Wicked Ink Publishing is thrilled to spotlight S. N. Short, whose debut novel, A White Death, is set to make a powerful impact in the world of horror. Known for her knack for crafting chilling revenge tales and her deep love for all things macabre, S. N. Short brings a dark and unique voice to the literary scene. Although A White Death marks her first full-length novel, S. N. Short has already built a loyal following with her earlier novellas, delighting horror enthusiasts with her spine-tingling stories that blend thrill and terror.

Her passion for the genre began in childhood, sneaking late-night movie sessions and reading scary books that were often banned by her mother. Now, with her debut novel, she invites readers to explore the dark, emotional journey of her characters, encouraging them to love, hate, and perhaps even understand the twisted motivations that drive them.

When she's not writing, S. N. Short enjoys a variety of hobbies, including motorcycle riding, attending HorrorCons and Tattoo Fests, traveling to new destinations, and indulging in all things water-related. We are excited to have her take part in this spotlight interview and to share her journey and passion for horror with our readers. A White Death is sure to leave a lasting impression, offering a chilling experience that will resonate with fans of the genre for years to come.

Keep reading as we delve deeper into S. N. Shorts inspirations, experiences, and creative process, allowing readers to get to know the author behind “A White Death”.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a writer?

Growing up in the farmhouse your grandparent’s built, located on the sunny shores of Lesser Slave Lake in Northern Alberta, might appear idyllic to the average onlooker. The brutally frigid winters were a different story altogether, what with not having the luxury of indoor plumbing at a very early age and the walls being made of horsehair plaster. Although don’t get me wrong, it did have its perks. In the summertime, my twin and I could go swimming or fishing whenever we liked because the lake was out our back door, or merely a short bike ride away to the nearest river. That being said, it wasn’t all fun and games either, we still had our chores to do.
To this day, I still can’t stand the smell of a wet chicken, me plucking and my twin gutting as she had a steadier hand. I even offered to chop the bird’s heads off, but I was told that that was a man’s job. It might have been at this juncture that I first came to the realization that I really didn’t want to do women’s work. “But why don’t the boys have to do it?” quickly became my mantra. Thankfully, one of my older brothers was, and still is, a firearms enthusiast so I was able to convince...no, beg him to take me out target shooting and eventually bird hunting. Followed years later by big-game hunting with my favorite uncle and my cousin’s husband. You’ll be happy to know that Bambi did not die by my hand, but I did help skin him. I’ve always believed that if you are going to kill something, you better be able to fillet or field dress it yourself.
Maybe some or all of these factors, along with the introduction of the 70’s TV program “Quincy, M.E.”, were to blame for pointing me in a much more macabre direction. And as luck would have it, I’ve always had a partner in crime, my twin sister, Sylvia. We were anything but your quintessential farm girls. What with the launch of MTV and our father finally purchasing a satellite dish...welcome to our parent’s new nightmare. I can’t say that I hated English in school, however, the titles that we were forced to read in order to get credits, were most certainly not my cup of tea. Instead, I eventually resorted to cheating by simply copying down the synopsis on the back of the books with a few minor changes before handing in my book reports. It wasn’t until I chanced upon a copy of Blatty’s novel The Exorcist, that I began to actually enjoy “words” as I had always been a drawer at heart.

2. What inspired you to start writing, and how did you discover your passion for storytelling?

I absolutely loved Regan MacNeil’s character in The Exorcist and all the many back stories. It was at this point in time that I really began to devour books, everything horror that I could get my hands on. I was also fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of listening to one of my teachers read excerpts from Stephen King’s novel, Salem’s Lot in class...rather progressive of her. But it wasn’t until my twin began swapping smutty and true crime books with a workmate, that I was introduced to Clive Barker and other horror, fantasy writers by the woman’s boyfriend. Thank you, Kenny!
Of course, as in most things, once a novel or even a short story does exceptionally well, Hollywood tends to come a-calling. Although I must say that if I’ve read the book first, I will go and see the movie, but never the other way around. Because the book is always better. In regards to my passion for storytelling, it evolved over the years. For along with books, I probably rented every horror movie that our small-town video store had on its shelves. My twin and I would binge watch the good, along with the oh so bad. I soon found myself trying to guess plausible outcomes, albeit far-fetched, critiquing everything from the plot line to the special effects, and complaining about the fact that it had all been done before. Ultimately, having the sheer audacity to believe that I could come up with something better and more original.

3. Could you share some insights into your creative process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you write?

Unlike some of the other authors, and I still find it very hard to refer to myself as an author, I prefer total silence when I write. Mostly because I tend to reread any dialogue aloud, even going so far as to add accents to the characters. I do not chart the characters beforehand, even the story line, I usually don’t even know who is going to make it out alive. I simply have a spark of an idea and I run with it. My ideas come from things I’ve seen or heard, tiny snippets in time. A strange shaped garbage bag laying in the ditch on the way to a client’s home, a particularly horrendous wound or sores, an inebriated pregnant woman, odd shaped seeds that a friend found in her luggage, a picture of a dead raven stuck in a fence, my dog slowly dying of a heart murmur as his abdomen fills with fluid...the lists goes on. The setting is also very important, I sequester myself away in the relative peace and quiet of our upstairs spare bedroom, surrounded by horror collectibles and holiday memorabilia. I like to wear certain clothes, my old Forsaken Ink T-shirt and shorts, and if the weather is cold, add to that wool socks...it’s all about comfort.

4. What themes or messages do you often explore in your writing, and why are they important to you?

I am like an elephant, I never forget. You will find acts of vengeance in almost all of my tales. However, it is justifiable, albeit extremely unpleasant. My main characters are usually not bad people, but they have all been damaged in one way or another. I tend to show the resiliency of women, and sometimes even men, when faced with unspeakable horrors.

5. Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or storytelling approach?

I would have to start with William Peter Blatty. Followed closely by a list of my all-time faves: Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Jack Ketchum. Not to mention Robert R. McCammon, Dean Koontz, John Saul, Anne Rice, John Carpenter, George A. Romero, David Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper, Sam Raimi, Eli Roth, James Herbert, Victor Miller, J.R.R. Tolkien, and that’s just to name a few. I enjoy books that are easy to slip into, worlds that are imaginable, or at the very least, well-defined. I can get behind a good fantasy. You know the author and feel confident that they will give you the ride of a lifetime again and again. And if they are completely new to you, I love being blown away.

6. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who are just starting their journey?

You’re in the same boat as me. Write what you love, it doesn’t have to be necessarily what you know...step outside the box. I was lucky enough to have a mentor who pushed me to read everything, expanding my horizons. Sure, I didn’t love every story, but I did find some gems in amongst all of the shite and learned a thing or two along the way. Like the Lotto commercial says, “If you are gonna dream, dream big!” I have always felt that way, prepares you for when something amazing happens.

7. How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, such as work, family, and personal interests?

I have a very demanding job, both mentally and physically because I deal with a lot of unwell or injured people. Be it lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency, burn scars, amputations, hernias, pannuses. Plus, I have a terrible habit of not knowing when to say, No. Thankfully, I live with my twin sister, not only does she help out around our home, she makes a mean cocktail, and is there for our dog, Ripley. She’s a rescue and we picked her because of her spunk and the fact that she looks like the evil gremlin, Stripe, in the movie Gremlins. Free time used to be made up of motorbiking with friends, travel, festivals and lots of dinner parties.
Now I’m finding myself to be a little more guarded with my time, I try to start writing around 5:30 am on weekends and see where it goes. Other than that, I take a day off work here and there. My ultimate goal would be to quit work and write full-time, but that hasn’t been realized just yet. Writing has become such an obsession that I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and fretting over a particular word that I used because I suddenly thought of something better. But in all honesty, it is a joy to fire up your grey matter and keep on testing yourself.

8. How do you stay motivated and overcome writer's block when faced with challenges in your writing process?

I don’t usually suffer from writer’s block, but if for any reason I find myself rewriting the same old paragraph over and over again, I step away. Which gives me plenty of time to put a load of laundry into the machine, talk to my twin, throw a squeaky for our dog, or simply do a little background research. I am currently writing a tale that takes place in the 1940s and the present, so I need to know what the popular slang was back then. You find yourself all of a sudden becoming the Cliff Clavin of useless information, which doesn’t hurt.

9. How do you manage your time and set goals to ensure consistent progress in your writing projects?

If I have a deadline, I make bloody well sure that I accomplish everything that I have set out to do in a timely fashion. Even going so far as to take a few days off work in order to do so. Although when I don’t have a deadline, I tend to leave Saturday and/or Sunday open for my writing endeavours.

10. How do you handle moments of doubt or uncertainty in your writing process, and what strategies do you use to persevere through challenges?

Everyone has the same doubts: will they even like it, am I going to bore them to death, do I sound intelligent, is the story easy enough to follow, did I put too much gratuitous violence and/or sex in the book, will it get banned? These are just a few of the things that go rattling around in my head since most of the other authors are very well educated...am I Foghorn Leghorn to their Edgar Allan Poe? In the end, just believe in the merits of your story and your ability to tell it well. After all, it is unique!

11. What role do emotions and empathy play in your writing, and how do you strive to evoke emotional responses from your readers?

If your characters are well-rounded and complex, the reader will come to either love or hate them, and that is exactly what you want. I like to put mine through utter hell so that the reader actually cares about their plight or at least understands it. Also, throwing in a pet or two won’t hurt because no one wants to see the dog die. Personally, I wanted to walk out on the movie, I Am Legend due to that very thing. Your readers have to feel like there is some sort of connection between themselves and one or more of your characters in order to invest the time it takes to read 200-300+ pages of words.

12. Can you share any insights into the importance of a strong opening hook or first chapter in capturing readers' attention and setting the tone for the rest of the book?

In all my earlier novellas, I tried to start off with something horrendous happening in the first few paragraphs or page. Now, with my first novel, I want the readers to be lulled into a false sense of security, the idea that everything is alright before bombarding them with copious amounts of blood and gore. I was so lucky when I submitted my manuscript to Wicked Ink and they asked for the first three chapters. I actually took a chance, including the first six instead because I needed them to see the drastic change that was about to take place. I want the reader to be caught off guard!

13. Can you discuss any experiences of writer's block or creative burnout, and how do you rejuvenate your creativity during those times?

My major problem seems to be that I have too many story ideas in my head. I’m constantly thinking about how I can revamp some of my earlier novellas into novels because the stories themselves are solid. Even when I’m away on a holiday, I’m still thinking about old, current and new story ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely know how to relax and enjoy myself, but I do get the weirdest feeling that there is an urgency to get them all down on paper. It’s probably because I tend to overthink everything, so instead of just writing down my thoughts, I edit everything as I go along...tedious, yes. But I’ve found it to be a great learning experience and one well worth the effort.

14. Are there any upcoming projects or future plans that you're excited to share with your readers?

Thank you for asking. I am currently working on a new novel that takes place in both present day and in the war years. It has to do with the haunting of an object, but it’s not your average haunting. And yes, there will be blood and lots of it. I hope that when it’s finally finished and submitted for consideration, everyone will enjoy it as much as I’ve been having fun writing it.