Interview with Megan Guilliams
First, a little bit about myself:
Megan Guilliams is an Independent Fiction author who specializes in Urban Fantasy, Horror and Dark Romance. She is a Franklin County native who lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. When she's not writing Young Adult and New Adult Fiction, she enjoys painting. Filling the walls of her home with colorful lowbrow art and Pop art, Megan enjoys bringing her book's characters to life. As a young child, Megan dabbled in short stories, often entertaining her peers. While Megan doesn't hold any specialized degrees that led her to her writing passion, she currently has over thirty novels published on Amazon and Kindle. You can find more of her work in the year to come, as well as read her story “Kroak” in Nature Triumphs: A Charity Anthology of Dark Speculative Fiction, “Love, Lies and Bleeding” in The Devil’s Playground: A Horror Charity Anthology for Drug Addiction, “The Christmas Wraith” in Last Christmas: A Holiday Horror Anthology, “She Bitch” in Piece by Piece: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Collection of Short Stories, Poetry and Prose. “A Taste of Heaven” in Beauty in Darkness, a Literary Tribute to TS Woolard, and “The Lights” in Confessions from the Think Tank, Volume 1. A Kid’s Space Camp Charity Anthology. Concept by Editor Rob Tannahill. All Published by Dark Moon Rising Publications. You can also find her poem “Leon” in Sleeve of Hearts, Poems, edited by Lindsey Goddard, and brought to you by the Weird Wide Web. Other published shorts by Megan Guilliams include “Over Easy” in Dark Harvest: an Ecohorror Anthology, published by Twisted Dreams Press; “House of Shadows” in The Stranger at my Window, published by Baynam Books Press; and “But… I Jest” in Tales From the Lark Side: A Horror Comedy Anthology, published by Weird Wide Web and edited by Lindsey Goddard.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Megan-Guilliams/author/B0CTP2D7XD
What made me go into indie publishing?
Finding an agent is so difficult in this field, especially for someone like me who genre hops all the time! Traditional Publishing sounded like a nightmare (And not the fun kind!) So, I settled on independent publications and never looked back. For someone like me, who is also a bit of a control freak, having the final say on all aspects of my books is a huge deal! Of course, the learning curve is steep, and you have to be invested in your craft, but in the end, it's worth it.
A little bit about my writing process?
I am a pantser! I'll have a general idea of what I want to write about, and then I'll just go for it. Of course, I like to make sure my book formatting is correct before I actually write, with my margins, gutters, and type set exactly like I want. Honestly, I like to make it exist first and then make it sing later. I tend to write a chapter, agonize over it, rewrite, and sleep on it. On an average day, I try to write at least 2 thousand words, but sometimes only 1 or 2 hundred make the cut. I adore writing novels. I enjoy short stories too, but my plot-driven obsession and descriptive writing style could easily turn my 5k story into my 20k story.
What writers inspired me to become a writer?
I've been doodling short stories since the 2nd grade, and I ADORED R.L. Stine. As I got a little older, I was a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, and Stephen King. I suppose that's why almost all my stories have horror, supernatural, and magical elements. As far as my professional career goes, I've been writing for about 15 years, but have only started publishing (Publicly) for 4 years. I didn't know where to start, mostly because I didn't have any author friends, and then Kasey Hill came into my life and showed me about Indie Publishing.
Where do I draw my inspo?
I LOVE horror movies! I think I've watched more horror in my lifetime than any other genre. It's such an expressive and diverse niche, and it can be mixed with any other genre. A lot of my inspiration comes from old-school horror movies, Emo and Metal lyrics (Sevendust, Manson, Zombie, Green Day, Breaking Benjamin, My Chemical Romance, I could go on and on). I love heavy music that I can close my eyes to and dream up scenarios they might be singing about.
For a new reader, what book would I suggest starting with? That's a loaded question! If they want thriller-type vibes, I'd highly recommend Eaden. It's a shorter, high-paced read with lots of action, one hell of a plot twist, and it's even on Audible. BUT!! If you like Romance with your horror, I would wholeheartedly suggest Unholy Rose. Think, Vampires and organized crime set along the shores of Bandon, Oregon. This book has everything! Lost loves, Past lives, Cannibals, curses that demand a sacrifice of torture.... Overall, one of my favorites.
Do I have a current writing project or one coming out soon?
Yes! I have both! My latest supernatural Dark Romance, Titled, The Briar's Oath, comes out on 7/24/2025 and will be featured at my vendor's booth during the Worship Me, Dark Romance event at 5 Points Music Sanctuary in Salem, VA, on 7/25/2026. My current work in progress is book 1 of the Fated Inheritance series, and it's titled CAUGHT. It's a Supernatural Crime Dark Romance with lots of twists and turns.
Words of wisdom for aspiring writers?
Never stop writing!! Write for yourself, and you'll never be disappointed. Make sure you proofread and build a fun team of ARC readers because having someone to read with you is almost as much fun as writing!
Anything I'd like to add.
I'd really like to thank all the people who have helped me along the way. This community has some of the most amazing, talented folks anyone could ever ask for, and I couldn't have done so much without them. I'm truly blessed to have such a great support system.
Megan Guilliams is an Independent Fiction author who specializes in Urban Fantasy, Horror and Dark Romance. She is a Franklin County native who lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. When she's not writing Young Adult and New Adult Fiction, she enjoys painting. Filling the walls of her home with colorful lowbrow art and Pop art, Megan enjoys bringing her book's characters to life. As a young child, Megan dabbled in short stories, often entertaining her peers. While Megan doesn't hold any specialized degrees that led her to her writing passion, she currently has over thirty novels published on Amazon and Kindle. You can find more of her work in the year to come, as well as read her story “Kroak” in Nature Triumphs: A Charity Anthology of Dark Speculative Fiction, “Love, Lies and Bleeding” in The Devil’s Playground: A Horror Charity Anthology for Drug Addiction, “The Christmas Wraith” in Last Christmas: A Holiday Horror Anthology, “She Bitch” in Piece by Piece: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Collection of Short Stories, Poetry and Prose. “A Taste of Heaven” in Beauty in Darkness, a Literary Tribute to TS Woolard, and “The Lights” in Confessions from the Think Tank, Volume 1. A Kid’s Space Camp Charity Anthology. Concept by Editor Rob Tannahill. All Published by Dark Moon Rising Publications. You can also find her poem “Leon” in Sleeve of Hearts, Poems, edited by Lindsey Goddard, and brought to you by the Weird Wide Web. Other published shorts by Megan Guilliams include “Over Easy” in Dark Harvest: an Ecohorror Anthology, published by Twisted Dreams Press; “House of Shadows” in The Stranger at my Window, published by Baynam Books Press; and “But… I Jest” in Tales From the Lark Side: A Horror Comedy Anthology, published by Weird Wide Web and edited by Lindsey Goddard.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Megan-Guilliams/author/B0CTP2D7XD
What made me go into indie publishing?
Finding an agent is so difficult in this field, especially for someone like me who genre hops all the time! Traditional Publishing sounded like a nightmare (And not the fun kind!) So, I settled on independent publications and never looked back. For someone like me, who is also a bit of a control freak, having the final say on all aspects of my books is a huge deal! Of course, the learning curve is steep, and you have to be invested in your craft, but in the end, it's worth it.
A little bit about my writing process?
I am a pantser! I'll have a general idea of what I want to write about, and then I'll just go for it. Of course, I like to make sure my book formatting is correct before I actually write, with my margins, gutters, and type set exactly like I want. Honestly, I like to make it exist first and then make it sing later. I tend to write a chapter, agonize over it, rewrite, and sleep on it. On an average day, I try to write at least 2 thousand words, but sometimes only 1 or 2 hundred make the cut. I adore writing novels. I enjoy short stories too, but my plot-driven obsession and descriptive writing style could easily turn my 5k story into my 20k story.
What writers inspired me to become a writer?
I've been doodling short stories since the 2nd grade, and I ADORED R.L. Stine. As I got a little older, I was a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, and Stephen King. I suppose that's why almost all my stories have horror, supernatural, and magical elements. As far as my professional career goes, I've been writing for about 15 years, but have only started publishing (Publicly) for 4 years. I didn't know where to start, mostly because I didn't have any author friends, and then Kasey Hill came into my life and showed me about Indie Publishing.
Where do I draw my inspo?
I LOVE horror movies! I think I've watched more horror in my lifetime than any other genre. It's such an expressive and diverse niche, and it can be mixed with any other genre. A lot of my inspiration comes from old-school horror movies, Emo and Metal lyrics (Sevendust, Manson, Zombie, Green Day, Breaking Benjamin, My Chemical Romance, I could go on and on). I love heavy music that I can close my eyes to and dream up scenarios they might be singing about.
For a new reader, what book would I suggest starting with? That's a loaded question! If they want thriller-type vibes, I'd highly recommend Eaden. It's a shorter, high-paced read with lots of action, one hell of a plot twist, and it's even on Audible. BUT!! If you like Romance with your horror, I would wholeheartedly suggest Unholy Rose. Think, Vampires and organized crime set along the shores of Bandon, Oregon. This book has everything! Lost loves, Past lives, Cannibals, curses that demand a sacrifice of torture.... Overall, one of my favorites.
Do I have a current writing project or one coming out soon?
Yes! I have both! My latest supernatural Dark Romance, Titled, The Briar's Oath, comes out on 7/24/2025 and will be featured at my vendor's booth during the Worship Me, Dark Romance event at 5 Points Music Sanctuary in Salem, VA, on 7/25/2026. My current work in progress is book 1 of the Fated Inheritance series, and it's titled CAUGHT. It's a Supernatural Crime Dark Romance with lots of twists and turns.
Words of wisdom for aspiring writers?
Never stop writing!! Write for yourself, and you'll never be disappointed. Make sure you proofread and build a fun team of ARC readers because having someone to read with you is almost as much fun as writing!
Anything I'd like to add.
I'd really like to thank all the people who have helped me along the way. This community has some of the most amazing, talented folks anyone could ever ask for, and I couldn't have done so much without them. I'm truly blessed to have such a great support system.
