01/02/2022
We recently sat down with gothic horror writer Angela Darling and asked some questions about the upcoming release for her newest novel, Diabolical.
AP: What was the first novel that changed your life? I say “first” because I’m sure there has likely been more than one…
AD: (Laughs) Oh, absolutely there has been! Years before I read Walden, there was Hardy. And a book of his entitled “Tess of the d’Urbervilles.” It’s been a book that has expanded in its importance even in my later years, as it’s settled into the nooks and crannies of my own life. Tess was a victim of a society designed to limit her, hamper her, and yet she was a hero. I found the story tragic and beautiful, but even more so the fact that a man, Thomas Hardy, wrote such a poignant tale of what it was to be a woman during that time period. I think he was truly the first male feminist in an era where that was not the norm. Transcendental book, for sure.
AP: What was your hardest scene to write?
AD: Oh, by far that last scene in The Dybbuk. It was the most terrifying scene I’ve ever written in my 30+ writing career. It hurt my heart to put my characters through that hell. It just didn’t make me feel happy writing it, which I guess was entirely the point! (Laughs)
AP: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
AD: I play a lot of video games and LOVE finding the Easter eggs. Of course I have little references and characters that I throw into the mix, even themes, that only a few readers might get. Like for example, Edgar Allan Poe himself shows up in a gala scene in Fallen. There are also a lot of themes that are reminiscent of the fear of being buried or entombed alive that was rampant in society during Poe’s era. Or in The Last of the Delacroixs, blink and you’ll miss mention of a fleur de lis branding on several slaves. This was actually common practice and a seedier bit of the history of the fleur de lis and its predominance in Louisiana.
AP: You definitely seem to love blending bits of historical potpourri into your tales.
AD: I really do love it. I’m a bit of a history and genealogy nerd.
AP: Why gothic horror?
AD: I’ve been asked this question a lot, actually. Mostly by people who know me outside of the writing world, because I’m actually a very bubbly person in real life. But there’s a dark romance to gothic horror that has always lulled me in. Even when I was a little girl, I was devouring Poe stories, draping myself in dark tales from Shirley Jackson, Wilkie Collins, Shelley, Stoker, Walpole…
In short, gothic horror has it all… history, romance, horror. I’m not talking about gory horror, or “jump out and scare you” type of horror. I love the unsettling horror, that slowly creeps into the crevasses of your mind, haunting you long after the story is through…
One thing I adore about gothic fiction is the passion. The love in these novels is often flawed, tragic, doomed... It’s Catherine and Heathcliff on the moors; it’s love transcending death. It makes you hurt. But, best of all, it makes you FEEL.
Above it all, though, my favorite component of gothic horror: The House.
Looking back on every single gothic horror novel ever written, the house is an entity in itself. In some cases, the house is a silent spectator, witnessing the terrors that happen within. But a lot of times, it’s an evil force, not just watching, but participating, patiently waiting, manipulating the poor souls that happen to be harbored within. 'Silence lay steadily…'
Indeed…
How many other genres can go from a tale of a fiery, undying love to the macabre depravity of man with just a few turns of the page?
THIS is why I love gothic horror.
AP: Tell me about the book you’re working on now, Diabolical. The cover looks wicked.
AD: Thank you! I take that as a compliment. (Laughs) Diabolical is about a woman who moves to a new town and begins to be stalked by someone or something. I really don’t want to give too much away but I’m really excited about this one. It will be my first full length modern day horror since 2019’s The Dybbuk. That novel really ended up being one of my most well-loved so I’m trying to give my readers a bit more of what they want.
AP: Do you find it hard to be a horror writer? Is it difficult to get in and out of that mindset to write?
AD: Actually, yes, it’s extremely difficult. I think this has lent to how I write and my process a bit too. I’ve never been one of those people who can write a little bit here, a little bit there. I usually have to lock myself in a room and just escape into the story for days. I become a bit obsessed, if I’m honest. I get weird when I write. (Laughs) That’s the only way I can describe it. I just get weird. It’s hard to be in that space. If I wrote romance, im sure it would be a different story.
AP: What’s on the horizon for you?
AD: I’m thankful in that I have a long list of projects I’m working on; there’s nothing worse than needing to write but not having anything to say. I’ve got a couple of series I’m focusing on.
Clown, the second interactive horror novel in the Can You Survive series will be out later this year, as well as Saul, the next book in the Rogue River series as well. And then im going back to Victorian gothic and writing a prequel series for the Thorne Family Saga; Hawthorne, Dacre and Baelfire.
I wish I had more hours in the day.
AP: Isn’t that the truth? Thank you so much for your time and we’re looking forward to speaking again!
AD: Thank you so much! Stay healthy and safe!
Diabolical will be released in February 2022. To learn more about this author, visit: www.angela-darling.com.
