Meet KC Grifant | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Western Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with KC Grifant and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi KC, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Understanding when to persevere or when to call it quits is a critical skill essential to achieving successes, professionally and personally. A constant drumbeat of “never give up” is overly simplistic and doesn’t allow for the intelligent reflection to understand when to cut your losses, regroup, and try something else. There’s no point in persevering with an endeavor, or business, or job, or relationship if you’ve exhausted every option and it’s still not working. But, you also don’t want to throw in the towel too quickly—sometimes the point of most frustration is right before breaking through to the next level of achievement.

There’s a delicate balance between giving up because something feels too hard versus continually beating your head against the wall while losing precious time and energy. Both extremes are driven by fear or frustration, rather than thoughtful introspection and determination.

It’s helpful to be critical and neutral as a scientist and hold the ego at bay to honestly evaluate why something isn’t working. After giving a genuine effort at growth and improvement, take time to decide if the goal is indeed a matter of time or perseverance, or if you need to “give up” and try something new. I put “give up” in quotes because the phrase typically has a negative connotation, even though in some cases, it’s the best and most responsible action to take.

As one example, when I wrote and pitched a fantasy novel years ago, I hit a wall. I received dozens of generic rejections from agents and publishers. Frustrated, I hired a content editor to give me general feedback on the piece, especially the opening. The editor gave great input but I could read between the lines: the story wasn’t ready and needed more work. At its heart, the premise was a hard sale (Greek mythology) because it had been done so many times.

Painful as it was, being honest with myself and open to the feedback helped me to accept the story was not where it needed to be. Since I had given it a good go, I decided to shelf that project for the time being, and start new. Fast forward to when I pitched a new novel, a supernatural western, last year. Rejections still came in, but they were of a different quality. Several of the agents and publishers gave feedback that they enjoyed the story but it wasn’t marketable to mainstream interests. This gave me hope that the story was in a good place, and I just needed to find the right outlet and audience. I continued to pitch and eventually connected with an indie small press that loved the book. My debut novel, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER, came out in February 2023 from Brigids Gate Press, with praise from New York Times bestsellers, the Library Journal and others. It was, literally, a dream come true—one I would have never achieved it without that balance of perseverance and flexibility.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an author of horror, fantasy, science fiction and weird western tales. My short stories have been internationally published in podcasts and magazines, including Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, Unnerving Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Dark Matter Magazine, the British SF Association’s Fission Magazine, Tales to Terrify, the Lovecraft eZine, and many others. I also have short stories in dozens of anthologies, including: Chromophobia; Musings of the Muse; Dancing in the Shadows – A Tribute to Anne Rice; Field Notes from a Nightmare; The One That Got Away; Six Guns Straight From Hell; Shadowy Natures; Beyond the Infinite – Tales from the Outer Reaches; and the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror.

My debut horror fantasy western novel, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press), published in February. I describe it as “The Witcher meetings Bonnie and Clyde” in a re-imagined Old West full of monsters, diverse characters and fast-paced adventure. The main character is stoic sharpshooter Melinda West, 29, who, with her charismatic partner, Lance, offers their monster-exterminating services to desperate towns in the Old West. They fight everything from giant flying scorpions to psychic bugs until they accidentally release a vengeful demon that steals their friend’s soul. They must travel across treacherous lands to track a dangerous outlaw and battle a menagerie of creatures—all before an army of soul-devouring demons descend on Earth. This book falls into the category of “Weird Westerns”—essentially an Old West tale with a speculative (science fiction, fantasy, horror) aspect.

As with many authors, creating and getting a book to publication was an incredible challenge. The road is paved with many rejections, challenges and moments of doubt. However, it’s important to stay true to your vision and focus on what you can control–writing the best possible story that you only can tell.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of the wonderful things about San Diego is the overwhelming number of options for visitors! My visitors’ itinerary usually look something like this:
-Beach walk or hikes at La Jolla Cove, Coronado, Torrey Pines, Mission Trails.
-As many taco spots as we can manage! City Tacos, Taco Shop, Lucha Libre, and Puesto are high on the list.
-An afternoon of the many awesome breweries in Mira Mesa/Miramar (New Motion, AleSmith, Ballast Point, Gravity Heights).
-A whirlwind indie bookstore tour to Mysterious Galaxy, Verbatim, Warwick’s and Artifact Books.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to the Horror Writers Association. This nonprofit organization has chapters all over the world dedicated to supporting horror literature. Through it, I have met many kind mentors and colleagues. The HWA offers a wonderful camaraderie in what can be a lonely endeavor. I co-founded the San Diego chapter of the HWA several years ago and have met so many wonderful horror fans and writers in San Diego since.

Website: www.KCGrifant.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcgrifant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcgrifant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcgrifant

Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@kcgrifant Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8288519.K_C_Grifant Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/KC-Grifant/e/B01B3O66AY BlueSky – https://bsky.app/profile/kcgrifant.bsky.social

Image Credits
Jason Liu