E184: Ghost Brides in Books with Lindsay Barrett

Today I have Lindsay Barrett on the show to discuss “Ghost Brides” in books. We chat about her new book, THE DRAVENHEARST BRIDES, a loose retelling of Daphne Du Maurier’s influential Gothic novel, REBECCA, set on a haunted bourbon distillery estate in Kentucky. We also discuss the universal interest in ghost brides and give some great book recommendations listed below. 

Lindsay's indie bookshop recommendation is Greedy Reads in Baltimore. 

The artist who does Lindsay's book covers is Austin Drake.

Lindsay’s recs

• Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh
• Inheritance by Nora Roberts
• She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
• The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen
• The Lover’s Eye by Lauren M Hayworth

Agatha’s recs

• The Hacienda by Isabel Canas
• The Third Wife of Faraday House by BR Myers
• The Bride of Pendoric by Victoria Holt
• Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
• Peony in Love by Lisa See

E183: Friendly Ghosts in Books with Olivia Blacke

 

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.