An accomplished and celebrated author, CM Lehsten has created a strong legacy with her catalog, including her work being featured in everything from anthologies and collections to full novel series. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in writing, her novel "God Daughter," and upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
CM Lehsten: Horror has rarely scared me — it fascinates me. I’m drawn to the way it opens doors instead of closing them, leaving me thinking about how else things could go, how magic works, how hauntings function, and what rules might exist beneath the surface of the world. Movies like The Shining, Carrie, and Interview with the Vampire weren’t just experiences I watched; they lingered. They invited questions rather than answers, and that sense of lingering possibility is what pulled me into horror in the first place.
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?
CML: Stephen King has been my largest influence, particularly The Dark Tower and the way he weaves that mythology through so many of his stories. I’ve always been drawn to his work — how it continues to unfold in your mind long after you’ve put the book down. That sense of interconnectedness and lasting impact matters more to me than style imitation. I don’t try to write like anyone else, but I do strive to create stories that resonate, echo, and stay with the reader beyond the final page.
Me: What was the starting point of becoming a writer? Were you always into writing growing up?
CML: Yes — I was always writing in one form or another. Even when I wasn’t consciously putting words on a page, I was building stories, questioning explanations, and imagining darker truths beneath familiar narratives. I was drawn to the parts of stories that didn’t quite line up, the places where something felt hidden or unresolved, and I wanted to explore what lived there. Writing eventually became the natural place for those ideas to live — a way to examine the world more closely, to pull at the seams of accepted stories, and to give shape to the questions that wouldn’t let go.
Me: Is there any specific genre you prefer to write? Is there a style or format that you find easier to get into, even if you don't have a preference?
CML: All of my stories end up in magic, no matter where they begin. Horror is my primary genre, particularly occult and mythic horror. I’m drawn to stories about inheritance, transformation, and power — what’s passed down, what’s hidden, and what it costs to survive it. The format varies, but the presence of magic is constant.
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?
CML: Anthologies taught me how to put my work into the world and helped me find my true genre. I found calls through Facebook groups that focused on very specific themes or subjects, and the first time I submitted, I was honestly terrified to share my work publicly. The positive feedback from that experience encouraged me to keep going. Working across different prompts also showed me that while I can write in almost any genre, horror is where the words flow faster, tighter, and more naturally. It clarified not just what I could do, but what I was meant to write.
Me: What is the general process for getting involved in these projects?
CML: It began when someone close to me participated in an anthology, which made me realize that I could do this too. Even though deep down I knew I was a strong writer, I was still genuinely terrified to submit my work for the first time. That initial anthology — which, like the others that followed, was a charity project — pushed me to put my words into the world anyway. That first experience did more than build confidence; it built relationships. Those connections opened doors to additional anthology opportunities and invitations. Working within tight themes and limited space also helped me hone my craft, forcing me to develop characters quickly and build rich, immersive worlds that draw readers in without excess. What started as a single, nerve-wracking submission became a foundation for both creative growth and long-term professional relationships.
Me: How did you settle on the plot for your novel “God Daughter?”
CML: God Daughter was inspired by artist Astor Alexander’s noir princess artwork. I was particularly drawn to his interpretation of Cinderella, and that image became the seed for the story. From there, it evolved into a blend of mob dynamics, magic, and fairytale. The fairytale foundation is what ties God Daughter to its series companions, Snow Storm and Beautiful is the Beast, all of which reinterpret familiar stories through a darker, more occult lens.
Me: Was there any special significance to making the scenario involve a fusion of mafia family dynamics with elements of witchcraft?
CML: Yes. Both worlds revolve around lineage, secrecy, loyalty, and obligation. Combining them allowed me to explore power as something inherited and enforced — not just socially, but magically. The structure of the mob and the structure of witchcraft complement each other in unsettling ways.
Me: Is there anything while writing the characters that you were surprised by in telling their stories?
CML: Snow Storm surprised me the most. It became far more structural and analytical than I originally anticipated. The story demanded precision, internal logic, and consistency in a way I hadn’t expected when I began, and that reshaped how I approached it as it developed. It became a far more cerebral story than I first imagined.
Me: What is your writing process? How do you stay focused on writing?
CML: Inspiration comes from anywhere — daily life, conversations, images, ideas that won’t let go. I usually start with a basic concept and jot down a rough synopsis of where I think the story might go, but once I begin writing, the characters often take the lead. The story becomes a process of discovery rather than execution, and I stay focused by following where it wants to go instead of forcing it into a rigid outline.
Me: Once it was finally written, what was the process for having it published?
CML: I publish independently, which allows me full creative control over the work — from editing and cover design to release timing. It’s a demanding process, but it ensures that the story reaches readers exactly as intended.
Me: Outside of this, you’re also continuing your successful ‘Festival’ series with the next entries set to come up soon. What can we expect from these upcoming editions? What type of prep-work went into making sure they fit into the previous book in the series?
CML: All three books in the Festival trilogy are finished, with Festival II already released and the final installment publishing on March 13. As the series progresses, each book pushes further into the consequences set in motion at the beginning. Festival II and III expand the mythology rather than repeat it, shifting the focus from the ritual itself to what follows — what it means to endure something transformative and come out the other side changed, marked, and unable to return to who you were before. The horror deepens by narrowing choices rather than escalating spectacle.
Making sure each installment fit cleanly into the one before it required far more structural attention than I initially expected. I relied on detailed lore sheets and constant cross-checking, supported by feedback from beta readers and an excellent editing team. When I stepped back to review the trilogy as a whole, I was surprised by how intricate it had become. That complexity made it clear how much precision matters, and how valuable an outside perspective becomes once a story grows beyond a single arc and begins to carry real weight across multiple books.
Me: What do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?
CML: I learned this after being creatively blocked for several years: creativity is something I need to make space for. That means balancing my life, spending time in nature, being present with my family, and giving myself real downtime to decompress from all of life. When there’s room for that balance, ideas return naturally, and the work flows again.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
CML: Alongside wrapping up Festival and After Happily Ever, I’m preparing two new series for release this spring. Legends Unborn, which begins publishing in April, explores occult inheritance and generational consequence — power that predates understanding, embedded in bloodlines, buried histories, and choices made long before the present generation is aware they’re paying for them. It’s about what awakens when legacy isn’t chosen, but inherited, and the cost of learning what was always waiting.
Following that, The Turning Doctrine launches in May. The series is set within a secluded school devoted to dark magic, where students are taught not just spells, but obedience, doctrine, and the approved version of history. Curriculum is world transformation. Belief is enforced. Knowledge is weaponized, and those who excel are rewarded with power that reaches far beyond the school’s walls. It’s a story about how institutions shape reality — and how easily the world can be rewritten when darkness is taught, tested, and passed down as education.
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!
CML: Write the stories you wish already existed. Horror needs women who are willing to explore fear, power, and transformation with honesty and care. Every story I write centers on strong women, because strength, resilience, and inheritance are at the heart of the genre. You don’t need permission or perfect confidence to belong here. If you feel drawn to dark, strange, or unsettling stories, trust that instinct and follow it. There is space for your voice, and the genre is richer when women shape it on their own terms. Thank you for including me.
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