Today’s Spotlight features author and artist Betty Rocksteady.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m an author and illustrator from Canada. My life has always revolved around words and pictures, but it’s only been over the last few years that I’ve started to take my creativity really seriously. I’m drawn to the dark and macabre, after being exposed early to Stephen King and EC horror comics. I’ve had short fiction published by Theme of Absence, Halloween Forevermore, Grievous Angel, and Another Realm. I also do monthly illustrations for Theme of Absence. My debut novella, Arachnophile, has just been released by Eraserhead Press in their 2015 New Bizarro Author series. You can see more of my art and fiction at www.bettyrocksteady.com, but the best place to keep up to date is my facebook at www.facebook.com/bettyrocksteadyart.
Tell us about your latest novella.
Arachnophile is newly released in Eraserhead Press’ 2015 New Bizarro Author Series. It’s a dark, surreal, sometimes erotic, weird and wet novella about forbidden love between man and giant spider. Writing this book really took me out of my comfort zone, exploring some of my own personal fears. It’s available in ebook and print through Amazon.
Where did the idea for Arachnophile come from?
My editor, Garrett Cook, approached me to do a novella for the New Bizarro Author Series. He had me come up with a few pitches, and this one was one I added just to round things out. However, he dug it and came at me with some really interesting suggestions. I think Garrett really pulled some vivid weirdness out of me that I never knew was there, but I’ve been incredibly glad to discover.
The protagonist of Arachnophile is an arachnophobe who is challenged to face his fears, and finds a twisted eroticism within them. I’ve been creeped out by spiders my whole life, and that fear is what drove a lot of this novella.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
Always been a big Stephen King fan, I’ve read so much of him he feels like a personal friend rather than an author I never met. Bentley Little writes some really strange and unexpected horror too.Richard Matheson, especially Hell House. Alice in Wonderland has always been a favorite book for its dreamlike qualities.
The whole New Bizarro Series this year is absolutely fantastic as well – readers should definitely check out all those novellas. A wide range of voices and styles. There’s a good sneak peek of all the novellas here http://eraserheadpress.com/2015/10/01/sneak-preview-new-bizarro-author-series-2015-coming-november-2015/ – Everything from a Vincent Van Gogh and Ganesha buddy cop book to a wild slasher summer camp to a sentient yellow balloon. Seriously. Everything these guys have done is super inspiring.
What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?
Most of my story ideas come in the moments between being asleep and being awake, that weird dreamy time where things all fall together. I like that. If i’m stuck or blocked, a nap usually helps.
How do you deal with rejection?
Send it somewhere else. Write another thing. Read more things.
What type of books do your read for fun?
I read so much horror it would make you sick – I like bizarro too, of course, but I’m pretty stuck on the dark variety. I like nightmarish tales of madness, basically. I’ve been reading a lot of short story compilations lately.
Where can our readers find you?
Everywhere!
www.facebook.com/bettyrocksteadyart
www.redbubble.com/people/bettyrocksteady
www.tumblr.com/blog/bettyrocksteady
http://bettyrocksteady.deviantart.com/
www.amazon.com/author/bettyrocksteady
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13650159.Betty_Rocksteady
