Caroline Giammanco is the author of the new story collection The Darkening Door, part of her Into the Night series. She is also an educator, and she lives in Missouri.
Q: What inspired you to write The Darkening Door?
A: The Darkening Door is part of my science fiction and paranormal short story collection series called Into the Night.
Growing up, my family and I loved watching shows such as The Twilight Zone, The Night Gallery, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Family discussions would sometimes explore what could be "out there" and the possibilities that could exist in the universe.
After writing a few gut-wrenching true crime books, I needed an outlet for my writing that wasn't so emotionally taxing, so I decided to start writing the types of stories I find fun: science fiction and paranormal.
While my true crime books are important, and I'm glad I've written them, sometimes it's more enjoyable to create monsters rather than tell about the real ones in our world. I've now written over 200 of these stories, and I have more planned for the future. Be looking for Liliana's Lantern releasing this fall.
Q: How do you see this book fitting in with the other titles in your Into the Night series?
A: This book follows the same vein of storytelling that my readers look forward to. My stories are unpredictable, often surprising readers with an unexpected twist at the end.
Each of the books in the series is titled based on a story in that collection, and The Darkening Door is no different. The title story happens to come last in this book, and the reader will understand why at the end.
Q: What themes do you see running through the collection?
A: Each book is filled with unrelated short stories. Some are scary, some are whimsical, and I'd like to think that they are all thought-provoking. Many times, I write about common items or activities that, once they've read my stories, readers suddenly see in a different light.
No one knows what's coming next, and I believe that makes my stories more intriguing. Ghosts, doppelgangers, paranormal creatures, aliens, space travel, dystopia...They can all be found inside my short story collections.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I want my readers to have fun reading my stories. I have fun writing them, and I want readers to have as much enjoyment as I do. I often have people tell me that some stories they can't stop thinking about after reading them, and that's a huge compliment.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: The Darkening Door is the sixth book of the series, but I have already written three more. I am currently compiling stories for the 10th book in the series. The current work in progress is That Remains to Be Seen.
I also have been writing Western short stories and novellas. My Western series is Into the West. I grew up watching shows like Heck Ramsey and Alias Smith and Jones, plus I lived in Arizona and New Mexico for over 20 years. I love to incorporate the places I've been into my stories.
Writing Westerns also allows me to take a break from science fiction and paranormal, so that I don't burn out on those genres. I have about 300 more titles and story ideas filed away, just waiting to be written, so more books will be on their way in the future.
Also, many of my Western short stories are available through Audible as three-story segments. Boyd Barrett does an incredible job as a narrator, and I know you will enjoy the stories as he brings them to life. That Frontier Spirit, The Treacherous Trail, and Pistols and Chaps are just a few of the titles to search for.
My latest publication takes a completely different direction from my previous work. I have written a children's book, Poppy Possum Dreams Big. This is the first book in a series, and I wanted to write the kind of story anyone can feel good about reading to their children. I had my grandchildren in mind when I wrote Poppy.
The stories center around Poppy and the adventures she and her friends have on their farm in the Missouri Ozarks. Beth Ivens illustrates the series, and the images are beautiful. It's available in hardcover and paperback.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I am a high school English teacher in southern Missouri. I am lucky enough to have a job I look forward to every day, and that isn't something that is guaranteed in this world. I appreciate being where I am and what I have. This is my 33rd year of teaching, and I have more fun doing it now than when I started.
On a personal level, two big events are on the horizon for me. On Sept. 24, 2025, my husband, Keith Giammanco, will finally be home after 17 years. If anyone is curious about where he's been and why he's been away, take a moment to look up Bank Notes Revisited: The Updated True Story of the Boonie Hat Bandit. Listeners can also find this book on Audible.
The companion book to that is my side of the prison experience, and it is entitled Inside the Death Fences: Memoir of a Whistleblower. We are relieved that this part of the path we've been on is leading him home.
Speaking of home, my second exciting news is that I'm fulfilling my lifelong dream of building a small home on my part of the family farm where I grew up. It should be completed within weeks of Keith's homecoming. It's been an adventure watching it rise from what was nothing more than woods this past winter.
I can be found at:
Facebook: Caroline Giammanco Author
X: GiammancoBook
Email: carolinegiammanco@gmail.com
My books can be found on Amazon.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Caroline Giammanco.
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