Come Selahway With Me…

Today I’m joined by fellow Mocha Memoirs Press author Jessica Housand-Weaver! She’s agreed to share some of her thoughts on what the horror genre means to her as well as what inspires her to write in dark genres.

***

Fear is a powerful emotion; it can even take down love. I enjoy the
horror/thriller genre because it isn’t afraid of brutal honesty. It
doesn’t cater to our fine sensibilities; it doesn’t mind exploiting all
our secret fears. It reveals our bodies, minds, and lives as they
are–fragile. It brings us back to a darker time in our human history when
the ‘fight or flight’ reaction was natural and necessary for survival.
Today, in our society we are so far removed from this primal fear that we
are able to forget our own mortality.

Horror reminds us.

There are many amazing writers who dip into this genre, and I have a
particular preference for female writers and/or strong female characters.
The concept of women writing and/or enjoying the horror genre is still a
bit stigmatized in our society. I like to see writers who push boundaries
and female characters who aren’t simply damsels in distress.

I will say that I am a big fan of Anne Rice. Her writing is just so
deliciously dark, sensual, and grotesque all at once. Her writing is like
poetry; she can make horror beautiful. I am a sucker for any writer who
can do that.

For me, inspiration is random. It can stem from an intense feeling such as
fear, a thought, or something as simple as the way the light looks pouring
out of a winter storm. People inspire me too– every day. It is amazing
that we are able to survive and exist, just every moment is incredible.
The complexity of our culture, our lives, our relationships, our bodies,
and our minds–all these things inspire me. Writing is an attempt to
capture these things, put them into words, and share them again.

You can find my webpage at www.jessicahousand-weaver.com for current news
and publication information. You can also view my Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Profile-of-a-Writer-Jessica-Housand-Weaver/128526107195188?ref=tn_tnmn
. You can find my debut thriller, “The Scream of the Siren”, at
http://mochamemoirspress.com/the-scream-of-the-siren/ or on Amazon or
Omnilit.

Blurb for The Scream of the Siren:

Jen Hanover, depressed and reclusive after her husband’s suicide, finds
her life changed forever when she meets a mysterious, brooding rebel named
Alejandro. At first, he seems to be exactly what Jen needs. But things
quickly spiral out of control as Alejandro reveals the frightening extent
of his obsessive nature and violent past. Desperate to end the dangerous
affair, Jen is determined to be free of him. Yet the more she tries to
escape from Alejandro’s passionate clutches, the more threatening he
becomes. The story unravels with heart-pounding suspense as Jen finds
herself up against a criminal mind, far more dangerous than she could have
ever imagined. In the end, Jen discovers not only the darkest truths about
love and the human condition, but must also face the lurking demons within
herself.