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! 

174: Isabel Canas and THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ

 

Today I welcome Isabel Canas to the show to discuss her newest book, THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ. It’s a beautifully lush book with her signature cinematic storytelling. We discuss writing about possession in our current political climate, what possession means in the context of motherhood, and we get to the root of her core story. We also chat about genre blending between horror and romance, which you all know is my favorite combination!

In the episode we discuss THE YEAR OF WONDERS by Geraldine Brooks, which is a historical novel based on a real English village that sequestered itself during a plague outbreak so as not to spread the disease. They knew most would die, but they did not want to spread it. 

We also discussed Isabel's class with the Writers Conservatory on writing Gothic. It's called "The Dark Fantastic: Crafting Unputdownable Fiction, and you can take this class at any time. It's available here.

The short story anthology Isabel discussed is an Owl Crate exclusive called Monsters in Masquerade, which is available here.

Finally, if you want to sign up for Isabel's newsletter, you can do so here!

E173: Sarah Best Durst and THE ENCHANTED GREENHOUSE

 

Today I welcome Sarah Beth Durst to the show to discuss her newest book, THE ENCHANTED GREENHOUSE. It’s a delightful cozy fantasy novel with sentient plants, a winged cat, and some subtle commentary on who has the right to learn and the importance of libraries in our communities. We also discuss a bit about craft and genre blending, if you’re interested in writing a cozy fantasy yourself. I hope you enjoy it!

172: Sangu Mandanna and A WITCH'S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING

 

Today I welcome Sangu Mandanna to the show to discuss her newest book, A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING. It’s a wonderful book full of whimsy, self-reflection, and the most unusual ghosts I’ve ever read. This book wasn’t just a pleasure to read, it was so well written that I asked as much about craft as I did about her cozy fantasy elements. We also discuss the autism representation in her book, so I hope that has as much meaning for you as it did for me.