Lincoln Crisler

I’d only heard of Amy Grech in passing before she dropped me an email asking me if I’d like to interview her for the site. I’m always down for getting to know new people, so of course I asked her to send along a PDF of her latest book, a collection of short stories, and it was in my inbox the next day. When I downloaded it to my e-reader I expected a compilation of stories ranging from really-good to reasonable. You know how it is with collections and anthologies; some of the stories are better than others, and if you’re lucky, a couple might break some new ground. Blanket of White, released this month by Damnation Books, fit this mold, but with one major difference: a couple of these really cranked back and kicked me in the sack. Read the opening story, from which the book gets its title, and “Perishables” and see if you don’t agree.  

Lincoln Crisler: The opening story of “Blanket of White” came right out of the gate and punched me in the gut. Normally, this common question sounds a bit foolish to me (partly because I’ve read and watched a lot of horror that didn’t look like it took a lot of thought) but where do you get your ideas? 

Amy Grech:  I live in Brooklyn and travel to Manhattan on a regular basis.  I get lots of ideas just wandering around.  For example, Alphabet City has a rich history: Avenue A stands for Alert; Avenue B stands for Beware; C stands for Caution; D stands for Death.  I wrote an entire story titled “Apple of My Eye” based on that information.

The title story actually evolved ten years ago, when I saw a real life story on the news about a little girl who had a terminal illness and the compassionate way her father chose to end her suffering.  The little girl in my story, Suzy is very remarkable despite her illness.  “Blanket of White” really affects readers who are also parents more than most.  Although, I don’t have children of my own, this story proved extremely difficult to write. 

LC:  What’s the most personal story for you in “Blanket of White”?

AG: Definitely “Perishables.” It’s the shortest story in the collection, but it’s sure to leave readers hungry for more!  I wrote it years ago when my boyfriend at the time broke up with me.  It was my way of grieving.  I decided to have some fun and tell the story from a male POV.  

LC:  I heard that “Blanket of White” is actually a previously released collection with a couple of new stories thrown in. What precipitated this?

AG: Two Backed Books published my first collection, Apple of My Eye, a few years ago.  Sadly they did virtually no promotion, as a result, the book became obscure from the get go.  Two Backed Books folded earlier this year, another victim of the down economy…When that happened, the rights to Apple of My Eye reverted back to me, so I wrote two new stories, “Blanket of White” and “Russian Roulette” and found a new publisher, Damnation Books, who has done an excellent promoting the book!

 LC: What was going on in your life while you were writing some of these stories?

AG: “Blanket of White” was born from my desire to write a story devoid of sexual content.  Up until then, all of my stories focused on sex as erotic horror and several critics questioned if I could delve deeper into the human psyche. I’m pleased to say I can tackle any subject matter!  “Ashes to Ashes,” “Come and Gone,” “Perishables,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Cold Comfort” were all written in response to several break-ups with former boyfriends—I end to fall hard for a guy; consequently, I end up devastated when the relationship ends.  Writing is a very cathartic coping mechanism.  I wrote “Prevention” because I have a twin brother and wanted to play with the evil twin idea. I felt a little paranoid when I wrote “Rampart.” “Raven’s Revenge” was my homage to Edgar Allan Poe. I wrote “Damp Wind and Leaves” against the backdrop of Halloween.  I wrote “Crosshairs” as a tribute to my Catholic upbringing.  I wrote “Initiation Day” in college—I wanted to put a spin on the peer pressure high school students deal with.   I wanted to play with the expression, You’re the apple of my eye.”  “Apple of My Eye” is the result.  I wrote “EV 2000” to deal with my fear of needles.

 LC: Who are some of your influences as a writer?

AG:  When I turned 12, an Aunt introduced me to Stephen King’s novels.  I started with Cujo and never looked back.  Stephen King inspired me to become a writer. 

Other influences include: Franz Kafka, H. P. Lovecraft, Joyce Carol Oates, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Alice Sebold.

 LC: What can we expect from you in the near future?

AG:  Expect to see several of my stories in various anthologies and magazines.  I can’t say more until contacts have been signed.

I’ve written the first four chapters of a novel with my co-author; I won’t reveal the gory details until we place the book with a publisher.  I’ve been expanding my story, “Apple of My Eye” into a novella or possibly even a novel.  I’ve passed the 6,000 word mark.

 LC: Which are better: pirates, robots or ninjas?

AG: Robots!  They can be programmed to do my bidding!

Blanket of White is available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Books on Board, Damnation Books, Diesel eBooks, Lybrary.com, OmniLit, and Powell’s Books, and a variety of other outlets! Amy Grech‘s official website is www.crimsonscreams.com.