Freydís Moon returns to my blog today to chat about their latest release, Heart, Haunt, Havoc (HHH). Things go literally bump in the night when Colin Hart is hired by Bishop Martínez to quell the hauntings. This isn’t a simple exorcism, as it’s tied up with Bishop’s past griefs and path to his own healing. The layers in this book are heart-wrenching, with a hopeful ending, and I can’t wait for everyone to get to experience this tightly-paced mystery with genuine scares and a compelling romance.

Today, I’m celebrating Freydís by having them here to talk about drafting, their favorite scenes, and coming to the conclusion to self publish this gothic romance complete featuring two trans protagonist drawn together by more than mutual attraction.

Buy Links: Amazon | Signed Paperback

Putting Together This Haunting

Which elements of the story came together first? The characters, the scares, or something else entirely?

Whenever I start a new project, the characters typically arrive first. HHH was no exception. I definitely had Colin in my mind before anyone else, and I knew I wanted to write about an exorcist. His eccentric, straight-laced personality informed the voice of the novella, and the horror, romance, and conflict came after that.

How did you come up with the title?

It’s so funny – I get this question a lot – but it popped into my head while I was driving home from Trader Joe’s. I couldn’t land a title for the WIP and I knew I wanted something unique and memorable. I was idling at a red light and it just jumped into my head. I was alone, but I said it out loud just to see how it’d feel being spoken. Sure enough, it stuck. 

In revisions, what stayed the same? What evolved after each pass?

I didn’t revise HHH all that much, honestly. I did line-edits, expanded on a few paragraphs here and there, but the overall plot and character development stayed consistent from initial draft to final book. I draft pretty clean, so I typically don’t overhaul my work (except for my Dark Academia which has gone through several drafts and rewrites).

What was your favorite scene or moment to write?

Definitely the cemetery scene. The vulnerability extended from Bishop to Colin in that moment was a joy to write, and I really love how it catapults our two main characters from one point in a relationship to another. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s one of those bittersweet on-page scenes that brings the characters to life. 

On Self-Publishing

Heart, Haunt, Havoc is the fourth book you’ve put out, but what order did it come in terms of writing?

It was actually the first book I ever wrote. I entered Book Twitter as I was completing the first draft of HHH and found critique partners and beta readers through accidental networking. It was such a blessing, honestly, because I made some great friends and established a peer community as I edited this novella. I also queried it for almost a year. After many, many near misses – small publishers unwilling to take a ‘risk’ on a novella featuring two transgender protagonists, editors who thought the main characters should’ve gone through more pain or tragic circumstances to make it appropriately horrific, agents who loved it but didn’t see a market for it – I decided to move forward with self-publishing. It was the right decision. 

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on WOLF, WILLOW, WITCH, the second book in the trilogy, and also figuring out what comes next. I’ve been working on a Dark Academia for a while, one that’s had very similar reception to HHH, so I might be revisiting that. But I also have a series in the wings that I’m mulling over… We’ll see! At this point, HHH and WWW are my main focus!

Are there any books out now or coming up that you’re excited to read?

Obviously, ICE UPON A PIER is on my list. Your noir sounds fantastic. I’m also very excited for Junker Seven by Olive J. Kelley. I’m looking forward to Mistress of Lies, The Princeling and the Bull, and An Education in Malice, too.  

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