Mind on Fire Books

What’s up, everyone! I am absolutely buzzing—not only because my new collection, Folklore and Flesh, is officially OUT TODAY, but because I got to have such a great conversation with Vanessa Finaughty about the book! If you want to know what goes on inside my head (spoiler: it’s about me!), check out this deep dive we did.

If you haven’t heard, Folklore and Flesh explores the new genre I’m calling Folk Body Horror (FBH). We talk about what that really means—that horrifying idea that “The Land Has a Claim on Your Flesh,” forcing the human body to mutate to serve some ancient, dark purpose. I share some weird stuff, too, like how I use a napping technique inspired by Salvador Dalí for ideas, and how my life as a Marine veteran and a boxing/yoga coach actually feeds into the discipline and horror I write. It was a really honest chat about heritage, corruption, and the body.

Interview Excerpt:

Question from Vanessa: What message would you like readers to take from your work?

The core message I want readers to take away from Folklore and Flesh—and really, from all my work—is the absolute necessity of honoring and confronting your own heritage and the land you occupy.

My stories, with all their grotesque transformations and body horror, function as extreme allegories for the trauma, the violence, and the unanswered questions that are passed down through generations, or mirroring our current existence.

This was a blast to record, and I encourage you to read the full interview with Vanessa here. More importantly: Folklore and Flesh is AVAILABLE NOW in both ebook and paperback on Amazon! Thank you all so much for the support! Go get your copy and tell me what you think!

Interview with Willy Martinez, author of Folklore and Flesh