What scares you, and how does it influence your writing?
A lot of people get scared by traditional monsters and demons, but the real monsters I fear are humans. There are people who show no remorse, sadists who enjoy hurting others. To me, there's nothing more frightening than thinking about what humans are capable of because they're palpable and the same as us. While we might not be able to see certain creatures, we all have images in our heads of truly awful people, and envisioning what could either happen to us or what we're physically capable of absolutely petrifies me. So... naturally, I write about it.
I don't like to write about comfortable things. I never have, although more recently my work has shifted to the thriller side instead of very experimental, literary fiction. I like to write about the people who scare me and scenarios that are out of a character's control. For Jerkbait, I needed to go to a dark, horrifying place to write a story that deals with gay teen suicide and online predators, especially as the novel originated as semi-autobiographical. There's a story that one character, Heather, shares about a hanging and a house sale--this was something that my ex-bestfriend told me that has haunted me since I was sixteen.
About Jerkbait
Even though they're identical, Tristan isn't close to his twin Robbie at all—until Robbie tries to kill himself. Forced to share a room to prevent Robbie from hurting himself, Tristan starts seeing his twin as not an NHL prospect, but a struggling gay teen who is terrified about coming out in the professional sports world. Trapped together in their claustrophobic room, Robbie suggests they run away with "Jimmy2416," a guy Robbie has talked to online for months but never met. Tristan must decide whether to tell his parents about Robbie's plan, losing his twin's trust forever, or go on a journey that will put their lives and innocence in jeopardy.
About Mia Siegert
Mia Siegert received her MFA from Goddard College and her BA from Montclair State University where she won Honorable Mention in the 2009 English Department Awards for fiction. Her debut Jerkbait (a YA coming-of-age thriller) will be released May 2016 by Jolly Fish Press. Siegert has been published in Clapboard House, Word Riot, The Limn Literary & Arts Journal, as well as a few other small presses.
Siegert currently works as an adjunct professor and a costume designer. She enjoys training horses and watching hockey.
You can find her on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter!