What was it that attracted you to the Slice Girls anthology?
The thought of raising money for charity and doing good in the world while writing about my most violent ideas was irresistible. I love contributing to good causes and writing has always been so therapeutic for me.
How did you feel writing a story about a violent woman?
This story was really fun to write! I loved the process of taking her from a victim to a predator.
Please give the readers a brief summary of the story you wrote for the collection?
I wrote a story about a man who finds a woman at a carnival ride, thinking he has the upper hand, only to get the surprise of his life...or death I should say. (Spoilers)
How do you feel about the way women are usually portrayed in horror?
I think the damsel in distress or crazy elderly witch tropes are on the way out. Strong female characters are rising in film as well as in print. This also rings true in horror writing and producing, which when I entered the writing community, was primarily made up and ran by men.
Do you think the way female characters are portrayed in horror reflects the way society views women?
I think in some cases, it very much does, especially in the older horror stories and films. But as mentioned previously, I think that’s all changing. This very anthology is tangible proof of that.
Would you call yourself a feminist, if not how do you view the status of women?
Gender is a construct that becomes more fluid by the year. Having said that, I wouldn’t call myself a feminist per se. Women add so many beautiful things to the tapestry of life. I believe that women have an amazingly powerful place in the world and that a man’s place is just as important.
Slice Girls includes the subheading Feminazi Splattergoth. What are your thoughts about the term Feminazi?
I love how we are using it as a positive. The term was originally coined by right wing males to discredit feminism and its beliefs. It’s been referred to using such terms as 'radical' and 'extreme' but it’s not about that. It’s about being passionate and strong in a society that used to want us to feel submissive and weak.
Have any of your other stories been published? If so tell us about them and where readers can find them.
In 2019 alone I participated in forty-two anthologies. My work can be found in anything by Nocturnal Sirens Publishing and Suicide House Publishing. I also have publications by Hellbound Books, Eleanor Merry Publishing, Nick Botic Publishing, and I’m very excited about my story ‘Neumack Woods’ in Eerie River’s ‘It Calls from the Forest’ Anthology (Volume 1).
Bio: N.M. Brown is a best-selling author from Florida. She's a happily married mother who sheds light on the dark corners of the mind that we like to keep hidden. Her other publications include stories in Calls From the Brighter Futures Suicide Hotline, the Scary Snippets Collections, Mother Ghost Grimm children's horror anthology, Dark Xmas, along with several others.
Social Media Link: www.facebook.com/NMBrownStories/