Frequently Asked Questions
Q&A with Juno Guadalupe
Q: What inspired you to become a writer?
A: Insomnia and my husband. Mostly insomnia. After witnessing the process firsthand, I wanted to try it on for myself. I’ve always loved photography, but writing let me tell the whole story, not just a moment. One of my photos actually became the seed for The Lights of Greyfare.
Q: What’s your writing process like?
A: Uneven. I sit down with coffee, put on some melancholy music, light a candle, and step into the creative abyss of myself.
Q: Do you write every day?
A: Yes. Even if it’s just a few lines, a stray scene, or a single sentence. It’s important I stay connected to the story every single day. It’s like haunting except this time, I’m the ghost.
Q: What inspired The Lights of Greyfare?
A: It’s hard to point to just one thing—stories rarely come from a single place. But there was a photograph I took that wouldn’t leave me alone. It smelled of saltwater and left a little mildew in my mind, as if the picture itself carried something with it. I kept seeing a woman standing in a town that didn’t want to be remembered, with something ancient waiting in the fog, watching her. For a long time it haunted my dreams. Eventually, I stopped dreaming and started writing.
Q: Are any of the characters based on real people?
A: Yes. But I’ll never say who. If they recognize themselves, that’s between them and the mirror.
Q: Do you have a favorite scene from the book?
A: I have a few. Picking one would be like choosing a favorite child, if your children had claws. But it’s definitely one of the scenes with teeth. The rush I get writing it is the same I hope you’ll feel reading it.
Q: Why horror? Why gothic fiction?
A: Because horror doesn’t lie to you. It says yes, grief is unbearable. Yes, the dark is hungry. Yes, you were being watched. Gothic fiction lets me write about beauty and decay holding hands, about the parts of us that never stop bleeding.
Q: Who are your biggest influences?
A: I’d be lying if I didn’t say my husband. He’s on the list. But honestly, something snapped in my brain when I realized the fairy tales I loved as a child were deeply disturbing. I didn’t notice the darkness then, but I see it now. I like taking something broken and twisting it just enough for people to find something good inside.
Q: Do you believe in ghosts?
A: We all have ghosts. Some of them are kind. Some slam doors.
Q: Where did the name ‘Juno Guadalupe’ come from?
A: Juno is the queen of gods, and Guadalupe is a given name. My father was born in Mexico, and I still have family there. I’m deeply proud of my heritage, and I get to say, unapologetically, that I am a Latin American author.
Q: What’s something surprising readers might not know about you?
A: Even though I look like a normal person on the outside, my entire DNA profile is OCD. That’s also my blood type. It explains a lot.
Q: If you weren’t writing, what would you be doing?
A: Photographing strange shadows. Spending time with my dog and cat. Catching up with my kids. Or quietly outlining the gruesome details of my next book with a smile on my face.