Have you ever sat down in a restaurant (or, as I would prefer, a diner) and felt — off? Maybe it's the lighting, the smell, or how the people at that table look at you from across the restaurant. What is it about them that doesn’t seem right? They weren't really looking at you, were they? You're unsure and paranoid, so you keep looking at their table to confirm whether they are in fact looking at you for some strange reason. By the time you've decided one way or the other, your coffee has gone cold, and you've experienced your first horror of the day before 10:00 AM.
To read, write, and enjoy horror means that, on some level, you look at the world through that lens. It looks a little different for everyone, depending on their fears, day-to-day routines, and the dangers associated with them. Mundane horror, in particular, takes place in entirely ordinary settings. Little by little, something strange disrupts an otherwise normal action, and suspense takes its root under our skin, leaving us with an innate knowledge that something isn't right, but we can't put our fingers on it.
When I wrote my collection, Lady of The House (LOTH), I found little ways to add breadcrumbs of suspense by employing recipes to convey the deterioration of the Lady's psyche. One moment you're reading a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup, and the next thing you know, you're imagining her spouse eating his eyeball off a spoon. Something's definitely not right here. We are forced out of our comfort zones to examine what is happening underneath the gory imagery's surface. I am a person that enjoys reading between the lines. I suppose that also predisposes me to get lost in the world of poetry.
Speaking of poetry, I recently had the opportunity to talk about my book with horror poet and editor of Writing Poetry in The Dark, Stephanie M. Wytovich, over on her blog, The Madhouse. We talk about feminism, labor relations, balancing violence and the erotic, and more! You can read the interview here
Current Works In Progress:
My draft for my next dark poetry collection, The Lies We Weave, is off for editing. The collection is somewhat confessional and focuses on my journey from adolescence to motherhood. My publisher, Ravven White, of Curious Corvid Publishing, and I are planning to release it in April 2023 for National Poetry Month and in time for the Ghoulish Book Festival in San Antonio, TX.
Aside from that, I am working on a Ukrainian folk dance ghost story tentatively titled Svyatvechir u Khersoni. In the future, I'll share more about my love for Slavic cultures with my passion for genealogy.
Recipe of The Month:
In true LOTH fashion, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe I enjoy with you all. I'm still deciding if I will share a recipe monthly. If not, I can always share more photos of my kid's culinary masterpieces
This month I'm sharing one of my favorite dishes from the only food blog I follow, The Mediterranean Dish. Her recipe for honey mustard salmon is fantastic and is a go-to dish in our house. You can read more about that recipe here.
Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? I guess I should have shared a recipe for the holiday, but I'm not about trying to serve up a fresh new way to fry your turkey or ruin a perfectly good macaroni and cheese dish. Maybe next month, I'll share my mother's Christmas lasagna recipe. If you eat lasagna at Christmas, you are my people.
That’s it for the month! For those who celebrate the holiday, I hope you have a nice holiday with the folks you love and care about, and that you stay healthy and safe.
Until next month,
Grace R. Reynolds