When world building goes deeper—when the author uses the setting as an actual character you can almost see and hear from the page—that’s a hallmark of Gothic fiction I find absolutely irresistible.

Today, I’m so pleased to feature Nekesa Afia, the author of DEAD DEAD GIRLS, a propulsive, snappy historical mystery set in 1920s Harlem.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Carly Heath, debut author of THE RECKLESS KIND, her queer YA historical that defies genre classification and centers a wild and reckless trio who fly in the face of small town tradition.

Tropes in Gothic literature are inextricably linked to the darker side of our characters’ humanity and serve a vital purpose within the genre. As part of my ongoing blog series about Gothic fiction, I’ll be exploring each of these themes in greater detail in the weeks to come.

Despite its lurid reputation, Gothic literature has always been a subversive vehicle for social commentary. It tends to enjoy a renaissance during times of political and social upheaval. It’s no surprise to me at all that Gothic fiction is once again trending, considering the state of current affairs in our world.

While we all have different approaches to time management when it comes to writing, this daily workflow schedule helps me keep the chaos at bay. Your workflow may look very different than mine, and that’s the beauty of being a creative person.

Fear gets in the way of a lot of things when we become writers, and the fear of trying something new is one of them. All writing requires research. Historical fiction is not harder than any other genre, it just requires a passion for learning and a story that interests you.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with fellow Gothic-lover Nicole Eigener about her debut novel, BEGUILED BY NIGHT, published by Polidori Press. We had a great time talking about her book, which follows Vauquelin, an ancient vampire living in self-imposed exile in modern-day Los Angeles.

When I first started writing PARTING THE VEIL, way back in August of 2018, I had no idea it would become my debut novel. I was merely writing for the pleasure of writing, after many years of not writing…at all.