WORDS

*I’m still updating this page. There are still a few recent items to add. Thanks for your patience as I clean up around here.*

Awards

Children of Chicago, winner of the International Latino Book Award for Best Mystery (2021)

Award Nominations

Into the Forest and All the Way Through, nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and Elgin Award (2020)
“I Need to Believe,” nominated for a Bram Stoker Award (2020)
Poems of My Night, nominated for an Elgin Award (2017)
The Missing, nominated for an International Latino Book Award (2016)
Santa Muerte, nominated for an International Latino Book Award (2012)

Reviews

Interviews

StokerCon Reading
Dark Waters Podcast, Interview
NightWorms Reading, Celebrate Horror
The Haunting of the Disappeared, Interview with the Horror Writers Association
Women in Horror Month, Females of Fright hosted by the Horror Writers Association
HWA Interview with Superior Achievement in Poetry nominees, The 2020 Bram Stoker Nominees For Superior Achievement in Poetry
March Polis/Agora Panel Interviews with Josh Stallings, Vito Racanelli and Cynthia Pelayo moderated by Chantelle Osman
Chicago Public Library Interview, Discussing Children of Chicago
The Necronomicon Interview, Cynthia Pelayo Discussing El Orfanato / The Orphanage
Books in the Freezer Interview, Horror Poetry
Ghoulish Pod Interview, Discussing missing people and Into the Forest and All the Way Through
True Crime Fan Club, Discussing Into the Forest and All the Way Through

Short Stories / Essays / Poems

2022
Roses in the Attic, The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors (Bad Hand Books, 2022)
This is Not a Poem, Writing Poetry In the Dark (Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2022)
Skincare Routine, Under Her Skin (Black Spot Books, 2022)
I Hate Slashers, Slash-Her (Kandisha Press, 2022)

2021

Lucky Charm, Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase Volume VII (2021)
Garden Landscape, Were Tales, A Shapeshifting Anthology (Brigids Gates Press, 2021)
Six Sides, Diabolica Americana (2021)
The Light Blinds, Far From Home: An Anthology of Adventure Horror, Off Limits Press (2021)
Snow White’s Shattered Coffin, It Came From Beyond Pulp (2021)
The Forever Awful House, Campfire Macabre, Cemetery Gates (2021)
Lamb’s Lettuce, Twisted Anatomy, An Anthology of Body Horror, Sci Fi and Scary (2021)

2020

I Need to Believe, South West Review (2020)
A Story in Three Parts, Black Telephone Magazine, 2020
Come Away, Come Away, Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror, and Hope During a Pandemic (Polis Books, 2021)
The Cottage, Twisted Fairy Tale Showcase (2020)
The Red Dress, Ink Heist (2020)
Scrying, Hook of a Book (2020)
Alice’s Wonderland Inverse, Cedar Hollow (2020)
Holiday Traditions, Halldark Holidays (Cemetery Gates, 2020)

2019
Lament of the Vejigante, Both Sides, an Anthology of Border Noir (Polis Books, 2019)
Boricua Obituary, Pa’Que Tu Lo Sepas (Down and Out Books, 2019)
The Black Wallpaper, She’s Lost Control (Post Mortem Press, 2019)

2018
I AM, Horror Writers Association 2018 Poetry Showcase Volume V (HWA, 2018)

2016
Funeral Print, 44 Lies by 22 Authors (Post Mortem Press, 2016)

2015
The Horror Zine, featured poet, (2015)

2013
The Tower, The Horror Zine, (2013)
The Toymaker (MicroHorror, March 2013)
Labyrinth (Blood Moon Rising), July 2013)
Eve (Danse Macabre, February 2013)

2012
Blaspheme (Gothic Blue Book: Revenge Edition, October 2012)
El Diablito (Burial Day Books, June 2012)
Asylum (Seedpod Publishing, May 2012)

2011
La Muerte (Flashes In The Dark, October 2011)
Red Rose (SNM Horror Magazine, August 2011)
White Snow (Danse Macabre, June 2011)
La Escalera (Static Movement, June 2011)
El Gallo (Weird Year, August 2011)
The Gravedigger (Gothic Blue Book: Haunted Edition, November 2011)
La Rana (Frightmares: A Fistful Of Flash Fiction Horror, November 2011)

In the News

Writing Horror in 2021, LitReactor
Real-Life Horror: 5 Fictional Books Based on True Crime, Tor Nightfire
Dark Sangre: Five Latinx Horror Writers You Should Know, Tor Nightfire
The Things That Haunt Us, Kendall Reviews
The Making of a Horror Writer, Gingernuts of Horror
Sci-Fi and Scary Author Spotlight, Sci-Fi and Scary
Wine and Crime Podcast, Into the Forest and All the Way Through Review (Review at 01:16:00), Wine and Crime
Into the Forest and All the Way Through, The Madhouse Review
Introducing Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Ladies of Horror Fiction
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Discussion, The Pod and the Pendulum Podcast
Book Review: Lockdown: Stories of Crime, Terror and Hope During a Pandemic, Crime Element
Women Thought Leaders in Horror, Interview with I Am Sterp
Poems of My Night, Well Read Beard Review
Lockdown Anthology – The BOLO Books Review, Bolo Books
Nine Female Authors You Should Read This Women in Horror Month, Tor Night Fire
Mythology, Vampires, And Spirits: 8 Horror Novels By Latinx Authors, Bookriot
15 Authors Like Stephen King You Need To Add to Your TBR, Bookriot
Interview on the Bastard Title Podcast
Interview with Cedar Hollow Horror Reviews
HWA Poetry Showcase Judge Interview, In The Madhouse
Interviewed about Halloween for the Beyond the Written Word podcast
Interviewed by Bram Stoker Winning Poet, Stephanie Wytovich
Horror Writers Association Interview with Cina Pelayo
Wizard World Chicago Comic Con guest speaker
Horror Writers Association, Poems of My Night, on the recommended reading list
Interview With Paranormal Insider Radio On Latin American Folklore
Interview on the Electric Chair
Interviewed by Tereso Lo
Fictitious Musings LOTERIA review
The Hot Chicago Writer Blog, Chicago Sun-Times
A grave issue, The Guardian
Mystery in Baltimore regarding Edgar Allan Poe ESPN
Tell-tale letdown: Poe visitor again a no-show KOMO News
Interview on Weekly Artist
Into the Forest and All the Way Through is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection and “I Need to Believe” is nominated for Superior Achieve in Short Non-Fiction for the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards®
http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/front-page/the-2020-bram-stoker-awards-final-ballot/
11 Crime Novels You Should Read This February
https://crimereads.com/11-crime-novels-you-should-read-this-february/
Children of Chicago included on this list of The 10+ Most Anticipated Horror Books Coming Out in March 2021
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-10-most-anticipated-horror-books-coming-out-in-march-2021.html/
Women In Horror – It’s a Matter of Confidence
https://gingernutsofhorror.com/features/women-in-horror-its-a-matter-of-confidence

Articles

Fairy Tales Are Dark For A Reason, Crime Reads
The Importance of the Character Interview, LitReactor
The Holidays Are Here, How to Take Care of Yourself, LitReactor
Managing a Professional Author Online Presence, LitReactor
Stay Positive and Write, LitReactor
What Tools Do You Use to Edit Your Manuscripts, LitReactor
Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear, LitReactor
The Top Three Things Your Character Needs, LitReactor
Writing a Novel With Save the Cat!, LitReactor
Carmen Maria Machado, The Wonder of Her Tragedies, The Madhouse
True Crime / Death on Display, Presentation at Third Estate Art
How Do I Get An Agent Anyway, Horror Tree
I Wasn’t Broken, Medium
Shopping For Spells: Exploring Four of the World’s Witchcraft Markets, Atlas Obscura
7 Not-So-Secret Homes of Super Secret Societies, Atlas Obscura
The Chicago Street Life
The Old Chicago ‘L’ Lines
Run this Town
Take a Leisurely Stroll Through a…Cemetery
Movie Palaces in Chicago
Home Décor: Collecting the Odd
Become the Ghost Hunter: Guide to Haunted Chicago, FNews
Toasting Poe, InTheFray
Artist Exchange, InTheFray
Humboldt Park: Sea of Murals, Extra News
What’s up with that?, TimeOut Chicago
It happened here – Stable Connections, TimeOut Chicago
Art Shouldn’t Be Comfortable
https://divinationhollow.com/reviews-and-articles/pelayo-about-art
My Fiction Hints to My Reality
https://horrortree.com/wihm-12-my-fiction-hints-to-my-reality/
The Importance of the Character Interview
https://litreactor.com/columns/the-importance-of-the-character-interview
Fairy Tales Are Dark For a Reason—They’re Trying to Warn Us About Danger
https://crimereads.com/fairy-tales-are-dark-for-a-reason-theyre-trying-to-warn-us-about-danger/

Affiliations / Organizations

Crime Writers of Color
Horror Writers Association
Mystery Writers of America
Sisters in Crime

Follow Cynthia Pelayo International Latino Book Award Winning Author