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 Clare Castleberry!
Clare Castleberry grew up in the swamps of Louisiana and lived behind a family-owned neighborhood bar, which fueled her imagination for southern gothic stories, often with erotic, horrific, or crime-laden themes. When she’s not writing, she can be found in the woods, behind a canvas, or taking care of bees, plants, and cats.
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 mom was a dedicated reader, and she inspired me to read and write. She used to read aloud to me from her John D. MacDonald pulp paperbacks when I was a toddler, and I guess that’s one of the things that got me going! I started reading Stephen King in the eighties, and my parents got me an old typewriter and set it up in their closet for me to play on. I wrote like crazy. Eventually, I had a story published when I was about eleven, and from then on, I was hooked.
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 my strength is creating atmosphere. I was born and raised in Louisiana, and the environment creates a canvas for my stories. I get lazy sometimes and fall back on telling versus showing—I tell myself I’ll go back later and fix it, but I always catch it in my writing when I do read-throughs. Having excellent beta readers always helps, and I constantly pick up new fiction and non-fiction books by authors I admire. Honestly, I think I became a librarian to have easy access to as many books as possible.
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 personally think it’s harder. I work with two publishers I love and self-publish as well, so I feel lucky in that regard. I re-entered the horror writing world back in 2012, and always felt like somewhat of an outsider because I post on social media sporadically. However, the people I’ve connected with along with way, like Derrick from Zombiegasm and Michael and Vanessa from Winding Road Stories, have made the juice worth the squeeze. Never in a million years did I expect to find my book in the Barnes and Noble I worked at during my year as a flailing college graduate and hopeful writer, so that exceeded my expectations.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I write a lot of southern gothic feminist stories with badass characters. Most stories are set in my home state, Louisiana, and have occult and pink horror vibes. I think I’m most proud of Second Skin, though, because I really stepped outside of my comfort zone to write it. It’s the story of a model trying to make it in the world, and portrays the darker side of success. It was not easy to write, much less self-publish on my own, but it helped me find a publisher for Azalea House.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I have a short story collection as well as at least two novellas coming out this year. Writing is a habit for me, so if I don’t do it daily, I start to feel off. My goal is to keep writing, keep improving, and to see where this flow takes me. There is no better therapy. Reading and writing make me feel at home with myself, and I plan to do both for as long as I can.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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