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 Kathryn Tennison!
Kathryn Tennison received her MFA in creative writing from Butler University in Indianapolis. She lives in Arkansas with her husband, two cats, and one enormous dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys judging characters in horror movies for making decisions that she would probably make herself in the moment. Her work has been published by Bag of Bones Press, Alien Buddha Press, Hearth & Coffin, and Timber Ghost Press. Her debut novel, “Molting”, is forthcoming from Uncomfortably Dark Horror. Follow her on Instagram or Bluesky: @acaffeinatedkat.
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 favorite thing to write is dialogue; I’ll read my dialogue aloud to make sure I’ve gotten the rhythm right. I always strive for my dialogue to sound authentic and not stilted. When I need a little help or advice, I read books about writing. For example, I just finished On Writing by Stephen King (yes, I know I’m behind the times!), and it gave me some great ideas regarding theme, symbolism, and revision.
What are your thoughts on the book industry today, or more importantly, about the book community?
In many ways, the book community is closer than ever because of the internet. There are so many amazing authors and writing opportunities I might not have discovered if it weren’t for social media! I enjoy interacting with other writers online and celebrating their good news and successes.
Do you feel it is getting harder or easier to make it as an independent author these days?
Definitely harder. The market is oversaturated, so even though there are a lot of independent publishers and open calls for novels and short stories, you’re often going up against hundreds or even thousands of other writers. Every time I get a rejection, I tell myself, “You have no idea what else they received; there’s so much talent out there.”
Tell us about your work. What story are you most proud of?
A lot of my longer works are inspired by places I’ve visited. Something about being outside my normal habitat gets the wheels turning, especially when driving through small towns. I wonder who lives there, why they live there, and what lurks beneath the quaint façade. A lot of the stories I’m proudest of are the ones that get frequently rejected, unfortunately. But of the ones I’ve published, I’m really attached to Repository, which was published by Alien Buddha Press in 2023. It’s based on a personal fear of mine – natural history museums (all those creepy glass eyes!).
What are your upcoming works and plans for the future?
I’m excited to announce that my debut novel, Molting, will be published by Uncomfortably Dark Horror later this year! It’s a psychological horror novel about a woman renovating a house in the woods in New Hampshire (inspired by a trip I took there and a creepy house I stayed in). In the meantime, I’m working on a few short stories and a series of magical realism novellas.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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