Possibly the hardest working woman in horror fiction – Candace Nola

Introducing Candace Nola

Candace is an award-winning author, editor, and reviewer. Her books include Breach, Beyond the Breach, Hank Flynn, Bishop, and Earth vs The Lava Spiders.  She has short stories in The Baker’s Dozen anthology, Secondhand Creeps, American Cannibal, and Exactly the Wrong Things.

Beyond the Breach, won the “Novel of the Year” award for 2021 from the Horror Authors Guild and her Debut Novel, Breach, placed 2nd for “Debut Novel of the Year”, also for the 2021 Horror Authors Guild awards.  She is the publisher and editor of the 2022 Splatterpunk Award Winning Anthology “Uncomfortably Dark Presents: The Baker’s Dozen.”

She is the creator of UncomfortablyDark.com, which hosts her own work but focuses primarily on promoting other indie authors in the industry with weekly book reviews, interviews, and special features.  Uncomfortably Dark Horror stands behind its mission to bring you the best in horror, one uncomfortably dark page at a time!

You seem to be the hardest working woman in horror fiction at the minute, but how did you get into this business of writing?

Honestly, it was the only thing I ever wanted to do, but I had given up on it many years ago. In 2019, a close friend tricked me into writing Breach, and it exploded from there.

Was there a book, movie or experience that was your gateway to horror?

Edgar Allan Poe was my first experience, then Hitchcock, followed by The Twilight Zone, B-movies with my dad, followed by discovering Stephen King novels.

Describe your writing style as if it were the demonic love child of 2 or more of your favourite authors, genetically spliced together in a lab and grown in a vat of green goo.

If I had to try to describe it, I would take a pound of Stephen King, two cups of Poe, a dash of Laird Barron, and a scoop of Edward Lee and put it in a blender. I would be the result of that mixture.

Tell us about your biggest achievements or proudest writing moment to date?

Proudest moment so far would be winning the Splatterpunk award for The Baker’s Dozen anthology.

What’s your spookiest life experience?

My family and I were all visited by my brother’s ghost for about a decade after he died.

Dan: Wow! Okay, you are our first sustained haunting answer. That must have been an experience with mixed emotions, to say the least.

You run a brilliant website, (https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/) which every fan of indie horror should check out, and review so many books. So, you’re the perfect person to ask, what’s the best book you read in the last 12 months and why?

I don’t think I can give you just one. Let’s go with my top five.  “Winterset Hollow” by Jonathan Durham, “This Is Where We Talk Things Out” by Caitlin Marceau, “Bucket List” by Mark Towse and Chisto Healy, “Dreamwhispers” by M. Ennebach and “Innocence Ends” by Nikolas P. Robinson.

 

Dan: I have Winterset Hollow on my bookshelf, amid my many TBRs. I’ll have to bump it up the list.

What book/story do you wish you could have written?

Winterset Hollow. It’s an immediate classic, beautifully written, and highly original.

Which monster from fiction – books, TV or film – would you most like to be and why?

A vampire. I really want to be a vampire. I always have. There is nothing more terrifying, or appealing.

Which one of your books would be best adapted into a movie? And who would you cast in the lead roles?

Bishop is my first answer. Casting: For Bishop-Adam Beach. For Troy-Matt Damon. For Casey-Sophia Lillis.

Breach would be my second answer because I believe the world building in that one would be incredible on screen, along with the variety of creatures within it.  I’d cast Storm Reid as Laraya.

You have a really positive social media presence, always positive, always supporting other writers. The same for your website. Do you feel social media is still worth it for authors? And what do you feel you get out of it?

I believe the networking and support that social media has to offer can be a great thing when utilized properly. The internet is generally a toxic place, but it can also be amazing if you choose to make it so.  I choose to make it so, and so do many of my peers.

Dan: I couldn’t agree more. The internet has become a very negative place, and I think we should try to put out positivity. That sounds obvious and trite, but it is still true.

What’s the hardest thing about marketing your books?

The marketing!  LOL.  Knowing what tools are best to use, which sites are worth the money, how often to market and promote by which methods. It’s a learning curve and mostly done by trial and error.

Dan: yep it’s hard for indie authors to get traction and profile. Hopefully, things like this interview help, if only the tiniest bit.

I know you have a ton of stories swimming around in your head at any one time. Could you pick one and tell us where the idea came from?

The idea for The Generator project that I am currently wrapping up came from a conversation that I had with Rowland Bercy, Jr. We were brainstorming some ideas one night and he made a remark to the effect of my being a machine. The image of an idea generator popped in my head and the idea grew from there.

What book of yours should people start with?

Honestly, to experience my journey as an author, start with Breach. If you want to dive right in from the most popular, start with Bishop.

Have you got a newsletter/reader magnet?

I do. You can subscribe to my newsletter at www.uncomfortablydark.com.

Where can people stalk you online like a serial killer, or like a well-adjusted human being, with manners and respect? Whichever you prefer?

My Linktree will take readers to my website, my Patreon, my books and everything else related to Uncomfortably Dark. https://linktr.ee/candacenola

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Make sure to keep an eye on the website as the new Indie Horror page is morphing into a stand-alone website in June. Built for both readers and authors as a one-stop source for all things indie horror.

Follow me on Twitter, IG, or FB to stay up to date on new releases and more, or just sign up for the newsletter.

Dan: Thanks, Candace. Dear readers, you should sign up to Candace’s newsletter. Uncomfortably Dark is doing great things in reviewing and promoting indie horror.

This interview is sponsored by my novel NEOLITHICA. 

What happens when the archaeological find of a lifetime becomes a threat to life itself?

After the death of her husband, Professor Mirin Hassan wants life to return to normal for her and her son. But when construction workers discover an ancient body in a Scottish peat bog, Mirin has no choice but to investigate the intricately tattooed Neolithic boy. Media attention and professional rivalries become the least of her worries because something other than cameras followed the corpse back to the university. Something beyond reason. Something evil. Something Mirin and the entire world will wish had stayed buried.

Click here to read it now: NEOLITHICA