How to Dismantle Your Life: Women in Horror: LOREN RHOADS

Loren Rhoads is the author of The Dangerous Type trilogy, coming from Night Shade Books in 2015. She’s the co-author of As Above, So Below with Brian Thomas. Before that, she was the author of a collection of travel essays from graveyards around the world called Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel. She also edited The Haunted Mansion Project: Year Two

1. When did you start writing horror?

I’ve always been fascinated with ghosts and vampires and the old black & white horror movies from the 30s and 40s, so I’ve always written horror.

2. Have you written in any other genre?

My new trilogy (The Dangerous Type: http://lorenrhoads.com/writing/the-dangerous-type/) blends horror with space opera. I was inspired by the glamorous, sexy villains in the Hammer horror movies from the 1970s. My first novel (As Above, So Below: http://lorenrhoads.com/writing/as-above-so-below/) combined erotic horror with urban fantasy. I think genre boundaries should be fluid.

3. What makes you uncomfortable?

Lack of empathy.

4. Does your family read your work?

My 11-year-old would like to, but I haven’t let her yet. My mom reads all the nonfiction, but the fiction is too much for her. My husband is my first reader, though. He gets to see everything before anyone else.

5. Does your writing make you uneasy?

If I’m doing it right, yes. I like to push boundaries for myself and my readers. My characters get themselves into trouble when they overshare.

6. Who would you say you write like?

I aspire to write like the bastard lovechild of Neil Gaiman and Angela Carter.

7. Who are your favourite authors?

Ray Bradbury is my swooner dreamboat lover boy. And Gemma Files, because she’s fearless. And Dana Fredsti, because she’s fun.

8. Who influences you as a writer?

All of the above, along with Martha Allard, who writes the most perfect short stories. I’m waiting for her novel The Black Light to come out later this year. You can read some of her stories on Wattpad (http://www.wattpad.com/user/MarthaAllard). I’ve also had a lot of really good teachers, all of whom challenged me, too.

9. Do you remember what your first horror book was that you read?

Peter Pan. There’s a bit when Hook is marching down a path on the island and a pirate upsets him. Hook just slashes the guy in half with his hook, then kicks the pieces off the path.

10. How old were you?

My mom edited that bit when she read it to me as a bedtime story, but I was 7 or 8 when I discovered it for myself.

11. Is there any subject you will not touch as an author?

I’m not interested in traditional serial killer narratives, where women are dehumanized.

12. What was the best advice you were given as a writer?

Nelson Algren said, “Any writer who knows what he’s doing isn’t doing very much.” That’s really helped me to get over my worries that I am not in control of this process.

13. If you had to start all over again, what would you do different?

Write more faster.

14. How many books do you read a year?

Around 40. I participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, which helps me to keep track.

15. Do you write every day?

Almost every day. I work as a writer every day, but it doesn’t always mean I do writing. Some days I do social media stuff, blog, send emails, research, take notes, travel. The writing is the most important part of the job, but it probably doesn’t get the greatest number of hours assigned to it.