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 Marie McWilliams!
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 suffered from terrible post-natal depression after my daughter was born and completely lost myself. A counsellor told me to start a hobby, something I would do for myself rather than my family, something that would bring me joy. I immediately thought of writing. I had always loved English Literature in school and loved to read. My head was always full of stories, so I thought, why not write them down? I immediately started to write and my first novel Broken Mirrors was born. It was literally the first thing I wrote and it was born out of the complex emotions and struggles I had during that period in my life. It is an incredibly dark book and whilst I have evolved and grown significantly as an author since, I am still immensely proud of it. Writing that book helped me deal with my mental health issues, struggles with my own identity and autonomy over my own body – it was therapy for me. Now, whenever people tell me they are struggling, I always recommend writing it down, in a journal or diary.
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?
My imagination is definitely my strength. I have always had a very vivid one and was constantly coming up with ways to write myself into my favourite TV shows or movies, or creating stories in my head about the people I met and the places to which I travelled. Where I need to improve however is my focus and discipline. Being a single mum, with a full-time job, I struggle to find time for many things and when I do have any, I am tired and just want to relax. I really struggle to focus on my writing and getting things done. One of the ways I combat this is by asking for a deadline (yes, I know that may sound counter-productive but stay with me). If I have a date to work towards, I find it much easier to get started and to chip away at the work a bit at a time. I need to create a schedule, breaking the larger task into smaller, more manageable ones and to spread them out over the week or month ahead.
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?
With self-publishing, the market has become over saturated with hundreds of new books being released daily. It is really hard to get your work seen and create a name for yourself, particularly in a world where marketing and social media is everything. Even traditional publishing leaves a lot of small authors to fend for themselves when it comes to marketing and it can be really disheartening when you have worked so hard on something and no one sees it. Unfortunately, this is the way of it and I only see it getting worse going forward. I think this is where the book community is so important. This community truly lifts people up rather than knocking them down and supports indie authors. I have made so many connections in the publishing industry and got some amazing opportunities through the online book community as well as making life long friends and I am proud to be a part of it.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
My first novel, Broken Mirrors, is a dark crime thriller and as I mentioned previously, the first thing I ever wrote and I am immensely proud of it. Primarily though, I write horror and I have had dozens of short stories published in various anthologies and magazines over the years, including a Kandisha press anthology. My latest release is a book set in a haunted carnival called Mother Mort’s Carnival of Souls. This was something completely different for me, as it is a horror fiction book which accompanies an oracle tarot deck. Each character in the story corresponds to a card in the deck, so you can read the book independently, use the deck independently or use them together to create a kind of immersive experience. It has just been released for pre-order in the US from US Games Inc and will be available in Europe from April onwards. Honestly, I don’t think I could pick which of my pieces is my favourite, it would be like choosing between my children!
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I have recently had a book accepted by Quill and Crow Publishing for release in 2025. It is a traditional gothic horror with a twist called The Secrets of Blackthorn House. I should be editing it right now and it is probably what I will do once I finish this interview. My plans for the future are to keep writing, to keep reading and to keep learning and growing as an author.
KANDISHA PRESS 