Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason are better known as the Sisters of Slaughter for their work in the horror genre. They have been published by Thunderstorm books, Sinister Grin Press and Bloodshot Books. Their debut novel, Mayan Blue, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. They are currently working on Silverwood: The Door with Brian Keene, Richard Chizmar, Stephen Kozeniewski and Tony Valenzuela which will be launched in October through Serialbox.
Tea or Coffee?
KR: Could you tell me a little about yourself please?
We are a twin sister writing team from Arizona. We write Horror, science fiction and fantasy. We’ve been published by Thunderstorm Books, Sinister Grin Press and Bloodshot Books.
KR: What do you like to do when not writing?
When we’re not writing we enjoy spending time with our kids, listening to music and reading.
KR: What is your favourite childhood book?
Favorite childhood books are The Twits and The Witches by Roald Dahl, the Goosebumps books and Scary Stories to tell in the Dark.
KR: What is your favourite album, and does music play any role in your writing?
We can’t choose a favorite album because we have far too many but often times music is a big inspiration to our writing.
KR: What are you reading now?
Just finished Killer Chronicles by Somer Canon and it was wonderful.
KR: Who were the authors that inspired you to write?
We were inspired to write by Roald Dahl, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Shirley Jackson, Brian Keene, R.A. Salvatore, a big mixture of genres and writers.
KR: Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to just see where an idea takes you?
We work from an outline about 99% of the time unless it’s a super short story that’s fully formed in our heads.
KR: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
We like to take some time researching what we write about but at the same time blending that into our own fictional worlds. Mayan Blue was researched but we also took creative liberty with some of the mythology behind the Mayan underworld.
KR: Describe your usual writing day?
When we get together to write we usually spend some time going over what we’ve written to be certain it jives with previous chapters and that it’s flowing in the direction we want it to. Then we divvy up the next chapters and either sit down together or continue the story separately.
KR: Do you have a favourite story/short that you’ve written (published or not)?
We really love A Church in the middle of nowhere because from that came Those Who Follow. It was written for Widowmakers a benefit anthology of dark fiction to help out our buddy James Newman and we were surprised that a lot of people liked the story and Ronald Kelly suggested it be expanded upon and so we did.
KR: Do you read your book reviews?
We read our reviews when we have time, both positive and negative are good for a writer to learn how to craft a better story. We never respond to reviews.
KR: Any advice for a fledgling author?
Our advice to fledgling authors would be to keep fighting to achieve your goals, you will be rejected but it shouldn’t stop you from following your dreams and you can’t please everybody so don’t even try.
KR: What scares you?
What scares us? Besides the obvious things like something terrible happening to our children or husbands, COCKROACHES! They’re completely creepy!
KR: E-Book, Paperback or Hardback?
We love a good hardcover book but also love storytelling in all forms so we often buy ebooks and paperback books. We also love to hear someone tell a story in person.
KR: What are you working on now?
We’re currently working on Silverwood: The Door with Brian Keene, Richard Chizmar and Stephen Kozeniewski. It’s been an amazing journey!
Deep within the forest of Silverwood, California, a crack between dimensions has appeared. A dark force that lurks among the trees is growing stronger, determined to return home if it can only gather the strength to open the door—bad news for a Cub Scout troop and the employees of Hirsch Capital on a company retreat nearby. As their darkest fears and impulses power the mysterious force, their bonding exercises take a deadly turn. Will anyone be able to keep their minds long enough to close the door before our world is torn apart?
Click here to visit the Serialbox website for more information on Silverwood: The Door
KR: Thank you very much Michelle & Melissa.
You can follow the Sisters on Twitter @fiendbooks
To find out more about the Sisters please visit their Facebook page here
Xibalba, home of torture and sacrifice, is the kingdom of the lord of death. He stalked the night in the guise of a putrefied corpse, with the head of an owl and adorned with a necklace of disembodied eyes that hung from nerve cords. He commanded legions of shapeshifting creatures, spectral shamans, and corpses hungry for the flesh of the living. The Mayans feared him and his realm of horror. He sat atop his pyramid temple surrounded by his demon kings and demanded sacrifices of blood and beating hearts as tribute to him and his ghostly world. These legends, along with those that lived in fear of them, have been dead and gone for centuries. Yet now, a doorway has been opened in Georgia. A group of college students seek their missing professor, a man who has secretly uncovered the answer to one of history’s greatest mysteries. However, what they find is more than the evidence of a hidden civilization. It’s also a gateway to a world of living nightmares.
You can buy Mayan Blue from Amazon US & Amazon UK
A WAYFARING STRANGER
Tormented by visions of women imprisoned in the middle of a barren wasteland and an old man with a yellow-toothed grin, Casey has been wandering this country’s highways following a song that she believes will lead her to her other self.
A CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
Held captive in a desecrated shrine, Celia would have given up long ago if not for a song that keeps her hope burning. Someday she will escape from the shadowy creatures that claw at the windows of the church, the monstrous dog with a taste for human flesh, and the old preacher with inhuman powers.
A BOND THAT CROSSES WORLDS
Two women divided by fate but connected by blood. Will the song help them lead the way to each other and defeat the forces aligned against them? Or will they suffer the dreadful fate of…
THOSE WHO FOLLOW
You can buy Those Who Follow from Amazon US & Amazon UK
widowmaker [wid-oh-may-ker]
noun
1. A thing with the potential to kill men.
2. A dead branch caught precariously high in a tree which may fall on a person below.
3. A dark fiction anthology of prodigious size; large enough to use as a doorstop… or crush a man’s skull.
A few months ago one of our own, James Newman, was severely injured in a freak accident. He’s known universally in the horror fiction community as a truly great guy, and, when the news broke of the incident there was no shortage of people who wanted to help. Inside the pages of this collection, you will find tales that are lighthearted mixed in with stories that will fuel your nightmares, each one with the potential to be a WIDOWMAKER.
The following 47 fellow authors and poets have contributed their words to this benefit anthology and 100% of the proceeds will go to help the Newman family. Enjoy this massive collection and thank you for your aid.
You can buy Widowmakers from Amazon US & Amazon UK
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