Meet Katelyn Barbee, author of The Solstice Beast–
Katelyn Barbee is a Phoenix college student by day and a writer by night. When not working on her fantasy series, you can find her at the cinema catching the latest flicks or enjoying a nature walk when the weather is nice. The story “The Solstice Beast” was inspired by her love horror movies and working in the wee hours before sunrise when her imagination is over active and anything seems possible. Her other publications include “The Miller’s Daughter” in From the Stories of Old.
Q- What genre are you most comfortable writing?
A- Fantasy is my go to genre. All my novels are some type of fantasy, usually urban or portal. Those seem to be my favorites right now, but one of the great things about the genre is how many other genres you can include. In my current novel, there’s bit of horror, comedy, action, mystery and others thrown in, but it’s still a fantasy. It’s an incredibly flexible genre.
Q- Was writing horror hard?
A- Blood, guts, and torture have never bothered me, so horror isn’t a hard genre for me to write in. But killing off characters I’ve become attached to is. Especially when they don’t deserve it. I dread writing death scenes because once they’re dead, I can’t bring them back. Well…I suppose I could, but it’s not that kind of story.
Q- What inspired your idea?
A- I’ve always found the woods to be slightly creepy (probably because I’ve lived in a desert most of my life). Not all woods, but there’s something very spooky about being outside among the trees at night that sends a shiver up my spine. You never know what might be lurking out there.
Q- What was the hardest part of writing this story?
A- The ending. The first draft I wrote was much happier than the current one but it felt like a cop out so I changed it. It was ultimately the right decision, but it was much more challenging to write because of what needed to happen in order for the story to have a satisfying end.
Q- What scares you?
A- Cockroaches. If I see one, I scream or climb on furniture to get away from them. I could squish them, but I hate the crunch and I don’t like killing things. Even bugs I can’t stand.
Q- Why do people like to be scared?
A- I think for many people, it’s a safe way to experience an adrenaline rush. For me, half the fun of going to a scary movie is to see if it will actually frighten me. It’s a safe way to explore and maybe even overcome our fears.
Q- Favorite horror book or movie?
A- That’s a hard one. I have so many! Let’s see…probably Alien if I have to choose. I love everything about it: Ripley and the rest of the crew, the xenomorph, how the movie takes its time to build the horror. It’s truly a classic and a must see for fans of not just horror, but anyone who loves movies.
Q- What is one stereotype about horror writers is absolutely wrong? What stereotype is right?
A- The only one that comes to mind is this idea that horror writers must be just as twisted as their work. I promise we’re very nice people! We just have a taste for the macabre and darker side of life, that’s all.
Q- What horror archetypes do you like? Which do you hate?
A- I’m rather fond of horror staples like vampires, werewolves, and zombies. There’s a lot that can be done with them from a writing perspective. Hate’s a strong word for it, but I dislike the whole blonde bimbo/cheerleader and jock tropes that seem to appear in many slasher flicks. They’re often not very likable and/or keep making dumb decisions that lead to their deaths.
Q- How would you survive a horror story?
A- It depends on what type of horror story I’m trying to survive. For my own, the key to making it out alive would be not going into the woods! Whatever story I’m sucked into though, always having a fully charged cell phone and a charger is essential. Unless I get sucked into another dimension. Probably wouldn’t end up with great service there!
Check out The Solstice Beast by Katelyn Barbee in Whispers in the Shadows!
Allie May is a dog lover, mom, and Dr. Pepper addict who turns her caffeine-fueled dreams into believable fiction. She fell in love with the impossible at a young age and has been telling stories (some fiction, some mostly non-fiction) ever since. She married her high school sweetheart because he takes her to Disneyland (oh, and because she loves him). Together they have a dog child and a human child. On the weekends, you might catch a glimpse of her in the shadows as a lightsaber-wielding superhero.
Great interview, Allie & Katelyn 🙂
LOL! Hate/ terror is too tame a word to describe my feelings towards cockroaches! In fact, if I ever write a horror story, it would definitely involve cockroaches.