Spotlight On: Michelle Tang

This month we are casting the spotlight on Michelle Tang, a newer member of the Circle, but a much valued one! Michelle recently published her second novel! So, make sure you check it out because it is available for pre-order!

What publishing route did you choose and why? What advice would you give to someone else who wants to go this route?

I wanted to learn about the different paths of publishing, which has changed a lot in the last decade. I figured the best way to do that was to go through each route myself to decide which suited me best. I published my gaslamp horror novella, DuMort, through a wonderful small press called Ghost Orchid Press, and my horror novel, She Waits Where Shadows Gather, was sold to Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, with the help of my agent. I’d like to try self-publishing at some point as well. 

As far as advice I would give to another writer, I’d tell them to figure out what’s most important to them in terms of their writing career and the best-suited publishing route often reveals itself. For those who can’t make up their minds, like me, there’s always hybrid publishing.

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book, She Waits Where Shadows Gather, is an adult horror book about a couple who moves from Canada to the Philippines to sell the husband’s ancestral home. An accident traps them in the house, which is haunted, and they’re forced to confront the ghosts and long-buried secrets residing within its walls. 

This story was inspired by my memories of a childhood trip back to the Philippines to visit family. I remember climbing up this dark, narrow stairway, the electricity was shut off, but my grandmother was there so I wasn’t afraid. The book’s a love letter and a trip down memory lane, because every time I read it, I’m remembering this person or that staircase or those mango trees. 

I write all sorts of speculative fiction, but my novels do tend to involve ghosts and lean into the horror genre.

Is there a genre or format that you would like to try that you haven’t yet? Or maybe one that you would never try? Why or why not?

I don’t think I could ever write a romance. I love romance, and read widely in the genre, but when I try to write a romantic scene, I find it incredibly hard to capture chemistry or romantic tension, and the dialogue ends up stilted and awkward. In the current book I’m writing, all my beta readers told me that the romance subplot needed a lot of work. One reader even called my love interest “creepy,” which wasn’t my intention at all. So yes, I love the romance genre, wish I could write it, will probably never be able to.

How can you make time to write even when it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day or you just don’t want to?

To some extent, I treat writing like a job. If I’m waiting for my kids at their piano lessons, I can think about plot or character, or write out a scene in my notebook. If I’m tired after work, I tell myself to write out one scene. It helps that I’m a plotter, because I personally find when I try to think up ideas, it doesn’t work as well when I’m tired. So I plot everything out and then it’s just laying it all out on paper/the screen. That being said, I don’t want to burn out on writing, because I love it, so if I’m really too tired or reluctant to write, I won’t. I’ll read or listen to another book, and go back to my own work when I’m feeling ready. The good thing about writing is that, except when you’re under contract, there isn’t really a deadline to write your book, so it can take as long as it takes.

More about Michelle:

Michelle Tang writes speculative fiction from Canada. Her short stories have been published by Cemetery Gates, Escape Pod, and Flame Tree Publishing, among others, and her novella, DuMort, was released by Ghost Orchid Press in 2025. Her debut novel, She Waits Where Shadows Gather, will be published by Poisoned Pen Press in May 2026. When she’s not writing, Michelle enjoys playing video games, lurking on social media, or stabbing people for fun and profit. You can find her at MichelleTangWrites.ca, or on Instagram: @MichelleTangWrites.