V. Castro is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated Mexican American writer from San Antonio, Texas now residing in the UK. She writes horror, erotic horror, and science fiction. Her books include The Haunting of Alejandra, Alien: Vasquez, Mestiza Blood, The Queen of the Cicadas, Out of Aztlan, Las Posadas, and Goddess of Filth.

Her forthcoming novel is Immortal Pleasures from Del Rey.

Connect with her via Instagram and Twitter @vlatinalondon or vcastrostories.com. She can also be found on Blue Sky (@vlatinalondon.bsky.social), Goodreads, Amazon, and TikTok (@vcastrobooks).

Thank you for agreeing to do this interview! For those readers who might not yet be familiar with you, would you mind introducing yourself and what kind of fiction you write?

I am a Mexican American writer from Texas, but I live in England now. I have the great privilege to write science fiction, horror, and erotic horror. And this is expanding!

While you’ve got a lot of great books out, we find ourselves here today between your April 2023 novel—The Haunting of Alejandra—and the forthcoming April 2024 novel—Immortal Pleasures. Could you give us the pitch on one, and then the other?

The Haunting of Alejandra is story that follows a woman named Alejandra and the women who came before her. It weaves the story of La Llorona, mental health, the complexities of marriage, post-natal depression, colonization, and motherhood.

Immortal Pleasures could not be more different. It is a very erotic vampire tale that features the Mexican historical figure La Malinche. She was the Nahua translator and consort (not by choice) to Hernán Cortés.

In addition to novels like the two above, you also work in the short story and novella length. I’ve been a fan since I came across your were-jaguar novella Hairspray and Switchblades years ago, but for newer readers, where would you recommend they start to get a taste for your work? You could give us a single exemplar or maybe a couple of data points for a spectrum.

I would say Mestiza Blood. This was my first collection and gives you a pretty good understanding of the weirdness of my brain, but also [my] love of storytelling.

One thing that might help readers get a sense of the mood in your work are the playlists you’ve created for several of your books (here’s a Spotify link: bit.ly/47Y97rh); however, I’m curious how those fit into your process. Do those come before, during, or after the drafting? How much do you look to other art in order to dial in while actually working on a piece?

I love listening to music when I write, especially if I want to create a certain mood. If I am feeling that, and engrossed, I find it comes out on the page. Music is another form of storytelling, and it can give the reader a sense of the greater picture I am painting. Creating the playlists is a little bonus I like to give readers as a thanks for buying my books. I appreciate it so very much.

Along those lines, are there any writing “rituals” or practices that are part of your process? Your stories tend to involve rituals—although hopefully your own are less extreme!—and many writers use specific approaches to focus themselves. Is that something you do?

Candlelight is often part of my writing process, but mostly I am chaotic and write from the pit of my stomach. I just sit down and write. No ritual. In my personal life, I have an altar in my home and perform spiritual rituals according to the lunar cycle. I also have a collection of tarot and oracle cards.

In addition to writing your own original horror stories, you’ve also written a tie-in novel of an existing IP with Aliens: Vasquez. Can you tell us a little bit about how that opportunity came about?

I was so very blessed to get this. I was chatting with Christopher Golden randomly about IP and mentioned my idea for a Vasquez book. He loved it and put me in contact with an editor at Titan. I pitched it and the rest is history. IP is fun to write, and I always look forward to immersing myself in another world that I didn’t create.

Jenette Vasquez is such a cool character, and in thinking about a lot of your other protagonists, she seems like a perfect match. Was Vasquez (or other movie characters like her) one that struck you early on, or did you find your interests dovetailing with her story later on? What did you want to explore with her?

I watched Aliens when I was pretty young and loved the film and the character. When I began writing and discovered the books, I knew I wanted to be part of that universe. I felt that I could bring this character alive as a Mexican American woman. Many of my experiences and emotions are in there. It really was a love letter to all those Chicanas out there trying to make it happen for themselves and their families.

Speaking of your characters, I’m always impressed with how richly drawn they are—they have fully developed histories; they have their passions and their hatreds; they have their conflicts. What’s the process of either creating or finding your original characters? Do you notice certain traits coming up again and again?

Latinas are often overlooked and never the main character. I want to explore our identities and history using horror and science fiction tropes. I think of the many people I have met since birth and incorporate them into my stories. There are certain topics and emotions (like mental health and sexuality) which should be talked about through this lens.

Regarding your characters, one of the things that strikes me the most about your work is a distinct fearlessness. While the women in your stories have their own issues to work through, the stories never shy away from exploring those characteristics that others might find uncomfortable—their womanhood, their sexuality, their cultural heritage. What does it mean to you to dig into these aspects in your work? Do you ever worry about going too far? What about not going deep enough?

I never worry about going too far considering how cis white men have long been able to write whatever they want. Our turn. And deep is good. I want readers to be introduced to something new or I want women of color to feel seen and represented. I want women like me to know they can be fearless in all aspects of their lives. It is an honor and a privilege to write these stories. It does get frustrating at times because it is a business and selling books as well as preorders are very important.

Another word to describe your work might be uninhibited: it seems fearless in talking about issues that aren’t always polite, from sensuality and sexuality to periods to women questioning—and acknowledging their deep dissatisfaction with—the roles they’ve been conditioned to play. How has the process of writing about those been for you as a writer? Has writing about these topics been personally difficult (either externally or internally), or does it come naturally?

I write with everything inside of me. It doesn’t feel difficult because I want to be here. I want to express these emotions through these characters. And there is a lot in there that comes from personal experience.

Let’s move away from just the characters and talk about your work on a larger scale. Your website bio says that you were “always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas.” Could you tell us a little bit more about how these have informed your work? How did they guide you towards becoming a storyteller, but also where do they pop up in your work?

There really are not many works of fiction that explore these topics. I am only one of a handful writing horror. Getting these tales out felt right to me. Fiction should be inclusive and reflect the people reading it. I know I am not the only one who became tired of the same old tropes written in the same way.

Most of my books incorporate my culture and its history in some way. It’s something that comes from very deep within me and I feel compelled to share it.

You draw from a variety of sources—urban legends from Texas; pre-Columbian indigenous mythology; but also your own creations that draw from one or both. For example, the Tlazōlteōtl in Goddess of Filth is a recorded Aztec deity, but the titular being in The Queen of the Cicadas is a V. Castro original creation. What is it about drawing from those pre-existing sources that you find so inspiring? How does it feel to be contributing to them now—creating a new mythology—by making up your own?

All my stories are grounded in real mythology because I want people to have a deeper look. It’s inspiring because my ancestors were part of that history and the creation of so many beautiful things when it comes to the deities in the mythology. I feel closer to my ancestors and heritage when I write because for a very long time, people like me were not welcome in the writing space.

Along those lines, one of the cool images that comes up a lot in your work is that of the cenote. It’s a great image because it is visually very vivid with a lot of thematic significance, but also cultural relevance. Could you explain to readers what a cenote is and why it’s so alluring?

It’s a pocket of water that varies in depth and size. They are often connected underground by vast caves. They were used in human sacrifice but also thought of as portals to another world. I like the idea of being so close to another dimension and other beings.

Another theme in your work is that constant process of reclaiming. Women reclaiming their sexuality, their bodies, their lives. Characters reclaiming their histories, their connections to family but also to their ancestors. What do you see as the strength in this theme? Does working through these in fiction reflect anything in your personal view?

I think it’s important for all of us to live authentic lives and try to be self-aware. Stepping forward and claiming who you are and where you come from can be very empowering, especially if you have been shamed for this. Writing fiction that reflects this is something I do believe in. It inspires me and I hope I inspire others to listen to their heart.

From themes to tropes, one that comes up several times in your work is possession. However, your take on possession isn’t a stereotypical “demonic presence”—even though the Mexican American Catholic lens is never far away—and you find a deeper connection to something else from the characters’ cultural and familial past. What is it about this device that draws you to it? How do you like to play with the expectations that readers bring to it?

I have always loved the theme of possession in film, but it seems to always recycle the same type of story. I want to challenge readers to expand their world view and be afraid for different reasons. Possession feels like an opportunity for the darkest parts of our souls or personalities to rise to the surface. The normal face we put on is torn away and we are left with something else. It also challenges the notion of control. Having no control over oneself or our circumstances is scary as hell.

Combining characters and themes, one situation that comes up several times in your work is Chicana characters who are disconnected from their cultural heritage but looking to connect. Sometimes they find it in a way they didn’t expect and might be more horrific than anticipated . . . but the experience is one that brings them a deeper sense of identity. Is this something that you’ve felt in your own experience? By writing these stories, do you feel like you’re helping to make those connections for yourself? What about for others?

I definitely have felt this because being Mexican American means there are two very different worlds to straddle. You aren’t always sure where you belong. Writing has helped me understand my own unique identity and not having to choose. And I do hope this will help others discover new things about themselves and feel represented.

In addition to the horror tropes of possession, were-creatures, and more, your upcoming Immortal Pleasures is poised to put your own spin on vampire tropes. What other tropes have you found fruitful to explore and give a twist? What other ones have you not had a chance to try your hand at yet, but you think would be ripe for exploring?

I have pretty much tried every trope. Nothing seems missing. My short story collections (Mestiza Blood, Out of Aztlan, and the forthcoming The Pink Agave Motel) showcase the strange brain I have been given.

Speaking of tropes and other antecedents, who are some of your influences? In addition to those in the horror field, are there others from outside that you think might surprise readers?

Film and music have been just as much of an influence as books. I’ve heard a song and thought of an entire story. I was a ’90s kid and watched all the great horror films younger than I probably should have, but this made me even more excited about where horror could go. There are way too many books and films to mention!

From the past to the present, who are some of the currently working authors that you enjoy? In addition to those your readers might dig because of the similarities to your work, are there others doing something totally different that you also really like?

The indie community is bursting with talent. Again, I could go on and on with the writers who are excellent. Gemma Amor, Gabino Iglesias, Eric La Rocca just to name a few. So many!

In addition to writing, you’ve also worked on the other side of the page—editing the collection Latinx Screams with Cynthia Pelayo (who we’ve also interviewed here!). Could you tell us a little about what that experience was like? What importance do you see for anthologies like these that put a spotlight on traditionally marginalized or underrepresented voices?

Holding the door open for other writers is very important to me and why I hope to do even more in the future. Cina took on the book when it needed a home. I will always be grateful. I am currently working on getting it out there again with more voices!

This might be a good way to sum up—there’s a wonderful line from a 2021 interview you did that I think about a lot: “Why write about werewolves when my ancestors revered jaguars?” Besides just being cool as hell (which it is), what does this mean to you? Is this advice you would give to other horror authors?

It means the world to me to be able to represent my culture and hopefully open doors for other women of color to write what they want and how they want. I like taking the usual tropes and creating something new. My advice for authors is find your unique voice and go from there. Don’t try to copy anyone else. Your story will be better because of it.

Finally, what’s coming up next for you? In addition to those projects already scheduled, is there anything new that you’re working on and can share with our readers?

I have a story in the Conan the Barbarian universe coming out next year, Belit and the Jade Temple. Immortal Pleasures is up for preorder. Rebel Moon comes out in December and is up for preorder. The Pink Agave Motel will be published with Clash Books. And I’d love for people to continue checking out my work and leave a review! It keeps me writing.