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 Holley Cornetto!
Holley Cornetto is a writer, librarian, professor, book reviewer, and transplanted southerner who now calls New Jersey home. She is the author of They Are Cursed Like You published in 2023 by Eerie River Publishing and We Haunt These Woods in 2022 from Bleeding Edge Books. Her short fiction has appeared in magazines such as Daily Science Fiction, Flame Tree Press Newsletter, Dark Recesses Press, and anthologies from Cemetery Gates Media, Eerie River Publishing, Dark Ink, and several others. In 2020, she was awarded a grant from the Ladies of Horror Fiction. In addition to writing The Horror Tree’s weekly newsletter, she regularly reviews for Publisher’s Weekly and The Horror Tree. She teaches creative writing in the online MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University.
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’ve always loved stories; I’ve been a reader for most of my life. I grew up loving books, and I’ve made both my professional and personal life revolve around books and storytelling. At some point, that love for reading made me want to create my own stories, because while I’ve loved much of what I’ve read in my lifetime, there have been times when I’ve wanted to read things that didn’t exist. A common adage in the writing world is to write the story you’d like to read, and it’s one I take to heart.
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 strong suit is writing characters. I tend to fall in love with my characters a little bit as I develop and write them, and I feel like I convey that well in my written work. As I write, these imaginary people come to feel like friends, even the bad ones. It’s a weird feeling, like you know them completely – their loves and losses, their flaws, their achievements.
I try to stay on top of reading articles and books on writing craft. Since I teach creative writing it’s sort of part of the job. I’m also a voracious reader, and when I read books, I often pay attention to what the author does well. I take notes and annotate books so I can come back and break apart scene by scene how another author did something. I analyze the choices the author made and see how I can apply that lesson to my own work.
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?
This is a hard question, because while there are more options for publishing these days (with the rise of small publishers and the accessibility of self-publishing), that comes with the added challenge of getting your work noticed when – arguably – there are more people writing and publishing than ever before. Theoretically, it’s easier to publish than ever, but getting published isn’t a guarantee that people will read your work.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of my novel, They Are Cursed Like You: Trailer Park Witches, which was co-written with Simone Green, and published in 2023 by Eerie River Publishing. It is a case of writing the story I wanted to read, and what I wanted at that time was a queer witchy book about female rage. Luckily, Simone was happy to go along with my crazy idea, and together, we created something really special.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
Trailer Park Witches is going to be a series, so I’ve been working at writing the next installments. Unfortunately, Simone had to step away from writing, so I’ll be finishing the series on my own (with Simone’s blessing). It’s daunting, but I believe in the characters, and the first book has had a great response, so I will try to do it justice. I also have another novel drafted, patiently awaiting edits.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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