There was always something a little off about Harriet … she was the only who lived and adored the dark and macabre … as well as the spooky. So, she decided, why not write horror stories with supernatural elements to them? Growing up in the middle of a cornfield in northeast Iowa, what else is there for an imaginative little girl to do? Harriet is the author of several published works, including Cursed Legacy, Aborted Justice, The Summoning, as well as several submissions in anthologies. She is in the process of getting her first anthology up for the world to see (HorrorScope: A Zodiac Anthology). She lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with her husband and their four fur-children. And she doesn’t see that changing anytime soon (unless you wanna donate to her Ko-Fi to help her move to Europe).
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Questions:
- Tell our readers a little about yourself and your writing (including publications).
— I’ve been interested in writing since I was 13 years old. It all started with a short story assignment for my language arts class, and I have been in love with wanting to become an author ever since. I am a horror author but like to dabble in general fiction. Poetry is another personal favorite as well as the occasional romance piece. But my main focus is on horror. My first book, Cursed Legacy, was published June 23, 2021, and since then, I’ve published a standalone short story, been part of a collaboration novel with four other authors, have pieces in two different anthologies, and have published one anthology (with a second on the way next month).
- What writing projects are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on a piece for an anthology coming out sometime later this year (hush-hush on the details), working on putting together two more anthologies that are part of the HorrorScope series (Volumes 3 and 4). I have the strong hope and intention to prep and release a short story collection or a poetry collection before the end of the year.
- Are you a daytime writer, a mid-day writer, a nighttime writer, or just someone who writes when the mood hits you?
–I am a bit of a combination of a nighttime writer/mood writer. I lean more on being a mood writer, which seems to happen mostly during the evening hours (around 7:00-8:00pm) and can well go into 1:00-2:00 in the morning.
- Do you have a writing “Bucket List” (goals you want to accomplish as a writer)?
–I do. As much as I love the freedom of being an independent author (never been one for the traditional way), some of the items on my bucket list would be to have one of my works turned into a film or TV series; winning a prestigious award for one of my books would be awesome too…and yes, I would like to be famous (not necessarily rich, though it wouldn’t hurt) for my work and what I do to help the indie author community.
- Who is your favorite author and why?
–This is a rough question, lol. As a child, I would have said Ann M. Martin (The Babysitters Club series), but as an adult… if I had to choose, I would probably say Riley Sager, Stephen Graham Jones and Alice Feeney. Why I chose them – I enjoy their writing styles particularly, but in my opinion, all three of them have a way with keeping your attention from beginning to end, as well as offering mind-blowing twists in most of their works, and I love that!
- How many books do you read in a month? What are your favorite genres?
–I do a mixture of physical books and audio books a month. On average, I read around 18 books. Some of my favorite genres are psychological horror and/or thrillers, contemporary, and supernatural horror.
- HORROR AUTHORS (pick 1-3): What was the first horror movie you ever saw? What is your favorite horror movie? What is the worst horror movie you have ever seen?
–The first horror movie that I ever recall seeing, I think I was around 7-8 and definitely should not have been watching it… might have been Deadly Eyes (1982). The only thing I really remember was all the rats and the scene with the baby (if you know, you know).
–Yikes…my favorite horror movie? That’s not fair! I feel that’s like asking a parent which of their children is their favorite, haha! … I suppose I’ll narrow it down to three: Ju-On, The Ring, and The Blair Witch Project.
–The worst horror movie I’ve ever seen… there are also quite a few of these too. I think I’d have to say Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.
- Do you have any “rules” when you write?
–I don’t know about any specific rules, but I don’t tend to harm/abuse animals (I have occasionally killed an animal in a piece, but I refuse to have them tortured); another one that’s not a rule, but a quirk that I do: I never write in order nor do I start at the beginning. Also, I don’t like writing gore for the sake of writing gore (though I’m sure some may feel otherwise). Gore, in all honesty, makes me sick to my stomach, and I can barely watch it in movies/TV shows.
- Speaking of animals, do you have any pets?
–I do. Three cats (MoMo, Ace & Loki) and one dog (black Labrador named Shyanne)
- What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?
–I’m sure this has been said 56,000 times before, but what I want to say: do not give up. Your first draft is NOT going to be pretty. If you go the indie route, be sure you save a lot of money and try to plan a budget before you really get going on your dream. I don’t say that to scare anyone, but if you want an attractive cover, a better manuscript, you need to pay for professionals (or someone you trust that is willing to give you a deal) to make your piece the best it can possibly be. If you get stuck in a writer’s block, walk away from the piece for a little bit or work on something that is inspiring you.
Eric Woods, Author 