Check out our interview with author Kalynn Bayron, who wrote "Make Me a Monster."
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
I am a huge Addams family fan and I’d been wanting to write a story in that vein for a long time. I’m also a huge gothic horror fan. So I put those two ideas together and decided to tell this story of a very strange family who lives in a very strange house. That led me to developing this tale of a family of morticians guarding a terrible family secret and all the problems that causes for them. I took a lot of inspiration from stories like "Frankenstein," "Jekyll & Hyde," and films like "Crimson Peak," "The Addams Family," and "Beetlejuice."
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
Reading Rainbow is being able to pick up a book and find representation of all kinds and to know that all types of people are getting to see themselves on the page. Also, for me as an author, it represents the pride I feel when telling stories from queer perspectives.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
Writing inclusively allows people to feel seen. As an added bonus, it allows people who may not share the identities of the main characters to see someone else getting the spotlight for a little while. It helps readers develop empathy and compassion.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
"Make Me a Monster" is a gothic-inspired horror romance with a Frankenstein twist. It centers Meka, who is Ithaca New York’s youngest certified mortuary assistant and her family who live and work at the Redwood Funeral Home. Meka’s entire world comes crashing down after a personal tragedy and she has to find a way to not only pick up the pieces but navigate an earth-shattering family secret that comes to light in the middle of the chaos. It’s a story about navigating grief, love, loss, and deciding what you would or wouldn’t do for the people you love. I wrote this book for all the spooky-season obsessed folks who, just like me, love a good scary story with a little heart.
What can fans expect from your book?
I think you can expect a few good scares alongside some tears. My goal is always to make my readers feel something. What that something turns out to be is still up for debate! Could be hope. Could be overwhelming dread. Or some combination of both! I hope readers have a good time with the story.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I am working on my next YA and I have a new middle grade detective series out in April of next year entitled Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel. I’m also working on my first adult novel.
