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 Cindy Matthews!
Oakville-born Cindy Matthews is a multi-genre creator who works as a visual artist and short story / essay writer. Her work has been widely published and has won / placed in many writing competitions. Her debut short story collection Took You So Long was published by Porcupine’s Quill in 2022. In 2023 Took You So Long received two independent publisher awards: IPPY Gold—Regional Fiction—Canada and eLit Runner-up. In February 2024, DarkWinter Lit published The Roach Family and Other Stories.
Cindy has served as a local judge of the Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story Writing Competition, youth and adult categories. In June 2024 Cindy will be an author at the same festival where she used to volunteer—a dream come true. Prior to the pandemic lockdown, Cindy wrote opinion editorials for the Walkerton Herald-Times and SpotLight West Grey. On occasion, Cindy conducts half day writing workshops. Cindy and her partner, John, reside in a blue house on one-hundred acres in Bruce County, Ontario.
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?
As a child growing up, my preferred activities were drawing and playing outside. I didn’t become overly interested in story writing until adulthood. Initially, I concentrated less on story writing and more on non-fiction reportage, opinion editorials, memoir, and book reviews as well as any writing I had to complete as an educator and school administrator.
I became aware I was born to write when I was in my forties. At the time, I had a part-time gig as a freelance book reviewer for The Record (a daily newspaper in Waterloo Region) and the Guelph Mercury. The book editor asked me to consider doing reviews of short story collections and I immediately jumped at his offer. Reading short story collections provided me with an opportunity to develop my ability to deep-dive into the genre. I soon fell in love with short form story-telling.
Soon after that, I realized I wanted to write stories just like the ones I was reviewing. So began my journey of studying the form, reading and rereading well-written stories, writing my own stories, and getting a few published.
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 major writing strength is generating ideas that I’m willing to put onto paper. I often ask ‘what if’ of my characters. Some writers hold back from the bizarre and in my opinion, their writing suffers as a result. I write about pretty much anything that interests me. For example, one of the stories in my first collection, Took You So Long, is about a woman who reveals during a game of Truth or Dare that she breastfed her nephew when her sister couldn’t. Another story, ‘The Companion,’ features a widower who placates his grief by bringing a robotic companion into his home.
As a high school and university student, I was fully aware that my writing would benefit from rewriting and editing but due to time constraints and reluctance on my part, I often handed in work that I now admit was merely ‘good enough.’ As a mature writer, I know and value the importance of going back over my work. I also share my work at a writing group to gain valuable feedback.
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?
Making it as an independent author has its challenges but I have to say that I’ve been blessed by terrific experiences with my independent publishers. Larger publishing houses aren’t always interested in working with completely unknown authors and especially those who write short fiction. Independent publishers are more willing to take the risk.
Tim and Elke Inkster of Porcupine’s Quill in Erin, Ontario were and continue to be huge advocates of my work. They saw something in the manuscript that I submitted that led them to believe Took You So Long was worth publishing. Likewise, Suzanne Craig-Whytock of DarkWinter Press, is a publisher that saw a place in the world for The Roach Family and Other Stories. I know that Suzanne has my back.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I’m proudest of the stories that are more experimental. An example of experimental are three of the stories in my debut collection, Took You So Long. I used epistolary (in the form of letters) writing to tell a story. I also like the stories that feature complex male characters because as a woman writing about men, research is my best friend. So are observation and eavesdropping.
In The Roach Family and Other Stories I wrote about subjects that were quite foreign to me. An example is ‘The Opportunity Shop’ where I list hundreds of objects found in second-hand shops. The story also features a graphic horror scene featuring a young man tripping on acid.
I enjoy exploring characters who often feel ‘other.’ They find themselves on the outside of their community and society in general. They are people who strive to fit in. In one of the stories in The Roach Family and Other Stories, the protagonist who suffered catastrophic injuries in a motorcycle collision eventually redefines himself as a visual artist of accomplished fame.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I’m currently working on an untitled collection of linked stories featuring one or two characters who appear across all the stories, even if only briefly appearing in a scene.
KANDISHA PRESS 
Excellent interview—Cindy is amazing!
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