N.J. Gallegos is an Emergency Medicine Physician by day, horror author by night. Her freshman novel, The Broken Heart, follows an abused housewife who receives a heart transplant from a serial killer (hide all knives before reading). This Oct. 15th, her medical horror thriller, The Fatal Mind, drops. Other works include: Just Desserts (winner of an American Legacy Book Award in the Psychological Horror category), Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires, It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Zombie, it’s Me, and more. Catch her on The Scream Kings Podcast talking all things horror. Gallegos lives in Illinois with her wife and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys binging reality tv (especially Bravo), brewing beer, and running while listening to EDM so she can drink said brewed beer.
Q: What is the first book that made you cry?
A: Where the Red Fern Grows. As someone who was absolutely obsessed with my cat, the idea of losing her gutted me. The book was my first brush with mortality and made me realize the impermanence of all things.
Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
A: Writing energizes me, especially when it’s going well. I’ll enter “the flow state” where time ceases to exist, and the words flow easily. After a great writing session like that, I typically feel on top of the world! The editing stage can be a bit tiring at times, but I still enjoy it for the most part.
Q: What kind of music or sounds do you like to listen to as you write, or do you prefer complete silence?
A: I’ve always needed to listen to music when writing/studying/reading/running/driving and I gravitate towards EDM. Something about the repetitive nature of the music focuses me and I subscribe to many DJs’ podcasts which are usually updated weekly. Tiësto’s Club Life is a notable favorite if you’re looking for recommendations.
Q: If you didn’t write, what would you do for work? (Or what do you do “for a living” if you aren’t supporting yourself with your writing – yet?)
A: I’m an ER doctor by day, horror author by night (it’s spookier that way). Working in the ER gives me inspiration for characters and situations… I worry more about the zombie apocalypse than I should but statistically, a hospital could be the origin for an outbreak. All the gore and grit I see daily are invaluable to me as a horror author.
Q: Do you read your book reviews? How do you handle those reviews, whether good or bad?
A: I’ll read my reviews (obviously focusing more on the good ones) but I will read bad ones more so to see if there are any take-aways that are valid I can use to better my writing.
Q: Do you hide any secrets or “Easter eggs” in your books that only a few people will find? Examples?
A: Yes! I do want to create a common universe in which my stories take place. In Just Desserts and The Broken Heart, the same Italian restaurant is featured, and I’ll toss some character references in throughout my works. As a massive Stephen King fan, I geek out anytime I stumble upon an Easter egg and would like my readers to get a similar joy from my works.
Q: What is your favorite book from your childhood?
A: It’s difficult to pick out a favorite book but a series that is near and dear to my heart is the Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate. The series follows a group of teens granted the power to morph any animal they touch to fight aliens slowly infiltrating the human race. It has everything: sci-fi, horror, thriller, humor, even romance! You’ll laugh, cry, and want to morph into a tiger.
Q: Do you have a favorite book of all time?
A: Stephen King’s The Stand. A superflu with 99%+ mortality rate overtakes the globe, leaving the survivors to fight a battle between Good and Evil. King crafts a compelling cast of characters and watching the breakdown of society through his eyes is terrifying. The Stand pretty much encompasses everything I find intriguing: pandemic narratives, post-apocalyptic society, with a heaping helping of the beauty and evils of humanity.
Q: Does your family support you as a writer?
A: 100%. My wife is incredibly supportive and comes with me to Cons and events, often manning the table and working as my hype woman. My parents and in-laws are also amazing and for that, I’m thankful.
Q: Do you believe in writer’s block? If so, how do you break through it and begin writing again?
A: To an extent I do. I make it a habit to have multiple projects to work on at the same time so if I’m not feeling inspired in one story, I can flit around to others. It helps take the pressure off and lets me “procrastinate” while still being productive.
Q: What was the hardest part of writing your most recent book?
A: The editing process. It’s difficult for me to pore over the same material over and over. I feel like I get “word blind” and have difficulty maintaining my enthusiasm with each pass.
Q: What process did you go through to get your book published?
A: In 2022, I participated in this event called #PitDark on Twitter in which you have 12 hours to pitch your book: a new Tweet each hour. Agents, editors, publishing houses browse these and if they “like” your tweet, they invite you to send them a manuscript. I pitched The Broken Heart, and Michael Dolan with Winding Road Stories liked my tweet and the rest is history! They published The Broken Heart and now, The Fatal Mind.
Q: What projects are you working on at the present?
A: Currently I’m working on a project with six other authors we’ve dubbed The Revolver Project. The common thread is a revolver passed from story to story and I’m loving my main character, Sam, a woman with a spinal cord injury bent on revenge. I’m working on various short stories as well.
Q: What do your plans for future projects include?
A: I’d love to write a sequel to The Broken Heart… Casey’s story is not yet finished, and she’s still got plenty of scores to settle.
Q: What other books would you recommend to our readers in addition to your own?
A: Anything by Laurel Hightower, but my favorites include Below and Silent Key. Sarah Jane Huntington is also a personal favorite, her collection Between Light and Shadow is phenomenal; a must read for anyone who enjoys The Twilight Zone.
You may follow N.J. Gallegos on the social media platform formerly know as Twitter at @DrSpooky_ER.
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