Author Interview

Interview with horror writer, Bryan Alaspa

Every anthology begins with the voices that bring it to life. As I launch this new series of interviews with the authors featured in Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling, I’m excited to start with Bryan Alaspa—a writer whose love of horror runs deep and whose storytelling continues to unsettle, inspire, and keep readers turning pages late into the night.

This Halloween, Bryan Alaspa unleashes The Witch of November, where something ancient and deadly has awakened in the Great Lakes. As boats sink and body parts wash ashore, survivors Logan Field and Mike Quinton must confront a force even more destructive than the Piasa Bird. But can anyone stop a creature that commands the storms themselves?

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Bryan has been writing since his early fascination with sharks led him to discover Jaws and the idea that authors could create entire worlds from imagination. From there, he dove into horror with Stephen King’s Cujo, the gothic tension of Shirley Jackson, and the psychological unease of Poe. Those influences have shaped his own ability to build characters readers care about—and then, as he says, “do dastardly things to them.”

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy writer Kristin D. Jackson

Fantasy author Kristin D. Jackson knows the power of a good story—not just to entertain, but to evoke real, visceral emotion. From late-night Stephen King marathons as a teenager to building rich, immersive worlds of her own, Kristin’s path to becoming a writer is one paved with curiosity, creativity, and a deep love for connection. In this interview, she opens up about her writing journey, the themes that guide her work, and the messy, magical process behind crafting stories that resonate. Whether you’re a fellow writer or an avid reader, Kristin’s thoughtful reflections are sure to inspire.

In Lost Souls: The Caves of Oriana, a mismatched group of outcasts—including a godless cleric, a shamed ranger, a haunted rogue, an elderly sorceress, and a nameless bard—unites to face the darkness stirring beneath a quiet village. As they descend into danger, they discover that the greatest quest may be finding a sense of belonging in one another.

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Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: Over the summer of my sophomore to junior year of high school, I was up until about 2:30 AM most nights reading a Stephen King novel called, It. My twin sister and I had to share a room growing up, so it wasn’t unusual for one of us to be up when the other went to sleep. One specific night, though, I was so scared out of my mind, even with my reading light on, that I had to wake her up so I didn’t feel alone. (She was actually nice about it, too!) I was surprised by the visceral reactions and deep emotions I’ve experienced while reading a good story. I remember that night, just as a passing thought, wondering if I would ever be able to create something that evokes emotion the way I’ve experienced from other writers.

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Author Interview

Author interview with war/horror writer John Milas

John Milas’ novel, The Militia House, is inspired by a portion of his experience deployed to Afghanistan. He says, “The book is a horror novel because I found the war to be scary amidst a branch of service and mostly an entire country of people (the U.S.) who were not afraid of the war. My goal was to make the war scary for readers. We’re too conditioned to accept war as a norm to actually feel afraid of realistic portrayals of war. It’s like asking someone to play Call of Duty and seriously reflect on the nature of killing. It’s not going to happen.”

John Milas is a writer from Illinois. His debut novel, The Militia House (Henry Holt, 2023), was nominated for a 2023 Shirley Jackson Award, longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and additionally recognized by Indies Introduce, Indie Next, and The Audacious Book Club. He received a Walter E. Dakin fellowship to attend the Sewanee Writers’ Conference in 2024.

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Author Interview

Author interview with romance novelist Julie Navickas

Author Julie Navickas poses with a copy of one of her novels

Julie Navickas is a best-selling author of contemporary romance with Inkspell Publishing.

She is known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. Her Trading Heartbeats trilogy is the recipient of a Literary Global Book Award and three first-place wins with the BookFest in the contemporary romance category. Her debut trilogy has also earned two finalist designations with the American Writing Awards and a Clarion Award.

Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

A: Writing energizes me. After a decade-long career in higher education, I now work in corporate communications at a national insurance company. I write strategic comms for a living. And while I enjoy the work, I look forward to the time I block in the evening hours to work on my own creative craft. Storytelling gives me energy and “fills my cup” at the end of a long day.

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Illinois

I’m officially an Illinois author!

I have a couple of interesting announcements for you today! First of all, I have been added to the Illinois State Library’s official list of Illinois Authors. You can find my listing among those of other writing Illinoisans, including Sherwood Anderson, Gwendolyn Brooks, Earnest Hemingway, Upton Sinclair, Carl Sandburg, and more!

Illinois Reads

I have also become an official Illinois Reads Ambassador. Which, honestly, doesn’t mean a whole lot– other than the fact that I will be receiving marketing materials from them to share. So, you might be hearing more from me about Illinois Reads programs and Illinois authors in general in the future.  Continue reading “I’m officially an Illinois author!”