Welcome to the latest installment of the Witches Save the World Micro-Interviews! In honor of the upcoming Halloween/Samhain holiday, and in celebration of the release of Witches Save the World, Forests Haunted By Holiness will be featuring a series of interviews with the contributors throughout October.
Witches Save the World was a labor of love. Across these two volumes you will find poems, short stories, and essays celebrating the witch and their role as wisdom keeper, protector of nature, avenger of the forgotten, and defender of the oppressed. Individual poems and stories range from historical fantasy to contemporary horror to science fiction, with many questioning the nature and cost of honor, integrity, and freedom.
In concert with these interviews, one physical copy of Witches Save the World — either Hags, Harridans, and Hexes Gone Right or Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right— will be given away at the end of the month! Two books, two winners! To enter the drawing, just comment below and share the interview on your favorite social media platform.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Forests Haunted By Holiness: What is the title of your story and can you give us a spoiler-free summary?
Kevin David Anderson: In “Monsters, Psychobabble, and a Katana” a young witch attempts to take on something that goes bump in the night. Is she ready?
FHBH: How did you go about writing your story? Lot of research? Or did you just wing it?
KDA: When it come to stories, I usually get an idea, a few thoughts on where it should go or end up, then sit down and write. No outline, zero research, just writing and hoping it will go someplace entertaining. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t it goes into a file to marinate a little until a new idea inspires me to bring it out. With “Monsters, Psychobabble, and a Katana” the story just flowed organically, and fast. So fast I barely had time to write down what each charector was saying. I’m sure some dialogue got dropped, but I’m sure I got most of it.
FHBH: What draws you to the character and theme of “the witch”? What do you find so compelling about it?
KDA: I am drawn to anything that makes me believe there might be magic in the world. And what is more magical than a witch? I don’t have a lot of faith that magic is real, but I wish it was. We sure could use some about now.
