E218: Hazel Beck and SOME KIND OF HAUNTED

 

Today I welcome Megan Crane and Nicole Helm to the show, the writing duo known as Hazel Beck. It’s a short episode, but we pack a lot in, including their origin story and Witchlore series, leaning into “cozy horror” for their new book, SOME KIND OF HAUNTED, and their twist on twins and fiber arts to bring about that cozy and horror combination for effective genre blending. 

Their bookstore recommendations include:

Main Street Books - St. Charles, Missouri

Rebel Heart Bookshop - Jacksonville, Oregon

Neighborhood Reads - Washington, Missouri

HEA Book Boutique - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Swamp Fox Bookstore - Marion Iowa

Next Chapter Booksellers - St. Paul, Minnisota

The Story Collective - St. Joseph, Missouri

Sidekick Coffee and Books - Iowa City, Iowa

E217: Horse Books for Horse Reasons! with Anna Rose Reads and Lorin from Paperback Bish

 

Today I welcome Anna from Anna Rose Reads, and Lorin from Paperback Bish in an episode full of equine delights. It’s our long awaited Horse episode where we chat about horses in fiction, from childhood stories to genre books like romance and horror. You’ll be able to tell from all our laughter that we had a great time and I hope you learn a few things about horse symbolism and get a few book recs along the way. I’d intended to post this episode a few weeks from now, but with everything happening right now, I felt the need to move this up. Anna and Lorin have been diligent in their research of reputable groups trying to combat the horrifying wild horse round ups, and they suggest:

• The Wild Horse Refuge
• American Wild Horse Conservation
• Skydog Ranch
• Rocky Mountain Mustang Refuge
• In Defense of Animals

Anna also suggested a documentary: Blue Zeus

I mention in the episode that NPR's Fresh Air recently replayed an older episode to honor Monty Roberts, who changed horse training to a humane method that listened/responded to the horse. You can listen to that here or wherever you get your podcasts. His book is called The Man Who Listens to Horses.

Lorin’s Book Recs

• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
• The Unicorn Hunters by Katherin Arden
• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• the Phantom Rider series by Janni Lee Simner (out of print)

Anna’s Book Recs

• Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
• The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson
• A Collapse of Horses by Brian Evenson
• DK Encyclopedia of Horses

Agatha’s Book Recs

• Bethany’s Sin by Robert R. McCammon (link to ebook - print is not available)
• The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (her whole Belles of London series)
• The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
• Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
• Feast of Dead Man's Hollow by Desiree M. Niccoli

Photos below include: Anna with her Spirit poster (about 5 years old), Lorin with a cute pony (about 10 years old), Me (Agatha) on my rocking horse (just turned 2 years old)

E216: Sisters in Gothic with Del Sandeen

 

Today Del Sandeen returns to the show to chat about one of my favorite themes, “Sisters in Gothic.” Del’s’ new book, THESE WALLS REMEMBER, is the perfect tie-in to this topic, and it was really interesting that I found someone else who is an only child that shared my interest and enthusiasm for sisters as a character type in Gothic and Horror. There is a lot of range in the books we recommend, so I hope you enjoy it!

Del’s Book Recs

• Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Agatha’s Book Recs

• Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
• The Sirens by Emilia Hart
• Spite House by Johnny Compton
• The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• Honorable mention - I’ll Come Back for You (The Beck Sister Hauntings #1) by Charish Reid

E215: Olivie Blake on Hollywood Gothic, Fire as Eco-Horror, and DREAMLAND

 

Today I welcome Olivie Blake to the show to discuss her new Hollywood set Gothic novel, DREAMLAND. You might know her from her fantasy sensation, THE ATLAS SIX, but she writes Horror as well, with an intelligence and depth that I am delighted to highlight here. We chat about everything from her use of identity for Gothic isolation to her use of fires as eco-horror. It’s a great conversation and it was my honor to have her on the show. 

E214: Twisted Spine - Indie Bookshop Spotlight

 

Today I’m launching a new series that features Independent Book Stores, and I’ve invited Lauren Komer from the Twisted Spine to kick things off! We chat about who they are, their inspiration to open a Horror bookstore, and we learn about their programs and books their customers clamor for. It’s a fun peek into an important part of the book world. 

The Twisted Spine is located at 306 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Their website is https://www.twistedspinebooks.com/

Their Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/twistedspinebooks

Books recommended on the episode

• Incidents around the House by Josh Malerman
• The Strange Pictures series by Uketsu
• Lone Women by Victor LeValle
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• Root Rot by Saskia Nislow
• Headlights by CJ Leede
• Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

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

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.