Interview with Lesley-Ann (Housewife of Horror)

Hi, Lesley! I want to thank you for accepting my request for an interview. I’m looking for to discovering more about your reading and reviewing habits. Let’s not get too hasty though, how are you?

I’m good, for the first time in a long time. I have rediscovered myself in some ways, cliché I know, but I totally mean it. I met a man who I adore, we are soon to be getting married as you know, and finally after so long I am doing something in relation to a true passion – reading horror, book review blogging and writing.

Reading means different things to different people. What does it mean to you?

For me it’s a doorway into different worlds. Every book I read is an escape from the mundane, I love reading on my break at work for example. It takes me away for a little while, somewhere more exciting. I love delving into

What especially attracts you to the genre of horror?

I have always loved horror from when I was small, the creepy, the gory, the downright peculiar side of it. It has always excited me and entertained. I love the mad science horror films like Re-Animator. Jeffrey Combs is huge inspiration for me, I adore him. He was a major part of my childhood and growing up through his various roles in Star Trek, and then of course his many wonderful horror roles.

What sub-genre of horror do you favour? For instance, the slow burn of subtle horror, the blood-soaked carnage of creature features, or the tentacle-tastic shenanigans of cosmic?

That’s a tough one, I love everything. My favourites are definitely creature feature horror (I love Hunter Shea), and Weird horror, the odder the better. One of my favourite reads this year was The Mouth of the Dark by Tim Waggoner.

If you had to pick one, what would your most favourite book of 2018 be so far?

As of today I think it has to be ‘The Mouth of the Dark’ by Tim Waggoner. I really loved the random weirdness of that book. It really appealed to my love of all things creepy. I couldn’t put that one down, I will be adding his books to my Xmas list for sure.

Say you could meet your favourite author and spend the entire day with them, who would it be, and what activities would your day include?

That’s a toughie, I think it would have to be Tim Waggoner. I really connected with The Mouth of the Dark and I would love to sit and have a good long chat about his inspirations and future ideas. I would love to see inside that mans head in a totally non-creepy way of course.

You want to be a writer, are you currently working on something – a story or even a book idea?

I am, I have a couple of things I’m working on currently. One is a space horror novel, and the other is a post-apocalyptic horror novel. I am also working on a fairy-tale reworking for a writing magazine’s short story competition, this one I am doing this with my fiancé Andy.

I have quite a lot of ideas floating around my little brain at the moment, I just need to get them down and get working. I’m a terrible procrastinator.

What’s your review process; do you start writing a review immediately after finishing a book, or do you wait to allow your thoughts to settle?

I usually begin the day after; let it percolate for a while. I tend to – normally as soon as I go to bed – think of how I want to begin. Occasionally I will start straight away, that is usually if it’s once that’s taken me a while to read, I’m ready and have plenty to say by then.

What made you want to start reviewing books, and can you tell us a bit about your blog?

It’s something I have wanted to do for a long time, I love all things horror (and all things geek), and I finally decided to get of my backside and make a blog.

Housewife of Horror, my baby, is mostly for book reviews. I have a few horror film reviews up too, usually if I watch something that really connects with me I’ll write about it. I am hoping to do more trip reviews too. I went to visit the Kirkstone Pass inn, one of the most haunted places in Cumbria, and it was also one of the first posts on my blog. I am hoping we will be soon visiting more places like this and turn it into a complete horror/paranormal/spooky blog eventually.

Do you have any aspirations when it comes to book blogging and reviewing, is there anything in particular you want to achieve?

Well I’ve actually just joined a popular horror review site as a contributor/reviewer, they are called Gingernuts of Horror (@GNHorror). I feel very excited about this and I hope I do them proud. My first review for them is waiting to be uploaded as I write this, I’m excited and nervous to see how this all turns out.

I really want to make a bit of a career out of this along side my day job (I’m a legal cashier). The dream is to one day be blogging about my own book!

Thank you, Lesley-Ann! I hope to see your name in a bookstore some day!

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Lesley-Ann is an an accountancy student and a huge horror and paranormal enthusiast. She currently lives with her soon-to-be husband. They spend a lot of their free time watching films and TV shows, mostly horror, as well as reading lots and lots of books! Check out her blog here.