When you refer to yourself as a “cheerful Goth,” you probably like to keep people guessing.
Which seems to be what writer Angela Sylvaine is doing in her first collection of short stories, The Dead Spot: Stories Of Lost Girls (paperback, Kindle).
In the following email interview, Sylvaine discusses how this collection came together, as well as what inspired and influenced the stories in it.
To start, the full title of this collection, The Dead Spot: Stories Of Lost Girls, suggests there’s a theme to it.
Yes, there’s definitely a theme. All the stories involve girls or women that are battling monsters, obsession, manipulation, or darkness in the world around them. As a result, they’re lost to us (not a lot of happy ending here, lol).
So, did you start out wanting to assemble a collection around this theme, or did the theme emerge as you were putting The Dead Spot together?
The theme came together naturally, I looked at the stories I had written and noticed many of them fit with this theme.
When I started thinking about putting together a collection, I looked at all my story options and saw the theme emerge. I did have some hesitation at first, because I knew it would be a pretty dark collection and my recent novel was much sillier, so it would be a departure. But I decided both darkness and light represent me as an author, so I decided to embrace it.
The title also makes me think these might be horror stories. Though because you like to refer to yourself as a “cheerful goth,” I’m wondering if any of these stories are also Gothic. Or goofy.
Yes, they sure are! There are a variety of subgenres, like sci-fi, eco horror, hauntings / Gothic, and monsters, but all of them are firmly horror. The Goth is clearly represented, but I think the cheerful is too. Readers have said there’s a wit and sweetness to the stories, so I managed to squeeze a bit of my cheer in.
Along with the stories in The Dead Spot, you’ve also written a novel [Frost Bite], a novella [Chopping Spree], and some poetry. Are there any writers who had a big influence on stories in The Dead Spot, or all of them, but are not people you’d consider an influence on everything you write?
I don’t know that I saw it at the time, but looking back, a big influence on my shorter, darker work is Gwendolyn Kiste. She writes what I would describe as feminist horror, often about lost girls, which is probably why I’m so drawn to her work.
What about non-literary influences; were any of the stories influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games?
There are definitely some old horror movies that encompass the idea of lost girls and probably wedged in my brain, such as Poltergeist and Rosemary’s Baby. Those are a couple of my all-time favorites.
And what about your “creepy cats,” Loki, Luna, and Noodle? Did they inspire any of the stories in The Dead Spot?
Lol, no but now I wish they had! Weirdly, I don’t think I’ve ever written a truly scary cat into a story. I need to.
Loki, Luna, Noodle
As I mentioned earlier, along with The Dead Spot, you also recently released a novel called Frost Bite. What is Frost Bite about, and when and where is it set?
Frost Bite is set in the winter of 1997, in the fictional town of Demise, North Dakota. A meteor lands behind the trailer park where the main character, Realene, lives, and infects the hibernating prairie dogs with alien worms. When they turn violent and start infecting other animals and people with a memory-stealing bite, Realene and her best friend, Nate, set out to save the town, while also battling a doomsday cult.
Where did you get the idea for Frost Bite?
It originally started out as a short story for a call for space horror. As a fan of B movie creature features, I decided to write something fun like those movies I always loved, but the story quickly grew in size, and I decided to expand it.
And is there a reason why you set it in North Dakota as opposed to, say, South Dakota? Or one of the many non-Dakota states?
I grew up in North Dakota. The town is inspired by where I lived and other areas I was familiar with in N.D. Even the trailer where Realene lives is inspired by my childhood home.
I swear, Frost Bite isn’t autobiographical, and Realene is unlike me in most other ways. I just always wanted to write something that took place in North Dakota, and I had a lot of fun trying to capture the small town, wintery setting.
Frost Bite sounds like it’s a sci-fi horror story, but a bit of a light-hearted one. Is that how you’d describe it?
Yes, I would say it’s definitely light-hearted, and I want people to have fun reading it. However, there are real heartfelt moments and real-life challenging situations hidden within the wackiness. Realene is dealing with having to forgo college to care for her mother, who has dementia, and Nate is estranged from his mother, who is still with his abusive father. I hope it makes people laugh out loud in some places, and also makes them cry (but just a little).
You’ve previously said that Frost Bite is the first in a trilogy. Is that still the case?
I’m working on the sequel to Frost Bite now, so there will definitely be more. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it’s taking shape quickly and should be released in March of 2025, which I’m super excited about.
Going back to The Dead Spot, Hollywood loves turning short stories into movies. Are there any stories in The Dead Spot that you think would work particularly well as a movie?
That would be so cool! I would probably say “Playing Tricks” would be the one that would be the best to adapt. It’s about a little girl and her creepy doll, which keeps moving and harassing the girl at night. I think it would make a really fun and creepy movie.
So, is there anything else people need to know about The Dead Spot?
Early readers have said they read it in just a couple sittings, so while it’s a variety of short stories, it’ll keep you hooked and turning the pages.
Finally, it’s been my experience that short stories are a good way to get to know a writer’s style. Do you think The Dead Spot, or specific stories in it, are a good representation of your style?
The collection is definitely a good representation of my short work. In particular, “Astronaut Dreams,” “Playing Tricks,” and “The Return Of The Wilderness Girls” are a good representation because they are heartbreaking and have endings you won’t expect.
So, if someone likes The Dead Spot or those specific stories, which of your other books would you suggest they read next?
If people enjoy my collection, I’d suggest they check out my other short work (which is published in over 50 publications and details can be found on my website).
That said, following it with a read of Frost Bite would work great, too. It would be a good palette cleanser that’s a bit more fun and sillier.
