Francesca Maria
Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the Black Cat Chronicles, a true horror comic book series narrated by a mystical black cat. And her short story collection-They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark will be out in April 2023 from Brigid’s Gate Press. Her short stories and essays can be found in Crystal Lake Publishing’s Shallow Waters series and anthologies and Death’s Garden Revisited.
Marina Raydun: First of all, let's talk black cats and why we love and are inspired by them!
Francesca Maria: Black cats rule. They really do. They are smart, aloof, loving, snuggly and wickedly beautiful. Every black cat that I've met has had their own unique personality and dare I say, style about them. There's just a certain swagger that black cats have that I don't find in other cats or other animals for that matter. It's like they know they're badass and aren't afraid to flaunt it.
MR: What is the target audience for your Black Cat Chronicles?
FM: Adults and older teens who are fans of horror, Tales from the Crypt, true crime stuff, paranormal shows, etc. would hopefully dig Black Cat Chronicles. Each true tail (ha, get it?) is a mixture of horror, the supernatural and a mystery all rolled up into one single issue. We have three so far and the fourth is on its way. They are stand alone issues, meaning, you don't have to read them all or in order as each one is its own complete story. The first issue takes place at the Greyfriars Cemetery in Scotland - a renowned haunted and evil place, the second in Alaska and a little fishing town called Port Chatham that ups and vanishes and the third is about the weird and secret military missions in Antarctica during and after WWII. They are all true stories and as we state in our tagline: Truth is Scarier than Fiction!
MR: Have you really been writing horror stories since the age of six? What was your parents' reaction?
FM: Yes I have. As soon as I learned to pick up a pen and write, I wrote about a group of kids who stumbled onto a haunted house at the end of a cul-de-sac. It was a 10-pager and pretty impressive for a six year old. I wish I still had it, but alas, it's lost to time. And I don't really remember my parents reacting to my little tales, but I'm sure my mom was proud. I am the youngest of five kids and by the time I came around, I think my parents were just happy that I didn't sprout two heads, so writing scary stuff was the least of their concerns.
MR: Does your bio imply that your childhood house was haunted? Can we delve into that a little bit?
FM: Sure and yes. I did indeed grow up in a haunted house: lights flickering on and off, TVs going static and turning on by themselves, doors slamming, knocks and phantom footsteps, rattling and scratching from within closet doors. It was pretty scary. And we never talked about it growing up. I think we were partially afraid that if we talked about it, it would get worse. But also, our parents never believed us so we were reprimanded for talking about it. My parents didn't want my older siblings to scare us younger ones. We never did find out what caused the haunting. I lived in that house from ages 0 - 14 and the fear and sense of 'presence' never let up once. It wasn't until I moved into a new home that I finally learned what it meant to be 'alone'.
MR: How do your abilities as a psychic medium inform your storytelling?
FM: Being a psychic I feel things a lot more than perhaps most. When I blend with the energy of a spirit I can feel their pain, their emotion, their joy, their sadness. So it's like I get to be a voyeur into someone else's life. Those real feelings of loss, pain, intense emotions can and sometimes do inform my writing. More often it's my work as a psychic detective that helps with my horror writing and vice versa. I sometimes get asked by clients to help find a lost loved one or provide answers to a mystery surrounding a suspicious death or missing person. As a horror writer, my ability to think about the worst case scenario - what horrible things people can do to each other - opens up the world of possibilities to what can happen in a missing person or murder case. Because I'm already experienced in seeing and exploring the nature of evil, those things that lurk in the shadows, the dark places, it's easier for me to see what might happen in a case. And working on real cases and hearing the true horror that takes place in the world often does make its way back into my writing.
MR: You write horror but what is your favorite genre to read?
FM: 100% Horror, all the time, all day and night long. Especially horror short stories and God love him, any and all things Neil Gaiman. Gaiman straddles the line between fantasy and horror, but if anyone has read anything by him, think Coraline, Ocean at the End of the Lane, Graveyard Book, Sandman, these are straight up horror books, in my opinion. Yes, they cross genres, but to me, they land squarely in the horror realm.
MR: Is there a book that cemented you as a writer?
FM: Hmmm....good question. I can't say for certain, but Salem's Lot by Stephen King definitely left a mark. I don't know that it inspired me to become a writer but it did open up my eyes to what was possible with writing. It was the first book I read where I can remember actually feeling something while reading it, something visceral that took me a long time to unravel. It was pretty heady for a kid of about twelve.
MR: Can you talk a little bit about your latest book, a collection of short stories called, They Hide?
FM: I'd be happy to. THEY HIDE: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark, is a collection of 13 tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control. THEY HIDE is my love letter to horror tropes. Each story tackles a beloved trope: witches, vampires, mummies, werewolves, ghosts, demons, cryptids and more. I wanted to challenge myself and see if I had anything new and different to say about these well-worn tropes. I'm really proud of how it came out. I wrote it during the pandemic lock-own and it really helped me cope with the fear and anxieties I had at the time.
MR: Is there a book that your readers may be surprised to learn you love?
FM: Batman. I am a big comic book nerd. For 19 years I co-ran Black Cat Comics, a comic book store in northern California with my husband Causey. I'm a huge fan of Tom King's run of Batman. Those comics: War of Jokes and Riddles and The Wedding were some of the best stuff I've ever read, in any medium. It makes me angry how good they are.
MR: Is there one topic you would never write about? Why?
FM: Everyone has their triggers and mine is animal cruelty. It's so weird that a lot of us horror writers can write horrific things about people all day long, but the minute we talk about abuse of an animal I'm out, and I'm not the only one. I just can't. I am a cat lover and love all animals and can't bring myself to read or write about animal cruelty. If there's a scene in a movie where an animal is getting abused I'll walk out. I just can't take it.
You can find Francesca Maria at francescamaria.com and on Twitter @Writer_of_Weird.