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 Kelly Barker!
Kelly Barker was born in Oxford and now lives in Witney with her husband and dog, Lana. She has been a barber for over twenty years, and loves her job. However, reading and writing is her passion—a passion handed down to her by her great grandmother, Isobel O’Leary. Her short stories have featured in magazines and anthologies, and she is the author of The Inner Temple, Even the Gods Fear It, Necromantia, Breaking his House Rules and Beneath the Bridge.
www.kellybarker.org
www.facebook.com/kelly.m.barker.98
Twitter @MikeBar25891246
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?
Much of what I write depends on my mood, so I would say my strengths are being able to write in different genres: horror, crime and paranormal or fantasy romance. As for improving particular writing skills, I read many books on the subject. Actually, I’m obsessed with them, with How Not to Write a Novel being my favourite.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community?
My first book was published in 2022, so although I’m still new to the publishing industry, I have a very positive outlook. Each editor I have engaged with has been wonderful and encouraging, and whenever I receive a rejection or an acceptance for either a novel or a short story, I have only known professionalism. The writing community is inspiring, and I love watching authors succeed, but I’m not always present because I often take breaks from social media for my mental wellbeing and because it can be distracting.
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
I think it depends on where you are in your career, how you measure success, and your personality. Some authors are great marketers, others, like myself, aren’t as confident, and I feel it’s getting harder to be seen among so many. My way around that is to submit short stories to publishers and magazines because they also print your information, so where marketing is concerned, tiny steps forward works best for me.
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
I wrote a fae romantasy novel called Beneath the Bridge, which recently got accepted by Grendel Press. I’m most proud of this novel because my hero is a troll. After writing a vampire romance, I wanted to do something different. I gambled by spending months and endless hours perfecting my troll romance novel, and later this year, it will be in print.
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I’m included in a couple of anthologies releasing this year, and I started a novel called Beneath the Cold Moon, which is another troll romance. Again, it’s a gamble because I don’t know how the first book will do, but I’m enjoying the process. As for my plans for the future, I find the harder I work, opportunities arise more frequently, so I’m just living in the present moment for now.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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