WiHM Special - Stacy Cox

A frequent guest on my site with several great interviews in the past, it's always a pleasure to talk with author Stacy Cox about her new projects which includes several exciting book projects and other developments of hers throughout the past year.

Me: Hello and thank you for returning! Since last we spoke, you’ve started or released several new projects including your latest book “#STARCROSSED.” What can you tell us about the book?

Stacy Cox: Thank you for having me again! This is the official blurb for #STARCROSSED:

If you witnessed the ultimate deceit, what would you do? How far would you go for revenge? The legendary Francine Hyde thought she had it all. A great career, a perfect marriage, the life most would dream of. Until she witnesses the ultimate deceit, sending her on a downward spiral of darkness and depression, leading her on a path of vengeance.

The story follows renowned painter, Francine “Frankie” Hyde, who is suffering from a failing marriage due to infidelity. This act of betrayal forces her on a downward spiral of darkness and depression, and ultimately, revenge. Frankie drops off the face of the earth and forces herself into a cocoon for several months, and she deteriorates mentally and emotionally. When she finally breaks out of her cocoon, she revives in rare form. It is an extreme tale: my first extreme tale in full novel form. I describe it as a slow burn – a slow build to an explosive climax.

Me: Where did the inspiration for this come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?

SC: The title #STARCROSSED is actually a sarcastic ode to William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. “A pair of star-crossed lovers”. It’s actually inspired by my own personal experiences with lies, manipulation, deceit, and infidelity. The only difference is I’ve never been married. But it’s an experience of one’s personal journey, coping mechanism, and process through betrayal. The aftermath of how betrayal could impact someone who has grown an unhealthy attachment and not mentally or emotionally strong enough to cope when that attachment has been broken.

Me: Is there anything from your childhood that helped to flesh out the characterizations?

SC: This tale doesn’t come from my childhood perspective by any means. This is more my adult dating life and the different unhealthy and toxic relationships I’ve been in.

Me: You’ve also started plans to develop this into a full feature, how did this originally come about?

SC: #STARCROSSED was originally supposed to be a full feature, but because I lacked the resources to make it one, I decided to turn it into a novel instead and re-visit the full feature in the nearby future while I get all my planning and everything done for it. I personally feel like the story would be better told as a film, but I am having a lot of fun with writing the novel. There is still a lot of preparations to be done for this, such as figuring out filming locations, cast, and an FX artist, which are probably the 3 most complicated tasks on the list. Even then, I think finding a distributor will be a hurdle to get through given the nature of the story. 

Me: In addition, you’re also working on your book “Journey into the House in the Woods” with the same intentions of turning that into a film as well. What drove you to decide on this route to take with the projects?

SC: JOURNEY INTO THE HOUSE IN THE WOODS is actually done and published. Just like with #STARCROSSED, this was originally supposed to be a film, but I experienced the same setbacks and limitations with it, so decided to make it a book first. I think the story would be better told as a movie, but I did pretty good with the book, I think. I had a lot of fun writing the book. I went back and forth with how I planned to execute the movie, and I am deciding to make it an animated film. I have started reaching out to people about being voice actors for it. I am starting the characters and storyboard drafts for it, and I am having fun with the illustrations. I think the most complicated task for this film is figuring out the animation part of it. I have never done animation, but I am having fun with the research and all.

Me: As well, your series “Mademoiselle” is in the early stages of being adapted into an immersive audio experience. How did that come about? Do you have any other plans for this project in the future?

SC: MADEMOISELLE is definitely new territory for me. It’s a 29-installment extreme erotic, horror, detective mystery centered around a mysterious woman by the name of Mademoiselle. She moves to a new town and sets up her discreet hostel business that she runs from within her own home. I think this will be better as an immersive audio experience because of the nature of it. This will be the most extreme I have ever gotten into my projects. A lot of erotica, a lot of violence, snuff, sadism, etc. With the tone of a Noir.

I would really like to see MADEMOISELLE as a film series. Like a limited series, but I know there may be some setbacks with that due to the nature of it. I may struggle to find a distributor to pick it up, and find the cast for it. But one thing I love to do is come up with creative avenues to get around hurdles such as this, so, fingers crossed I figure it out.

Me: You’re also working on the Epic Fantasy/Adventure/Mystery series “The Inheritance” with plans to expand it into a massive world-building experience. Where did the concept of the series come from?

SC: I am really excited about THE INHERITANCE: A BRAMWELL ETHAN PHILLIPS EPIC, FANTASY, ADVENTURE, MYSTERY SAGA. It is also new territory for me, as I have never written an epic fantasy novel before, and wanted to experiment with it. One thing I like to do in my stories, is I like to create my own towns rather than just use my own hometown. That way, I can make up the names of businesses and whatnot and not worry about breaking any copyright laws or anything. With THE INHERITANCE, it takes place in Ohio, but also in a fictional world on the outskirts of Ohio. It is a 26-installment series following Bramwell Ethan Phillips, who has been summoned on a quest to collect an inheritance that has been left to him. This quest will take him on a journey to 26 towns, each with its own mission. Each town is a world of its own. There’s everything from criminals to witches.

Me: What are some of your upcoming plans to continue expanding the series?

SC: I have a lot in store for THE INHERITANCE. I essentially want it to be its own franchise. I have different projects in store for it, aside from the books. I am developing a mobile/video game for it. I also have themed merchandise planned for it, such as tarot decks, spell decks, spell books, jewelry, potpourri, and more. Many of the characters in the story will have themed merchandise.

Book One: THE AMULET OF AISLEY has already been released. I am now working on Book Two: BAYLEE’S GAME. But one thing I am going back and forth with is whether to release each book separately – a total of 26 books. Or to release it as one complete novel with 26 parts. That would make it about a 5,000+ page book.

Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? 

SC: Other projects that I am working on is a 23-installment series called WITCH-COMING, about the adventures of a young witch in a school for witchcraft and wizardry.

A novel called FRANCESCA MCDANIEL’S FANTASTICAL WORLD OF EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES. This will be an illustrated novel. I am having fun drafting the illustrations and can’t wait until it’s complete. I also have plans to turn this into a mobile/video game and a limited series.

Me: Lastly, being that this is our Women in Horror Movement, 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!

SC: This is actually solid universal advice, no matter what you desire to do; no matter what your passion is: GO FOR IT. If creation is your passion – whatever you create – just create. Don’t let your passion sit on the sidelines while you procrastinate. The sooner you create, the sooner it can be out in the world.

Thank you so much for having me!

This interview ran as part of our 2023 Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out the rest of our month-long celebrations including various reviews and interviews: