For the foggy, chilling month of October, I wanted to interview as many horror authors as possible.Thankfully, Kathleen agreed to be my first victim! Kathleen S. Allen is the author of over 20 works (including horror) and you can find more about her below.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Interview with Kathleen S. Allen
Thank you for agreeing to let me interview you, Kathleen, for my horror author interview series. Let’s kick it off with something easy. What kind of books do you like to write or have you written?
I write young adult, although I have written adult too. My young adult gothic horror reimagining of Frankenstein is currently on submission with editors. I have written over 20 books as an independent author on Amazon/Nook. One of my spooky books is called, WITCH HUNTER. I also write murder mysteries and paranormal books.
That’s a lot of writing! Do you have a favorite book?
Isn’t this sort of like asking do you have a favorite child? LOL. I usually like whatever book I’m working on but I have an affinity to my YA gothic horror.
Fair enough. So, as a fellow writer, I’m always curious, what is your writing process?
I usually have a cup of coffee next to me or a cup of tea. I don’t do playlists, I need quiet when I write. My tortie cat is usually somewhere next to me too.
Cute animal snuggles are very important to any writing process! 😛 So tell me, what does your editing process look like?
I do several edits before sending my novel to beta readers/critique partners. I also belong to an in-person writing group and get to present to them. I take one piece of the novel and edit it. For example, I might look at setting first, then plot, sensory details and so on. I also do a reverse outline once the draft is done. If the end is this, what scene has to happen before it? And what happens before that one? And so on until I’m back at the beginning. I also edit for filler and filter words (felt, heard, seen etc) and do a line edit at the end. My last step is to have the computer read it aloud to catch awkward phrases or missing words.
Those are some fantastically helpful tips. I know that many authors struggle with the editing process. So tell me, what is one of your proudest achievements as an author?
Getting asked to speak at the Writer’s Digest Novel Workshop this past year was a highlight! Also going to the Andrea Brown Literary Big Sur conference last year was a treat!
Those are both amazing accomplishments. Congratulations! So, since this is a horror author interview, I have to ask. What is the scariest book you’ve read or a favorite book you’ve read this year?
One of the scariest books I’ve read is Amy Lukavic’s, DAUGHTER UNTO DEVILS. *shudders* I read a ton of young adult horror but that one unnerved me in a good way!
Oh, that one is high on my TBR list. I have it, I just need to dive in. Thanks for the push. So speaking of books, do you have a favorite author? Who is it and why?
I have many favorite authors! There are too many to pick one.
Fair enough. What is your favorite scary novel or scary movie trope?
Scary movies aren’t usually scary to me. The movie “Get Out” was one of them, so is “The Shining.”
Do you believe in ghosts? Werewolves? Vampires?
Yes and Fae.
Look into your crystal ball and see the future! What are you working on next and/or what should your fans look for from you?
Another author and I are co-editing a young adult Frankenstein inspired anthology (can you guess who had the idea?). We are organizing it and hoping it sells after the first of the year!
Which Halloween candy is the best candy? Which one should die?
I’m allergic to chocolate so anything not chocolate is good. Skittles, Starburst are faves. I never understood why anyone would eat black licorice. Ugh.
About the Author
KATHLEEN S. ALLEN is the author of more than twenty works (including horror) as an independent author and has written a young adult gothic horror reimagining of FRANKENSTEIN currently being submitted to editors by her agent.
She has a Master’s in Children’s Literature (and a doctorate in nursing practice). She has had poetry, short stories, flash fiction and lyric essays published in various publications. She has taught English, literature and nursing in universities, community colleges and online. She has written several professional articles on depression. She contributed a chapter on how to write mental health to the anthology, PUTTING THE SCIENCE IN FICTION published by Writer’s Digest in October 2018 which was edited by Dan Koboldt.
She lives in Los Angeles, has a cat and since she was brought up in an urban setting, not much scares her. She prefers dark to light, carries salt, a vial of dead man’s blood, and one of holy water in her messenger bag, Mr. Pointy, a sonic screwdriver, a floral bonnet, a box of Twinkies, a wand made out of faerie dust and dragon’s blood, and a dog-eared copy of Frankenstein. She lives on coffee and words and the occasional cuppa.
She is represented by Lindsay Leggett of The Rights Factory.
Her website is: http://www.kathleensallen.weebly.com
Her blog is: http://www.kathleensallen.wordpress.com
Her Twitter is: @kathleea