Dissecting Josh Ramirez
Welcome back to the Black Hare Press Dissecting Author interviews, where we dissect an author to find out who they are, what they write, and what keeps their creative juices flowing.
Today, we slice open horror and dark fantasy author Josh Ramirez to spill his writing secrets and learn more about his new release, Crimson Totem.
Welcome Josh!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Ramirez writes horror and dark fantasy, drawing inspiration from the many mysteries of the Oregon coast—including the nightmarish things that wash ashore.
By day, Josh is an office manager for a non-profit organization. In his off hours, you’ll find him café crawling, scrounging through bookstores, or haunting the nearest aquarium.
His first submission to Black Hare Press’s Short Reads Series, Crimson Totem, marks his debut as a published author.
Bibliography:
Crimson Totem, Black Hare Press, 2026
Connect:
Website: joshramirezauthor
GoodReads: Josh Ramirez
Tell us about yourself. When did your passion for reading and writing start?
In middle school, I happened upon my first King novel, The Shining. Reading was already a regular part of my life, but when Jack Torrance entered room 217, I understood how powerful writing, not to mention the reader’s imagination, can be.
ABOUT THE BOOK
How much of your writing is ‘write what you know’ or ‘researched to death’?
A healthy mix of both, I’d say. I like using what I know as a springboard to research new subjects and incorporate them into my writing. The internet is a powerful tool, and I’ll always love learning.
Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym, and why or why not?
Initially, I’d considered using a pseudonym, but I knew my folks would get a kick out of seeing my name on a book cover. Plus, I’m fond of the name they gave me.
What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
Writing a whole book is quite the undertaking, and at least for me, leaves little time on a normal day. The best advice I can give is to never stop reading, despite the temporal setbacks. My brain works best when it has new stories to mull over, new info to process. That alone makes each time I sit down to write more fruitful.
How do you come up with character names for your stories?
I prefer names that are syllabically short but roll off the tongue. In my day-to-day, I see many real people’s names pop up, cool-sounding ones too, so I challenge myself by avoiding them. When I later see one of my characters’ names appear at, say, my day job, I feel as if I’m being watched.
What’s brewing? What are your next big writing goals?
I’ve been chipping away at editing my unpublished 74k-word novel, currently titled Shimmer of the Maw. My ultimate goal is to one day see it published. In the meantime, I’m developing the outline for a novella.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Crimson Totem by Josh Ramirez
LAUNCH DATE: 10th October 2026
A missing man’s suicide note leads a garbageman into a house where reality bends, and something ancient is waiting to crawl inside him.
Craig Filmore’s life is simple: collect rubbish, get through the day, and try not to think too hard about what might have been. That changes when he receives a suicide note from his best friend, Teo.
The note arrives by email.
The problem is, Teo is nowhere to be found.
A visit to Teo’s house uncovers blood but no body, and a cryptic address scrawled on a discarded piece of paper: 324 Calderon Avenue.
Driven by equal parts loyalty, curiosity, and terrible decision-making, Craig tracks the address to an abandoned house hidden on the edge of town. Inside, impossible spaces stretch beyond reason. Centipedes lurk in the dark. Strange manuscripts appear where they shouldn’t exist. And an itch beneath Craig’s skin begins to spread.
As the mystery surrounding Teo deepens, Craig finds himself pulled toward a force older than memory—something vast, hungry, and waiting beyond the limits of ordinary reality.
Because some houses don’t hide secrets.
They create them.
And once they choose you, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever leave unchanged.
What sparked the idea for this story?
Two events in my life, one recent and one from my childhood. The former was a day that my weekly garbage pickup was late, causing me to imagine the trouble my trash collector had run into. The latter was a time I’d stayed at a friend’s house. His older brother donned a flannel jacket to cut firewood in the driveway, only to shrug it off seconds later. A lone centipede emerged from beneath the crumpled jacket. For some reason, that stuck with me.
Did you plot or pants this story, and would you change your process if you had to start again?
It was mostly written from the hip, with a few ideas thought up during my many commutes home. On the road, I’d be itching to dedicate it all to written word at my laptop later that night. It was a scattershot process, but not one I regret.
How much research did you need to do for this story?
Not much! I got lucky in having just read some thriller novels by Peter Swanson. That guy knows all the house-related vernacular a writer could ever need. Though I still had to Google a few terms.
How much did the story change from first draft to publication?
Very little. Much of what I’d changed pre-submission were the usual suspects: janky paragraphs, grammatical errors, punctuation oddities. The story’s progression stayed very much intact.
What elements (if any) from your real life ended up in this story?
The disdain for centipedes is definitely my own. Unlike my story’s protagonist, I avoid them at all costs.
How did you come up with the title?
Many of my favorite things growing up have memorable but striking titles. Resident Evil. Eternal Darkness. Misery. Cool and to the point, that’s what I was aiming for.
What’s your favourite scene? Why?
There’s a part near the end I’m especially proud of, where it becomes clear that the protagonist isn’t the same anymore. I love those moments of gradual realization in storytelling.
Is there a particular message that you hope readers will take from the story?
If a friend or family member has passed away, don’t go digging through their trash for mysterious addresses. Go talk to a therapist.
THE STITCH UP
How do you celebrate when you finish a story?
Coffee and a biscotti.
If you could ask any author a question, who and what would you ask?
I’d ask Peter Swanson to design my house.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark?
A Pokémon card (Squirtle, to be exact).
What’s your all-time favourite book?
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
Hook me! Why should I read your story?
UrBex, centipedes, eldritch decay, garbage. What’s not to love?
Want more? Read all the Dissecting Author Interviews on the Black Hare Press website: blackharepress.com/blogs/author-interviews
Thanks for chatting with us, Josh! This interview is all stitched up.
Learn more about Josh in the links provided, and remember to add Crimson Totem to your TBR list.
Want more? Read all the Dissecting Author Interviews on the Black Hare Press website: blackharepress.com/