In this episode of the show, Trevor sits down with Brenda Peynado, the award-winning author of The Rock Eaters and Time's Agent , her new novella available from Tor Dot Com. They talk about writing near-future science fiction, about daring to have hope, about navigating the cooption of art and academia for other purposes, and much more. You can find more from Brenda Peynado at her website, brendapeynado.com, and you can find Time's Agent wherever you buy or borrow your books. Hosted on Acast. Se...
Sep 22, 2024•40 min•Ep. 121
In this episode, Trevor talks with Katrina Monroe about her latest novel, Through the Midnight Door . They talk about dealing with its heavy themes, about writing characters with authenticity, and also about Katrina's forthcoming writing projects and the joy they bring to her creative process. Content Warning: This episode contains a frank discussion about dealing with depression and self-harm, and may not be suitable for all listeners. If you are dealing with depression or ideations of self-har...
Sep 09, 2024•51 min•Ep. 120
Join Trevor this week as he talks to Emma E. Murray, the author of recent books When the Devil and Crushing Snails , both available from Shortwave Books and Apocalypse Party (respectively). Together, they talk about Emma's psychologically complex characters and themes, the exercise of empathy in horror fiction, about chasing utopian longings through disturbing media, and how transformative simple kindnesses and love can be. For more from Emma, you can check out emmaemurray.com, where you can fin...
Aug 29, 2024•52 min•Ep. 119
In this week's episode, Trevor converses with author Matthew Lyons about his new book A Mask of Flies . They talk about the beauty and importance of awe in feral places, in what differentiates niceness versus kindness, and about giving a damn in fiction and in life. You can support Matthew Lyons by following him at matthewlyonsauthor.com or by reading or requesting A Mask of Flies, now available from Tor Nightfire at your local library or wherever books are sold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Aug 18, 2024•51 min•Ep. 118
In this episode, Trevor sits down with Lor Gislason and Shelley Lavigne, the authors of The Flesh of the Sea , a novella of pirate adventure and goopy monsters, now available from Hedone Books. Together, they talk about writing a novella in tandem, about their love of queer and goopy horror and monsters, about Trevor's peculiar reading habits, and about why horror remains so important to both Lor and Shelley as writers. You can find more from Lor Gislason at lormaggot.ca and Shelley Lavigne via ...
Aug 11, 2024•52 min•Ep. 117
In this week's conversation, Trevor is joined by author Ally Russell, whose latest middle grade novel It Came from the Trees is full summer scares and trips into the woods. They talk about writing for younger audiences, about trusting in the wisdom of young readers, and about discernment in horror readership among other topics. It Came from the Trees is now available wherever you buy your books, and you can find more from Ally Russell at https://allyoutthere.beehiiv.com/. Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Aug 05, 2024•35 min•Ep. 116
Trevor visits with author Cynthia Gómez to talk about her new collection of short stories, The Nightmare Box and Other Stories . Together, they explore some of the deeper ideas embedded within Gómez's anti-capitalist fiction, alongside what it means to write anti-capitalist art in an age of ever-present capitalist ideology, and the importance of maintaining craft in service to the art as opposed to merely in service to the message. The Nightmare Box and Other Stories is available now from Cursed...
Jul 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 115
In this episode, Trevor sits down with Paulette Kennedy, the bestselling author of Parting the Veil, The Witch of Tin Mountain, and the recently-released The Devil and Mrs. Davenport . Together, they explore the importance of the Gothic and how The Devil and Mrs. Davenport responds to both midcentury Gothics and contemporary politics. They talk about women and agency, the importance of community, and using art for both entertainment and politics. You can find more from Paulette Kennedy at paulet...
Jul 08, 2024•59 min•Ep. 114
In this episode, Trevor is joined by writer and poet Ananda Lima to talk about her debut collection of short stories, Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil. They talk about the significance of art as a reader and an artist, about the meaning of craft in both fiction and as applied to meaning-making in life, about the source of the Devil's wisdom in guiding the creation of story, and much more. Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil is available on June 18, 2024 from Tor, and can be found wherever y...
Jun 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 113
Trevor is joined by author Constance Fay, whose novels Calamity and Fiasco are now available from Bramble. They talk about space adventure and romance, about constructing heroines that exist within and outside of traditional romance tropes, and about building believable narrative tension between strong heroines and their romantic counterparts. You can find more of Constance Fay's work at her website www.constancefay.com, and you can find Calamity and Fiasco (out June 4, 2024) from most bookselle...
Jun 16, 2024•45 min•Ep. 112
Dinosaurs on the loose! Come join with Alex Ebenstein as he talks about his latest novella, Reanimated Rex , published May 14, 2024. We talk about dinosaurs, about rediscovering wonder and joy through literature, and about why that recovery matters. Alex Ebenstein can be found at alexebenstein.com, where you can also order your copy of Reanimated Rex . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 28, 2024•57 min•Ep. 111
Join in with L.P. Hernandez as he explores some of the bigger themes and ideas of his latest novella In the Valley of the Headless Men. Alongside Trevor, he talks about the loss of frontiers and concepts of self, how art impacts life and meaning making, and about his show Dog-eared Nightmares. You can find more information about L.P. Hernandez at lphernandez.com and you can find Dog-eared Nightmares on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you enjoy finding podcasts. In the Valley of the Hea...
May 21, 2024•52 min•Ep. 110
Liz Kerin returns to talk about her latest novel, First Light , the sequel to Night's Edge . Together with Trevor, she talks about how the book approaches complex issues of guilt and grief, about how it handles its revenge arc, and about the way the book reflects on empathy and radicalization over trauma. You can find more from Liz Kerin at her website, lizkerin.com, and you can get your copy of First Light from Tor Nightfire wherever you buy your books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
May 11, 2024•56 min•Ep. 109
In this episode, Trevor talks with author and RPG writer Meredith Katz about their unique blend of speculative romance fiction. They talk about representation of queer communities, the problems with and capabilities of using metaphor to write about real-world issues, and how Meredith incorporates community through collaborative, interactive writing activities every year. You can find more from Meredith Katz at www.softcryptid.com, including all of their current and upcoming projects. Hosted on A...
May 04, 2024•53 min•Ep. 108
S.A. Barnes returns to the show to talk about her latest novel, Ghost Station , available April 9, 2024 from Nightfire. Alongside Trevor, she explores themes of capitalism in horror set in space, about character conflict--both exterior and interior--and the purpose and function of art in human lives. She also shares a whole lot about Ghost Station and some details about her next novel (it's top secret, don't tell). You can find more about S.A. Barnes at staceykade.com and find Ghost Station on A...
Apr 09, 2024•55 min•Ep. 107
In this episode, Trevor is joined by author Jennifer Thorne, author of Lute, Night Music, and together with Lee Kelly, The Antiquity Affair . They discuss her new novel Diavola , available from Tor Nightfire on March 26, 2024. Jennifer explores some of the ideas behind the book, including identity construction, people's resistance to change, and how she feels about art as creator and reader. You can find more from Jennifer Thorne at jenniferthorne.com and can find Diavola at your favorite bookse...
Mar 26, 2024•43 min•Ep. 106
In this episode, Trevor is joined by Stoker Award-winning author Robert Ottone as they talk about bagels, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, the importance of building community and attending StokerCon, as well as some writerly advice from Robert about dialogue, filling the well, and maintaining momentum as an author. Sit back, enjoy an intimate conversation with Robert, and don't forget to follow him at Spooky House Press, where you can find all news about Robert's newest, like his chapbook Transgre...
Mar 19, 2024•51 min•Ep. 105
In this episode, Trevor sits down to talk with Gwendolyn Kiste, the multi-time Bram Stoker Award winning author of Reluctant Immortals and The Haunting of Velkwood. Gwendolyn shares some of the inspiration behind her latest book, The Haunting of Velkwood , and delves into the way art and media has the potential to help communicate healthy ways of escaping our hauntings. She also talks about bisexuality and its representation in literature, about bi-erasure, and the importance of art reflecting b...
Mar 06, 2024•40 min•Ep. 104
In this episode, Trevor talks with S.E. Porter, the author of Projections , now available from Tor. They talk about the book's origins in a story that explores toxic masculinity, its transformation over several revisions, the influence of Spiritualists on the book's many drafts, and how the book addresses issues of toxic masculinity and feminism from both contemporary and historic lenses. You can find more from S.E. Porter by following her at her website (https://www.sarahporterbooks.com/). You ...
Feb 27, 2024•53 min•Ep. 103
In this episode, Alexis Dubon joins Trevor to talk about love, its representation in media, and how we miss what we should be celebrating by focusing too much on the wrong kind of intimacy. They also discuss how love and its representation shows up in her own fiction and art, like in her limited-edition chapbook Nineteen Little Stab Wounds . For a short time, you can find Alexis Dubon's collection of flash- and micro-fiction Nineteen Little Stab Wounds from Dread Stone Press. All proceeds from p...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 102
In this episode, Trevor speaks with Sunny Moraine, the author of Your Shadow Half Remains , a novella published by Tor Nightfire on February 6, 2024. Together, they talk about how the book tackles dystopian psychological horror, reflecting on how the pandemic continues to shape generational headspaces, why dystopias seem so common with readers, the utility of addressing common generational horrors, and how the book deals with mental health and neurodivergence. You can find more about Sunny Morai...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 101
This week, Trevor sits down to talk to Emily Ruth Verona, the author of Midnight on Beacon Street , a novel now available from Harper Perennial. Emily shares about her experience with anxiety and OCD and how that experience reflects on the characters in the book, as well as what compels her about character-driven fiction. Trevor and Emily both talk a bit about the babysitter subgenre of thrillers and horror, and about how her novel approached telling a story with heart and authenticity. You can ...
Jan 30, 2024•39 min•Ep. 100
In this episode, Trevor joins with Amy Avery to discuss her novel The Longest Autumn , available January 2024 from Flatiron Books. They talk about current tropes in the fantasy genre, distinctions between literary fantasy and other forms of popular fantasy, and the way her book addresses delicate issues of identity-making central to its character-driven story. You can find out more about Amy Avery's literature by following her at averyames.com. The Longest Autumn is available from Flatiron Books...
Jan 24, 2024•47 min•Ep. 99
In this episode, Trevor sits down for a talk with author and business owner Jenny Kiefer, whose new novel This Wretched Valley is available from Quirk books on January 16, 2024. They talk about graduate education in writing, the technical aspects of rock climbing, and the origin story of some of the most horrifying elements of This Wretched Valley . For more from Jenny Kiefer, you can follow her journey online at jennykiefer.com. Order her book through your favorite book retailer! Hosted on Acas...
Jan 15, 2024•55 min•Ep. 98
In this episode, Trevor sits down with Ally Malinenko, author of the middle-grade horror books Ghost Girl and This Appearing House. Together, they talk about developing trends in middle-grade fiction, problems of discoverability in an increasingly corporatized literary market, and content challenges facing middle grade authors in school and public libraries across the country. They also discuss in-depth some of the themes and tropes of Ghost Girl , and how books like hers serve middle grade audi...
Jan 09, 2024•54 min•Ep. 97
In this episode, Katelyn and Trevor sit down to reflect on their 2023. They engage together on a critical reflection on the year, both summing up their complicated feelings about how the year has framed their personal lives and also how it shapes their feelings about another coming year. They also talk about their favorite reads of 2023--a Top 10 list of recommended reads for those still unsure of what they should have read last year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 96
In this episode, Trevor visits with WGA screen writer and author Brian McAuley about his latest novel from Shortwave books, Candy Cain Kills . They talk about Brian's process for creating a holiday slasher, how his work evolved from his previous book, Curse of the Reaper, and the various character tropes and elements that inspire this blood-soaked holiday treat. You can find more Brian via his socials (@BrianMcWriter) and more about Candy Cain Kills via Shortwave at shortwavepublishing.com. Host...
Dec 23, 2023•48 min•Ep. 95
In this episode, Trevor visits with author and editor Jacob Steven Mohr about the collection of epistolary fiction he edited called Dead Letters, now available from Crystal Lake Publishing. They talk about art, the aura of physical media in a digital world, and how epistolary fiction functions as effective storytelling. They also visit some of the standout stories from this collection and reflect on what makes epistolary fiction endure. You can find more information about Jacob Steven Mohr by fo...
Dec 19, 2023•40 min•Ep. 94
This week, Trevor welcomes Jeremy back to the studio as they interview author JB McLaurin about his debut novel, Black Echoes , published by Sley House earlier this year. McLaurin talks about the musical and personal influences that inspired his novel about addiction, fathers and sons, and how crime thrillers, horror, and metal coalesced into this amazing first novel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 08, 2023•56 min
Hey everyone! Jeremy here. I am so proud to bring to you our new theme song. We hope you enjoy it, and that when you hear it, you think Sley House. Let me set the scene: Mount Sequoyah is an artist community housed in a collection of historic buildings atop the tallest peak in Fayetteville. Depending on the chosen vantage point, one might look out over downtown Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas, or see the sprawling landscape rolling away to the horizon as the Ozark hills. It was here,...
Dec 08, 2023•3 min
