Goodreads asked Sheryl Monks:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Sheryl Monks The stories in my forthcoming collection Monsters in Appalachia came about slowly, over the course of a decade or so when I was learning how to write short stories. I'm still learning, but I had no real idea when I set out what kind of collection I was writing. I thought I was writing a collection of stories about girls, but as I experimented with styles of writing and voices, I found myself wanting to try more stories from different perspectives. Many of the stories are quite moody because I love darker, grittier realism. I spent the formative years of my childhood in rural West Virginia, a place I've always loved for its wild beauty. I now live in North Carolina, but I have lots of fond memories of WV, and I find my mind going back there when I write.

For some reason, my imagination often imbues those WV stories with a darker veil. I think maybe it's because WV has always broken my heart. There's a lot of beauty and good, hardworking people there who seem to get caught up in a failed economy that leaves them few options. It's fertile soil for conflict in storytelling and a way for me to express some of what I feel about the place.

Some of the stories were inspired by crazy dreams I've had, such as the title story, for example, which is about an elderly couple who find themselves living in the end days. There's no deer, no rabbit, no wild game left to hunt. All that's left are monsters.

A lot of the stories touch upon themes of good and evil, right and wrong. Appalachia is often pegged as being backwards, especially in regards to matters of faith. Part of what I hope the collection does is illuminate the complexities of the culture. I wanted to play a bit with some of the stereotypes, ask readers to look again at the people and places. I'm often frustrated when I hear people disparage Appalachians (and others) as lazy, stupid, dangerous, or what have you. People are always so much more than we can see from the surface of their lives. I hope my characters capture some of that in this book.

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