Tell us a little about your story.
“You’re Dying Up There” is a tongue-in-cheek tale that takes place in a small coffee shop that hosts open mic nights for aspiring poets. I can sum up a lot by throwing the familiar phrase, “everyone’s a critic” at you. Except, sometimes, people have the credentials to be critics, and when they don’t like what you’re offering, it can get messy…and stabby.
Why did you want to write a slasher story and do you feel you brought something different to the table?
As a horror fan, I’m a lifelong acolyte of the slasher genre. I love that they tend to be very fast-paced, sometimes serious and sometimes silly, and I’ve always been thrilled at the imagination needed to create some of those death scenes. Because of my fandom, I relished the idea of contributing to a slasher anthology and I hoped to bring a bit of that silliness and comedy to the larger work as well as my own experiences as a kid in the 1990s.
Do you have a favourite slasher story/movie?
I’m a fan of the Friday the 13th series, even though I have to admit that there are some real stinkers in there. That’s part of the fun, I think. However, I can’t pass up a slasher flick and there are so many really amazing works out there. But you know what? So many of them feature some sort of supernatural element and, obviously, I’m here for it, but I also really like a non-supernatural slasher and I don’t think I can be forgiven if I neglect to mention Psycho, both Robert Bloch’s book and Alfred Hitchcock’s movie. Both works still hold up as disturbing and adrenaline-pumping even today.
Why is it important to you to have a woman led press like Kandisha?
This is my second time working with Kandisha and that’s partly because they’re amazing to work with, but also because I believe in what they stand for. The horror genre is awash in talented women writers, and there is still a struggle getting them the same attention and fanbase as some of their male counterparts. Kandisha Press is loud and proud in their boosting of female voices and I’m honored to be on their roster.
What’s next for you?
Work and grind, as it is with the life of a writer. I’ve currently got two full-length works nearing completion and I look forward to sharing more words with the world!
Where can people find you?
You can find me on Twitter as @SomerM and you can also find me as a podcaster, solo on A Case for Classics and as a co-host with Mary SanGiovanni and Matt Wildasin on The Ghost Writers Podcast.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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