E182: Neil McRobert and GOOD BOY

 

Today I want to wish Neil McRobert, from the beloved horror podcast Talking Scared, a very happy birthday! He is a good friend, and I’m truly delighted that he is my guest today. He came on the show to discuss his new novella, GOOD BOY, a part of the Northern Weird project from Wild Hunt Books. We chat about the story, tap into Neil’s romantic side, and discuss the gothic inspirations from both literature and his surrounding landscape. 

Neil's three indie bookshop recommendations are:

• In Bath - Mr. B's Imporium of Reading Delights
• In Manchester - Paramount Books 
• In Newcastle - Barter Books 

E181: Magical Artifacts in Books with Julie Leong

 

Today I chat with Julie Leong about Magical Artifacts. We discuss her new book, THE KEEPER OF MAGICAL THINGS, as a launching point for the work magical artifacts do in fiction, like quests for power or prestige. We have some great recommendations that capture these ideas:

- The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series)
- Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
- The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (Discworld series)
- Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
- The Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (the Live Ship Traders series)
- The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke
- Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
- Bull Moon Rising (Royal Artifacts series) by Ruby Dixon
- Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston
- Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

E180: AMERICA'S MOST GOTHIC with Leanna Renee Hieber

 

Today I chat with Leanna Renee Hieber about her new book, AMERICA’S MOST GOTHIC, that she co-wrote with Andrea Janes. It’s about America’s haunted history through the lens of Gothic tropes. They interviewed me as part of their research, and used my interview with Neil McRobert (from the Talking Scared podcast )on my “What is Gothic?” episode in the book, so you'll recognize things you love about my show as you read. We also talk about our favorite tropes, and the respect we owe to the dead in ghost stories.

In the episode, you hear me discuss two books by an author, Erin O. Wallace, who wrote a follow up book to her first one to correct the widely believed misinformation about her haunted inn in Seguin, Texas. The first book, which does include accurate Seguin history, is Haunted Seguin. The second one, Mysteries of the Magnolia Hotel, is exclusively about the historical true crime that occurred in her inn, the ghosts that haunt it, and the truth she uncovered as she researched in archives. 

E179: When Gilmore Girls meets Ghosts with Jen DeLuca

NEW EPISODE! Today I chat with Jen DeLuca about her new book, GHOST BUSINESS. It’s the second book in her romance series set in Boneyard Key, “the most haunted town in Florida.” I’ve been a fan of Jen DeLuca since her previous series, set in a Renaissance festival. We discuss her unusual settings and the reverence she has for these delightful, kitchy places. We also chat about her Gilmore Girls inspiration, as well the state of the ghost tour industry and how it inspired this book. 

In the episode, I mention a woman in Seguin, Texas who owns a historic inn. She wrote "Haunted Seguin," which has loads of information on the haunted history of the town, including her in. However, the more she dug into archives, old newspapers, etc... she found out the truth about a murder that took place at her inn many years ago. She was able to set the record straight both in her second book, "Mysteries of the Magnolia Hotel" and with official police records. That's right! She properly solved the mystery herself! 

E178: Rachel Harrison and PLAY NICE

 

Today I chat with Rachel Harrison about her exceptional new book, PLAY NICE. We discuss her inspiration for the story, including real life examples of society’s need to scrutinize and demonize women, both real and fictional. We also discuss Gothic elements of the book, and the “book within a book” feature readers will see on the page. I'm so glad I got to have this conversation with her. Rachel had a lot to say about the "demonization" of women, especially those who speak a truth no one wants to hear. Thanks for listening. 

E176: Ghost Hunting and Haunted Dolls with Alice Vernon

Today I welcome professor Alice Vernon to the show to discuss her newest book, GHOSTED: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF GHOST HUNTING, AND WHY WE KEEP LOOKING. It’s an engaging sociological look at Ghost Hunting primarily in British history. We discuss modern ghost hunting television shows, the evolving business approaches to ghost tours, and the escapades of her haunted doll, Bev, which she purchased on Ebay. You can find Alice on Instagram

Alice Vernon with Bev, the haunted doll purchased from Ebay.

E175: Ruby Dixon and BY THE HORNS!

 

Today I welcome Ruby Dixon to the show to discuss her newest book, BY THE HORNS. It’s a fun monster romance with adventure, humor and spice, told with Ruby’s signature attention to craft. We discuss her journey as a writer, the evolution of monster romance and the work these stories do in fiction. She also answers questions from some of my Patreon members. Thank you Sarah Beth and Trevor for such thoughtful questions!