Why did you want to write a slasher story and do you feel you brought something different to the table?
I’m actually not someone who seeks out slasher stories and movies—I’m not averse to them, but I didn’t have much working knowledge. So writing one was a challenge for me, which I’m trying to do more of, and I also just loved the idea of these all being slashers that centered around women. I knew there’d be some inventive, incredible stories to come out of this call, and I wanted to be part of it!
Do you have a favourite slasher story/movie?
I love Black Christmas, the original. It’s atmospheric and genuinely scary, the misdirection is great and I love the emphasis on there being all of these possible predators, because that’s really the case—often it’s hard to see the worst threat through the forest of all the interactions that could become traumatic.
Why is it important to you to have a woman led press like Kandisha?
I love the unique perspective a woman led press brings to the table—from the anthology themes to the type of work they seek out, I think it’s important to have presses led by women, and to support them. Kandisha makes an effort to give voice to traditionally underrepresented authors, and there’s also just a specific way of handling certain subject matter that works better this way. I’m so glad Kandisha is part of this community.
What’s next for you?
My novella Below is coming out March 29th from Ghoulish Books, and I’ll be working a lot on the charity event I’m helping to organize at The Stanley Hotel to kickoff the Stokers—Spirited Giving. After that I have some short stories to write, and two novellas I want to work on, so hopefully it’ll be busy!
Where can people find you?
I have a woefully out of date website, www.laurelhightower.com, but you can usually find me on Twitter, @hightowerlaurel
KANDISHA PRESS 
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