The following is an interview with Bram Stoker award-winning author Cynthia Pelayo regarding the release of her latest novel, Vanishing Daughters, through Thomas & Mercer. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Pelayo about her creative experience in exploring Sleeping Beauty for a modern audience, what she hopes that readers may take away from the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Vanishing Daughters! With Sleeping Beauty serving as its inspiration, what were you most excited to tackle in this modern psychological suspense story?
Cynthia Pelayo: There was just so much to explore. I was very excited to write an original fairy tale, which is incorporated into the novel. I was also very happy to highlight that in the Sleeping Beauty variation written by Charles Perrault that it isn’t the prince who wakes Sleeping Beauty. The 100-year curse ends and she wakes up. She saves herself.
BD: As a Chicago native, how much of the city’s dark history was known to you before tackling this story, and what can you share with us about your own research into the city’s more supernatural elements?
CP: Much of this I had already known from courses I had completed in college on Chicago history or through various historical Chicago tours I had taken.
However, I did learn a few really fascinating pieces of information from first-person accounts during my research. Everyone in the city of Chicago, it seems, has a variation of the urban legend I cover in this novel. From speaking with those people, I was able to incorporate some new information I learned.
BD: Many of your novels have released through Thomas & Mercer. What makes the publisher such a perfect home for your work?
CP: Thomas & Mercer is extremely supportive of my ideas, which are not traditional mysteries or thrillers, but have elements of the supernatural and paranormal. My editor is excellent and has been able to help me develop my work to the best that it can be, while still weaving in a variety of themes I like to explore.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. Are there any conversations that you hope Bri’s story may inspire with your readers?
CP: I hope that two conversations come from Vanishing Daughters:
- Grief, and how many of us will grieve someone we love in our lifetime, and that people should be allowed the space and compassion to do so.
- The epidemic of missing and murdered women in the United States.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
CP: My novels, Children of Chicago, The Shoemaker’s Magician, and short story collection Lotería are being re-released this year by Union Square & Co./Hachette. So, they will be available in all Barnes & Noble stores and independent bookstores soon.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Vanishing Daughters and your other work?
CP: Readers can find me on my website, www.cinapelayo.com, and can connect with me on Instagram (@cynthiapelayoauthor).
