Scary Stories for a Good Cause: Crystal M. Romero on "The Relic"
By L.S. Johnson (https://traversingz.com/)
Tomes & Coffee Press
During her childhood, Crystal M. Romero fell in love with the horror genre. In addition to two novels, The Veil of Sorrow and Valley of the Dead, Crystal had five stories published in the LGBT 2008 flash-fiction anthology Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural. Follow her onTwitter @Crstl_M_Romero or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Crystal.1a.
Tell us a little about your story, “The Relic.”
The Relic was originally written for an LGBTQ anthology of flash fiction. This was my first encounter with the concept of writing a story with as few words as possible. I quickly discovered that it’s not as easy as I originally thought it would be. Hopefully I pulled it off.
Even with its title, “The Relic” evokes ideas of artifacts and the cultures that created them. Was there a specific culture or mythology that inspired the story?
I wrote the story when I was a university student studying Meso-American history and culture. When I came across the myth of the Jaguar Goddess, which existed in both the Aztec and Mayan pantheons, I found myself intrigued by her many attributes. In both cultures the Jaguar Goddess is the protector of women, especially during childbirth. In addition to being a protector she is also considered both an earth and moon goddess.
What is your relationship to California, and does California influence your work?
Although I wasn’t born in California, I’ve lived in the Golden State since I was a year old. Owing to this I consider myself a Californian. My early years were spent in Chico, Redding and Oroville, respectively. My high school years were spent at Las Plumas High in Oroville. Oroville is a small town that sits below Table Mountain and in the shadow of Paradise. After graduation I relocated to the Bay Area at the time when it was first becoming known as Silicon Valley. Although my first novel did not take place in California, my second novel, Valley of the Dead, takes place almost exclusively in both Silicon Valley and smaller areas in northern California.
As writers, we constantly use our imaginations, sometimes in terrifying ways. But can you imagine a hopeful future for California? What might that future look like?
For me California has always been a beacon of hope for anyone looking for a place to belong regardless of ethnicity, religion or ideology. Even in the most dystopian vision of the world, I always envision California as a state that will always come through adversity with a positive outlook for our future.
Where can readers find more of your work?
Amazon.