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 Ruthann Jagge!
Ruthann Jagge writes dark speculative, gothic horror, and fantasy fiction from her home on a rural cattle ranch in Texas, USA. She’s originally from Upstate NY, where her favorite month of October is inspirational. Many successful anthologies feature her solo work. She now writes collaboratively with Natasha Sinclair of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The two authors have a unique partnership, working closely together six thousand miles apart, and the popularity of their imprint “Brazen Folk Horror” continues to grow internationally through their readers and events. Their current work, a three-book series titled “The Delevan Trilogy,” is a “contemporary Gothic classic” deeply rooted in Scottish folklore and mythology. The pair is also expanding their brand to include “Brazen Noir: Darkest Tales of Lore and Lust”
Member HWA and BFS
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 loved reading as a child, and writing reports and essays in school came easy, as did English in general. Math was another story.
I’d sneak to the store on the weekend with my posse to grab candy and comics, but while they were into the funny versions, I insisted on “Tales from the Crypt” and others with terrifying graphics on the covers.
In my teens, as a Catholic school girl, I discovered the works of Poe Henry James, the Gothics like “Jayne Eyre, and the Latin to English translations of myths and legends were the stuff of my nightmares. The classics inspired me as I had to sneak other “unapproved reading” materials. I knew then I would someday tell my stories on my terms.
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?
I think one of my strengths is creating compelling and original characters. I like to say they talk to me in dreams, and breathing life into them while telling their stories is at the core of my writing. I enjoy taking workshops at conventions and online. I love sitting in when authors I admire, and respect offer expertise on panels on Zoom chats or other conversations regarding their experiences in the craft.
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?
I’ve had mostly positive experiences since writing professionally five years ago. I find the community supportive, and for the most part, the people I choose to connect with are an asset to my work and life. I’ve made some beautiful friendships. The addition of social media platforms and the fact that more folks started writing during Covid or decided in the aftermath that it was time to pursue their dream has resulted in a more competitive environment. There’s much more to writing than simply getting the words down. You must be a PR expert, marketing maven, and willing to connect consistently with your readers. It’s rare to have your work widely accepted without becoming a bit of an extrovert, which can be challenging.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I’m incredibly proud of my collaborative trilogy, “Delevan House,” written with my partner, Natasha Sinclair. I live on a cattle ranch in rural Texas, and she lives in a small village in Scotland. A shared love of history, folklore, and the fact that we finish each other’s sentences from six thousand miles apart has resulted in our stories, which have been very well received internationally, rooted in Scottish mythos in a contemporary gothic setting. The fact that we do this together well has me shaking my head in disbelief some days.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
Book II of our Trilogy “The Delevan Diaries” will be released in the spring of 2024, followed by the conclusion “The Serpent and the Crow” in late summer. We are attending Authors at Worldcon in Glasgow, UK, in August, and we cannot wait to be together at an event when I travel to Scotland! We both have several appearances planned for 2024 and into 2025. We’re also expanding our “Brazen Folk Horror” brand and publishing imprint to include “Brazen Noir: Darkest Tales of Lust and Lore” this year. We love twisted fairy tales and dark folklore, so it will be great fun to dive into some stories “without safe words,” as we say. We’ll continue our collaborative work and possibly include some unique solo stories. And, hopefully, we’ll continue to delight our readers with our unique style, constantly reminding them to #bebrazen.
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