For the month of March, in order to celebrate Women in Horror, I’ll be highlighting interviews with some of the authors that appear in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King Women in Horror Anthology.
Marnie Azzarelli author of “Carrie’s First Day”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
Salem’s Lot! I’m just kidding, it’s a retelling of Carrie.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
I think they’re both extremely underrated, but I love reading anything Marisha Pesl or Helen Oyeyemi have to offer.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
“you should see me in a crown” Billie Eilish.
What are some of your current writing projects?
While I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus the last couple of years, I’m planning on publishing more original writing on both my website’s blog at marnieazzarelli.net, and on a new, yet to be named Tumblr blog (more info will be available on my socials). Plus I have plans in the works of releasing my own short story collection sometime in 2023!
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
While I’ll always have a soft spot for Laurie Strode, I have to say that Nancy Thompson is really one of the ultimate final girls. She’s smart, resourceful, and kind of kicks Freddie’s ass no matter what movie she encounters him in. I would not want to take Nancy in a fight because while she doesn’t have brute strength, she could definitely figure out a way to get rid of me with a quippy one-liner.
Lauri Christopher author of “Fair Erasures”
Which Stephen King novel/short story inspired your short story?
In Stephen King’s short story FAIR EXTENSIONS a dying man makes a deal with a roadside devil to extend his life. All he has to do in exchange is curse his best friend to a life of misery. In my story FAIR ERASURES, Lacey Milton struggles with an unwanted pregnancy and her best friend’s betrayal, but Mr. LeVid offers her a way to erase the situation. And it won’t be messy at all.
Who’s your favorite modern female author?
Seanan McGuire, writing as Mira Grant, changed the zombie landscape in her FEED trilogy. She unapologetically writes gritty, strong female characters.
Which song would be the soundtrack to your story?
Lacey might have been listening to Ani DiFranco’s Amendment after she settled up with Mr. LeVid and drove off into the rest of her life. Much like this anthology, Ani takes the “point of view of women” in her lyrics.
What are some of your current writing projects?
I am working on a middle grade novel about a boy who has to spend the summer with his fraud of a ghost-hunting Dad. But when he discovers he can see ghosts, he’s the only one who can help a young friend escape a dangerous haunting.
Who’s your favorite final girl and why?
Since the appropriate-for-the-80s age of 8 ½, Laurie Strode has been my girl. I watched through the space between my fingers as she unfolded a wire hanger and owned her power to survive. Plus, when you share a name with someone battling a masked killer, the story takes on an added edge of life or death.
Read Marnie Azzarelli & Lauri Christopher’s stories in Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster along with other amazing authors!
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The Inkblotters 
Loved being a part of this anthology. Marnie’s documentary-style take on the incidents surrounding Carrie’s story was so inventive and haunting to read.
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