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 Charlotte Brookins! Charlotte’s story “Afterbirth” is featured in PRETEND YOU DON’T SEE HER: THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (Kandisha Press 2025 Women of Horror Anthology.)
CHARLOTTE BROOKINS is a Midwest-based writer who graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in English and creative writing in 2024 and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Library and Information Science. Her work has been published internationally in such magazines as Haunted Words Press, All Existing, The Foundationalist, and more. When she’s not reading, writing, or spending time with loved ones, she can be found getting lost in the woods.
Tell us about your story, Afterbirth. How did you come up with the idea?
Funnily enough, the story “Afterbirth” first arose after I found out that hamsters engage in filial cannibalism–that is, the act of a parent eating their own children. This concept stuck with me, not only because of its gruesome nature, but also because of how it could be reflected within a human context. Multiple of my works, both published and unpublished, take on themes of consumption within humanity, so it felt natural for me to take on this idea as a seed from which to grow another story.
Your main character, Gwendolyn, is a woman who seems to have it all, and yet she takes drastic measures to improve her life. How does she embody the theme of the “Invisible Woman” to you?
If we think of the “invisible woman” as a woman whose perceived identity hides something different–or even darker–within, then the title certainly applies to Gwendolyn Peters. Gwendolyn is a woman who has gone to painful lengths to curate an ideal form of herself, one that she can present to a public ready and willing to find any flaw. The character she presents to the world around her is her life’s work, and everything that lurks beneath the surface is held back by thick coatings of veneer. While the person she wants to be seen as is highly visible, the person she truly is is only ever seen by herself–and, in this special instance, the reader.
What does your creative process look like when you’re writing? Do you have any special rituals or routines?
I don’t really have any particular routines that I engage in while writing. I’ll typically start with an outline before writing out any particular scenes that have formed in my head. From there, I’ll put on a playlist that fits the mood that I want to emulate, and let everything out onto the paper. Of course, there’s lots of editing and revisions, as well as some invaluable help from friends and loved ones who are kind enough to beta read for me. I’m so grateful for all of the help that I receive in my writing process, and all of the kind encouragement I receive from my parents, siblings, friends, and fiancee!
What else are you working on? Any projects you’re especially excited about?
Like a lot of people I know, I am very much in the habit of working on a lot of projects at once–sometimes too many! I’m in the process of revising a longer work that I first drafted last year, as well as working on a few short stories that are in their early beginnings. I’m especially excited about a story of mine being published this September in the Flame Tree Press anthology, Robots Past & Future. The story is entitled “Dreams of Andromeda” and explores themes of childhood, humanity, and memory. I hope you’ll give it a read!
KANDISHA PRESS 
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