Thursday, October 29, 2026

E226: Collecting Book Cover Art with Skye Lacerte of Swann Auction Galleries

 


Today I have Skye Lacerte on the show. She’s the Illustration Specialist at the Swann Auction Galleries in New York, which means she is the one who curates and conducts the auctions with the original art behind our beloved book covers and interior illustrations. If you love a good clinch cover or a “paperback from hell,” or a “women running from houses” book, Skye will very likely have sold some of the paintings behind your favorite book covers! She has lots of great information if you’re interested in acquiring this art for yourself! 

You can find the Swann Galleries here.
 
Their next Illustration Art Auction is coming up, and you get the highlight information here. Artists will include some of my personal faves, like Brian Froud, Edward Gorey, and Tasha Tudor!

Friday, October 23, 2026

E225: Bigfoot, UFOs, and Ghosts with Mallory Marlowe

 


Today I have Mallory Marlowe on the show to chat about her unique take on paranormal romance. She writes about Bigfoot, UFOs, and ghosts, but in a delightful voice that’s entirely her own. We have tons of fun in this short episode chatting about her work, as well as haunted dolls and ghost tours. I can’t wait to have her back on the show!

The three bookstores Mallory recommended are:

Link to the adorable merch by Wandering Reader Designs for Mallory's books is here.



Thursday, October 15, 2026

E: 224: Art in Gothic with Madison Tyler Nelson

 


Today I have Madison Tyler Nelson on the show to chat about Art in Gothic. Her new book, PORTRAIT OF A HAUNTING is an exciting debut that uses painting and bodily fluids and mothers to tell an unforgettable Gothic story. She was the perfect guest to chat about art in Gothic books, and I love that range of titles we chat about here. 



Madison’s Book Recs



Agatha’s Book Recs



E222: Horror and Romance in Film with Emma Cole

 


Today I welcome Emma Cole to the show to chat about movies that blend horror and romance, which is also the topic of her new nonfiction book, LOVE NEVER DIES: ROMANCE IN HORROR MOVIES. We talk about a range of films, from Hitchcock to the Lost Boys, and my favorite era…the 90s resurgence of luxurious Gothic in film, including Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, and Sleepy Hollow. It was a lot of fun to read this book, then watch some of these movies! A project I hope you all indulge in. 


Thursday, September 24, 2026

E121: Isabel Canas and THE HOUSE OF GARDENIAS

 


Today I welcome back Isabel Canas to the show to chat about her new book, THE HOUSE OF GARDENIAS. It’s a Gothic YA novel that is as riveting and haunting as her other books. It was great to chat with her about writing for this audience while maintaining everything we’ve come to love from her as a writer. I highly recommend it for fans of her work! 

If you want to take her class on writing the Gothic, you can do so here. I took this class and it's wonderful!

If you want to see her tour info is below:




Thursday, September 17, 2026

E220: Theater Gothic with Erin Craig

 


Today Erin Craig returns to the show to chat about “Theater in Gothic.” Erin’s new book, OUR STRANGE DUET, is a retelling of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Erin does make a point of noting that this is not a retelling of the novel. Rather, it’s a tie-in to the 40th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical, so our theme is tied to both the theatrical story and the theatrical production. I hope you enjoy our book recommendations! 



Erin’s Book Recs


Agatha’s Book Recs


Tuesday, September 15, 2026

E219: Rachel Harrison and KISS SLAY REPLAY

 


Today Rachel Harrison returns to the show to chat about her new book, KISS SLAY REPLAY, a horror timeloop novel with Rachel’s signature wit, wisdom, and creativity. We chat about the range of horrors in the novel, from monsters to facing each new day with normal responsibilities. We also chat about brides, dead brides, weddings with paintings of dead brides, and the good, the bad and the ugly of weddings. We talk about writing too, and I hope it’s helpful.

I mentioned Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, a wonderful book about writing that I'll link below Rachel's book.

Bookstores Rachel recommends