Scribblers Chamber Writing Community: Author Spotlight: Janine Pipe

Interview

Please introduce yourself.

Hi. I’m a writer from Swindon in the UK. I’m an ex-police officer, happily married with an 11 year old daughter.

I love all things horror and Disney, and as well as writing, I am a publicist and editor at Kandisha Press with my amazing BFF Jill Girardi and a reviewer for Scream Magazine, Horror DNA, Horror Oasis and Night Worms. I have a booktube channel where I waffle about books and interview other authors, usually with my review bestie Ben Long, and I co-host a podcast with another BFF, Lou Yardley.

I read as much indie horror as I can, and my favourite authors are Glenn Rolfe, Hunter Shea and Tim Meyer. I also love delving into Ketchum, Laymon, Keene etc. and learning from the masters.

What inspired you to write the TTT (Twisted: Tainted Tales) collection of stories?

I really enjoy flash fiction and short stories. I had a plethora ready to go just waiting for a home and I just suddenly thought, what am I saving these for, why don’t I just put out a collection and that was it! I have a couple of novellas which are still very much WIP and I wanted to get something of my own out into the world.

Why is this collection a must read?

I think TTT is a must read if you like the 80s, some humour and fun injected into your horror, pop culture and a lot of blood. A couple of the stories are always very sexual as that often goes hand-in-hand with splatterpunk and extreme but it is very much tongue in cheek. There will also be a ton of names that you may recognise.

Which story was most fun to write?

The most fun was for sure Paradise City which let’s just say involves a magical hole in a tree and some very horny teenagers …

Which character from the collection is your favorite? Which was hardest to write?

I have a real soft spot for Sam from They. Teen boys are my favourite characters to write apart from cops. They are just so much fun and swear even more than I do.

I’m not sure any of them have been that hard, even my villains and monsters have been quite fun to create.

Do your stories tell themselves or are you the plot and plan type?

Total pantster. I have the gem of an idea and then just sit and write … it’s the only way I can work. This is likely another reason why I struggle with longer works. What I need is someone looking over my shoulder and telling me to get on with it. I’m the queen of procrastination.

Do you feel your stories are more character driven or plot?

100% character – I love banter and camaraderie with them – for some reason I also find boys/men easier to create. There is often an homage to someone I know or another fictional character I love in my work. I have some very vague plans for something in the future that’ll be heavily influenced by Fox Mulder and Will Graham.

What is your writing process? What do you enjoy/hate most about it?

I write when I can. Just sit and write. That’s it, that’s the extent of my ‘process’. It’s worked so far, lol. My husband is almost always my tester/alpha reader and then I send it off to trusted others for feedback and then it’s either sub and sweat or I keep it for later.

I enjoy the creativity and I hate the time constraints. But that’s life.

Are you working on another collection or book? What other goals lie ahead?

Yes, I will be starting my second collection as soon as the launch of TTT is over. I still have two WIP novellas and there are a few collabs on the table for the next couple of years which will keep me busy. Also all the editing stuff with Kandisha including a BIG Top Secret project which is going to be epic.

Why do you choose to self publish?

Mainly because collections are hard to sell to publishers, not that many presses take them on and I wanted to get this out ASAP. It was hard, I’m not going to lie, but mainly because I am so un-tech savvy. I’m used to the promoting side of things, but actually putting it together and getting it onto KDP was not easy. I have to give a HUGE thank you to Jason Brant and Lou for helping me with that.

What is your advice to other indie authors?

Keep writing, keep reading, keep honing your craft. Keep an eye on open calls and work on something that you love. Write what you want to read and what feels right for you.

As a writer, what do you feel is your biggest accomplishment? Biggest letdown? Biggest dream?

Biggest accomplishment – being invited by Glenn to submit to a sampler for his press (They and Alien Agenda Publishing) AND Glenn writing me the most amazing foreword for TTT and comparing our writing. Many, many tears …

Biggest let down – not really sure, I have subbed a few times to Flame Tree and not got anywhere. Don D’Auria would be the Dream Editor to work with alongside Ken McKinley.

Biggest dream – to collab on something with Glenn and to have something published by Silver Shamrock and Flame Tree Press.

What was the toughest criticism you received as an author? The biggest compliment?

Criticism would be from people that don’t like the splattery side of my work, as it is something that I try hard to make work especially as a woman writer.

Compliment is anytime someone compares my writing to Glenn’s.

Read an excerpt