Evan Camby - Creepy Stories set in the Midwest

Evan Camby is the author of two short story collections and one novelette. Her debut book, "Walking After Midnight: Tales for Halloween," was named as one of Suspense Magazine's Best Books of 2014. Camby's works are rooted in the gothic horror tradition with elements of thriller, mystery, and suspense. Her biggest writing influences are Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Shirley Jackson, and H.P. Lovecraft. She resides in the rural American midwest which is also the setting of many of her stories.  As our Author of the Day, Camby tells us all about her book, Walking After Midnight.

Please give us a short introduction to what Walking After Midnight is about:

"Walking After Midnight: Tales for Halloween" parts I and II are both short horror story collections inspired by autumn and the season of Halloween (though they don't all actually take place on Halloween). Each story has it's own plot, though two stories from the books actually connect and are prequel/sequel to each other. Some of the stories are about ghosts, others are about cryptids, and some are about living scary people. If you enjoy "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," then it's a good bet you'll like these books.

This book has been named one of Suspense Magazine's Best books of 2014. What has the experience been like?

That was very exciting. When I published my first book in 2014 I really didn't think anyone would even read it. When they notified me that I'd won that award it was such a great feeling and a confirmation that I was doing the right thing. And I'm so happy to know people enjoy my book.

What inspired you to start writing horror stories?

When I was a little girl, I fell in love with Halloween and that kind of spilled over into me becoming a horror fan. I grew up reading Edgar Allan Poe and watching Vincent Price movies. And I've been writing since I was a young girl, too. On vacation in 2013, I was reading an Ellen Datlow horror collection and I thought, "I could do this." Within a year, I published the first "Walking After Midnight" book.

Which story in this collection is your personal favorite?

It's a tie between the eponymous "Walking After Midnight" in part I and "The Devil You Know" and "Cabin Creek" in part II.

Your books have a very gothic horror feel to them - are there any authors you would like to name as influences?

My true literary love is gothic horror, and I'm influenced by so many talented authors, but the "big names" are Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, H.P. Lovecraft, and Shirley Jackson.

Why did you pick the American Midwest as a backdrop for many of your stories?

I'm from Indiana and have also lived in Chicago and Michigan, so it's an area I'm very familiar with. Plus, a lot of creepy things happen in the Midwest, and nothing can top a Midwest autumn for a story setting.

How long are the stories in the book, on average?

Some of them are very short, especially in part I. Others are a few chapters long. They really vary depending on the effect I want them to have. I love the quote by Stephen King that says, "A short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger."

Do you plan your stories out before you write them down?

I usually have an idea of the setting or scary entity, but I don't outline stories. I like to start typing and see where it takes me.

What's an aspect of being a writer that you didn't know about going in?

I didn't know much fun it could be. I think it's the best job in the world.

Where do you get your best ideas?

I get my best ideas driving when I'm around the back roads, far away from traffic and city lights. I am also inspired by things I read in the news or hear about from others' scary experiences.

What are you working on right now?

I am finishing a new, much longer collection of short stories titled "Back Roads" that will be available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback on December 24, 2019. These stories are my best yet and are significantly longer than my first collections.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

My Amazon author page: Amazon author page

Instagram: Instagram

Facebook:Facebook

My mailing list (new subscribers get a free horror story and a monthly newsletter with book/movie recommendations and updates about what I'm working on): Newsletter