AUTHOR INTERVIEW: MICHELLE GARZA & MELISSA LASON (THE SISTERS OF SLAUGHTER)

One of my favorite novels from last year was Mayan Blue by Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason, AKA The Sisters of Slaughter. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, I suggest you get on that – now. It’s such a fantastic blend of horror and dark fantasy, one of the most creative pieces of fiction I’ve read in recent memory. Today, the Sisters of Slaughter have dropped by the blog for an interview! A big thanks to them for hanging out; make sure you check out Mayan Blue by clicking here, and be on the lookout for these rising stars in the genre! 

-TM

TIM MEYER: Let’s start by telling us a little about your latest book release.

THE SISTERS OF SLAUGHTER: Mayan Blue was our first novel and it was released last year by Sinister Grin Press. It’s about a group of people searching for a lost professor and end up in the Mayan equivalent of hell. It’s gotten some really good reviews and also praise from our idol Brian Keene.

TM: What seriously messed up moment in your life made you want to become a horror author?

SOS: Probably the escape it offered when dealing with the death of family members.

TM: Do you prefer writing shorter works or full-length novels?

SOS: We enjoy doing both but they’re completely different animals. Short stories you have to find the right place to jump into the story without bogging it down with back story and novels you have to be sure to immerse your audience fully in the world you thrust them into without being boring.

TM: Name some writers who have influenced your work.

SOS: Brian Keene, Stephen king, Richard Laymon, Ronald Kelly

TM: Was there a particular horror film/book that impacted you as a writer? You can have more than one!

SOS: Reading King books as teenagers, watching classic werewolf movies, and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

TM: What’s your writing process like? Do you outline?

SOS: We outline about 80-90% of everything before we start and also handwrite almost everything before typing it. We’ve always written together so it’s not a challenge for us to sit down and agree on plotlines or characters. It’s like we’re still kids, just playing pretend together.

TM: What do you love about writing?

SOS: It’s always been a form of entertainment for us. Now as adults, getting the chance to share our imaginations with people, it’s amazing. Our first influence was our father telling us ghost stories around the campfire, so before we ever knew what authors were, we wanted to be storytellers.

TM: What do you enjoy about the horror genre?

SOS: The people who enjoy the same crazy shit we do!

TM: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

SOS: Never give up. Take constructive criticism but forget anyone trying to bring you down instead of helping you, their words equal shit.

TM: What does “Women in Horror Month” mean to you?

SOS: It’s a time to shine a spotlight on all our horror sisters. WIHM should be every month and we really try to always show our support for ladies in horror. We learn from and give respect to the women who paved the way for us and try to boost the newcomers. Women have to stick together.

TM: What’s next on the writing agenda?

SOS: We have a novel coming out through Bloodshot books. We were just in a horror erotica anthology by Dark Fuse, called Erotikos, and we have a couple novels to finish for Sinister Grin, and a few more surprises in store.

ABOUT:

Melissa Lason and Michelle Garza have been writing together since they were little girls and were dubbed The Sisters of Slaughter by the editors of Fireside Press. They are constantly working together on new stories in the horror and dark fantasy genres. Their work has been included in FRESH MEAT published by Sinister Grin Press, WISHFUL THINKING by Fireside Press, WIDOWMAKERS a benefit anthology of dark fiction.