She Wore Black

Today, I’ve invited friend and author, Desiree M. Niccoli to do a buddy read with me. We discuss the book, “The Ghost Bride,” by Yangsze Choo, compare the novel to the Netflix adaptation, and share our favorite sexy smooch moments of the book. If you want to read “The Ghost Bride” after all of our squeeing, you can order your copy using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Riley Sager to talk about his book, “The House Across the Lake,” a mystery novel that explores Hitchcockian voyeurism with an unreliable narrator, and includes a classic Sager twist you don’t see coming. I want to issue a trigger warning for both the book and the show, since the main character is an alcoholic. We discuss this at 14 minutes and 20 seconds into the episode, so if you want to avoid listening to that, skip ahead a few minutes. I have a fun bonus question for him in the second half that you may want to stick around for. You can order your copy of “The House Across the Lake” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I interview mystery author, Megan Collins. We talk about her most recent book, “The Family Plot,” a novel I had a lot of fun reading and have been sharing with all my friends. It has a spooky house, detailed and gruesome dioramas, and a family obsessed with True Crime. You can buy “The Family Plot” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author and editor, Alex Woodroe, who is one of the geniuses behind the indie horror treasure that is Tenebrous Press. We talk about “In Somnio,” their collection of modern gothic short stories, as well as the innovative place they have carved out as a young publisher. I’ve divided this episode into two parts, so transitions aren’t quite the same as in a normal show. The second episode is a look at the book industry from the retail and library side. She actually interviews me for that one, so stay tuned for that show that if you’re interested in finding out how book retailers and libraries find your books and put them into the hands of readers. You can buy “In Somnio” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, LP Hernandez, who I was lucky enough to meet at Ghoulish Book Festival in San Antonio prior to our recording. We talk about his upcoming novella, “Stargazers,” as well as his short story collection, “The Rat King,” which you can buy using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You will can also find links to more of his stories at https://lphernandez.com/links I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today!

CW: incest and pedophelia in Anne Rice's work is discussed Today, I’ve invited horror author, Josh Malerman, to talk about Anne Rice. He has been reading through her books and wanted to chat about both her vampire and witch series. I was more than happy to oblige. We talk about her craft and world building, as well as the impact she had on horror, but we also take an honest look at some of her problematic elements both on and off the page. I am really happy with this well-rounded discussion and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. It was a real treat for me. I’ve included some Josh Malerman and Anne Rice titles in my online bookstore at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. Any purchase you make using my link will help towards the costs of the podcast. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Carolyne Topdjian, to talk about her fun and spooky gothic novel, “The Hitman’s Daughter.” We squee over the parts that sizzle, and talk about the joy of indulging gothic's melodrama. There are family secrets, a haunted hotel, a surprising amount of action, and a slightly ambiguous ending that leaves us eagerly awaiting book 2! What a good time! You can find "The Hitman's Daughter" at most bookstores, or you can get it through my online bookshop to support both the podcast and independent bookstores nationwide. That's at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack.

Today, I’ve invited author, V. Castro to talk about Erotic Horror and the merging of genre. We examine the definitions of Erotica and how it differs from Erotic Horror, discuss the significance of the sub-genre in the context of a broader conversation about consent and agency over our bodies and sexual identity. We use Castro's stories for this discussion and she shares what we can look forward to from her in the coming months. You can order copies of any of the books mentioned on this episode using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Alma Katsu to talk about her book, “The Fervor,” her most recent historical horror novel, this time set in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. You can pre-order your copy of “The Fervor” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I also want to add that you can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Show notes can be found on our website at www.sheworeblackpodcast.com  Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Kris Waldherr to talk about Mary Shelley, the beloved gothic icon who penned Frankenstein as a teenager and whose life was truly stranger than fiction. Kris has a book coming out this fall, called “Unnatural Creatures,” which is about the women of Frankenstein, and she will be back for a deep dive into that novel later this year. If you want to support the podcast and the cost that goes into show production, you can buy books at our online bookstore at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. Any purchase you make from that link will also help support independent bookstores nationwide. For updates on the podcast, you can visit my website or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. If you have a moment, please leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Links to the books discussed in the podcast can be found in our show notes at the website, www.sheworeblackpodcast.com Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited librarian and anti-censorship activist, Carolyn Foote from FReadom Fighters, to talk about the state of book banning in America, especially in Texas, and what authors and readers can do to combat this. As a former librarian myself, this subject is important to me. You’ll hear how dire the situation is, tales of ridiculous things happening in school board meetings, and I share some crazy experiences I had with censorship and book challenges. We present action items for you to take and I hope this inspires you to help curb the tide of book bans that are primarily silencing people of color and the LGBTQ community. I will have some challenged books featured on my bookshop.org storefront if you want to help support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Today, I’ve invited author, Isabel Canas, to talk about her book, “Hacienda,” a very gothic haunted house story that takes place in 1830s Mexico. You’ll be able to hear just how excited we both were about doing the show. I hope you enjoy our conversation about this book, Latinx representation, hot priests and how she came to write horror. You can pre-order your copy of “The Hacienda” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. I’ve put the book under my Gothic and Mystery suggestions. I also want to add that you can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Charish Reid to talk about her book, “I’ll Come Back for You,” a novel that is as scary as it is sexy. Two sisters inherit their grandmother's haunted B&B, and one sister invites a famous ghost hunting show to help purge the ghost while the other sister gets a second chance at romance with an old crush. Like I said, scary and sexy! It’s pretty obvious we had a great time, and I hope you share this joy with others by spreading the word about the She Wore Black podcast. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited the wonderful gothic authors Nicole Eigener and Beverly Lee to talk about their joint story, “Crimson is the Night.” Many of you know Nicole from her lush vampire novel, “Beguiled by Night,” and Beverly’s fans have followed her through her “Gabriel Davenport” vampire series as well as other novels. We talk about their shared project, some writers they adore, as well as finding success as independent authors.

Today, I’ve invited author of the very popular Lady Sherlock mystery series, Sherry Thomas. We talk about how she came to create a fresh adaptation of a beloved classic character and series, her roots as a romance author, and a bit about the craft of writing mystery. The 6th book in the series, titled “Miss Moriarty, I presume” is out now, and be on the lookout for the 7th book later this year. I also want to acknowledge that there are parts of the show where the audio is a little wonky but the Sherry was great so don’t let that get in the way of a great listen.

Today, I’ve invited author and editor of dark speculative fiction, Alex Woodroe. Her writing and editing credits are too many to list in the intro, but I specifically wanted to talk to her today about her collaboration with Brigits Gate Press on their anthology, “A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales.” We also talk about her experience as a writer from Romania and how that’s impacted her career, as well as her dreams for fellow Romanian writers. I had the best time with this interview and am so glad you all tuned in for this one.

Today, I’ve invited author Wendy Dalrymple back to the show for a Buddy Read on the popular gothic romance novel, “The Widow of Rose House” by Diana Biller. I wanted to round out the Valentine’s episodes with a closer look at a book known for being spooky as well as a proper romance. Since Wendy writes gothic romance, including the novella “The Ghost and Mr. Moore,” I thought she would be the perfect person to buddy read this one with me. I will link to both this book and Wendy’s in the show notes.

On this episode, Book Riot contributing editor, PN Hinton, joins me to talk about Gothic Romance. We break down the differences between gothic and gothic romance, as well as offer recommendations, links to which can be found in show notes on our website.

It's February! She Wore Black is doing a few episodes that discuss the merging of gothic and horror with romance, starting with a discussion on the recent success of Monster Romance as a sub-genre of both. Desiree M. Niccoli has a vicious mermaid novel out this fall with City Owl Press, titled "Called to the Deep," and a novella, "Given to the Ghoul" out now. Thanks for listening!

Join me as I talk to debut gothic novelist, Paulette Kennedy. We talk about her book, "Parting the Veil," what we love about gothics, and what's coming from her later this year. Links will be in show notes to books and authors we discussed in the episode.