GREETINGS, BOOKWORMS! I’m Aisha Kandisha, Head Librarian at Kandisha Press. Join me in the dusty stacks of the library I will never leave again as I chat with some of my favorite Women in Horror. Today we feature author Amy Grech!
Amy Grech has sold over 100 stories to various anthologies and magazines including: 10 by 10 Flash Fiction Stories, A New York State of Fright, Apex Magazine, Even in the Grave, Hell’s Heart, Hell’s Highway, Hell’s Mall, Microverses, Punk Noir Magazine, Roi Fainéant Press, Tales from the Canyons of the Damned, Yellow Mama, and many others. Alien Buddha Press published her poetry chapbook, A Shadow of Your Former Self.
She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers who lives in Forest Hills, Queens. You can connect with her on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amygrech.bsky.social, X: https://twitter.com/amy_grech, or visit her website: https://www.crimsonscreams.com.
What made you want to become an author? Did you have an “Aha!” moment when you knew you were born to write? Or perhaps a beloved book inspired you?
I grew up reading Stephen King’s novels — I got hooked at the age of 12 — and became serious about writing in high school. I studied English/creative writing at Ithaca College in Update New York. I started selling my stories to small press magazines while I was still in school — 14850 Magazine was my first publication. I’ve been consistently publishing fiction and more recently poetry for 29 years and counting.
What do you believe are your strengths in writing? And when you feel you need to improve on a particular writing skill, how do you go about it?
Dialogue that reveals my characters’ motives and character development are my strong suits. Writing workshops are useful for honing my skills—writing is a constantly-evolving process—I welcome opportunities to enhance my understanding of the craft via workshops.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community? Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
These days, I think it’s easier to be an independent author—I’ve had three short story collections published with the three different publishers since 2006—all of whom are no longer in business—the proviso being that authors should embrace the art of shameless self-promotion—share what you’re up to on social media, embrace the power of podcasts, announce contract signings, book cover reveals, blurbs from fellow authors praising your work, rave reviews on Amazon, convention appearances, keep your website current, etc.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I’ve been writing for 29 years and have published over 100 crime fiction and horror stories in various anthologies and magazines. Recently, I’ve branched out into speculative poetry—Alien Buddha Press recently published my debut chapbook, A Shadow of Your Former Self.
I’m most proud of my NYC crime novella, Vicious Pink, which needs a home after the publisher I had a contract with folded last year…
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I’m in the middle of edits for my dystopian novella for a publisher—I wish I could say more, but my lips are sealed until the contract is signed!
I’m attending HELIOsphere and StokerCon this spring, where I’ll be reading from my work, speaking on panels, and hobnobbing.
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