So I noticed that Rachel Harrison was asking about podcast interviews on her IG and was like "might as well shoot my shot" and see if I could get a short interview with her. And she responded! So please read below for a quick little interview in promotion of her upcoming September release Kiss Slay Replay.
· Without spoiling too much for future readers, what inspired you to write a time loop novel? Time loops actually really stress me out! I have bad anxiety, and the idea of being stuck causes me to panic. I wanted to confront that fear in a novel, working through it on the page in a way that was fun and cathartic.
· When it came to the time loop, how did you come up
with the ideas to make each loop distinct enough for Willa and the reader? Without giving too much away, it was a certainly a challenge to find the balance of having those classic nods to a time loop, repeating some dialogue, anticipating things happening, but in all my novels, it’s always more about the human thing than the supernatural thing. By focusing on Willa and her emotional journey, it (hopefully) helped me avoid getting too repetitive.
· You seem to have found a niche as a horror writer
who injects a lot of heart and humor into your books. What tips do you have for
writers who are looking to write horror with a bit of heart? It raises the stakes if your readers care about your characters. I don’t think it’s necessary to shy away from humor or heart just because of the horror label, I think those things enhance the horror. Write from the heart, be vulnerable on the page, and you’ll connect with readers on a whole other level. Terror and heart are not mutually exclusive.
· Who are your biggest inspirations when it comes to
writing, whether they be fellow horror writers, or directors, or authors of any
genre? Paul Tremblay is a big one, I really admire Paul. He stays true to himself in a way that’s really punk rock. He does something different every time, he doesn’t rest on his laurels, and I try to do the same.
· If you could sum up Kiss Slay Replay with one song, what song would that be and why? It’s too hard to pick just one! Help I’m Alive by Metric (which is the epigraph), Fleeting by Sarah Kinsley, Love Love Kiss Kiss by Alkaline Trio, and of course, Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. Lyrically, and vibes-wise, they're all perfect fits.
Many thanks to Rachel for taking the time to answer my questions! Please consider ordering her upcoming book Kiss Slay Replay from our bookshop, Two Stories Bookshop, on Bookshop.org or on Libro.fm!
Till next time!
