Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with María Pilar Conn

My name is María Pilar Conn and I am an established writer of gothic mystery and poetry in the Spanish language. I live in Spain, in the region of Murcia in a small fishing town, Cabo de Palos. My mother was born here, in Sevilla, and I grew up between both countries, though I am still a US citizen. I have two published mystery novels, La Casa del Marqués, and my new novel, La Canción del Baladre, two poetry books, La Almendra y el Maíz and Paseando con Schopenhauer, plus a book on cake sculpture. I am translating at this…

Latinx in Horror: Interview with Nathan Castellanos

I was born and raised in Highland Park, CA. My mother came to California in the 80s after my Abuelo had worked the fields here in LA county, saving money to bring his family from Guadalajara. She married my father, who came from an Anglo/Jewish background. Cultural differences instigated their divorce when I was fairly young, which led to me developing a very independent (and sometimes rebellious) nature early on. This sparked my interest in things such as punk rock music, existentialist philosophy, Buddhism, comic books, sci and horror novels, and alternative subcultures of various sorts. Essentially, having a mother…

Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with B.F. Vega

My name is Beulah Vega (she/her), but I write and am listed as a member of the HWA under B.F. Vega. I am both a first-generation American and a descendant of some of the first colonists. My father was an undocumented worker from a small town in Mexico, and he met my mother (who had ancestors on the Mayflower) while they were both migrant workers. I am, of course, mixed race, and I think that's important to focus on these days. There are so many of us, Mixt, and we rarely get the recognition or belonging that 'pure' blood does.…

Latinx in Horror: Interview with Katherine Quevedo

Katherine Quevedo was born and raised near Portland, Oregon, where she works as an analyst and lives with her husband and two sons. Her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Nightmare Magazine, Fireside Magazine, Triangulation: Habitats, Factor Four Magazine, Apparition Literary Magazine, Flame Tree Publishing’s Christmas Gothic, and elsewhere. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Rhysling Award and been longlisted for the Kingdoms in the Wild 2022 Poetry Prize. Her debut mini-chapbook, The Inca Weaver’s Tales, is forthcoming from Sword & Kettle Press in their New Cosmologies series. Find her at www.katherinequevedo.com What inspired you to start writing? I’ve been drawn to writing ever…

Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with Angela Acosta

Angela Acosta (she/her/ella) is a poet and scholar of Mexican and European descent who grew up in Gainesville, Florida. She won the 2015 Rhina P. Espaillat Award from West Chester University. Her speculative poetry has or will appear in On Spec, Eye to the Telescope, Radon Journal, MacroMacrocosm, and Shoreline of Infinity. Her work has been featured in Latinx magazines like Panochazine, Somos en Escrito, and Latinx Audio Lit Mag. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Iberian Studies at The Ohio State University and resides in Columbus, Ohio. She enjoys rock climbing and biking in her free time. Professional…

Latinx in Horror: Interview with Valerie Valdes

Valerie Valdes lives in an elaborate meme palace with her husband and kids, where she writes, edits and moonlights as a muse. When she isn’t working, she enjoys playing video games and admiring the outdoors from the safety of her living room. Her debut novel Chilling Effect was shortlisted for the 2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award, and was named one of Library Journal’s best SF/fantasy novels of 2019. Valerie is co-editor of Escape Pod, and her short fiction and poetry have been featured in Uncanny Magazine and Nightmare Magazine. What inspired you to start writing? I’ve had the writing tide…

Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with Jose Nateras

Jose Nateras is an L.A. based Writer and Filmmaker from Chicago. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, Jose has his MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). A screenwriter and playwright, Jose is also a contributor for The A.V. Club and elsewhere. His debut novel, Testament, was published by Ninestar Press. One of his feature-length horror screenplays, Zero Feet Away, was included on 2021’s Bloodlist and has been optioned by Village Roadshow Pictures/Brillstein Entertainment Partners where it is currently in development. Another, Departing Seniors, is currently in production. He can be found on Twitter:…

Latinx in Horror: Interview with A.E. Santana

A.E. Santana (she/her) is a Southern California native who grew up in a farming community surrounded by the Sonoran Desert. A lover of horror and fantasy, her works can be found in Latinx Screams, Demonic Carnival III, and other horror anthologies. She is the managing editor for Kelp Journal & Books, the moderator for the horror book club, The Thing in the Labyrinth, and the communications manager for Full Circle Players in Riverside, California. A.E. Santana is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Denver Horror Collective, and has been a moderator for several horror panels, including "No Longer the Scream Queen: Women’s Roles in…

Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with LP Hernandez

LP Hernandez is an author of horror and speculative fiction. His stories have been featured in anthologies from Dark Matter Magazine, Cemetery Gates Media, and Sinister Smile Press among others. He is a regular contributor to The NoSleep Podcast and was privileged to helm the Season 16 finale. He has two short story collections including the recently released and fully illustrated The Rat King. His novella, Stargazers, was published under the My Dark Library banner with Cemetery Gates Media. When not writing, LP serves as a medical administrator in the U.S. Air Force. He is a husband, father, and a…

Latinx in Horror: Interview with A.P. Thayer

My name is A.P. Thayer and I'm a queer Xicano writer based out of Los Angeles. I write speculative fiction with a heavy horror bent, but try to blend genres as much as possible. My work has appeared in Space Fantasy Magazine, Dark Recesses Press, Uncharted Magazine, Los Suelos, Murder Park After Dark, and Glitter + Ashes, among others. I am also a staff member of Constelación Magazine. My heritage is a big part of not only what I write but my platform. I love talking about it, too! What inspired you to start writing? I jokingly tell people that my need for control is…

Latinx Heritage in Horror: Interview with Manuel Arenas

Manuel Arenas is a writer of verse and prose in the Gothic Horror tradition. His work has appeared in various anthologies and journals including Spectral Realms, and Penumbra, both from Hippocampus Press. In 2021 he released his first collection of poetry and prose, Book of Shadows: Grim Tales and Gothic Fancies, from Jackanapes Press. He currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona, where he pens his dark ditties sheltered behind heavy curtains, as he shuns the oppressive orb which glares down on him from the cloudless, dust-filled sky. What inspired you to start writing? I was always into storytelling, even in grade…

Latinx in Horror: Interview with Ann Dávila Cardinal

Ann Dávila Cardinal is a writer and the Director of Recruitment for Vermont College of Fine Arts where she earned her MFA in Writing. She comes from a long line of Puerto Rican writers, including father and son poets Virgilio and José Antonio Dávila, and her cousin, award-winning fiction writer Tere Dávila. Her young adult horror novels include Five Midnights, Category Five, and the upcoming Breakup From Hell (1/3/23). The Storyteller’s Death, (10/4/22), a work of magical realism, is her first novel for adults. Ann lives with her husband in Vermont in a small house with a scary basement.  What inspired…
Introduction to Latinx Heritage in Horror 2022

Introduction to Latinx Heritage in Horror 2022

Intro to Latinx Heritage in Horror by Rosemary Thorne Things are looking great for the Latinx Horror community in 2022, and here is some proof of it. Apart from being nominated Bram Stoker Award for "Best Horror Novel for the second time," Cina Pelayo delivered a great edition of the "2022 Souvenir anthology," and will be Guest of Honor at StokerCon Pittsburgh 2023. Concurrently, Gabino Iglesias' last novel has made it to The New York Times, confirming Spanglish is trendy and "barrio noir" a valid subgenre. Many other Latinx authors are paving the road and accomplishing goals in the States…

In Memoriam: Peter Straub

Writers around the world, and horror writers, in particular, lost a legend. Peter Straub passed away on September 4, 2022, after a long illness. He was 79 years old. A master of his craft, Peter wrote horror, dark fantasy, and psychological thrillers. His works include sixteen novels, numerous short stories, eleven novellas, four poem collections, and one collection of non-fiction essays. He won multiple Bram Stoker, World Fantasy, and August Derleth awards. In 2005, the Horror Writers Association awarded Peter Straub their Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the field of horror. Peter published his first supernatural thriller, Julia,…

In Memoriam: Corrine De Winter

In Memoriam: Corrine De Winter The HWA is saddened to hear of the passing of poet and author Corrine De Winter. Our hearts go out to her loved ones, her family, and the many friends and people she’s touched. About Corrine: Corrine De Winter was a Bram Stoker Award-winning Poet and author who won numerous awards for her writing from the New York Quarterly, Triton College of Arts & Sciences, & The Rhysling Science Fiction Award. Her work has been applauded by such luminaries as William Peter Blatty (“The Exorcist” author) Tom Monteleone, Thomas Ligotti, Nick Cave, Stanley Wiater, James…

Veterans in Horror Spotlight coming this November

The HWA is going to be running a month-long Veterans in Horror Spotlight this November coordinated by HWA member and former Marine, David Rose. We are inviting any and all veteran members to join us. If you are a horror author, poet, or non-fiction horror writer (or writer of dark fantasy or other related genres) who is a military veteran (defined as a former service member of any uniformed, national military), or if you would like to nominate such an author, please send an email message to veterans@horror.org by September 30, 2022. In the message, please include: - The name of the author…

HWA Honors Latinx Heritage Month for the Second Year

As the Horror Writers Association launches its second year of the Latinx Heritage in Horror interview series, we are looking to interview authors we did not interview last year. If you are a horror author, poet, or non-fiction horror writer (or writer of dark fantasy or other related genres) who is of Latinx/Hispanic heritage, or if you would like to nominate such an author, please send an email message to Sumiko Saulson at sumikoska@yahoo.com In the intro, please include: - The name of the author - Email, or other contact info for the author - Briefly, why this author is…

In Memoriam: Valjeanne Jeffers

On behalf of the Horror Writers Association, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Valjeanne Jeffers, and to her longtime boyfriend, poet Quinton Veal. Valjeanne was a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, a warm presence in the horror writing community, and on the speculative fiction convention circuit. Her contributions to the horror genre were many, including her werewolf series The Immortals, and short stories appearing in numerous horror anthologies, including Black Magic Women, Slay: Tales of the Vampire Noire, and the Bram Stoker nominated Sycorax’s Daughters. She deftly combined horror…

Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islanders Heritage in Horror: Interview with Naching T. Kassa

Naching T. Kassa is a wife, mother, and horror writer. She serves as an assistant at Crystal Lake Publishing, as an interviewer at HorrorAddicts.net, and is a proud member of both the Mystery Writers of America and the Horror Writers Association. You can find her work on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Naching-T-Kassa/e/B005ZGHTI0 What inspired you to start writing? When I was in second grade, I realized I could write stories for my classmates. I wrote and illustrated stories about monsters and all kinds of fun, scary things. My friends really liked them, and this inspired me to write more. What was it about the…

Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islanders Heritage in Horror: Interview with Lehua Parker

LEHUA PARKER writes speculative fiction for kids and adults, often set in her native Hawai‘i. Her award-winning and best-selling series include the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy, Lauele Fractured Folktales, and Chicken Skin Stories, along with many other plays, poems, short stories, novels, and essays. Her short stories have appeared in Va: Stories by Women of the Moana, Bamboo Ridge, and Sharks in an Inland Sea, and her plays performed by The Honolulu Theatre for Youth. A Kamehameha Schools graduate, Lehua is a passionate advocate of indigenous voices and authentic representation in media. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, schools, and symposiums, and mentors…