Exclusive Interview with
Kelly Florence & Meg Hafdahl
When did you start writing?
We began writing together four years ago but have been best friends for over twenty years!
What makes writing your passion?
We are committed to supporting and creating diverse, female-driven content as well as exploring how truth can be scarier than fiction.
How long have you been writing?
We both have been writing since we were young and Meg was first published for her fiction writing in 2014.
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
We were elated! It’s amazing to see our books in bookstores and to see people reading them out in the world.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
We focus on various characters and themes from horror movies and true crime cases while exploring the real science behind them.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Sometimes things can move slowly while other times deadlines approach!
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
We keep writing! Find a new angle and go down an unexpected rabbit hole.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
We believe the stories we want to tell are important! Follow your gut, take feedback, and keep going.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Don’t worry about what other people think. You are valid and worthy!
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
We read some but remember that not everyone will love everything.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
We feel loved and thankful that we get to do what we do!
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
We always sprinkle in real life stories into our books.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
We can relate to many of the characters we wrote about in our books including Lydia from Beetlejuice and Daphne from Her Dark Inheritance.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
Don’t judge a book by its cover but we’ve been thankful that all of our covers have been gorgeous!
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
We love interacting with our readers in person and via social media!
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
We are thrilled when we connect with fans and have reached them in some way.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
Shirley Jackson because she was clever, fierce, and a master storyteller.
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
We can only hope to keep writing as long as some of our heroes: Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and Tananarive Due.
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
We wouldn’t! But science and horror are always changing and evolving so we can only imagine updating.
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
We would love to get inside the head of Ann Rule and have her perspective and experience.
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
You do you. We’ll keep doing us!
What would you say to your readers?
We appreciate your support and we’ll see you in the horror section!
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
Kelly and Meg: each married with two kids
What is your day job if you have one?
Kelly: communications professor
Meg: fiction author
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
Theatre, movies, reading, TV
Did you have a happy childhood?
We were blessed with amazing childhoods!
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
We both loved scary stories and knew we needed to write our own.
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
No
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
We believe in a focus on STEM and a healthy dose of the arts
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
1. A living wage for everyone
2. Libraries never die
3. Universal healthcare
What is your favorite music?
We love classic country like Johnny Cash as well as top 40 of today
Share a secret with us 🙂