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 Elizabeth Devecchi!
Elizabeth Devecchi spent her formative years in Rhode Island before setting out to gather degrees and experiences. She writes in a variety of genres and styles, but horror holds a special place in her heart. Her recent releases include: “Mother’s Special Bread,” in Nightmare Fueled Inc’s anthology Cooks of Horror (August 2024); “In the Belly of the Mills,” in the anthology Monsters in the Mills (August 2024); tech horror short story “A Corporate Family,” in Rabid Otter Horror anthology, Error Code (November 2024); “Easy Pickens,” in Wicked House Publishing’s debut anthology, Wicked Universe (December 2024); and short horror story “Web of Truths,” appearing in Broken Brain Books anthology Screams from the Dark Ages (March 2025).
Wicked House Publishing released Elizabeth’s debut horror novel, A Whisper in the Dark, in October 2024.
Upcoming releases will include: short horror story “Open House,” to appear in a Running Wild Press anthology in June 2025; and novel, A Twist of the Lens, to be published by Wicked House Publishing in mid-2025.
Elizabeth currently resides in Colorado with her family, which includes an ever-changing menagerie of pets and “guest creatures.”
For more info: elizabethdevecchi.com
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 feel like I am especially focused on character building when I write. I want the reader to know and care about the characters in my stories before I start messing with them. For this reason, my books may seem to start slow. That said, each step and each scene is important to the story as a whole, and it all ties together in some ah-ha moments.
When I feel like I am lacking in some area, I up my reading hours and try to understand why the things that work, work. There are also some wonderful classes out there for writers at any level to improve. I have taken some online classes with Suzanne Purvis and Lauren Elise Daniels, for example, that were phenomenal.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community?
I have to begin by stating that the book community as a whole has been PHENOMENAL. When my book was released, I was a complete unknown and was welcomed with open arms. There has been no lack of willingness to give me advice when I seek it and support when I need it. As far as the book industry today … Well, I am a complete newcomer so I can’t really first-hand compare with any time in the past. Every day since beginning this journey last year, I learn something new about the industry. I will say that one thing that took me by surprise was the amount of marketing I need to do, as an author, to keep things rolling.
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
What I often hear from other authors, is that it is harder. Personally, I can’t make any judgments on this because I am so new. So, I guess I would say that I think it is hard to make it as an independent author. Social media might make it a little easier to find readers, but the flood of independent authors probably balances that out.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I am extremely proud of my debut novel A Whisper in the Dark, which was released by Wicked House Publishing this past October. It is a small-town creature horror which explores family, friendships, sacrifice, and intense emotions. Most of my work explores some aspect of the emotional ties that bind us as people and how these ties react to stretching, prodding, and sometimes rupturing. That said, it is hard to pick one story of which I am most proud. It kind of feels like attempting to pick one’s favorite child. There is a story coming out this month for International Women’s Day in the Broken Brain Books anthology, Screams from the Dark Ages, titled “Web of Truths” that I especially enjoyed researching and writing. It takes place in a small Italian village, during one of the darker times in Italian history. So, I got to flex my Italian while writing it. I have family and friends who live over there and do not speak much English, so it tickles me that they will be able to read snippets of this story exactly as written.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
Because I started this journey much later than I had hoped, I have this innate feeling that I am behind. I need to catch-up. To what, I have no idea, but the feeling is there. So, my plans for the future are to write, write, and write some more. In the meantime, I am also learning to juggle marketing existing stories and books while preparing for my next releases and at the same time continuing to write fresh stories. It’s a process. Thank goodness for my friends and family who are there to lend a hand when I get overwhelmed (special shoutout to Becky Lawrence and Lauren Elise Daniels).
Sometime in the next few months (not sure of the exact date, yet), my second novel, A Twist of the Lens, will be released by Wicked House Publishing. It features tons of suspense, the paranormal, and a wicked cool motorcycle (a 1952 Indian Chief Roadmaster). Researching the motorcycle was a blast … and now I kind of want one. There is also a prequel to A Whisper in the Dark on the way. I will give more news on that when I can.
As far as short stories go, “Web of Truths” comes out March 8th and I have a short horror story titled “Open House” coming out in an anthology by Running Wild Press this summer.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk about my work.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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