02/12/2026 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Denise Tapscott

Candace Nola
7 hours ago
5 min read

As we do every year in the month of February, Uncomfortably Dark takes time out to honor Black authors and Black history from every era, past and present. If you already read widely and diversely or want to get started; please add these authors to your Must - Read lists and to those TBR piles!

A massive thank you to fellow author Eliza Broadbent for this huge undertaking for this month, enabling Uncomfortably Dark to honor at least one author a day, or more!

Denise N. Tapscott is a California native. She left her heart in San Francisco, but somehow managed to leave her soul in New Orleans.

She is the author of the novel Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes and the sequel, Enlightening of the Damned. She recently released an anthology called The Friends and Foes of Zenobia and is currently working on a third book in the Zenobia series called Lotus Flowers of the South.

As an actress, she’s known as ‘Tasha’, a sassy vampire featured in the YouTube comedy series ‘The Vamps Next Door’.

Denise is also a co-host of the Beef, Wine, and Shenanigans podcast with fellow dark fiction writers Steven Van Patten, Marc Abbott, and Kirk A Johnson. The podcast is known for being both hysterical and insightful as it deals with a wide range of topics.

And as always, thank you to Candace Nola for coming up with the idea for this series and bringing me into it!

Today, we honor Denise Tapscott!

1. What kind of horror do you write/publish, and what brought you to the horror genre in particular?

I write and publish paranormal/supernatural horror. Watching scary movies and TV shows like The Twilight Zone with my mom as well as reading lots of short story collections led me to eventually creating stories of my own.

2. Who would you consider your influences and inspiration?

I’m influenced by Stephen King’s short stories and Anne Rice’s series. After watching Sinners several times, I’d like to think that I am influenced by Ryan Coogler. I am inspired by my unofficial mentor Linda Addison. She is simply amazing. I am also inspired by my friend/book bestie Steven Van Patten, who constantly works on his craft and actively supports other writers. Whenever I need something proofread, or I need an opinion on an idea I’m working on, Steven doesn’t bat an eye. He’s always open to give me honest feedback. His energy inspires me to be a better writer.

3. What piece of writing has meant the most to you, and why? This can be both your own and/or another author’s.

That’s a tricky question. I love everything I have written so far, and I adore everything that I’m hoping to write in the future (I have a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head and lots of notes laying around in my house). So far, the first short story that I published, The Price of Salvation, means the most to me. My mother was a big reader, and she enjoyed the story before she passed away from Alzheimer’s. My dad isn’t a big horror reader, but he also enjoyed it. Every so often, he and I talk about one of the main characters, Zenobia.

4. What’s your writing/editing journey been like? What challenges have you faced?

I am enjoying my writing journey. It’s never ending. One of the challenges I face a lot is writing stories that take place in certain time periods and keeping true to how things were, even though I write horror/fantasy. For example, in my first novel Gypsy Kisses and Voodoo Wishes, I originally wrote that Grandmother Zenobia reached into her purse and took out her tarot cards. An editor pointed out that back in the late 1800’s women didn’t carry purses the way we do today. Women had large pockets sewn into their dresses. So, I made the adjustment (as well as other corrections). I think details like that make my stories more interesting to read.

5. Who do you think everyone should be reading right now?

That’s a hard question. There are so many wonderful stories and poems out right now, so I say just read everything you can get your hands on.

6. What’s it like being a Black horror writer/editor at this particular moment?

I think it’s an exciting time to be a Black Horror writer nowadays. Over the past few years, I was concerned that my books might get banned because they have magic and Hoodoo, as well as references to other African Traditional Religions like Voodoo. To my surprise, more and more I see on social media that people are actively looking to support diverse voices, especially authors. There are lots of videos of people asking for book recommendations and people showing piles of books they are currently reading. As Black horror writers, we shouldn’t complain that no one cares about horror written by Black people. With movies like Sinners, we see that people do care, and they want more material to enjoy. I feel that as a Black Horror writer, now is the time to shine and send our best stories out in the world.

7. Do you do any writing or editing that’s not fiction? If so, how did you come to that space, and where can we find it?

Right now, all of my writing is fiction. I have at least two more novels and at least three short stories I’d like to finish. Eventually I will blog again, and when I do it’ll probably be on Substack.

8. Have you faced any unique challenges in your writing career?

I think one of my challenges in the beginning was underestimating my readers. For my first novel, I was concerned about being judged as “too ethnic” (which in hindsight was a weird thought to have). In the past I had been told ‘Wow, you are so well spoken’ and ‘You wrote a novel all by yourself?’ To some people, those comments may seem like compliments, but they are condescending. I was so concerned about false expectations that I didn’t include my author headshot on the back cover. Boy was I wrong! No one cares one way or another if I have a nice smile. They want a good book. Eventually I blocked out the negative chatter in my head. I took time to find my voice and now I write stories that I am interested in. I accept that every story written isn’t for everyone, just like all music isn’t enjoyed by everyone. In the end, readers want a good story in their preferred genre.

9. What advice do you have for Black horror writers who are just getting started in the genre?

I recommend that they read a lot and write a lot to find their voice. I also recommend joining a writing organization like the Horror Writer’s Associate, or something similar. Spend time with like-minded people that will support you and you can support as well. I met some of my best friends because of the HWA.