E213: Witch in the Woods with AG Slatter

 

Today I welcome AG Slatter to the show, also known as Angela Slatter. She writes incredible gothic fantasy fairy tale retellings, including her latest book, A FOREST, DARKLY, about a menopausal forest witch. This is why I invited her on to chat about a beloved character type, “The Witch in the Woods.” We have a great chat about the work these characters do in story and for the Gothic, and we give some great recommendations, listed below.

Angela’s Recs

• The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke
• After the Forest by Kell Woods
• Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethacott
• Slewfoot by Brom
• Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart
• (also mentioned) Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie

Agatha’s Recs

• Circe by Madeline Miller
• The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
• The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by CM Waggoner
• Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
• Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
• Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

E212: Chelsea Conradt's Creepy Dolls and Gothic Isolation

 

Today I have Chelsea Conradt on the show to chat about her new book, THE SECRET ATTIC. It’s a gothic with hoarding, creepy dolls and a nod to Rebecca. It was a treat to chat with Chelsea and I’m already excited for next book! Stay tuned until the end to hear what that one is all about.

E211: French Gothic with Sara Hinkley

Happy Bastile Day! I’ve schedule this episode for today because I am joined by Sara Hinkley to chat about French Gothics. By this I don’t mean that very specific academic field that studies 19th century Gothic French novels. I mean we are chatting about Gothics, new and old, that take place in France. Sara’s book is a glorious ode to vampires, the theater, and the Romantique of dark stories in France, so she was the perfect guest for this!

Sara’s Book Recs

• The Necrophiliac (La Nécrophile) by Gabrielle Wittkop, english translation Don Bapst
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
• A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
• La Vampire (The Vampire Countess) by Paul Féval, english translation Brian Stablefor
• Pure by Andrew Miller

Agatha’s Book Recs

• Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
• Moura by Virginia Coffman
• The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox
• The Devil on Horseback by Victoria Holt
• The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller 

E210: Simone St. James and Christina Henry on the Iconic Mary Stewart

 

Today’s episode is one of the most special I’ve ever recorded, at least for me. Simone St. James and Christina Henry join me for a conversation about the books of Mary Stewart, an extremely influential Suspense writer that wrote smart, independent women using gorgeous and witty prose. Her ability to write banter, romantic tension and high stakes suspense is unmatched, and it was such a joy to me to speak with two wonderful authors who love her work as much as I do.

E209: Hollywood, Self-Publishing, and Big 5 Publishing with TJ Payne

 

Today I have TJ Payne on the show to chat about writing and how his career has taken him from Hollywood writing rooms to self-publishing to publishing with one of the Big 5. TJ’s screenwriting experience includes cherished memories working with Rob Reiner and on new and upcoming Netflix shows like The Boroughs (produced by the Duffer Brothers) and Little House on the Prairie. I also chat about his latest book, INTERCEPTS.

E208: THE MUMMY Readlikes with Kate Khavari

 

Today I welcome back the always delightful Kate Khavari to give you all some book recommendations if you love the movie The Mummy. Kate’s new book, A BOTANIST'S GUIDE TO TRADITION AND TREACHERY, is also a perfect book comp to this iconic film. As always, Kate has impeccable taste, and she did ask for feedback from you all that read these recs, so be sure to follow her on social media. 

In the episode, she mentions the television show, Time Team, which is both on streaming services and on YouTube here.

Kate is on tour, and I will be in conversation with her in Waco at Fabled Bookshop on Thursday July 16th, 2026 from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Find out more here.

Kate’s Recommendations

•  The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Marie Thorne
•  Into the Sunken City by Dinesh Thiru
•  Raiders of the Lost Heart and Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
•  The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
•  The River She Became by Emily Varga
•  A Beastologist's Field Notes of Fated Affection by K.M. Gordon

Agatha’s Recommendations

•  The Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt
•  Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon
•  A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Reybourn (#8 in the Veronica Speedwell series)
•  Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody series) by Elizabeth Peters
•  What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
•  Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

E207: Goth Girl Summer 2: Electric Boogaloo

 

Rachel Harriosn and Stephanie Gagnon from Books in the Freezer are back with another Goth Girl Summer episode! We had so much fun with it last year, and there are an abundance of books perfect for summer that fit our spooky or melancholy moods so we had to do another one! We had a great time, and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we had fun making it. 

A few extra things we mention in addition to the book recommedations:

- Glamorous Trash Podcast - about celebrity memoirs

- Ana Mendieta - Cuban artist who inspired Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez. Here is a Wikipedia article about her with lots of great resources cited in the references. This article from Christie's has lots of images of her work, as well as information. 

Rachel

• The Compound by Aisling Rawle

• Greedy by Callie Kazumk

• Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

• What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg

Stephanie

• Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang

• Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine by Kristina Ten

• Reliquary by Hanna Whitten

• Body Count by Cody Crowley

• Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg

Agatha

• Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

• The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

• Anita De Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris