t wait to get to know you, considering everything we’ve heard about Fright Girl Summer. Would you tell us a little about yourself. Where are you in the world and what is it like?

Violet: My name is Violet, and I am a Mexican American writer originally from Texas now residing in the UK. I’m usually terribly homesick but I’m enjoying the UK at this moment.

 Sonora: I’m Sonora, and I live in Arlington, Virginia; a suburb of Washington, D.C.I love this area so much—great food, great weather, great natural settings, and great people (elected officials sent here from other states notwithstanding).          

LOTF: When in your life did you start to get into horror?

V: I’ve always been a horror girl. I grew up with Mexican folklore and Texas urban legends. It wasn’t a huge step for me to begin writing it.

 S: As a kid, though I was into fun, cute horror as a wee one—Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family, the Beetlejuice cartoon on Nickelodeon. I’ve been a fan of the macabre for as long as I can remember.

LOTF: What was the first thing you remember writing and how old were you?

 V: I have a large sheet of paper with a crudely drawn haunted house and a ghost with blue claws. It’s some strange short story about I really don’t know what because I was so young (8?). My mother saved all my childhood horror stories!

 S: I once tried to write a YA novel when I was in 4th or 5th grade. I was getting more into Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High, so I figured that I, a 9/10-year-old, was destined to write a YA masterpiece. It was about a blonde girl named Cleo, her friends, and the guy she liked. I think his name was Mark, but I know for sure I gave him Clark Kent hair to denote that he was hot. Oh, did I mention it was illustrated?

LOTF: Tell us about your initiative. We'd love to know the journey. 

 V: As a woman of color, I know how easy it is to get discouraged when you know it takes double the amount of work to get a sliver of recognition or offered opportunities. Not seeing yourself represented or misrepresented hurts. There is no other way to put it. I wanted a space for women and especially for women from marginalized communities to have a platform just for them. I sent a tweet and Sonora replied. It went from there.

 S: I loved V’s idea, and I love what she does to promote marginalized voices in the community. I offered to help and she accepted. Fright Girl Summer has been a blast to run and we’ve both been so pleased with the response. And with everything coming out about uglier aspects in the horror community, from abuse to bullying, I’m glad we have this space available for people who need it. I hope that Fright Girl Summer will always feel safe for anyone who wants to participate—and that they’ll tell us if it ever feels unsafe so we can correct it!

LOTF: A lot of people have been having a hard time finding their creative muse this year. How has your experience been?

V: It was tough at first, but I have written more than ever considering we have not left the house very often since March. It has been the only way to express my fears and frustration. It’s been a life saver.

 S: I’ve actually had a rough go at it writing. I’ve been writing, but I need longer breaks between individual stories than I used to need. It’s also hard to open up Word and just write. But I do try, and I try to at least engage with my ideas even if I don’t write hundreds of words in a day.

LOTF: Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to discuss?

V: I hope everyone will read The Cucuy of Cancun in Worst Laid Plans from Grindhouse Press. If you like intense erotic horror you can pick up the very short Sed de Sangre. Otherwise all the women on Fright Girl Summer are amazing and could use reviews!

S: I’m working on my next short story collection, called Someone to Share My Nightmares. It will focus largely on dark romance/erotica. I will also have a story in Cemetery Gates’ upcoming anthology, Places We Fear to Tread. It’s called “Laughter in the Night” and it’s based on a ghost story about my old elementary school.

LOTF: Which (or which one(s)) classic book have you NEVER read and don’t intend on

reading? (Think, like, Moby Dick, Wuthering Heights--that stuff)

 V: Damn. That’s a crazy question because I graduated almost twenty years ago and haven’t thought of those books since then. Now I’m not sure I would want to considering all the diverse talent finally getting attention.

 S: War and Peace. Too long, and I can’t get into classic Russian literature.

LOTF: Do you have a favorite monster? And why have they stolen your heart?

V: VAMPIRES! I love the idea of being immortal, full of power and dangerous.

S: Do ghosts count? I love haunted house movies. Ghosts are great because most of the time they’re minding their own business; and then someone moves into their home, starts shit, and then cries when the ghosts tell them to fuck off. I feel for them.

LOTF: And where can our listeners/readers find you?

They can find us at www.frightgirlsummer.com

V.: I can be found at www.vvcastro.com

Twitter | Instagram @vlatinalondon

S: I can be found at sonorawrites.com

Twitter @sonorawrites

A Fascination with Dark Things, an interview with Alexis Henderson, author of THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING

Ladies of the Fright: Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you in the world and what is it like?

Alexis Henderson: Right now, I live in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s a really gorgeous city, right on the water with stunning beaches and marshland. But at the same time Charleston, like much of the south, is a place that feels very haunted by its past.

LOTF: When in your life did you start to get into horror? 

AH: I think I've always had a fascination with dark things, but when I was a young teenager I began to really indulge in the things that frightened me. But I think what really spurred my horror obsession was my desire to conquer my fears, or at the very least confront them through the horror media I consumed. 

LOTF: What was the first thing you remember writing and how old were you? 

AH: I started keeping a journal at five or six years old and I still have it to this day! 

LOTF: Tell us about your book! We'd love to know your book journey. 

AH: The Year of the Witching is a dark fantasy/horror novel that follows Immanuelle Moore a young shepherdess who lives in Bethel, a secluded, cult-like community that is ruled by a Holy Prophet. One day Immanuelle is lured into the forbidden Darkwood that surrounds her home. There she encounters the spirits of four dead witches, and through them, she uncovers dark secrets about the Prophet and his church. I wrote it during my senior year of college, and I'm thrilled that it's found its way into the hands of readers!

LOTF: A lot of people have been having a hard time finding their creative muse this year. How has your experience been? 

AH: I, like many other authors and creators, have struggled creatively. I feel like there are so many pressing issues that actively compete for my attention, and sometimes it can be hard to hone in on my work. 

LOTF: Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to discuss? 

AH: I can't say too much, but right now I'm writing the (yet untitled) sequel to The Year of the Witching! 

LOTF: Do you have a favorite monster? And why have they stolen your heart? 

AH: I don't know that he's stolen my heart, but I'm a big fan of The Pale Man from Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. I think that the way that monster embodies the depravity of our own world, and the structures that govern it, is equal parts disturbing and brilliant. 

Thank you so much, Alexis! We’re looking forward to reading The Year of the Witching. Stay dark and stormy.