This week, Shorehouse Books released Summertime: A Tale of Horror and Suspense written by Canadian author Cheyenne Leo. If you love horror, this story is for you! Although Cheyenne is a young writer, her writing reminds us of the classic horror tales from years ago. This tale will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Here is an interview with Cheyenne. We hope it will inspire you to purchase her book.
Tell us about your life in British Columbia and how has it influenced your writing?
I moved to BC when I was 6 months old from Ontario. I used to live near Vancouver, in the rainforest, but now I live on the edge of the Northern Okanagan, in the Monashee Mountains. From here, I can see the start of the Cascade Mountains, and way off in the distance on clear days, I can see what I have been told is the first of the Rocky Mountains. The area I live in is classified as an inland rainforest, but it is very dry here. We have rattlesnakes down in the valley, but up near where I live there are Big Horn Sheep and definitely moose—not to mention Grizzly bears, black bears, white tail and mule deer, elk, forest caribou, wolves, mountain lion, eagles and wolverines among many others. The reason I mention all of the nature around here is because nature plays a big part in my inspiration for writing. I enjoy botany, and I have found several dozen highly endangered plants in the old growth forest around where I live. There is an unexpected swamp down the road, where brown lady slipper orchids grow. As I walk and find new things, I am always writing and plotting out new stories and books. I walked a lot when writing Summertime; A Tale of Horror and Suspense.
What drew you to writing horror?
Events in my early childhood led me to become a very angry person despite my mother’s best efforts. She taught me to read while still a toddler and spent long hours with me making sure I had plenty of things to read, even buying up to 50 books in one month. She used to watch old Horror movies with me every Saturday, and that’s how I found out that I enjoyed Horror. But I might have simply remained a fan had it not been for a trip to the library when I was about 4. There I spotted Stephen King’s Cujo sitting on the shelf. I asked what it was about, and my mother said it was about a dog. I asked if I could read it, and she said no; so I sneaked it over to the counter, checked it out and smuggled it home in my 101 Dalmatians backpack. She caught me with it before I could read the ending, but that book still gave me nightmares, and I never looked at my dog the same way again. The book also inspired me to begin writing Dark poetry, which evolved to Horror later on. I used my anger as fuel for my writing often then and now.
Where do you find your inspiration for your stories?
I gain inspiration from my personal experiences, my angst, my anger and also from nature. I stopped reading other writer’s Horror works for fear they might influence my work. Well, I do peek on special occasions.
What was the inspiration for Summertime?
The initial inspiration for Summertime came when I read an article that advised me to write about what scared me. I have a severe phobia of pigs due to the fact that I fell into a pen of mothers and babies when I was a toddler and was severely attacked. I used my fear of their worst features to write Summertime.
Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?
In five years, I hope to be on the New York Times bestsellers list—at least once. I know that I am capable of reaching great heights with my career, and with the support of my fans in Canada and now the United States and beyond, I am determined to do it.
What other genres would you like to tackle if any?
I like writing children’s stories, and science/fiction and fantasy are other favorites.
Who are your favorite horror authors or authors in general?
Stephen King of course, also Tamora Pierce, C.S. Lewis, R.L. Stine