An Interview with Molly Macabre

I’m Molly. I am 32. Married with two beautiful daughters. I work as a pharmacy technician. My hobbies include reading, pc gaming, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve always been a writer. I kept journals and wrote poetry and short stories since elementary school. Due to work and raising a family, I took a long hiatus from reading and writing. Then, I started reading It by Stephen King and his writing was beautifully simplistic in a way that made me feel like I could write a book, too.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

Nick and Kate’s story has lived in my head for over 10 years. Sometimes, the setting and events are different, but the characters and plot have always been the same. Writing this book has been a sort of catharsis for a story that has nagged at my brain for as long as I can remember.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title of my book, Dark Bloom, is inspired by a song, “Darkbloom” by We Came As Romans. The song is about overcoming life no matter the darkness within.

“I’m faced with my pain

Like a fork in the road

Die or grow”

I found the lyrics to be especially powerful and relevant to the environmental obstacles Nick and Kate face but also to their own traumas and heartaches.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

It’s funny you ask, because music was a huge inspiration while writing. So much so, I already have compiled a soundtrack that I will publish at the back of my book for those interested.

“Control” – Halsey

The theme song for Kate. She spent a long time hating herself. Now, she’s wielding power she’s never known and she’s a bit terrifying because of it.

“Polarize” – twenty one pilots

Nick’s theme song as he struggles to prove to himself that he is a good man and not responsible for the bad things that have happened around him.

“O.G. Loko” – Of Mice & Men

A powerful love song that I listened to on repeat while writing.

And of course “Darkbloom” – We Came As Romans.

Describe your dream book cover.

Okay, so I am not visually artistic whatsoever. I can’t describe a certain scene, but I would say it should be ominous, dark, simple but dramatic. Something that immediately catches the eye and makes someone say, “I must find out what kind of horrors lie within.”

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Currently, I am a pharmacy technician. I have worked at GEICO and at assisted living facilities administering medication. Something about me is that in high school, I was on the varsity wrestling team.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I read many Stephen King books: It, The Shining, The Dead Zone. I also read Bird Box by Josh Malerman, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope readers find an escape from their troubles, anxieties, depressions in this story like I did. As someone who has always fought with mental illness, I would often escape into my head and think of Nick and Kate’s story. Some might call that disassociating but, well, what do they know? I hope that people read this story and find the things Nick and Kate have found: hope for redemption, a reason to carry on, and the tools for emotional survival in an otherwise devastating environment. My perfect reader is anyone who needs and loves an imperfect love story amidst a cruel apocalypse.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.