We were so excited to interview The Little Book of Satanism author, La Carmina, for this next installment of our Meet the Author Series! La Carmina is an alternative travel/culture/fashion/food blogger, award-winning writer, television host, and fashion icon. In her new book she explores the history and culture of Satanism through the ages, the common misconceptions about it, and what it actually means to be a Satanist.

Check out The Little Book of Satanism, on sale next week (October 25th) and read on to meet La Carmina!

Introduce yourself!

Hail, Ulysses readers! I’m La Carmina, author of The Little Book of Satanism. I write about Satanism and Goth / alternative subcultures worldwide at @LaCarmina and LaCarmina.com. I’m also a travel and culture journalist (for publications like Time Magazine, Huff Post, Business Insider, CNN), and a TV host (for networks like Travel Channel, Discovery, Food Network, National Geographic). I’m excited to be releasing my fourth book right before Halloween with Ulysses Press – it was a joy to work with the team through the entire process.

Describe The Little Book of Satanism in one sentence.

The Little Book of Satanism is the first accessible book to chart the development of Satanic history, culture, and practices over the centuries.

Why did you want to write this book? What’s the most important message?

There are so many negative stereotypes and falsehoods about Satanists. Contrary to the popular imagination, Satanists don’t worship an actual Devil or engage in evil practices. Rather, self-identified Satanists find meaning in the religion’s emphasis on individual expression, nonconformity, scientific rationalism, and never “bowing the knee” to dogma and superstition. I hope my book helps shine a light on Satanism’s meaningful values, and bring about a better understanding of the religion’s history, evolution, communities, and practices.

What was your biggest challenge with writing The Little Book of Satanism?

As this is a “little book,” it was challenging to fit in all the key information about the evolution of the Devil and Satanism over the centuries! I cover many topics within this guidebook including describing Satanic symbols and rituals, seminal works like The Satanic Bible and Paradise Lost, the Devil’s footprint on pop culture, historical events like the Salem Witch Trials and Satanic Panic, and much more.

What’s your favorite movie/TV show? What are you currently watching?

I love watching bad B-movies, particularly from the 1980s. Every week, Lucien Greaves of The Satanic Temple streams a triple feature of terrible movies at TST TV Movie Night. Anyone is welcome to join us to watch films and trade jokes in the chat. Recently, I watched Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984), a sci fi musical with giant perms, aliens, robots… what more could one want!

What’s something you’d like your audience to know about you?

Thanks to my work as a travel TV host / blogger / journalist, I’ve been to over 70 countries. Some of my favorite places include Easter Island, Egypt, Myanmar, and of course Japan (my second home). And perhaps you’ve seen my appearances on travel TV shows such as Bizarre Foods, a No Reservations promo, Oddities, and other shows!

If you’d like to see more of my Gothic outfits and travels worldwide, you can check out my adventures at @LaCarmina and LaCarmina.com