Author Spotlight
with Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar
Here’s our first Author Spotlight for the month of October! Are you familiar with our friend Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar? If not, you’re about to be! Also, why aren’t you already? We’re not judging, but … Well, maybe we are, but anyway, get ready to learn all the things you never knew you wanted to know!
We asked Cassandra a series of ten questions, and her answers are both super thoughtful and so fun!
1. If you could domesticate any animal to keep as a pet, which would it be?
I love elephants, but I won’t entertain that idea even in a hypothetical situation because it would be too much to feed and clean up after them. However, I can imagine having a raccoon in my house since it’s sort of catlike and doglike at the same time, and I already have cats and a dog. While I don’t truly want to be known as “crazy raccoon lady,” I may have peeked at which states allow pet raccoons. Alas—or maybe phew, so it’s not a viable option for me—Pennsylvania isn’t one of them!
2. What’s one texture you absolutely cannot stand to have anywhere near you?
I cannot function if I’m sticky, especially on my hands. While I also hate being dirty, I’ll take dirty over sticky in a heartbeat! Keep me away from children with lollipops! Eek!
3. If you were forced to eat only one type of cuisine for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
I have to go with pizza. Hopefully these conditions allow me to change toppings here and there! I love Grandma’s pizza and other vegetarian options, even weird combinations like pineapple and jalapenos together, but never green peppers. Those need to go back to hell where they belong.
4. What’s the number one item on your bucket list?
I’d love to travel to Antarctica! I’ve been to the other six continents and want to complete the set. Unfortunately, the trips are super expensive and often at weird times of the year that don’t work with my schedule, but I’m trying to figure it out. Even though coldness hurts my body, my soul wants what it wants, and I think the adventure will inspire some unique horror. Many of my short stories take place in interesting places, such as Malaysia and Kenya, but I’ve never tried writing terror set in a frigid climate, and I think it could be bone-chilling!
5. Do you believe in any superstitions?
Call it superstition, call it OCD, but yes. I need to put my left shoe on before my right, always. I try to catch my wishing time (11:15 for my birthday, November 15) twice a day to keep things going my way. Additionally, I bought a good luck candle at El Mercado de las Brujas (the Witches’ Market) in Bolivia, and I light it when I need an extra shot of mojo. Perhaps oddest of all, I only allow myself to listen to one song on my way to work—Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season.” My commute is barely over a mile long, so I usually hear it twice. I’ve listened to it every day for almost two years now, though I listen to a variety of songs on the way home. Maybe I’ll change my morning song someday, but what if I curse myself? I can’t be too careful!
6. It’s the apocalypse, and you’re making your case to fellow survivors in the hopes they’ll allow you to join the new settlement they’re planning. What are three things you’ll tell them to sway them?
I’m excellent in a literacy emergency—if you have a big paper to write and are having trouble getting started, I’m your girl!
I still remember most of the words to the Les Misérables soundtrack!
I’m great at doing my own nails!
Wait, these skills aren’t helpful in an apocalypse? Oh, man! I guess the zombies will just have to eat my brain!
7. What’s one tradition you and/or your family have?
We always decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. When my daughter was living at home, the two of us would blast holiday music as we gathered all the red and green bins and went to town creating our winter wonderland. We’d take a break to eat Thanksgiving leftovers and watch a Christmas movie, but the procedure would often last until late afternoon. Back in those days, my husband had to work that day, so his only job was to put up the outside lights when he got home. Now that my daughter has moved out west and my husband’s work schedule is more flexible, he’s stepped up to help. Our favorite part is decorating the tree together and reminiscing about our travels as we come across souvenir ornaments.
8. What’s the oddest way you’ve ever accidentally hurt yourself?
I’m extremely clumsy and hurt myself a lot. Once, I walked into my brother-in-law’s basement leading my dog on his leash. The floor was polished concrete, and my shoes were wet from pouring rain. Excited to go inside a new place, my dog surged forward and jerked his leash, causing me to fall hard on my butt. It hurt so much that my vision went black and I actually saw stars, just like in a cartoon! I 100% do not recommend breaking your butt. The pain lasted for weeks!
9. What’s the last TV show you watched?
Technically, the last show I watched was The Pitt, but lots of people are watching that, so I’ll highlight the last series I finished, Animal Kingdom. Two weeks or so after finishing the last episode, I’m still thinking about it! The Codys are a fascinating criminal family whom you root for despite everything.
10. What item do you hope will be obsolete in 20 years?
I suck at keeping track of keys. I’ve locked myself out of my house and office more times than I can count. After the first time we locked ourselves out of the house and had to wait for my parents to come with their spare key from an hour and a half away, my husband buried a key in an Altoids box under a paver. Inevitably, I locked myself out one wintry morning before work and needed to dig it up … with my bare hands in the near-frozen earth. My daughter, who was only about ten at the time, has a vivid memory of me sobbing and saying, “I feel like I’m digging my way out of a grave!” We had taken the dog—a different one back then—on a walk, and I had grabbed my office keys instead of my home keys by accident, and my husband was out of the country. Once I finally uncovered my prize with my frigid, dirt-encrusted fingers, it turned out the tin had rusted shut! I finally beat it open, but the experience was not fun. As for my office keys, it’s easy enough to go downstairs to my department chair’s office for the spare key, but it’s embarrassing how many times I’ve had to do this! I would happily punch in a code or get my eyeball scanned instead of needing to keep track of my stupid keys!
Cassandra is the author of numerous books, including novels, novellas, and collections. She’s also edited anthologies and has countless short stories in horror and dark fiction. You can find links to all of her work on her website, here!
