November 2023: Interview with Brianna Malotke
Interviewer: Aigner Loren Wilson (she/her) is a 2023 double Ignyte Finalist for best novelette and best critic. She is a senior fiction editor for Strange Horizons, and her writing has appeared in F&SF, Lightspeed Magazine, Monstrous Futures, and more. You can follow her on her website, newsletter, or on Facebook.
Horror Author: Brianna Malotke is a writer based in the PNW. In addition to being a member and on the Social Media team for the Horror Writers Association, she’s also co-chair of the Seattle Chapter. Her most recent horror work can be found in Dark Town, Lost Souls, and The Nottingham Horror Collective. She has horrifying poems and short stories in the anthologies Beautiful Tragedies 2 and 3, The Dire Circle, Out of Time, Their Ghoulish Reputation, Holiday Leftovers, HorrorScope: A Zodiac Anthology and Under Her Skin. In August 2023, her debut horror poetry collection, Fashion Trends, Deadly Ends, was released by Green Avenue Books. Her romance novella series, Sugar & Steam, will have its third book released February 2024 and is written under the pen name of “Tori Fields.”During October 2023 she was a “Writer in Residence” at the Chateau d’Orquevaux in France.
This interview is a part of the HWA Seattle Member Blog Interview Series. If you’d like to check out the other interviews, check here. HWA Seattle members who would like to be interviewed for the blog, reach out here.
Aigner Loren Wilson: Congrats on the publication of your debut horror poetry collection, Fashion Trends, Deadly Ends, and your romance novella, Gingerbread Hearts! Do you find it hard to write in two different genres? What ways is writing horror and romance similar?
Brianna Malotke: Thanks! I am so happy that both projects are finally out in the world. For me I really enjoy writing in both genres, but I keep my reading separate. So, if I’m writing romance novellas then I’m only reading romance. I found it difficult to keep my brain organized while reading horror and trying to write in both genres.
As far as writing though, I did try my best to not overlap both. I finished my manuscript for Fashion Trends, Deadly Ends and then went right into writing Gingerbread Hearts. I worked on the timelines with both of my publishers because I thought it would be challenging to stop the horror from bleeding into the romance. However, a little romance mixed in my horror is no issue to me. I actually ended up with a handful of poems written during this time that have touches of romantic storylines threaded into them. This is where I find them similar in some ways. In both genres there is a lot of emotion, and this is where the overlap is for me. Horror and romance typically both of have heart-racing scenes filled with emotions (fear, desire, etc.).
ALW: What do you think sets your writing apart from others in your genre, and what kind of emotional journey can readers expect when they pick up one of your books?
BM: For my horror work: I think that one way my stories might be different than other work is the amount of detail or textile bits that I add in. My background is in apparel & costume design, so touch and physically feeling things are very important to me. I tend to treat my work in a similar way to how I would costume a show. I create a world for the character (what they like to do, eat, watch, etc) and this leads into their creation of appearance and what would be important, or not, to the plot. In a lot of my work there are clothing descriptions and how the character’s interactions with the clothing plays a part in the story.
ALW: As the co-chair of the Seattle HWA chapter, what role do you think community plays in the career of an author?
BM: I think community can play a huge role in the career for an author. For one, I think interacting with the community helps make an author feel as though their work really does have an impact. Which can help with anyone dealing with imposter syndrome. Also, it just spreads the love for the indie book community. A lot of people love to support their community even if it’s just showing up to an event where they can interact and talk to others. This is one reason I’m trying to organize a variety of events for our chapter members. I’m hoping to get the chapter more engaged with the local community to help them build strong ties that could lead to future events and potentially sales for members who gain a wider audience from engaging with their community.
ALW: Off of that question, what are tips you can give writers who want to get more active in their writing communities?
BM: I was just talking to someone about this the other day. As someone who recently relocated across the country, I’ve had to start fresh with a new writing community where I can do things in person. My main tip is to reach out to places and groups you think you’re a good fit for and are interested in connecting or joining. Other than that, I’d say stay organized, so you know you’re not spreading yourself too thin and be sure to follow up.
ALW: If a reader was unfamiliar with your work what’s the story, you’d suggest they start with?
BM: I would suggest starting with Fashion Trends, Deadly Ends. It has a variety of poetry within it and is really body horror focused. If you’re more into short stories, then I’d say grab a copy of The Dire Circle, an anthology published by D&T Publishing taking a closer look at the dark side of the zodiac. My short story ‘Twisted Tales, Dripping in Honey’ is inspired by the zodiac serpent. It’s probably one of my favorite stories that I’ve written. Who doesn’t love a femme serial killer?
ALW: Do you have any upcoming releases or projects you’re working on that you’d like to talk about?
BM: I am currently deep in romance writing mode right now. As for upcoming releases – the second book in my romance series, Perfect Blend, will be released October 25th, 2023. Other than that, I have quite a few horror pieces coming out in anthologies and zines this fall. You can find my work in Lost Souls (I have a steamy sapphic vampire story in this one) from Dark Rose Press, Darkness 101: Lessons Were Learned from Collective Tales Publishing, Beautiful Tragedies 3 from HellBound Books Publishing (I wrote the intro too!), and the next issue from The Nottingham Horror Collective.
ALW: What are you reading, watching, or playing right now?
BM: I am currently making my way through the latest books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world by JR Ward. I’m so close to catching up, only a few more books until I’m back to waiting for the next release date.
To stay up to date on Brianna Malotke, you can follow or find her here:
Thanks for reading. I hope you’ve found a new author or a deeper love for an author you already know.