(Editor’s note: FRESH BLOOD is a column where I interview promising new writers of horror fiction.) 

Emergency room physician by day and horror author by night, N.J. Gallegos is about to unleash a masterfully written debut novel titled The Broken Heart.

Tapping into her background as a doctor, Gallegos has created a uniquely dark horror thriller about a despondent wife and mother named Casey Philips who receives a serial killer’s heart via transplant along with his hunger for killing. After the operation, Casey is plagued by dark dreams and a newly acquired taste for vengeance as Gallegos boldly (and brutally) captures the desperation of a woman facing the grim truth about her family and her future.

Published by Winding Road Stories, The Broken Heart is slated for release September 19. Click HERE to preorder the book on Amazon. 

Gallegos’ previously published works include the Black Hare Press novella Just Desserts, the novelette Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires, and a number of short stories, including “Full Moon Rising.” 

Leading up to the release of The Broken Heart, Gallegos is also sharing a trio of free standalone short stories on her website about other human organs. The first, “See No Evil,” is available to read at njgallegos.com. 

The Illinois writer agreed to an exclusive Q&A interview via email with lionelraygreen.com where she shares her love for craft beer, Star Wars, and her favorite Taylor Swift song.

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LIGHTNING ROUND  

What has you glued to the TV nowadays?  

My wife and I enjoy movies: horror, thriller, action, sci-fi. But as far as TV goes? I adore reality TV, anything on Bravo really. Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules. All the new Star Wars content … I cannot WAIT for Ahsoka!

What’s the last horror movie you watched that you’d recommend?  

Evil Dead Rise. Demonic zombies really do it for me, and the latest installment of the Evil Dead series is solid! I’ve been whispering to my cats, “Mommy’s with the maggots now,” like a total creep since my viewing.

I know Stephen King is your favorite author and his novel The Stand is your favorite book. What’s your second favorite book by King?  

I’m gonna cheat and say his collection Skeleton Crew because it encompasses pretty much all my favorites: The Mist, The Jaunt, Word Processor of the Gods, and Survivor Type. But if I must pick a book: Pet Sematary. I was so happy to see Church again!    

What’s the last book you read that you’d recommend? 

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. A friend bought me this memoir for Christmas, and I’d just gotten around to reading it. Machado guides the reader through a pivotal relationship that — unfortunately — turned abusive. It’s a heartbreaking story for sure but I feel enriched for having read it.  

What’s the last thing you heard or saw that made you laugh?  

My wife telling a story about work (it involved poop and yes, I have the sense of humor of a teenage boy).

Do you have any pets? 

Theodore: A 8-plus-year-old tabby who needs constant attention and love or he’ll die.  

Cat Bane: a 1-year-old tabby (named after Cad Bane, one of Star Wars’ best bounty hunters) who loves to play fetch and scream.

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THE INTERVIEW  

On your website, you say “craft beer, Star Wars, and pasta are the keys to my heart”? What’s your favorite craft beer, favorite Star Wars movie and character, and favorite pasta dish. 

Favorite craft beer: Founders Green Zebra. It’s a salted watermelon gose, not too high in alcohol, and is perfect to drink at the pool on a hot summer day.  

Favorite Star Wars movie: Revenge of the Sith. Watching Anakin’s fall to the Dark side made for good cinema and now having Clone Wars series to support the movies, RotS is even better! 

Favorite Star Wars character: Ahsoka Tano. Seeing her transform from an unsure Padawan to a bad ass “I’m no Jedi” while remaining true to herself … priceless. I always love a woman that wields two lightsabers too.   

Favorite pasta dish: Spaghetti. It’s simple but when it’s good… it’s heaven. I love nothing more than making some homemade pasta with our KitchenAid.   

I read you encountered a bunch of Swifties at StokerCon 2023. What’s your favorite Taylor Swift song?

Blank Space for sure. Now I’m a married woman but I used to be a bit of a disaster (before I did my growing up) and that line, “I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream,” is just too perfect. Also love the music video!  

As a physician, do you try to write stories that incorporate interesting medical circumstances?  

Absolutely! One of my biggest inspirations in my writing is Stephen King’s On Writing. Listening to the audiobook helped me get the guts to start writing and putting myself out there. There’s a line where King says to “write what you know” and he gives the example of someone being a plumber. Maybe they’re the plumber on a spaceship traveling to a new planet? I know medicine and to be honest, a lot of what we do in medicine is brutal if you boil it down: scalpels cutting into people, procedures that are medically necessary but could be considered a form of torture? And you’ve gotta admit, having a doctor or nurse with nefarious intent … that’s gotta be one of the scariest thoughts! Incorporating medicine into my writing is my way of bringing my flair to it.

You were on a panel at StokerCon 2023 about “how to avoid medical mistakes in your writing?” How was that experience and what’s the most important lesson you shared on that panel?  

The panel was an absolute blast and was my first panel! Chatting about medicine and murder was a dream come true for me. And my personal advice? Minimizing cleanup and evidence is paramount. Might I suggest a nice poison rather than a slash across the throat?  

I read where you like to write stories about women getting even. You said that’s your kink. What’s the best revenge you’ve ever personally delivered? 

Ha! The one that comes to mind? Egging a guy’s prized muscle car in the middle of winter, totally ruining the paint job. And sadly, I don’t feel like the revenge was as good as it could have been. Wrecked paint job versus sexual assault of one of my good friends … doesn’t even match up.   

In your job, you said you sometimes see the underside of humanity like child abuse and sexual assault. Do you think your writing is like therapy to help you deal with the harsher realities of the world, or is it simply that you want to tell stories because you enjoy writing and want to entertain readers? 

I would say it’s a 50/50 mix. Writing is 100 percent therapy for me and helps me process some of the horrible stuff we see. And my entire life has been filled with goals: attend college and get into medical school, score well on tests and boards, match into your specialty, etc. Not having a “goal” to work towards contributed to burnout (along with the COVID pandemic) but now having stories to share … I feel fulfilled. Being able to entertain someone? Icing on the cake.  

Speaking of a harsh world, the protagonist Casey Philips in your soon-to-be-released debut novel The Broken Heart is living in one for sure. With all your written works published from short stories to novellas, how did you decide that The Broken Heart would be your debut novel and not some of the other previous story ideas you had written or thought about? What made Casey’s story special enough to be your debut novel? 

Funny you should ask that, because I had another novel in the works before I got the idea for The Broken Heart! Casey’s story captivated me. She wanted what so many people do: a loving marriage, children to nurture, good health, and instead of the American Dream … Casey is plunged into an American Nightmare. I also LOVE the idea of an anti-hero. Rooting for someone to do awful things for good reasons … another one of my kinks.

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