As the founder of the female-centered publishing company Kandisha Press in addition to her own writing work, Jill Gerardi is working hard to establish her name in the industry in various fields. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in writing, her thoughts on her work and founding the company.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Jill Gerardi: I can remember watching old horror movies such as Nosferatu, The Mummy’s Shroud, and Dracula 1979 with my dad when I was little. He would cover my eyes during the scary parts. My grandparents would always talk about when they were young, listening to radio programs such as The Witch’s Tale, and they even went to a few theater/promotional productions in New York City with some of the most famous Universal actors appearing in character. My mom rode the bus all over Queens to find a McDonald’s giving out 3D glasses to watch The Creature from the Black Lagoon. So there was always a pro-horror atmosphere around me growing up.
But I got into metal at an early age and that became my entire life. It was all I cared about. It wasn’t until I met one of my lifelong friends, Billy Nocera, that I learned how wonderful it is to combine Metal music and Horror. Billy lives and breathes BOTH, and he opened up a whole new world for me. Everything I really know about horror today, I learned from him. We ran a horror-themed death metal label called Razorback Records for many years, and Billy still runs it today. He is also the editor/publisher of Evilspeak Magazine. So if you’re reading this, thanks for all the scares, Billy!
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
JG: The Universal and Hammer Horror films are the ones that had the most impact on me. Hammer films especially. They’re so beautiful and classy. Some of my all-time favorite horror films? Let’s see, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, The Wicker Man, anything with Christopher Lee.
Me: Who were some of your favorite writers growing up? Do you try to take influences from their style with your own voice in your work?
JG: I know most people will probably say Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark? heavily influenced them. But as a child, I was obsessed with reading and was gifted books of all kinds from my family. Today, I still read books of all kinds, and there are many non-horror authors who influenced me and whose books I read over and over again. My favorite book of all time isn’t even a horror book. It’s The Good Earth! Pearl S. Buck, Amy Tan, and Daphne DuMaurier are three of my biggest influences. There are many subtle nods to DuMaurier in my books. Her collection, Echoes from the Macabre is probably the single biggest reason I wanted to write horror. And it’s part of the reason my first novel is titled Hantu Macabre. A little tribute.
Me: What was the starting point to become a writer? Were you always into writing growing up?
JG: I can’t pinpoint a time when I absolutely knew I wanted to become a writer. I just know it was one of my dreams from an early age. I gave that up to pursue a career in the music industry, but it still remained a distant dream of mine. I had many false starts where I would write something and never finish it. Then a few years ago, I was living in Malaysia but abruptly had to return to the United States. It was a difficult time for me, and I just started writing stories about my life in Malaysia but turning them into horror stories. Lots of what I write now is my tribute to that beautiful country.
Me: What is your writing process? How do you stay focused on writing?
JG: Focus! The one thing I wish I had! I get distracted very easily so I need absolute quiet to do my writing. Saturday's is the day I get the most done because I’m home alone all day and can just write to my heart’s content. Other days I either get up really early or stay up really late so I can write in quiet. Sometimes I also put headphones on and listen to Binaural Beats focus music on Youtube, haha. It does help, believe it or not.
Me: Having contributed to various anthologies early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future projects?
JG: Every anthology was a learning process. The editing and critiques I got on those stories helped me to improve. I’m still learning and making mistakes as I go, but I truly do see progress and evolution in my writing, so that must mean I’m doing something right. It’s also a big boost of confidence to have your stories accepted. That goes a long way in encouraging me to continue.
Me: How did you settle on the plot for your novel 'Hantu Macabre?'
JG: I have always loved ‘hantu,’ which is the Malay term for ghosts, cryptids and other creatures in Malaysian/Southeast Asian folklore. One of my favorites is the toyol, who is a comical character in Malaysian culture. The toyol is a fetus or small child resurrected by black magic for the purpose of stealing money and jewels. One day it struck me to start a series based on a detective who uses a toyol’s supernatural ability to help solve crimes. I thought it would be a really fun series, and so far it’s been great.
Me: Was there any part of your real sense injected into the characters?
JG: The look of my main character, Suzanna Sim, is actually inspired by my best friend Tanya Sim (the character was even going to be named Tanya, but since the word ‘tanya’ means ‘ask’ in Malay, we thought it might be a bit confusing.) But there is also a lot of my personal experience in Suzanna. She’s not modeled after “me” really, but a lot of her awkwardness, loneliness and feelings of alienation are emotions that I’ve experienced. There’s one part of the book where her boyfriend, Ichiro, tells her she’s a plague—that she means well, but she burns everything she touches. That is SO me. Haha.
Me: Once it was finally written, what was the process to having it published?
JG: It was a strange process. I had originally submitted a collection of short stories to a Malaysian publisher called Gerak Budaya. They didn’t take the collection, but they praised the two short stories in the book which were about Suzanna and the toyol. Awhile later, Fixi Novo (an English-language imprint of a national Malaysian publisher called Buku Fixi) announced a contest for a crime novel. I worked on the stories, turning them into a novel instead, and submitted it to the contest. There were supposed to be three winners, but mine was announced as the sole winner. Thus, the book found a home.
Me: How did moving from short story to full-length novel challenge your writing skills?
JG: I definitely wasn’t ready for a novel. In fact, the book was really supposed to be four chronologically connected short stories. I learned a lot during the writing process, though I still had (and have) a long way to go. In fact, I’m actually working on rewriting a brand new version of the book, vastly improving it and making it more accessible to a “Western” audience.
Me: As you mentioned turning this not only into a feature-length film but also turning it into a series, what updates can you provide about these developments?
JG: I’m so excited about this! The film will be directed by Aaron Cowan, who has worked on the special effects team of many Hollywood films such as Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc. He’s working on the screenplay as we speak! Former Malaysian MMA fighter is starring as the main character, Suzanna Sim. And I absolutely can’t wait to see what special effects they use to create the toyol! Covid has obviously delayed things a lot, but everything is moving along nicely, they tell me. And as soon as I finish updating the first book in the series, I’ll start thinking about the second. I already have some great ideas!
Me: As well, your also one of the founders of the publishing company Kandisha Press. Where did the inspiration to start this come from?
JG: Billy Nocera, who I mentioned before, has been doing Evilspeak Magazine for several years, both traditionally printing it and using KDP. I also saw so many anthologies self-publishing with KDP. It got me really excited to try doing my own anthology. Anything having to do with books makes my heart go giddy-up! (Lydia Prime taught me that phrase, by the way! Haha.) I wanted to do a book that featured only women. I just never dreamed something I was doing just for the love of books and horror would take off like this.
Me: What are some of the goals of the company moving forward?
JG: If possible, my partner Janine Pipe and I would really like this to grow bigger, be able to do more anthologies and promote women horror authors from around the world. We’d like to be able to do other types of books and maybe even novels by women as well.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
JG: I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed a contract with Crimson Creek Press to re-release my revised edition of Hantu Macabre. I’m so thrilled about this as the Crimson Creek people- Brandon Scott, Brian Scutt, Sarah Scutt and Alex Shedd—have been nothing but wonderful and supportive of me. They’re a new kind of publisher that focuses on the author’s success. I’m really looking forward to a new beginning with them.
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
JG: There was a time when a woman couldn’t even be published unless she used a man’s pen name. We stand on the shoulders of these pioneers. Because of them, today we can freely express who we are with our words. Celebrate that, and continue to write your hearts out. The next generation will be standing on YOUR shoulders.
Thank you so much for doing this interview, Don. It’s an honor to be featured by you!
CONTACT ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM: @jill_girardi or @kandishapress
FACEBOOK:@jill.girardi.184 or @kandishapress
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
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