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Women in Horror Fiction: H.I. Moscato (H.I.M.)

Women in Horror Month is technically over, but we still have more good stuff to share. Today, an interview with H.I. Moscato. If you didn’t know about her already, you might not have discovered her easily on your own. Enjoy!

Product DetailsH.I. Moscato is the author of a two-book vampire series, Vampire’s Song (2009 Amazon) and The Sound of Blood (Vampire’s Song) (2013 Amazon), as well as various short stories.

 

Can you give our readers a brief introduction?

My full name is Hortenzia Ilona Moscato and I publish under my initials, H.I.M., due to its length. I’m an author of a two- book vampire series and several short horror stories. I found my love of writing rather late in life when I caught up on reading all the books that my favorite author of the time had written and was having a hard time finding a replacement read that filled the same void. After a great deal of frustration in not finding what I was looking for I thought it would be fun to write something myself–  never thinking anyone would ever see it. That was all it took to fall in love with the craft. It’s now been 12 years, and my love affair with writing is still going strong.

 

Why do you write horror?  What draws you to the genre?

As all young children I feared the monsters under my bed and somehow early on I realized that the only way to keep them– the monsters– from eating me up was to befriend them with offerings of cookies. Now I chase their friendship on paper.

 

Can you describe your writing style or the tone you prefer to set for your stories?

I prefer to take a seemingly normal start to a story and then slowly twist it into something the reader never saw coming.

 

Who are some of your influences?  Are there any women authors who have particularly inspired you to write?

I find I’m influenced by every author I read. I can’t help but pull out everything I love, hate, got excited about, mad at or cried over out of every story. I’m not sure how you can’t be influenced one way or another– that’s, in my opinion the beauty of reading.

 

What authors do you like to read?  Any Recommendations?

Wow, that’s a tall order to fill. There are so many great writers. I’d have to say the best place to get a taste for an author’s work is through anthologies. I see them as sampler platters for novels.
Where can readers find your work?

I have two novels out, Vampires’ Song and its sequel The Sound of Blood both available on Amazon in hard copy and Kindle, as well as several short stories through Horrified Press and James Kirk Ward Publishing.

 

 

 

Posted on March 14, 2014 by , Reply

Women in Horror Fiction: Mercedes Murdock Yardley

 

Image of Mercedes M. Yardley   Mercedes M. Yardley’s most recent book, Nameless: The Darkness Comes, is out this month. In addition to this and the titles she mentions below,  her fiction can be found is such anthologies as Demons: Encounters with the Devil and His Minions, Fallen Angels, and the Possessed (2011 Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers), Tales of Jack the Ripper (2013 Word Horde), Undead and Unbound: Unexpected Tales From Beyond the Grave (2013 Chaosium), and a number of collections from Shock Totem.

 

1. Can you give our readers a brief introduction?

My name is Mercedes M. Yardley and I write dark fantasy and whimsical horror. I write about monsters who love, sympathetic serial killers, and the ominously beautiful. I have a book of short stories out titled Beautiful Sorrows, a novella titled Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, and my debut novel just came out in January of 2014. It’s titled Nameless: The Darkness Comes and it’s Book One in THE BONE ANGEL trilogy. I wear red lipstick, stilettos, and poisonous flowers in my hair.

 

2. Why do you write horror?  What draws you to the genre?

Horror is pure. There’s something so very honest about writing darkness. It’s thrilling. I find that sweet things are a joy, but they get tedious after a while. I like my sweet little stories to have bones and teeth underneath.

 

3. Can you describe your writing style or the tone you prefer to set for your stories?

My style tends to be elegant and very feminine. I love language, love the way words soun

 

4. Who are some of your influences?  Are there any women authors who have particularly inspired you to write?

One of my major influences growing up was Erma Bombeck. She was brassy and hysterical and kind. She took mundane things and found beauty in them. I also love the dreamy style of Aimee Bender. Her work is amazing.

 

5. What authors do you like to read?  Any recommendations?

I find that I read more newer authors than fully established ones, and that’s really fun. My favorites that I usually recommend are Lee Thompson and Christopher Barzak. I also enjoy Kristen Lamb’s books on social media. They’re so helpful!

 

6. Where can readers find your work?

I’m all over the place! My blog is www.mercedesyardley.com. I have a list linking to finding my work. I’m also on Amazon and Goodreads. Stop by and say hi!

 

Want to find out more? Visit Mercedes Yardley’s recent article for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer here.

Posted on March 6, 2014 by , 2 comments

The Chosen One: YA Dystopias @ your library

So, it has come to my attention that Divergent, based on Veronica Roth’s YA novel of the same name, is coming soon to theaters. In fact, Barnes and Noble has put out a list of suggested teen reads to try out as fans of the books await the movie. I know Divergent is part of an incredibly popular series, but the thing that strikes me about it the most is its emphasis on choosing a life path. This actually isn’t an uncommon theme in teen and tween literature, and it’s central to the plot of some really excellent books (and some others that aren’t so great, but I digress). It’s absolutely worth it to check them out.

 

 

  The Giver by Lois Lowry

You can’t go wrong with this Newbery Award winner that tells the story of Jonas, living in a future utopian society, who is chosen, in a ceremony with his peers where they are all assigned jobs for their adult lives, to be the Receiver of Memories, the one person allowed to know the memories of the past in human history. It’s not as action-oriented as Divergent, but packs a much more powerful and memorable emotional punch. The Giver is part of a four-book series, but the first is the best and definitely stands alone. A movie based on the book is due out later this year.

 

 

  The City of Ember by Jeanne duPrau

The city of Ember is an underground city built as a last refuge in a world about to be annihilated by nuclear weapons. Two hundred years later, everything, from food to electricity, is running out. After the ceremony where Lina and Doon, along with their peers, are assigned their future careers, the two of them trade places, and discover a puzzling mystery they must solve to save the residents of Ember from darkness. This has more action than The Giver, and more of a mystery at its center, and is a compelling read even for those of us well over the target age range. The City of Ember is also part of a series, and all of them are great reads. It has been made into a movie already, with Bill Murray as the corrupt mayor. and I really enjoyed it.

 

 

  Enclave by Ann Aguirre

This is the first book in the Razorland trilogy, and it’s quite a bit more graphic than the first two books, probably on par with Divergent. In yet another post-apocalyptic underground world (one decidedly more primitive than Ember) Deuce goes through her naming ceremony and becomes a Hunter in her enclave, a sort of tribal society. As a Hunter, Deuce is supposed to find and catch food and rid the tunnels around her enclave of Freaks, ravening zombie-like creatures. Although she’s a believer in the way things work in her enclave, her exposure to a wider world and a partner who’s not so convinced lead her to question the actions of her leaders.

 

 

  Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A science fiction thiller told from the point of view of  two teenagers– Amy, the only person not specifically chosen for a role in settlement of a new planet, and Elder, whose future leadership of the spaceship Godspeed was chosen early in his life. There’s mystery, cloning, genetic and hormonal manipulation, general lying and betrayal, and a surprising amount of action given that this all takes place in a closed environment. There’s suicide, near-rape, and euthanasia in this book, among other things, although I think Revis handles it all pretty well. The target audience for Divergent should enjoy this.

 

 

 Legend by Marie Lu

June is the elite of the elite, being groomed for a position high up in the military in a dystopian society that’s more or less under military rule. Day is a rebel trying to undermine it.  What could possibly go wrong when their lives intersect?

 

 

 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Here’s one that’s interesting because almost everyone is chosen, eventually. It’s not wanting to be chosen that makes Tally stick out. Or, to make it more complicated, it’s wanting to be chosen but having to pretend she doesn’t want to be chosen and standing out as special when she wants to blend in. And then changing her mind. And changing it again. While it could stand alone, I think, it’s a good thing it’s part of a series because I have no clue where it’s going to end up. Westerfeld pretty much turns the tropes on their heads.
 

Enjoy!x

Posted on March 5, 2014 by , Reply
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