Literary and horror’s subgenres are my favorites, but I have also used elements from soft sci-fi, western, noir, chick-lit, mystery, historical, romance-just about anything. Everything I write, at its core, is a tragic love story what makes each story unique is its genre elements. As far as genre, I love to dabble in everything. My stories always seem to have a visceral undercurrent of sorrow. I had tried my hand at a couple of novels by the time I was in middle school, but in the end, the short stories were my jam.

As far as writing, the first short story I wrote was when I was five-about a tree that wanted to kill itself because its leaves were turning brown. Eventually, he let me read whatever was in his den (but told me not to bring any questions to Mom, because it was books like Jaws and The Word and Raise the Titanic and other things ten year olds should not be reading that had all sorts of references to sex and drugs).

My dad was an English teacher, so reading was key, and I was able to read all the starter books on my shelf by the time I was four. I’ve been married to my husband, Nathan, for nine years, but we’ve been together for seventeen. I volunteered at a couple of aquariums doing docent or behind the scenes work, I got halfway through a certificate in archeology, I spent many years volunteering at community theaters both onstage and off, I read tarot cards, and I scrapbook and listen to documentaries when I need to decompress (or I play endless rounds of solitaire with real cards). Q: Today I’m sharing my interview with Kristi Petersen Schoonover! I’d love to start things off if you could share a little bit about yourself and what types of stories you enjoy writing? Are there any other genres that you dabble in?Ī: Most writers have many interests, and I’m no different.

Bad Apple by Kristi Petersen Schoonover