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

E206: Crones, Demons, and Witches! Oh My! with CM Waggoner

 

Today I have C.M Waggoner on the show to chat about her books, THE VILLAGE LIBRARY DEMON HUNTING SOCIETY and THE SOMEWHAT WICKED WITCH OF BRIGANDALE. We discuss voice and humor, her ability to write “women of a certain age,” and what it means to write cozy books with stakes. I love her style, her wit and her incredible imagination, so definitely add her books to your TBRs. 

The bookstores CM Waggoner recommended were: 

• Kinderhook Books in Kinderhook, New York
• Golden Leaf Books (this one has the shop dog!) in Waterford, New York

E205: Black Witches in Fiction with Savannah Stephens

 

Today I welcome Savannah Stephens to the show to chat about Black Witches in fiction. To be clear, we are not talking about ‘black magic,’ we are discussing books that feature Black characters that are also witches. Savannah’s book, WITCH QUEEN RISING, is a genre blend of fantasy and horror that takes place in New Orleans. It has werewolves, vampires, and a witch who must reluctantly return home to assume her powers. We have some great book recommendations for you, listed below. 

I recommended Tasha Harrison's Substack on the show, which you can subscribe to here.

Savannah’s recs

• This Poison Heart (This Poison Heart, #1) by Kalynn Bayron
• Death Card by Jasmine Smith
• An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
• Witches Steeped in Gold (Witches Steeped in Gold, #1) by Ciannon Smart
• Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle, #1) by Tracy Deonn

Agatha’s recs

• Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin
• Under a Strawberry Moon by Tasha Harrison
• I'll Come Back for You and I’ll Conjure You by Charish Reid
• This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
• The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

 

Today I have Jennifer from "Art of the Clinch," a social media account which features book covers and information on vintage romance paperbacks, including vintage gothics during October. I wanted an episode about collecting old paperbacks, whether you’re interested in old clinch covers, “women running from houses” gothic romances, or paperbacks from hell, and I thought Jennifer was the perfect guest for this. I’ve followed Jennifer since ye old twitter days, though now I follow her on Instagram and Threads. 

Jennifer's website is here. 

In this episode, she references Dr. Maria De Blassie's essay on "Joyful Problematization," which you can find here. 

E203: Downton Abbey Readalikes with Moorea Corrigan

 

NEW EPISODE! I’m particularly excited because today I welcome Moorea Corrigan to the show to chat about Downton Abbey Readalikes. Her book, THISTLEMARSH, is a historical fantasy that takes place in the aftermath of WWI. She’s really well read on this historical period, as you’ll see in our chat and we had an absolute blast talking about how the books we picked connect to one of our favorite comfort shows. We have a range of genre, something for everyone! 

Moorea’s book recs

• Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier 
• The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door - H.G. Perry 
• The Warm Hands of Ghosts - Katherine Arden 
• The Lord or Stariel - A.J. Lancaster
• The Once and Future Witches - Alix E. Harrow

Agatha’s book recs

• The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
• Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James 
• The Deep by Alma Katsu 
• Longbourn by Jo Baker 
• The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton 

E202: Folk Horror with Dawn Kurtagich

 

Today I welcome Dawn Kurtagich to the show to chat about Folk Horror. Dawn’s new book, THE SEVENTH SISTER, was the perfect launching pad for this subject. It’s about seven sisters who are sent to live on a remote island with their grandmother. It has rituals, forests and isolation…in other words, my favorite elements of Folk Horror. Below is a list of our book recommendations, with links to my Bookshop if you want another way to support the show. Thank you for listening!

Dawn’s Book Recs

• Withered Hill by David Barnett 
• Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie
• A House in the Dark of the Wood by Laird Hunt
• The Watchers by A.M Shine
• Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick 
• The Haar by David Satergren

Agatha’s Book Recs

• The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
• Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
• The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
• The Lighthouse Witches by CJ Cooke
• Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

E201: Cats in Fiction with Nicole Glover

 

Today I welcome Nicole Glover to the show to chat about Cats in Fiction. We cover a range of genres, from Gothic to Cozy Fantasy. Nicole’s latest book, THE STARSEEKERS, is a blend of murder mystery, magic, and science - specifically space travel. Naturally, a cat is also at the heart of this story. She was a lovely guest and will also my Patreon Book Club featured author in October with her book THE CONDUCTORS. 

Nicole's website is: https://nicole-glover.com/

Nicole’s Book Recs 

• Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce
• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
• The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
• Monstress by Marjorie Liu
• Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes
• No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCafferty
• Catwings by Ursula le Guin

Agatha’s Book Recs

• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
• Circe by Madaline Miller
• The Village Library Demon Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner
• Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
• The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard

E200: Horror Comics with Nat Cassidy

Today I welcome back Nat Cassidy to talk about Horror Comics, a topic near and dear to my heart, but it’s also one that may surprise you. Horror Comics have as much range as the Horror genre in regular fiction books, so I hope you all enjoy our chat and are inspired to walk into your local comic books shop to explore what’s out there. I will also have the titles from our chat that are still in print, as well as other favorites, linked to my Bookshop if you want to support my show as well as independent bookstores nationwide.

Nat's new book is a short story collection called I KNOW A PLACE, linked below. 

Nat’s Recs

1. EC Comics like Tales from the Crypt by Grant Geissman

2. Uzumaki by Junji Ito

3. Locke & Key by Joe Hill

4. Tapping the Vein by Clive Barker

5. From Hell by Alan Moore

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman

Agatha’s Recs

1. Nightmares and Fairytales by Serena Valentino 

2. Lenore by Roman Dirge (link is for a collection of 3 volumes)

3. Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

4. Fangs by Sarah Anderson

5. The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

6. The Crow by James O’Barr

E199: Icon of Gay Gothic Romance - Vincent Virga

Today I have the honor of chatting with the iconic Vincent Virga. His book, GAYWYCK was the first book published that featured gay characters to fall in love and have a happy ending. Until this point, gay characters were either villains or met tragic endings. I contacted him as part of my research for my own book about vintage Gothic Romances, and I’m delighted that his work is still in print. Links below to the print book in my Bookshop, if you want to support the show. Ebook is on Amazon.

E198: Cats, Magicians and Montreal with Heather Fawcett

 

Today I welcome back Heather Fawcett to chat about her new book AGNES AUBERT’S MYSTICAL CAT SHELTER. It’s a cozy fantasy that takes place in an alternate magical version of 1920s Montreal, and I love the juxtaposition of cats, messy magicians, and a woman who will do anything to save all the stray cats of Montreal. Heather and I also chat about the importance of community in Cozy Fantasy, and she tackles some of my craft questions about writing. 

In the episode, I mention The Triplets of Belleville. You can watch the movie here. The DVD appears to be out of print and I'm not sure where else it's streaming. Your public library may have it since it was an award winning film. 

The independent bookshop Heather shouts out is The Laughing Oyster in Courtenay, BC

Canada

The link to Heather's very smart and thoughtful Substack newsletter is here.

Heather also advocates for supporting the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

E197: Johnny Compton and DEAD FIRST

 

Today I welcome back a good friend and wonderfully terrifying writer, Johnny Compton to chat about his new book DEAD FIRST. It’s his first venture into genre blending his usual love of horror with mystery and noir. We get into his influences for the book as well as discuss how he gives his stories the flavor and atmosphere that immerse the reader in his stories. We also chat about his new story collection from Weird Tales called MIDNIGHT SOMEWHERE. My blurb on this book describes it as a more terrifying Twilight Zone, and I stand by that.  

The book store Johnny Compton wanted to highlight is The Book Nerd. 

He did also mention, Ghoulish Books, Nowhere Bookshop, The Twig, and Haunt Happy Books.

The ghost hunting show I mentioned is Strange Town. I mentioned an episode where they visit Yorktown Hospital, but I was mistaken. They visited Old Yoakum Hospital. You can view their YouTube channel here. 

E196: Jayne Ann Krentz on Gothic Tropes and Romantic Suspense

Today I welcome back one of my favorite people, Jayne Ann Krentz. She is an incredibly kind and generous person who is also a much beloved Romantic Suspense writer that you may also know as either Jayne Castle or Amanda Quick. She came on the show to chat with me about her favorite Gothic tropes, and she gives some fun book recommendations that use these tropes too, listed below.

- Jayne's Bookstore Recommendation is The Poisoned Pen, in Scottsdale, Arizona

Jayne’s favorite Tropes and Character Types:

• “Natural” horror — mushrooms gone bad, storms, unknown species of animals, eco-disasters, etc.
• Isolated female protagonist 
• Claustrophobic situation (the classic Big House on the edge of the cliffs)
• The growing realization that the protagonist can’t trust anyone.
• The protagonist’s fear that she might be going mad — the Gaslight trope.

Jayne’s book recommendations: 

• The Vermilion Sea by Megan Chance 
• Snake-eater by T. Kingfisher.
• The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
• Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens
• A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Hacienda by Isabel Canas 

E195: Simone St. James and A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS

 

Today I welcome back one of my favorite Gothic writers, Simone St. James. Her new book, A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS is out this month, perfect for fans of THE SUN DOWN MOTEL. We are careful not to reveal spoilers, but we enjoy revisiting her haunting fictional town of Fell, New York, and we chat about her inspirations that range from The X-Files to Stephen King novels read way too young. Simone is also my guest this month for my Patreon Book Club, so feel free to join us for a chance to ask her your questions directly. 

E194: Historical Romance with Diana Biller

 

Today I welcome one of my favorite romance writers, Diana Biller. She is also one of my favorite people, and I wanted someone really positive and smart that can always make me laugh to join me for my first episode of the new year. I’d seen the sudden and unexpected resurrection of Historical Romance towards the end of 2025, after being told all year that this genre was dead, so I wanted to set the tone for 2026 with a vibe that defies the odds and embraces joy. I hope you like the episode, and I wish you the very best New Year!

In this episode, I mention The Writers League of Texas, which you can join here. 

Diana’s Book Recs

• My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas
• Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory
• Midsommer Moon by Laura Kinsale
• Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
• Nine Rules to Break When You’re Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
• The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Agatha’s Book Recs

• The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas (Marrying Winterborne pictured)
• Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt
• The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
• How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe