At Gothic Bite Magazine we love welcoming new patients to become part of our asylum. We question them and learn about them. It doesn’t matter what creative field they are part of because they’re our patient now. This week, we welcome Indie Author Katherine Dempster!

Patient Name: Katherine Dempster

I am a lover of all things paranormal, especially books on the subject and travel that brings me to be creepy or haunted places. 

In addition to writing, I enjoy photography, woodturning, and hoarding as many books as I possibly can.

I’m a Canadian that spent 15+ years working in emergency services as a Dispatcher, and it helps me gain a broader view of people and what they are capable of; good and bad. It also gave me a good insight into the unexplained things that actually happen all around us. 

VISIT KATHERINE DEMPSTER’S WEBSITE!

Living in a small, lakeside country home, I’m just far enough away from city life to still have a moderately decent Wi-Fi connection. Or as I like to call it – paradise!

 The Questioning

ALEXA WAYNE (A.W.): When did you find out you would want to write novels?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: I had written poetry and short stories as a kid for fun. 

But my first attempt at a full novel, the first book in The Patrons series, came about as a means to have a creative escape from my job as a dispatcher with EMS and then the Fire Department. 

Once I started to remember how much I loved to lose myself in worlds of my own creation, I was hooked all over again.

A.W.: Which genre would you think you write, and what category is best to describe your writing?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: My debut series was geared towards Y/A paranormal fans, but I tend to stick to paranormal and horror fiction.

A.W.: You mentioned to me your work, all set in paranormal or Gothic settings, would you let our readers know why you are more attracted to that genre?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: I think it came from when I was a child. My sister is six years older than me, and she, along with my mother, was a huge Stephen King fan. 

As a voracious reader from a young age, I picked up there worn copies as soon as they put them down. I’ve always been fascinated by ghosts, vampires, demons, and the feeling of the tingle up your spine that you can feel in the dark. 

Writing in that genre is just an extension of that obsession.

FOLLOW KATHERINE DEMPSTER ON FACEBOOK!

 A.W.: When writing about paranormal, do you do research, and if so, how far do you go with your research?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: With the angel and demon type aspects of The Patrons, there was some reading done to get further on the details. 

But I took a liberal license with the actual descriptions of all of the beings in that series to make them their own world of supernatural folks.

 A.W.: What is most important to you when writing your novels?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: I have to want to read it myself. I’ve started stories and find myself drifting away or worrying about word count and abandoned them because they were a waste of time for me and any reader that may come upon it. 

I need to find myself wondering what the characters are up to, even when I’m not writing. Those are the stories worth the time it takes to write them, also if only I read them or enjoy them. 

FOLLOW KATHERINE DEMPSTER ON TWITTER!

 A.W.: Which authors influenced your writing?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: Having my start in a supernaturally blended story, obviously Charlaine Harris. She has a way of adding a perfect layer of humor to her stories. 

I’m also an unabashedly loyal True Blood fan, so my love for her runs deep. I love how Stephen King can set a mood, I’m in awe of Neil Gaiman’s pacing and the flow of his words, and I adore the depth of the worlds that Anne Rice creates. 

 A.W.: Which of your novels is your favorite, and why is it your favorite?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: Into the Lake. It was inspired by my house, its history, and a dinner party that we had. It’s not based on an accurate tale, but the little ghost world that was created around that night was so much fun to write. 

 A.W.: Do you believe in the paranormal, by that I mean in hauntings, that there are creatures out in the wild we still don’t know the existence of?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: I absolutely believe in the paranormal, and I’m sure that there are things out there that are not wanting to be discovered. 

I have been a life-long believer, and my husband was a life-long skeptic until we moved to this house, which is most certainly haunted. 

FOLLOW KATHERINE DEMPSTER ON INSTAGRAM!

We’ve had other skeptics change their minds after spending time here, even the ones that would roll their eyes at the stories we’d tell them.  

 A.W.: What was your reaction when you learned a publisher wanted you as part of their authors?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: I was absolutely shocked! I did not expect to have anything happen with it. It was sending it out as a curiosity to the process. 

When that publishing house shuttered, I was even more gob-smacked to have another home, Wild Dreams Publishing, pick up the series. I’ve published the rest of The Patrons series, Into the Lake, and three short stories with them since.

 A.W.: What sets you apart from other paranormal and Gothic authors?

KATHERINE DEMPSTER: That’s a tough question. I like to think that we all set ourselves apart by giving a little bit of our own psyche to the dark stories that we write. 

 A.W.: What can readers look forward to from Katherine Dempster in 2020?

 KATHERINE DEMPSTER: I’m currently working on The Corpse Flower Chronicles, which will blend a sort of dystopian world with folklore and superstition. 

FOLLOW KATHERINE DEMPSTER ON GOODREADS!

It’s a more dramatic story, rather than horror, but there will be some shadows of fear that crawl around inside of it.

If you enjoyed this interview, come back each week for other interviews with authors, editors and more! We love welcoming new patients! If you are a creative yourself, go to our CONTACT section and send us an email to become part of our asylum!

Until next time…enjoy the bite!

The OCD Vampire,
Alexa Wayne