Mercedes
M Yardley lives in Las Vegas, wears red lipstick and poisonous flowers in her
hair, and knows how to throw a tomahawk. She also writes beautiful, poetic
horror and has been published in several magazines and anthologies in addition
to her novellas and novels.
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While
celebrating Women in Horror month, I was pondering some of the questions I’m
most asked as a female horror writer. I chose to compile and answer them.
Thanks to JG who was willing to bring awareness to this month!
1. When did you start writing horror?
MMY:
It took quite a while to realize I was a horror writer. I never thought
I could write in this genre. I had a mental block about it, because I didn’t
truly understand what horror was. I mistakenly thought it was blood and gore,
when really it’s about pushing boundaries and making the reader feel. So I have
always been writing horror, but only felt enlightened enough to call it horror
within the past five years or so.
2. Who are your favourite authors?
MMY: I love everything I’ve ever read
by Kirsty Logan. She has such a lovely style. I adore Aimee Bender and her
magical realism. Todd Keisling has some strong work out, and I like what I’ve
read from Joe Hill. Lee Thompson is always a favorite. I haven’t been
disappointed by that man yet, and his literary output is phenomenal.
3. Do you remember what your first horror
book was that you read?
MMY: The one that I really remember was
Stephen King’s IT. Dad had borrowed it from the library. It was in a big basket
next to the chair in the living room. I’d sneak out at night and read it, and
it was terrifying. It really left a big impression on me. I was absolutely
terrified to walk to school and pass the storm drain. I’m sure there were
others first, but that’s the one that basically traumatized me.
4. Did you read a lot of horror as a
child/teenager?
MMY: I devoured it. I’m not a fan of
gore, per se, but I love supernatural and I love creepy. That disquieting
feeling that makes you turn on your lights at night? I adore it. There’s
nothing like reading a book where an author taps directly into your fears and
explains them in a way you never could. Then again, I like being scared in the
comfort of my own safe house and snuggly bed. If I’m out camping in the forest
or on my own in some crazy dilapidated house, my opinion immediately changes.
5. What stereotype would you like to
smash?
MMY: I’d like to do away with the
thought that femininity equals weakness. It simply isn’t true. I’ve noticed
that a woman with more masculine traits tends to be referred to as strong and
successful. Throw that same woman in a skirt, heels, and lipstick and the way
people talk around her instantly changes. It’s intriguing to me. It’s also
exceptionally frustrating. I was always aware of this during college and in the
workplace, and it’s nonsense. Stilettos can be just as dangerous as combat
boots. I’d like to celebrate the innate strength of women without putting silly
constraints on them.
###
Author
Bio: “I have two broken laptops, three kids, a husband and no time to write,
although I try my very best. I like to write stories. I like to write poems. I
like to write essays and sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they aren’t. I’m
the author of the short story collection Beautiful
Sorrows, the “serial killers in love” novellas Apocalyptic
Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of
Atomic Love, my debut novel Nameless:
The Darkness Comes, and Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder
and Whimsy. I specialize in the dark
and beautiful. I know how to throw a tomahawk and I wear red corduroys because
they make me happy. That's also why I write: I like being happy.”
You can follow Mercedes at https://abrokenlaptop.com/ and on Twitter: @mercedesmy
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