Interview with Sèphera Girón.

Full Name:
Sèphera Girón

Do you have a nickname or what do your friends call you?
Seph

Birthplace:
New Orleans
I drove past New Orleans on my way to Texas a couple times and didn’t have time for the detour.  Kind of wish I had made the time.  I hear it’s a great place to go.
I’d never actually been until the WHC/HWA weekend a couple of years ago. I spent more time drinking bourbon on Bourbon Street and dancing in the bars then I did doing the convention!

Current hometown:
Toronto
I love Toronto!  I’ve been there four or five times on horror business and always had a great time.  It’s like a clean New York City where everyone is nice.
I agree. I love Toronto as well.

Favorite city and why?
New York City.  The first time I went there when I was eighteen, I felt like I had come home.  I’ve been many times since and love it. I also fell in love with New Orleans when I went back for the first time for WHC/HWA weekend a couple of years ago.

Birthday / Age:
January 23, 1962

How would you describe yourself physically?
Short, round.

How would someone else describe you physically?
They would likely be kind and say, “voluptuous.”

The first thing people notice about you is…
Boobs.

Sexual orientation?
Bi.

Religion, if any?
None proclaimed.

Are you superstitious at all?
A little.

Any phobias?
I’m not fond of birds.  I have a fear of being in a tornado, so high winds freak me out.  I’m afraid of being eaten by a shark or other scary sea monster.  Fear of heights.
So, The Birds, The Wizard Of Oz, and Jaws are actually horror movies to you.
Absolutely!  I blame The Wizard of Oz for most of my neurosis.
Witches, midgets, lions, tigers, bears, etc.
Flying monkeys, tornadoes, green ladies...

Do you smoke/drink? If so, what?
I love bourbon.

Any bad habits?
I’ll never tell!

Current occupation / Dream job:
I’m a full-time freelance writer editor. My dream job is a rich full-time writer, as in produce one book every couple of years! 

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Dance, read, go to the movies, watch TV, hang out with friends.

What is your zombie outbreak survival plan?
I don’t have one. Do you think I should? Lol.
Well, you might want to have one.  You could adapt if for if/when the economy collapses and people start hunting each other for food.
I guess I’d better give it a bit more thought!

Weapon of choice:
Gun of some sort.  One that shoots a lot of bullets really fast but isn’t a bitch to carry.

Do you have any special skills?
Tarot reading, Reiki.

Did you go to college and, if so, what for?
I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fine Arts Studies from York University.

Any pets?   If so, what are they and what are their names?
All my pets are dead.

What is your favorite animal?
Apes, monkeys, dogs.

Speaking of pets, any pet peeves?
This trend of all men of all ages growing beards. I like a clean-shaven man.

Favorite / Least favorite Food:
I love medium rare bacon-wrapped filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, and broccoli.  I loathe Brussel sprouts.

What is your favorite quotation / motto / saying?
“Life is a cabaret!”

What is the best thing that ever happened to you?
Being a mom to two great sons.

What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?
Losing my way.
Did you find your way again?
I made it back from the wrong path though going forward, who knows what lies in store?!

Ever had your heart broken? Is there a story worth telling behind your answer? Yes, I’ve been divorced twice. No stories.

Ever broken someone’s heart? Not that I’m aware of. Is there a story worth telling behind your answer?
Not that I’m aware of.

What is the best thing you’ve ever done?
Staying alive.

What is the worst thing you’ve ever done?
Lied.

If you could kill one person, consequence free, who would it be and why?
I don’t believe in killing anyone in real life.

What do you do?
I wouldn’t.

How did you get started doing what you do?
I’ve always enjoyed writing and telling stories.  I read a lot and wrote a lot.  I took courses, went to University.  I realized that it wasn’t insane to want to submit my work to the publishing houses whose books I enjoyed.  I studied writer’s guidelines, learned what I could through writer magazines, hung out in the library, and submitted my work.  There was no internet in those days so everything took forever and you had to be a detective to find out anything.  Especially in Canada.  I’m a tenacious little duck.

What is your advice to other people that want to get started doing what you do? Read, write, edit, submit.  Join writers organizations.  Go to readings and workshops.  Network.  Don’t be a dick.

What are some of the projects you’ve worked on/finished in the past? Give us a little history if you will.
I wrote four books for Leisure which are now published with Necon E-books.com
House of Pain  
Borrowed Flesh  
The Birds and the Bees 
Mistress of the Dark
Scarlett Publishing
Weird Tales of Terror, a collection of stories and a novel    

Samhain Horror Publishing
Captured Souls
Flesh Failure 
Experiments in Terror
A Penny Saved
I also dabble a bit in movies. I’m in Gregory Lamberson’s Killer Rack, playing a tarot reader (coming out in 2015). I was also in Lamberson’s Slime City Massacre as “Ruby” (2010).

What projects are you working on now?
The Boys Club (horror novel).

What are you watching?
I’m eagerly awaiting the season premiere of Bates Motel.  I just got unhooked from American Horror Story: FreakShow which had me binge-watch the first two seasons that I’d never seen.  I like reality shows such as Strange Addiction and Face Off.

What are you listening to?
Eminem, Lorde, Little Shop of Horrors, Quadrophenia.

What are you reading?
Other people’s manuscripts for my editing jobs. Le sigh.

Favorite author / book?
Stephen King.  I read The Shining when it was published. It scared the hell out of me. Not sure if it would today, but it sure did then.

Favorite band / song?
The Who  / Dr. Jimmy/Mr. Jim

Least favorite band / song?
Nickleback. Pick one! Ha!

If you could do anything other than what you do now, what would you do?
Be a movie or TV star.

Who would you want to meet that you haven’t met? You get three choices:
Alive.  Stephen King and/or Roger Daltrey
Dead. Shirley Temple. I got her autograph once but I’ve always just wanted to sit down over a drink and just yak.
Fictional: Scarlett O’Hara, although she’d likely rip my head off.

What’s the best and worst job you’ve ever had?
I’m living my dream, baby!
The worst job, oh, there were a couple. Working retail in the jewelry and watch department of a fancy store at Christmastime for minimum wage when I was broke springs to mind.  Merry F-ing Christmas to You Too, Rich-Bitches!

Are there any questions that I didn’t ask that you wished I had asked that you would like to answer now?
Nope. I think we covered it all!

Anyone you recommend I interview that you can put me in touch with?
Monica O’Rourke, Gemma Files.
Point them in my direction and we’ll see where it goes.
Will do!

Got any questions for me?
I know you’re swamped so nope!
I’m not that swamped.  Doing these interviews is an as-of-yet unpaid endeavor so I don’t let it take up too much of my time.  I spend, maybe, a couple hours a day getting caught up on my interview homework and then I’m onto other things.
That’s good!

Thanks for letting me subject you to being interviewed!
Thank you so much for having me!

Pitch parade:
Give me all of your links for things you want to promote.   All of them.
http://www.twitter.com/sephera
http://www.youtube.com/sephera
http://www.instagram.com/sepheragiron
http://sephwriter666.blogspot.ca
http://facebook.com/SepheraGironAuthor
http://tarotpaths.blogpost.ca
http://scarlettediting.blogspot.ca
https://www.samhainpublishing.com/author/1786/sphera-girn

About the Interviewee:
Sèphera Girón is a horror writer who lives in Toronto. Her horror books include Experiments in Terror, A Penny Saved, Flesh Failure, Captured Souls, House of Pain, Borrowed Flesh, The Birds and the Bees, and House of Pain. Sèphera is also an actress who has appeared in Slime City Massacre and Killer Rack among others. When she isn’t writing, editing, or acting, Sèphera is a professional tarot reader.

About the Interviewer:
Scott Lefebvre can write about whatever you want him to write about.
Mostly because when he was grounded for his outlandish behavior as a hyperactive school child, the only place he was allowed to go was the public library.
His literary tastes were forged by the works of Helen Hoke, Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Edgar Allan Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft.
He is the author of Spooky Creepy Long Island, and Condemned; and a contributing author to Forrest J. Ackerman’s Anthology of the Living Dead, Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction, The Call of Lovecraft, and Cashiers du Cinemart.
His reviews have been published by a variety of in print and online media including Scars Magazine, Icons of Fright, Fatally Yours and Screams of Terror, and he has appeared in Fangoria, Rue Morgue and HorrorHound Magazine.
Check out his publishing imprint Burnt Offerings Books here:
http://burntofferingsbooks.blogspot.com/
Check out his electronic music here: soundcloud.com/master_control
And here: master-control.bandcamp.com
Check out his Etsy here: www.etsy.com/shop/ScottLefebvreArt
Stalk his Facebook at: www.facebook.com/TheLefebvre
E-mail him at: Scott_Lefebvre@hotmail.com