Author Spotlight: Writers Who Excel at Describing the Scary Stories
- Samantha Diaz
- Nov 4, 2023
- 5 min read
Are you a horror writer? Maybe aspiring to be one? Or are you an avid horror reader? Then you’ve come to the right spot. Hello there! Welcome to a new series of Author Spotlight. This is where I shed light on notable authors who I believe are great. In this episode we are talking about horror writers!
These three horror writers are inspirational to their craft. With countless praise and many enthusiastic readers, it is no wonder their books are talked about highly. They are big contributors to my own writing. If you are new to the blog, a quick fact about me is that I write horror/mystery. It was my thesis project and now a manuscript I hope to get up and running.
Anywho, let’s check out these exceptional writers.
V. Castro
When V. Castro’s book The Haunting of Alejandra first landed in my hands, I knew immediately that I was going to love her writing. The title definitely sold me; so I knew right then that I would be following this author for now on.
According to her website, “She is a two time Bram Stoker award nominated writer born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mexican American parents. She’s been writing horror stories since she was a child, always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas”. She sounds amazing! I come from a similar background so relating to her story really hits home for me.
The Horror Writers Association published an insightful interview with V. Castro earlier this year. There, the author states, “Horror means different things for different people”. She goes on to advise horror writers to write what they feel is fearful, chances are someone else will feel the same fear you do. Think about it, if you are writing about being lost at a music festival or stuck on the side of the road with a flat tie, someone out there has the same fearful feeling.
In The Haunting of Alejandra, the main character is haunted by the elements in her life that we may see as “normal”. A woman sucked into the role of both mother and wife, sacrificing her personal self for others. Throw in generational curses and a ghostly symbolism of motherhood and you got yourself a horror book for the ages.
If you are considering writing scary stories with an emphasis on female characters, folklore, generational trauma, or curses, then I recommend The Haunting of Alejandra as your next read.
Check out V. Castro’s other books here:
Immortal Pleasures (Coming out 2024)
You can follow V. Castro here:
Twitter: @vlatinalondon | Instagram: @vlatinalondon | Tik Tok: @vcastrobooks
Rin Chupeco
I have seen Rin Chupeco’s name for a while and it wasn’t until last year that I finally picked up their book The Girl from the Well. It for was a college class and the book fit the topic I was researching. And you know what…I was pretty terrified after reading The Girl from the Well. This was the moment I fell head over heels for Rin Chupeco.
Since then I grabbed their book Sacrifice and The Bone Witch. Have I finished them? No, but I’m planning to (life got in the way, you know). I did read half of each book and they are stellar!
Who is Rin Chupeco? Well, according to the Simon & Schuster publishers page, “Rin Chupeco is a nonbinary Chinese Filipino writer born and raised in the Philippines. They are the author of Silver Under Nightfall and several speculative young adult series, including The Bone Witch, The Girl from the Well, The Never-Tilting World, and Wicked as You Wish. Formerly a graphic designer and technical writer, they now write fiction full-time and live with their partner and two children in Manila”.
Again with the Horror Writers Association, Rin Chupeco was interviewed for an Asian Heritage in Horror series. And if you ask me, I think we need more stories by Asian authors, especially in the horror genre. Scary stories doesn’t have a big as a rap like romance or science fiction. So let’s change that! Starting with this article.
Okay, back to the interview! According to the Horror Writers Association article, Rin Chupeco hopes to see more stories about monsters messing with people’s heads. Think horror within the psychological. They go on to state that monsters are often a reflection of people and the world we live in; examples can be the monster of Frankenstein or Pennywise from It. This is shown in The Girl from the Well with the ghost of Okiku who was once a silent woman in life and became a flurry of chaos in the afterlife. She is the monster representing all wives/mothers/women in the world. But I will save this thought for another day.
Check out Rin Chupeco’s other books here:
Court of Wanderers: Silver Under Nightfall #2 (Coming out 2024)
If you want to read up on Rin Chupeco, you can follow them on Instagram at @rinchupeco.
Lisa Springer
Seems like the Horror Writers Association is a big topic in this article. I found Lisa Springer on a the Horror Writers Association and went on a deep dive researching everything about her and her writing. I call these moments fangirl research since I am all giddy learning more and more within each website, social media post, and fansites (aka the book community).
Straight from her website, “Lisa Springer is a writer from Barbados currently living in New York with her family. She is passionate about writing thriller and horror fiction for young people. When not writing, she’s probably reading, dreaming about the beach, or plotting her next dark and twisty novel. There’s No Way I’d Die First, is her debut novel.” Sounds like we would have a lot in common!
As shared in her bio, There’s No Way I’d Die First is the first of many, many stories that we will read from her. This novel already is generating buzz and the reviews are loving it! It has been talked about in Publisher Weekly, Crime Reads, Book Riot, Popsugar, etc.
I must confess, I haven’t picked up this book yet but I promise I will! I can hear the eye rolls now. You hear it here first, I will get a copy before the end of the year and share a review. It’s too good not to talk about it with you all.
There’s No Way I’d Die First is about a seventeen year old who fights to survive a deadly game played by a clown she hired for her Halloween party. Filled with horror movie quotes and tropes, this YA horror lives up to its genre. This is definitely up my alley!
Stay up to date on Lisa Springer by checking her website here.
These three horror writers can bring the fear to your doorstep. With their unique storytelling and terrifying thrills, it is no wonder they are talked about in the literary community. I am striving to be in their place and credit my knowledge of horror writing to authors such as V. Castro, Rin Chupeco, and Lisa Springer.
I think I will go write now. Hope you enjoyed this article! If you are a writer, contact me and let’s keep each other accountable.
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