The howling you hear is from Nicole Henning’s terrifying werewolf story, Under the Moon. This story is as sexy as it is intense, with twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s get to the interview.
Q (Crone Girls Press): Author Interview Question 1: What drove your story for this anthology? Tell us the “story behind the story.”
A (Nicole Henning): I wanted to create a story involving some concepts that I feel are underrepresented in horror fiction. Kink, polyamorous relationships, and LGBTQIA portrayals can be potent in ways that others’ concepts might not be.
Q: What does it mean to read and write horror when you’re competing with news headlines (for example, this anthology came about in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V Wade)? How has it changed (or not!) your approach to the genre as a writer or as a fan?
A: Reading and writing horror is cathartic for me. I can explore my emotions about real-world events and frame them in the most helpful way to me. It’s safe to feel dread, terror, sadness and fear when it’s done in a horror fiction frame of mind. As the world’s events make me feel strong emotions, I feed them more and more into my writing.
Q: There are a number of different flavors of horror. Where does your story fit, and what drew you to this particular category?
A: Supernatural and dark urban fantasy styles fit my story the best. I like to write horror in a contemporary environment and find that while concepts like demons and werewolves are not real, the feelings those beings encompass are easy for me to express.
Q: Why do you write horror? What about the genre appeals to you as an author?
A: Horror has been a part of my life since I was a young child in watching movies and reading my parents’ books. I got the writing bug young, but didn’t have the nerve to submit to calls until after I lost both of my parents. The horror and fear their unanticipated passings caused couldn’t remain bottled up. So I poured my grief, fear and anger into my writing and actively try to get published as much as I can. Horror calls to me and lets me indulge in the darker side of life in safety.
Q: What’s next in your writing journey?
A: I have multiple novellas I am polishing and seeking publishers for. I will also keep submitting my work to anthologies.
About The Author
Nicole Henning was raised in a small Wisconsin town. Her parents taught her to love reading, art, horror movies, and strange British television shows at a young age. She is a horror and paranormal romance addict and faithfully uses life as a source of inspiration. Her goal when it comes to writing is to make her readers feel the same spectrum of emotions in the same manner as her favorite authors.
Find her online at: Facebook.com/nicole.unbehaun/
cronegirlspress.com 