Meet Debra Castaneda
Indie Author Spotlight
Welcome to Indie Author Spotlight where I interview indie authors I’ve met through the interwebs whose online ramblings have inspired me to break down and read their books. It is truly a unique opportunity to be able to talk directly to the author about a book you’ve read. I thought I might as well share that conversation with you, reader. You’re welcome. Let’s get on with the interview, shall we?
As we move into the spooky season, I wanted to spotlight some amazing horror authors. This month I’m featuring Debra Castaneda, award-winning horror and dark fiction author from Capitola, California. Her works include The Devil’s Shallows, The Root Witch, The Copper Man, and The Circus at Devil’s Landing, which comprise the Dark Earth Rising series of standalone novels, and The Monsters of Chavez Ravine, an International Latino Book Awards gold medal winner.
How long have you been writing horror and what got you interested in the horror genre?
First off, thank you for the opportunity to talk about my work! I started off writing horror when I was finally able to leave my full-time job in local TV news in 2018. Before that, I'd start writing a book but never managed to finish. I don't know how other authors manage stressful jobs and other commitments and write! I've always gravitated to dark fiction thanks to the scary Mexican folk stories my grandmother used to tell me. She lived in Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) and I spent most weekends with her. So it was La Purissima Church on Sundays and lots of La Llorona and El Cucuy. So I came to love ghosts and monsters. As a kid, I became obsessed with Big Foot.
How does your background in radio and TV journalism play into your fiction writing career?
It taught me to set deadlines for myself, and I stick to them. If I set a goal of, say, writing 2,500 words on Tuesday, then I'm not leaving my desk until they are done. I also think journalists make for great characters in books, and I rely on my understanding of their jobs, and stresses, to add dimension to the characters, and conflict in the stories.
What are some of your writing influences? Favorite books?
While I read lots of horror, I think most of my influences come from the decade I spent reading lots of British mysteries, so I'd probably say Mo Hayder, who wrote my favorite book, The Devil of Nanking. She had such a way of blending thriller with horror elements. My favorite books recently are Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova and Mister Magic by Kiersten White.
I absolutely loved The Root Witch. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! Where did you originally get the idea to write about an intelligent quaking aspen grove?
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I've always been a little obsessed with Pando, the quaking aspen forest in central Utah. I first learned about it when I was working my first job as a TV news producer in Salt Lake City. Back then, it hadn't been named yet. Pando is Latin for "I spread" and it has a single, massive root system. Basically, it's just one tree. More recently, I came across news stories that the forest was under threat for a variety of reasons, including over-grazing by deer and people trampling through it. So then I began to imagine the forest striking back, and the next thing I knew the forest had taken on a life of its own.
The Root Witch is part of the Dark Earth Rising series of stand-alone novels along with The Devil’s Shadows, The Copper Man, and your newest release The Circus at Devil’s Landing. What is it that unites all of these books into a stand-alone collection?
Basically, it's something in nature, or connected to it, that strikes back. Some of the books are eco horror. Circus at Devil's Landing explores the dark theme of human exploitation.
In a review for The Circus, the reviewer used the term “creepy atmospheric folk horror” and I think that is a great description of your unique style of horror. How did you find yourself writing in this particular niche?
I didn't actually set out to do that. It just happened. I think it goes to the influence of my grandmother and the way she told stories. Some readers recently described my work as "cozy horror" and I thought that was fascinating and probably accurate. Sometimes, others are a better judge of our work than ourselves!
You won an international book award with The Monsters of Chavez Ravine. That’s amazing! Tell us about that experience.
I was shocked it won! And thrilled. My mom, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins were among the families evicted from Chavez Ravine to make way for a housing project that never happened. Eventually, the city sold the land to The Dodgers. They lived in the Palo Verde neighborhood. So that story is close to my heart. I never wanted to tell the story of the evictions straight on. I wouldn't know where to start. One day, I was reading about the 200 holdouts fighting eviction, and one of the residents described how eerie the place was with so many people gone. Houses abandoned. Coyotes roaming the streets. So I decided to throw some monsters in to give the characters something else to fight, in addition to politicians. I'm not sure how my mom would have felt about that, but I think she'd be proud the book won an award!
I read that you’re third-generation Mexican-American. Me too! Can you talk about the importance of including Lantinx voices and characters in your books?
We need to represent! Keep our names so readers can see Latinx names on book covers. Write about people like us. The people we know. I love including Latinx voices and characters just living their lives and occasionally kicking ass.
Tell us about your writing routine. Do you have any creative rituals or favorite places to write?
I have a tiny office that isn't much bigger than a closet that I rent cheap in a studio complex in Santa Cruz. I'm so grateful to have the space and privacy to write. My grandmothers had altars to El Nino de Atocha and they always asked me to say a little prayer to him when I visited, and he has such a sweet face. He's on my desk to remind me of where I came from, and how far I've come from those days of self-doubt.
What criticism have you received that has helped you grow as a writer?
I use Beta readers when my draft is done. These are just regular readers with lots of opinions and wow, I can't imagine publishing without their feedback. Mostly, the criticism that has helped me the most involves endings. They're tricky. They can be too short, too long, or disappoint reader expectations. I'm learning to not hold back. Go bold. Readers want to be entertained.
What are you working on now?
I'm getting ready to publish my latest novel, A Dark and Rising Tide, on October 18th. It's inspired by the storm surge that hit my hometown of Capitola, California. It's The Mist meets Jaws. Then it's on to a story that involves Mexican fairies and I can't wait to start it.
Tell us where readers can find you.
I'm mostly on Facebook and Instragram. Just search for Debra Castaneda author.
Here are those socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CastanedaWrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/castanedawrites
Check out Debra’s Linktree where you can find all her books and pre-order her newest book A Dark and Rising Tide available October 18, 2023!