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 Sarah Matthews!
Sarah Matthews is a writer from southern Indiana. Her book Jubilation Grove and Other Nightmares has it all: evil statues, crab monsters, unreliable realtors, the King in Yellow and more. Sarah has been previously published in anthologies from Eerie River Publishing and Black Hare press. Follow her on Bluesky @superbfinch.bsky.social , X (Twitter) @superbfinch, or Instagram @superbfinch2000. Check out her website sarahematthews.com for the rare, collectible blog post.
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?
My first story I remember writing was on my mom’s typewriter. It was a story about my entire family falling into a hole and being rescued by our heroic dog. From grade school through high school, teachers always praised my creativity and writing skills, and writing was easy for me. It’s good that they encouraged me, but it led to me think my writing didn’t need editing or more than one draft. College quickly disabused me of that notion, and in the past few years, I’ve learned the value of a first draft. Writing is harder for me now, but the payoff is much higher because I’m proud of my work.
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’m good at writing natural dialogue and first-person inner monologues, because I tend to write like I talk. I’m also good at writing entertaining stories. When I want to improve on my craft, I tend to read books on writing. It’s also good just to read fiction in general to get an idea of different writing styles.
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 think in some ways it’s easier to get published now. There exist so many small, independent presses that are putting out awesome work and really promoting their authors. As far as getting published by a big-name publisher, that’s still quite hard. As far as the book community goes, I follow a lot of horror writers on social media and most of them are awesome and supportive of new writers, which I appreciate. I think making personal connections with other authors, not to increase your social status, but to actually have a supportive network, is crucial.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I like to describe my work as “popcorn”. It’s fun and easy to consume, and you want to keep shovelling it in your face. I like writing horror with a humorous bent to it, because that’s just how my mind works. Even though I love horror, I’m a big scaredy-cat. I see something scary, and I look for ways to make it funny so that I’m not as afraid. My story “Jubilation Grove” is the first story I was able to finish after I graduated college, and it inspired me to take up writing again. I think my story “Altered Realty” has the best sentence I’ve written so far. And my best titled story is my as-yet unpublished “The Recollections of Daryl Beauregard as Recounted to the Boys One Night While Drinkin”.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I’ve written a second collection of short stories that I’m trying to find a home for. It’s got the tea party from Hell, a recipe for Shepherd’s Sacrifice Pie, Cthulhu in a toilet, and Richard Nixon on a trail cam. I’ve also started work on a third short story collection and for a change of pace, I’m writing a fantasy novel series. If I can’t find a publisher for my work, then I’ll save up and self-publish again. While I’d love to have a publisher that believes in what I write, it’s important to me to get my writing out in the world in whatever way I can.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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