Darkness Below received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Barbara Cottrell.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Darkness Below will be published on March 13th, 2023
What’s the book’s first line?
Stephanie Lansdale stood on the ledge of the clocktower.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Darkness Below is horror with a heart, a character driven story with plenty of action and conflict. It brings the Lovecraftian universe into the 21st century with a focus on a strong female protagonist and a realistic exploration of a modern day Miskatonic University.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I always loved the world of H.P. Lovecraft, but I was always frustrated the lack of female characters and by how little Miskatonic University was developed. As a former academic, I felt I had the background (and the knowledge) to really flesh out the world.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
I describe myself as a horror writer with a heart. I care about my characters. Even though they are confronted with challenging situations, what happens to them matters to me. Many of the people who read Darkness Below insist they don’t like horror, but enjoy my book. People are not easily expendable in my books. I also don’t portray excessive suffering. I hate horror that comes across as mean and sadistic.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Ellen Logan is an intelligent, compassionate woman living in a hostile world. She is psychic in a place where it is better not to see, yet she manages to use her abilities to help people and explore the world. She is courageous and occasionally heroic. I describe her as a less neurotic Holly Gibney, Stephen King’s character from Mr. Mercedes and The Outsider.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. Those stories mostly involved horses. Fortunately, I’ve moved beyond equine fiction.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, but it is the first one I published. I dabbled in romance for a few years before turning to horror. I have a couple of unpublished manuscripts in my desk, and they will stay there.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
Fortunately, I am able to devote my full attention to writing. Previously, I was a professor at San Diego State University.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I only spend a couple of hours each day actually writing, but I spend a lot of time doing related work: reading in (and out) of the genre, corresponding with other horror writers, researching, and working on my website.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best thing about indie publishing is having total control of your product. No one will demand you make certain changes to your book or design a cover that you hate. The hardest part is you have total control of your product. The mistakes are yours and yours alone.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Spend the time to develop your own voice. When I started, I tried to imitate H.P. Lovecraft in both form and style before realizing it wasn’t me. But the time I took to make that “mistake” was well-spent because I found my voice. Also, don’t get hung up on how many words a day you write. If you manage to squeeze only a few minutes a day (or a week) to devote to your writing, that’s still a win!
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I think going traditional would be a hard sell for me these days. You do get more prestige going the traditional route, but I love being in full control of my books.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
All I want is for this book to reach as many people as it can. If it put some money in the bank, that’s great, but that’s not my main motivation.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Victor LaValle is one of the best horror writers out there. His novella, The Ballad of Black Tom, took the world of H.P. Lovecraft and turned it on its head. And in The Devil In Silver, he has a monologue from LeClair the rat that is not to be missed!
Which book do you wish you could have written?
I wish I had written World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. Forget the movie. World War Z the book is a masterful, world-spanning story that managed to tell a huge story while giving individual people powerful voices. If you can get the unabridged audio book, it’s even better!