Ladies of the Fright

Welcome to Season Two of Ladies of the Fright! The podcast wants to evolve as we have. We aren't exactly sure what comes next but we wanted to start putting out conversations again. The Interlude episodes are our return to the podcast and with this first Interlude episode, we share where we've been, what has shifted, and what to expect moving forward.  To support the show join us on Patreon.  To check out Mackenzie's editing services, visit her website here.  To see what Lisa's been up to with tarot and creativity, check out her site here or sign up for her Substack Portals & Prisms.

What a fantastic time! We absolutely loved this conversation with Tracy Cross, all about her exciting new debut book Rootwork from Dark Hart Books (helped by Sadie Hartmann aka Mother Horror!)  We learned all about Tracy's experience as a writer, why this book means so much to her, and a preview of the Conjure series.  Find Tracy Website | Twitter

We had a great time chatting with Konrad Stump about Summer Scares 2022. In our conversation we discuss all the books from this season, why they are special—and what goes into choosing them—as well as why diversity in horror is so important.  Check out past Summer Scares episodes below!  LOTF 32 LOTF 34 LOTF 36 LOTF 46 LOTF 56 LOTF 57 LOTF 58 LOTF 72

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! One really amazing thing the Patreon does is allow us to pay authors for original fiction published on our website! We're going to lots more of that and your support means everything to us. Listen. We're often behind on our Patreon updates BUT--we've got 3+ years of content up there for you to enjoy (LOTS of it exclusive!) We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (like a special video from author Gwendolyn Kiste!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes This episode was recorded at the end of 2021 as is our annual tradition, but these times have gotten to us and we are very behind at updating the feed. Regardled, we are delighted to welcome Bob Pastorella back to the show to discuss The Night House! This December movie chat is officially an annual LOTF podcast tradition (ahem yes we know it's June.)  Listen. Bob Pastorella is a genius. Seriously. He is so smart. Our discussion of this film wouldn't be nearly as intelligent without his insightful perception—and his thorough understanding of the genre. We had such a great time talking to Bob about this film to wrap up our 2021 lineup (which you now get to enjoy in mid-2022, lmao.) Find Bob: Website | Twitter Purchase They're Watching!

Okay, so it wasn't really a “girls night out”—but it really did feel like one! In truth, Hailey Piper and Jessica Guess joined Mackenzie Kiera and me on Zoom (I was in my pajamas—I can't speak for the other ladies!) but this is one of the most fun conversations we've ever had on the show. It was a great time, filled with lots of laughs—and some deep reflections. We talked about some of our favorite reads from 2021—and we also wet pretty deep on the connections between the romance and horror genres. It's a fantastic conversation that got me really thinking for long after, and I think you'll really enjoy it. We last spoke to Hailey Piper in episode 54, and Jessica Guess in episode 60. If you want more of their personal and individual stories, feel free to check those conversations out! Also, thank you so much for your patience in waiting for new episodes. It's been a really rough year for me so far, with several illnesses (including cover) and physical set backs. We had to take an unintended hiatus but please know: we are planning a ton more exciting content for our 2022 season! Books Mentioned Red X Root Magic by Eden Royce Sometimes We're Cruel The Loving Dead by Amelia Beamer The Writhing Skies by Betty Rocksteady Someone to Share my Nightmares With Sonora Taylor Night Bitch Rachel Yoder We Are Wolves anthology Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse Spoiler Alert (book) The Forest by Lisa Quigley  Immortals After Dark series - Kiss of the Demon King When Things Get Dark  - Edited by Ellen Datlow Movies Mentioned Evil Dead Remake Lake Mungo Susperia Remake Malignant Candyman (remake) I Know What You Did Last Summer show

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors; and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes As ever, it is a pleasure to host Ellen Datlow on our show. This time, she's back to discuss two brand new anthologies: When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson and Body Shocks: Extreme Tales of Body Horror. In what is, at this point, our annual catch-up call with Ellen, we talk about a lot more than that. She shares a bit about current NYC life amidst a pandemic, the horror movie that scarred her for life, and so much more. Other Ellen Datlow Favorites Edited By The Devil and the Deep Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles Find Ellen: Website | Twitter

This episode is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! When we hit our goal of 30 patrons, we'll begin paying authors $25 for short story reprints! We've got tons of exclusive content for patrons at every tier. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright and join our community today! Show Notes For our eighth tropisode, we're talking FORESTS with debut author Katherine Silva. Katherine Silva is a Maine author of dark fiction, a connoisseur of coffee, and victim of cat shenanigans. She is a two-time Maine Literary Award finalist for speculative fiction and a member of the Horror Writers of Maine, The Horror Writers Association, and New England Horror Writers Association. Katherine is also a founder of Strange Wilds Press, Dark Taiga Creative Writing Consultations, and The Kat at Night Blog. Her latest book, The Wild Dark, is now available wherever books are sold. AND as you all know, Lisa Quigley is a horror author and pagan witch. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside's low-residency MFA program in Palm Desert. Her work has appeared in such places as Unnerving Magazine, Journal of Alta California, and Automata Review. She is the co-host of the award-winning horror fiction podcast Ladies of the Fright. Hell's Bells (2020) and Camp Neverland (2021) from Unnerving are her novellas. The Forest is her debut novel. Lisa lives in New Jersey with one handsome devil and two wild monsters. Find her at www.lisaquigley.net. Forest Group Reads The Forest by Lisa Quigley The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva Forest Book and Film Mentions The Wizard of Oz (film and book) The Forest by Lisa Quigley The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva The Ritual by Adam Neville The Night Will Find Us by Matthew Leions Pines by Blake Crouch The Blair Witch Project  The Fiends and the Furrows folk horror anthology Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton The Neverending Story The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes The Bear in the Nightingale by Katherine Arden The Changeling by Victor LaValle Find Katherine: Website

This episode is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! We are only FIVE patrons to go to hit our goal of 30 patrons—at which time we'll begin paying authors $25 for short story reprints! We've got tons of exclusive content for patrons at every tier. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright and join our community today! A Note on the Term “BIPOC” In this episode, Joe uses the term “BIPOC” and at the top of the show, I read a quote from Rachel Ricketts' powerful book Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy, in which she beautifully clarifies the term, why it's used, and the nuance of experience it contains (in her book, Rachel modifies the term to BI&PoC, to help us remember what the phrase is intended to represent: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.) I hope this clarification supports our listeners who maybe weren't previously aware, and I highly recommend Rachel Ricketts' book (and her work!) to anyone interested in dismantling the internalized, harmful system of white supremacy from within themselves first. Show Notes Well, this episode was a TREAT to record, and Joe Monti is a delight to talk to. He is the award-nominated editorial director of Saga Press, working with bestselling and esteemed authors Charlaine Harris, Stephen Graham Jones, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Ken Liu, to name a few. He fell in love with the literature of fantasy and science fiction at an early age and never let go. This is the first time we've ever had a book (novel) editor on the show, and not only was it awesome to hear about Joe's journey to Saga, it was also really cool to hear how he approached editing one of the horror world most beloved horror books of 2020: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. Joe also talks about what he looks for when selecting books for his list—aka how he just KNOWS when a book is for him. Joe also declares he has a knack for predicting book trends, so it was really fun to hear his predictions for the future of horror! We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. Find Joe: Website | Twitter

This episode is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! We are only THREE patrons to go to hit our goal of 30 patrons—at which time we'll begin paying authors $25 for short story reprints! We've got tons of exclusive content for patrons at every tier. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright and join our community today! Show Notes In this episode, we have a great conversation with the powerhouse women duo behind Fright Girl Summer, a safe and welcoming place for marginalized genders and voices. It was a pleasure to speak with V. Castro and Sonora Taylor about the importance of amplifying diverse voices in horror and beyond. We also discuss why horror is an excellent genre for exploring themes of identity and sex, as well as dismantling harmful systems and stereotypes from the inside out. And so much more! Enjoy. Find V: Website | Twitter | Instagram Find Sonora: Website | Twitter | Instagram Buy V's books: Hairspray and Switchblades Goddess of Filth Queen of the Cicadas Buy Sonora's books: Seeing Things Little Paranoias: Stories Without Condition The One That Got Away: Women of Horror Anthology Volume 2

This episode is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! We are only THREE patrons to go to hit our goal of 30 patrons—at which time we'll begin paying authors $25 for short story reprints! We've got tons of exclusive content for patrons at every tier. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright and join our community today! Show Notes For our seventh tropisode, we're talking PORTALS with Zoraida Córdova. Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels and short stories, including the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A Crash of Fate, and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. In addition to writing novels, she serves on the Board of We Need Diverse Books, and is the co-editor of the bestselling anthologyVampires Never Get Old, as well as the cohost of the writing podcast, Deadline City. She writes romance novels as Zoey Castile. Zoraida was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and calls New York City home. When she's not working, she's roaming the world in search of magical stories. For more information, visit her at zoraidacordova.com. When we read Zoraida's novel Labyrinth Lost—which features an incredible portal—we knew she would be an excellent choice for this topic. We're so glad we had the opportunity to reconnect with her and talk all things portals in fiction! Portals Group “Read” Pan's Labyrinth film Portals Book and Film Mentions Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis Warriors of Virtue Peter Pan by James Matthew Berry Midsommar Pirates of the Caribbean Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Shades of Magic by VE Schwab His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman A Blade So Black by LL McKinney Sucker Punch Find Zoraida: Website | Twitter | Instagram

We are delight to return as the official podcast for 2021 Summer Scares! This episode is our first installment of a series covering the 2021 Summer Scares library summer reading program. The Horror Writers’ Association has partnered with Book Riot and Library Journal to curate the Summer Scares reading list, which includes three books each in the Adult, YA, and Middle Grade categories. In 2019, we chatted with the liaisons from each category in LOTF 32, LOTF 34, and LOTF 36. In 2020, we had roundtable-style panel conversations with the authors from each category. You can find these here : LOTF 56, LOTF 57, and LOTF 58. And this year, we're shaking things up yet again! This first episode is extra special, because we begin with a conversation with author Silvia Moreno Garcia, this year's Summer Scares author spokesperson. She is the bestselling author of the novels Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Certain Dark Things, and Untamed Shore, among others. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu's Daughters). Gods of Jade and Shadow was the 2020 American Library Association Reading List winner in the Fantasy category, appeared on many year's best lists, and won the 2020 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. Silvia is also the publisher of Innsmouth Free Press, a columnist for The Washington Post, and a book reviewer for NPR. You can follow her on Twitter at @silviamg. In the first half of the episode, we talk to Silvia about her writing and reading history, her previous experience with libraries, her passion projects with her small press Innsmouth Free Press, and her involvement with Summer Scares 2021. Find Silvia: Twitter | Website | Innsmouth Free Press In the second half of the show, Mackenzie and Lisa discuss the three adult books for Summer Scares 2021. The adult picks for the 2021 Summer Scares program are: The Hunger by Alma Katsu (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018) The Cipher by Kathe Koja (originally published 1991 by Dell but reissued Meerkat Press, 2020) Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi, Translator Jonathan Wright (Penguin Books, 2018) To discover more regarding the Summer Scares program (including excellent resources!), check out the Summer Scares information website. And for an in-depth resource, here is the Summer Scares Programming Guide.

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! Help us reach our goal of 30 patrons so we can pay authors $25 per short story reprint. Only THREE patrons to go! We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Jessica Leonard!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Also, if you haven't already done so, please head over to iTunes and leave us a five star review! It is a free way to support the show and it helps boost our visibility and thus, the visibility of all our wonderful guests. And, we would love it if you'd check out our merch shop, where you'll find all kinds of cool goodies like mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, masks, and more! Show Notes In this episode, we have a great conversation with horror author Gabino Iglesias! We discuss his writing themes and obsessions, his experience with conceptualizing and editing (in real time!) the Halldark Anthology, and what it takes to wear so many different literary hats. Our selection for literary discussion this month is the novel The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. We've been dying to talk about this book, and now that it has won a Ray Bradbury award (!!!) we knew it was finally time! There are spoilers throughout our conversation so listen with caution if you haven't read the book. (And also if you haven't read it, UNFUCK THAT!—I say this with love.) Find Gabino: Twitter | Instagram

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! Help us reach our goal of 30 patrons so we can pay authors $25 per short story reprint. Only three patrons to go! We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Jessica Guess!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Also, if you haven't already done so, please head over to iTunes and leave us a five star review! It is a free way to support the show and it helps boost our visibility and thus, the visibility of all our wonderful guests. And, we would love it if you'd check out our merch shop, where you'll find all kinds of cool goodies like mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, masks, and more! Show Notes In this episode, we have a great conversation with horror author Gwendolyn Kiste! We discuss the great work she's done with her blog and the importance of leveraging privilege to continually work toward equity in publishing. We talk about her writing but we also reminisce about the old days of recording favorite shows on VHS! Our selection for literary discussion this month is the short story The Lady of the House of Love  by Angela Carter. We absolutely love this decadent gothic tale. Listen along to discover what this story and the film The Love Witch have in common. Find Gwendolyn: Twitter | Website

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! Help us reach our goal of 30 patrons so we can pay authors $25 per short story reprint. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Jessica Guess!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Also, if you haven't already done so, please head over to iTunes and leave us a five star review! It is a free way to support the show and it helps boost our visibility and thus, the visibility of all our wonderful guests. Show Notes In this episode, we have a great conversation with crime author Kerry K. Cox, whose new novel Money Bear: A Nick Tanner Crime Thriller is out now!  We talk about his path from marketing to writing novels, as well as his life long interest in animal rescue and forest rangers. We also discuss the differences and intersections between crime and horror fiction. Our book pick for discussion this month is My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Is it horror? Is it crime? Do characters need to be likable? Tune in to find out. Find Kerry: Website

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by the Ladies of the Fright Patreon! We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Hailey Piper!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes New year, new look, new music! We had such a great time celebrating three years with our live podcast webinar, co-hosted by the talented Kathryn E. McGee, horror author and moderator of the Thing in the Labyrinth horror book club via The Last Bookstore as well as the Skeleton Hour webinar series via the Horror Writers Association. We discussed the early days of the show and shared our vision for the podcast’s evolution in 2021. We were delighted to welcome several surprise pop-in guests—authors who’ve been particularly supportive of us and the show over the years. Special thanks again the following authors for sharing their time and generously giving away a book! Paul Tremblay: Website | Twitter Alma Katsu: Website | Twitter Stephen Graham Jones: Website | Twitter Tod Goldberg: Website | Twitter We were also delighted to be joined by Heather Scheeler, the incredible writer, artist, creator, and friend who designed our wonderful new podcast logo! We had so much fun collaborating (by which we mean, word-vomiting all our ideas in Heather’s general direction and her somehow using all that to create the gloriousness that is our new look!) with her on our podcast rebrand. Make sure you check out her art Instagram as well as The Mountain Practice—a really exciting project she will be kickstarting later this summer! And finally, an ENORMOUS thanks to all of you: our listeners. When we started this show we thought one or two people might listen. Three years and two awards later, you’ve proven us very wrong. Thank you from the very depths of our heart. Here’s to many more years to come! Stay dark & stormy.

We on a bit of hiatus for January as we prepare for our three year podcast anniversary and our 2021 podcast line up. We’re reformatting the show for the new year and can't wait to share more on that soon! In the meantime, we’re releasing the last of our interviews recorded in 2020. We also want to point you to our blog space, where we've been posting a lot more written author interviews as well as some reprinted short fiction. For the moment, we are open to fiction reprint submissions, and in particular, we want to raise stories back from the dead. We want stories that were originally published in now-defunct venues. Currently we aren’t able to pay authors but we want that to change. Therefore, we are hosting a Patreon challenge! When we hit 30 patrons, we pledge pay $25 per reprint. We want to keep increasing what we pay so we foresee another Patreon challenge in our future. Baby steps! With that said, we've been making some changes to our podcast tiers. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Hailey Piper!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! One final bit of housekeeping: We are hosting a live three year anniversary special event on Sunday, January 31, at 10:30pm Eastern. We'll be joined by special guest co-host Kathryn E. McGee, horror author and host of the Skeleton Hour webinar series and The Thing in the Labyrinth Horror Bookclub.  We'll reflect on the past three years, share our vision for the podcast's future, answer questions, and party. New logo reveal + surprise pop in guests + giveaways! Come celebrate three years with us. Live event on Zoom - register today. Show Notes Eddie Generous is the owner of Unnerving, which publishes the popular Unnerving Magazine as well as numerous novellas and short stories collections. Eddie has fallen off three different roofs and been lit on fire on multiple occasions. He grew up on a farm and later slept with his shoes under his pillows in homeless shelters. He dropped out of high school to afford rent on a room at a crummy boarding house, but eventually graduated from a mediocre college. He is the author of several small press books, has 2.8 rescue cats (one needed a leg amputation), is a podcast host, and lives on the Pacific Coast of Canada. We recorded this interview with Eddie in the middle of 2020, and since then he has announced that the Rewind or Die novella series will continue into 2021! Eddie also has three books coming out this year: Behemoth Risen (Severed Press), The Walking Son (Seventh Terrace), and Hetty (Omnium Gatherum Media). Find Eddie: Twitter | Author Website | Unnerving Website Recent Books by Eddie Generous: Rawr Trouble at Camp Still Waters Radio Run Rewind or Die #15: Tales from the Meat Wagon Dead is Dead But Not Always

We on a bit of hiatus for January as we prepare for our three year podcast anniversary and our 2021 podcast line up. We’re reformatting the show for the new year and can't wait to share more on that soon! In the meantime, we’re releasing the last of our interviews recorded in 2020. We also want to point you to our blog space, where we've been posting a lot more written author interviews as well as some reprinted short fiction. For the moment, we are open to fiction reprint submissions, and in particular, we want to raise stories back from the dead. We want stories that were originally published in now-defunct venues. Currently we aren’t able to pay authors but we want that to change. Therefore, we are hosting a Patreon challenge! When we hit 30 patrons, we pledge pay $25 per reprint. We want to keep increasing what we pay so we foresee another Patreon challenge in our future. Baby steps! With that said, we've been making some changes to our podcast tiers. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Gwendolyn Kiste!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! One final bit of housekeeping: We are hosting a live three year anniversary special event on Sunday, January 31, at 10:30pm Eastern. We'll be joined by special guest co-host Kathryn E. McGee, horror author and host of the Skeleton Hour webinar series and The Thing in the Labyrinth Horror Bookclub.  We'll reflect on the past three years, share our vision for the podcast's future, answer questions, and party. New logo reveal + surprise pop in guests + giveaways! Come celebrate three years with us. Live event on Zoom - register today. Show Notes We are thrilled to bring you this conversation with author, editor, teacher, and overall horror advocate Richard Thomas. Richard spent twenty years in advertising before coming back to writing. Since then he’s been an author, editor, teacher, and publisher. He’s the award-winning author of three novels, three short story collections, two novellas, and over 150 short stories. In addition to teaching at Storyville, he’s also taught at the University of Iowa, LitReactor.com, and Story Studio Chicago. We really loved this conversation with Richard. If you have any new year’s resolutions to dedicate more time to writing, we can’t think of any better way to commit than to sign up for a class with Richard over at Storyville! There are still spots in his Contemporary Dark Fiction classes. He even has one set for summer, May-Aug on London/UK/GMT time which he’s  never done before. It’s 50% sold so check it out if you’re into it. And he also has one running in September. Head on over to storyvilleonline.com for more info!  Find Richard: Twitter | Website | Storyville

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons Eli Ryder and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, Nina Nahvi, Jason M., S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors (this month we’ve got a special video from author Gwendolyn Kiste!); and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes In this final episode of 2020, we are delighted to welcome Bob Pastorella back to the show to discuss The Beach House! This December movie chat is officially an annual LOTF podcast tradition. Sadly, 2020 did not see a new Ari Aster film. So we asked Bob what his favorite horror films were this year, and then we did a poll on our twitter. Our listeners asked for The Beach House, and we listened. Listen. Bob Pastorella is a genius. Seriously. He is so smart. Our discussion of this film wouldn’t be nearly as intelligent without his insightful perception—and his thorough understanding of the genre. We had such a great time talking to Bob about this film to wrap up our 2020 lineup. Find Bob: Website | Twitter Purchase They’re Watching! Well, folks, somehow, we made it: this is the end of 2020. And what a year it has been, for all of us. No matter how this year was for you personally, we can’t imagine there’s a single one of you who isn’t happy to see this year out the door. A new year isn’t some magical reset button—all of the issues unearthed in 2020 (both within and without our control) are still coming with us into 2021. And still, a new year brings a collective feeling of a “fresh start”, so we plan to take it one day at a time and make the most of what we’re given. We’re planning a really fun, live three-year anniversary episode event that we’ll be announcing details about very soon! And we’ve got a lot of exciting things planned for the show in the New Year. We can’t wait to share more. Until then, we’ll see you in 2021. May it be a better year for us all. Stay dark and stormy!

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons Eli Ryder and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, Nina Nahvi, Jason M., S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors; and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes As ever, it is a pleasure to host Ellen Datlow on our show. This time, she’s back to discuss her anthology Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles. As is usual of our conversations with Ellen, we talk about a lot more than that. We discuss how she was coping with the pandemic in New York City (we recorded this episode in the middle of the summer) as well as her complicated relationship with horror movies vs. horror fiction. Other Ellen Datlow favorites Edited By The Devil and the Deep Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories Find Ellen: Website | Twitter

This year for our annual Halloween Special, we thought we’d bring you a conversation about our own spookiest experiences. Lisa and Mackenzie discuss their own views on the supernatural—does it exist? Are ghosts real? Lisa tells the story of an unexplainable experience she had while camping with her friends in the Anza Borrego desert in California. Mackenzie shares her creepy haunted house story, as well as her chilling discovery inside the house’s window seat. In addition to sharing these inexplicable real-life experiences, we also have an exclusive message from two very special guests. Who could it be? Listen to find out! But here is a clue: their awesome new novel is OUT NOW! Purchase They’re Watching here. We continue to be grateful for your support. On horror’s holiest holiday, please stay dark and stormy, but also healthy and safe! Happy Halloween from the Ladies of the Fright.

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons Eli Ryder and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, Nina Nahvi, Jason M., S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors; and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes We are delighted to bring you this special conversation with author Alma Katsu about her most recent historical horror novel, The Deep (2020). One of Ms. Katsu’s many specialties is writing novels that combine historical fiction with supernatural and horror elements. The Hunger (2018), a reimagining of the story of the Donner Party, was named one of NPR’s 100 favorite horror stories, was on numerous Best Books of the Year lists, and continues to be honored as a new classic in horror. Her first book, The Taker (2011), was named one of the top ten debut novels of 2011 by Booklist. In this episode, we talk to Alma about her childhood years as a voracious reader and her early writing life. She also shares stories about growing up in a spooky (maybe haunted?) old home and how that sparked her infatuation with darker tales. We loved hearing about her fascinating career in intelligence as well as why she decided to follow her writing passion. We learned so much in this conversation with Alma, and we think you will, too. Find Alma: Website | Twitter

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons Eli Ryder and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, Nina Nahvi, Jason M., S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We offer cool rewards at every tier, including early, ad-free episodes; bonus written, audio, and video content from special guest authors; and the Patrons-Only podcast LOTF After Dark. Head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright for all the gory details! Show Notes We are delighted to bring you this special conversation with Daniel Kraus. This is our second time bringing him onto the show, so if you’d like to get a peek into his early writing life, discover how writing without the intent to publish helped him cultivate joy in his craft, explore his trademark style of using gorgeous language to describe the grotesque, and learn about his collaborations with Guillermo del Toro, you can hear all that and more in LOTF 42 when you’ve finished this episode! In this episode, we do something a bit more special. Daniel walks us through what it was like to collaborate posthumously with the late great George A. Romero to write The Living Dead. It is a breathtaking story, with many surprising twists and turns. Did Romero reach across time and space to help Daniel write this book? We don’t have the answer to that, and neither does Daniel. Listen to the episode. Hear Daniel share his story. You decide. Find Daniel: Website | Twitter Other books by Daniel Krauss that we love: Rotters The Shape of Water Blood Sugar (EXCELLENT Halloween season reading!)

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons Eli Ryder and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, Nina Nahvi, Jason M., S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier (and we’re getting to revamp the whole thing!). If you’d like to check it out, head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. Show Notes We are delighted to bring you this conversation with Jessica Guess, a writer and English teacher who hails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She earned her Creative Writing MFA from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2018 and is the founder of the website Black Girl’s Guide to Horror where she examines horror movies in terms of quality and intersectionality. Her creative work has been featured in Luna Station Quarterly and Mused Bella Online Literary Review. Her debut novella, Cirque Berserk, is available for purchase on Amazon. In this episode, we spoke with Jessica about her early writing life and experiences growing up with horror movies. She shares how horrible professor tried to crush her writing dreams and why it’s important to her now to uplift her own college students. Jessica also talks about her meandering path to writing and how she tried so hard to pursue a “stable career”—hear her story about how she decided pursuing her dreams was more important. She talks about creating A Black Girl’s Guide to Horror, intersectionality in horror, writing Cirque Berserk, and the importance of flipping (often racist) genre tropes. Find Jessica: Website | Twitter Check out A Black Girl’s Guide to Horror: Twitter Disclosure: We are affiliates of Bookshop.org and will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Support indie bookstores; support the show. Win/win!

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by Boneyard Soup Magazine. Boneyard Soup is a horror and dark fantasy magazine, specializing in the Weird, the Morbid, and the Macabre. It publishes original short stories and features terrifying artwork. Boneyard Soup’s mission is to represent the horror genre’s diversity by curating many kinds of ghoulish and horrifying stories and by supporting new and talented writers. Boneyard Soup is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund its first year of issues and to connect with new readers. Backers who pledge at least $12 will receive a year’s subscription. This Kickstarter runs until September 23rd. Follow this link to support Boneyard Soup Magazine. We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor, Eli Ryder, and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, and S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, and if you’d like to check it out, head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. Show Notes For our sixth tropisode, we're talking CAMPING with Sadie Hartmann, aka “Mother Horror.” Sadie Hartmann aka Mother Horror reviews horror for Cemetery Dance and SCREAM Magazine. She is the co-owner of the horror fiction subscription company, Night Worms. She lives in Tacoma, WA with her husband of 20+ years, where they enjoy perfect weather, street tacos and hanging out with their 3 kids. They have a Frenchie named Owen. When we gave Sadie a choice of tropisode topics, she was quick to hop on this one. We had a great time chatting with her about the camping trope in horror! Camping Group Read "The Troop" by Nick Cutter Camping Book Recommendations Kill Hill Carnage by Tim Meyer Fat Camp by James Sabata The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King The Ritual and The Reddening by Adam Neville The Ruins by Scott Smith Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez Kill River by Cameron Rubique Camping Movie Recommendation 127 Hours Blair Witch Project Friday the 13th Slasher (series) Find Sadie: Website | Twitter | Instagram Find Nightworms: Website | Twitter | Instagram

We are so excited to return as the official podcast for 2020 Summer Scares! This episode is our second installment of a series covering the 2020 Summer Scares library summer reading program. The Horror Writers’ Association has partnered with Book Riot and Library Journal to curate the Summer Scares reading list, which includes three books each in the Adult, YA, and Middle Grade categories. Last year we chatted with the liaisons from each category in LOTF 32, LOTF 34, and LOTF 36. This year we decided to do something a little different! We are thrilled to bring you this round-table style conversation with each of the authors from the young adult category: Zoraida Cordóva, Amy Lukavics, and Cherie Priest. The young adult picks for the 2020 Summer Scares program are: Labyrinth Lost by Zoradia Cordóva (Sourcebooks Fire 2017) Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics (Harlequinn Teen 2015) The Agony House by Cherie Priest, illustrated by Tara O’Connor (Scholastic 2018) Show Notes: Find Zoraida: Twitter Find Amy: Twitter Find Cherie: Twitter To discover more regarding the Summer Scares program, check out the Summer Scares information website.

We are so excited to return as the official podcast for 2020 Summer Scares! This episode is our first installment of a series covering the 2020 Summer Scares library summer reading program. The Horror Writers’ Association has partnered with Book Riot and Library Journal to curate the Summer Scares reading list, which includes three books each in the Adult, YA, and Middle Grade categories. Last year we chatted with the liaisons from each category in LOTF 32, LOTF 34, and LOTF 36. This year we decided to do something a little different! We are thrilled to bring you this round-table style conversation with each of the authors from the adult category: Nadia Bulkin, Victor LaValle, and Andy Davidson. The adult picks for the 2020 Summer Scares program are: In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson (Skyhorse, 2017)   The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle (Tor.Com, 2016)   She Said Destroy: Stories by Nadia Bulkin (Word Horde, 2017)   Show Notes: Find Nadia: Twitter Find Victor:  Find Andy: To discover more regarding the Summer Scares program, check out the Summer Scares information website.

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor, Eli Ryder, and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, and S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, and if you’d like to check it out, head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. Show Notes We are delighted to bring you this conversation with Michael David Wilson. This is our second time bringing MDW onto the show, so if you’d like to get more of a peek into his early writing life (we’re talking ALL the deets on “James and the Chocolate Tree”), his religious upbringing, and founding This Is Horror, then head back to LOTF 22 where we get into all that. In this episode, we launch right into the present timeline with a discussion on technology in parenting, social media privacy breaches as the new home invasion, possessed children's toys and so much more. We were thrilled to have Michael back onto the show to celebrate his INCREDIBLE novella The Girl in the Video, out now from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Find Michael: Find Michael: Website | Twitter

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor, Eli Ryder, and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, and S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, and if you’d like to check it out, head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. Show Notes We are delighted to bring you this conversation with Hailey Piper. In this episode, we talk about everything from reading horror from a young age to the dangers of nostalgia. We loved getting up close & personal with this emerging horror author who's been blowing up the scene—in the best way possible. Please note: we spoil her novella The Possession of Natalie Glasgow from 46:00 to 58:00. Hailey Piper is the author of horror novellas The Possession of Natalie Glasgow and Benny Rose, the Cannibal King, and her short fiction appears in publications such as Daily Science Fiction, The Arcanist, The Bronzeville Bee, Tales to Terrify, PlanetScumm, Blood Bath Literary Zine, and many more. Her debut dark fantasy novel, The Verses of Aeg, will be published by Bronzeville Books in late 2020. Having grown up in the creepy woods of New York, she now lives with her wife in Maryland, where she haunts their apartment making spooky noises. Find Hailey Piper: Website | Twitter

We want to remind you that we have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor, Eli Ryder, and Kerry Cox at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, Jocelyn Codner, and S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, and if you’d like to check it out, head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. Show Notes We are so excited to bring to you our conversation with Brian Keene. As our listeners will be well aware, Brian writes novels, comic books, stories, journalism, and other words for money. He is the author of over fifty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and fantasy genres. His 2003 novel, The Rising, is credited (along with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later film) with inspiring pop culture’s recurrent interest in zombies. He has written for Marvel, DC, and several other media properties. In addition to several other impressive career accomplishments, Keene also hosts the popular podcasts The Horror Show with Brian Keene and Defenders Dialogue, both of which air weekly on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and elsewhere. In this down-to-earth conversation with one of horror's greatest living legends, we discuss the persistence of imposter syndrome, the ever-changing horror landscape, and why it's important to write a bunch of terrible shit. There are plenty of laughs (and maybe a couple dirty jokes) and you're in for a real treat. Find Brian: Website | Twitter

Welcome to Ladies of the Fright, a podcast for writers and readers who like it dark. We engage in literary discourse that is honest, smart, and irreverent.    I’m one of your hosts, Lisa Quigley.   Mackenzie: And I’m your other host, Mackenzie Kiera.   Before we get into today’s episode, we want to remind you that we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, and Jocelyn Codner, and S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, and if you’d like to check it out, head on over to patreon.com/ladiesofthefright Show Notes Welcome to episode 52, our first episode of 2020 AND our special two year anniversary episode! Thank you for your patience with the release of this episode. Lisa's been battling a pretty severe head cold for almost a month and it's really slowed her down. Your patience and loyalty are much appreciated! Without further ado, here is the special anniversary episode: What brought us here? We talk about the horror movies that hooked us to the genre LONG before we were ever podcasters or horror authors. Also, we share a TON of patron and listener responses as well! To read through the Twitter replies from listeners, here's the link to the tweet.

In what is becoming an annual Ladies of the Fright tradition, we discuss our second MOVIE, Midsommar to close out the year. And as a special treat, we brought Bob Pastorella back on the show as a guest host! While this is our final recorded episode of 2018, we are releasing it in early January to make up for the fact that we'll be taking a podcast break this month. Bob Pastorella is the author of the weird crime novella, Mojo Rising, and the zombie western short story, ‘To Watch Is Madness’. Bob is featured in Warmed & Bound: A Velvet Anthology, The Booked. Anthology, In Search of a City: Los Angeles in 1000 Words, and Borderlands 6. His fiction has been published widely both online and in print, and he is a former columnist for ManArchy Magazine and Revolt Daily. Bob lives in Southeast Texas, and is currently working on several projects. Show Notes: Which Midsommar character would Bob want to go on a road trip with? Listen to find out! This Is Horror podcast Patreon | Join the community for as little as $1 a month! Both Lisa & Mackenzie are Patrons & avid proponents of supporting artists doing great work. So get on it! Find Bob: Website | Twitter | Facebook Thank you so much for all the love and support in 2019. It has meant everything to us. We are so excited for what’s in store for 2020. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, Nina Nahli, Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson, and S. Velos at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons (currently at 18!), we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Updates We will be taking January 2020 off from podcasting! Never fear—we will be back in February with lots of great new stuff planned for the year to come. After two years on non-stop podcasting, we wanted to give ourselves a month to replenish. Show Notes In episode 50 (HELLO, major podcasting milestone!) we are talking with Max Booth III. He is the o-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Perpetual Motion Machine and the managing Editor of Dark Moon Digest. He's also the co-host of Castle Rock Radio (A Stephen King Podcast) and the host of the horror comedy podcast Ghoulish. He's written several books, including Carnivorous Lunar Activities from Fangoria and the forthcoming Touch the Night from Cemetery Dance. Max writes online for LitReactor and CrimeReads and also reviews books for the San Antonio Current. It was a delight to welcome Max to the show. He shared with us about his unconventional childhood and his unnerving connection to hotels. We also spoke a lot of his various writing and editing projects and learned his thought-provoking thoughts on "making it." We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Find Max: Website

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli and Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Show Notes For our fifth tropisode, we're talking WITCHES with Angela Slatter. She is the author of the supernatural crime novels Vigil (2016), Corpselight (2017) and Restoration(2018) (from Jo Fletcher Books), as well as eight short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and A Feast of Sorrows: Stories. Vigil was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award in 2018. She has recently signed a two-book deal with Titan Books for Blackwater and Morwood, gothic fantasies set in the world of the Sourdough and Bitterwood collections − both of which involve witches. Lots of witches. She is the author of the novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (Tor.com) and Ripper (in Horrorology: The Lexicon of Fear) − again, more witches. She has won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar, an Australian Shadows Award and six Aurealis Awards. And has a lifelong interest in, you guessed it, witches. Witches Group Read "These Deathless Bones" by Cassandra Khaw Witches Book Recommendations Fiction Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour Tanith Lee’s The Blood of Roses and The Flat Earth Series Lisa L. Hannett’s Bluegrass Symphony Naomi Novik’s Uprooted https://bookriot.com/2017/04/18/100-must-read-books-witches/ Non-fiction: Marina Warner’s From the Beast to the Blonde Stacy Schiff’s The Witches: Salem 1692 Elizabeth Lynn Linton’s Witch Stories (you can get this on Project Gutenberg) Authors to look out for: Angie Rega Suzanne J. Willis Shauna O’Meara Leife Shallcross Kirstyn McDermott – argh! How could I forget this one? https://www.tor.com/2018/09/05/triquetra-kirstyn-mcdermott/ Nin Harris Silvia Morena-Garcia Tonya Liburd Maria Lewis Vida Cruz Theodora Goss Maria Haskins Gwendolyn Kiste Karen Runge Find Angela: Website | Twitter | Instagram Photo by Kayla Maurais on Unsplash

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli and Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Show Notes Toni Miller one of the admins over at Ladies of Horror Fiction. Toni hosts the Ladies of Horror Fiction podcast, manages their guest posts, and oversees community outreach and communications for the LOHF team. We had so much fun speaking with Toni about her early morbid curiosities, her experiences with dead bodies in college, and her passion for promoting women in horror. Find Toni: Blog | Twitter | Instagram

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli and Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Show Notes It's been a while since we had a good old fashioned craft episode, and what better Halloween story than We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson? We loved having Paul Tremblay to join us to talk about this masterpiece. We talked about why Paul has been so inspired by Jackson in his own work, what makes this story so special--and we also dissected our views on the new film adaptation. Please note: major movie spoilers from about 44:30 to about 57:00, for those who haven't seen it yet. We do "spoil" the book throughout, but it's old...so. If you haven't read it yet, that's on you. ;)  Find Paul: Website

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli and Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron.And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Show Notes Becky Spratford is the "Library World's Horror Maven" who specializing in reader's advisory to help match books with readers through the public library. Konrad Stump is the Local History Associate with the Springfield-Greene Library in Springfield, Missouri. It was so fun to reconnect with Becky to hear how Summer Scares 2019 went overall. And Konrad gave us some specific ways the initiative was celebrated in his own library. We also dived a bit deeper into Konrad's experience programming library events, and he gave us some great tips for planning any kind of program. He also shared some specific ways that both librarians and patrons can be involved with getting more horror and horror programming into their own libraries! It was a fun, informative conversation that will bring a lot of value to our listeners--librarians, readers, and writers alike! And what does Shmidt from New Girl have to do with ANY of this? You'll have to listen to the end to find out. Find Becky: Website | Twitter Find Konrad: Instagram | The Springfield-Green Library Find out more about Summer Scares: Website

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by Inkshares. This October experienceViolet, the second novel of Stoker-nominated Kill Creek author Scott Thomas. Violet follows Kris Barlow, who after the death of her husband returns to a long-abandoned lake house.  She soon finds that the town of Pacington, Kansas is not as it seems, and that a presence has been awaiting her return. Bird Box author Josh Malerman calls it a "master class in immersion." Jason Heller of National Public Radio calls it "indelible" and says that the "sheer, skin-crawling fright is masterful."  Available in bookstores nationwide and Amazon. Before we get into today’s episode, we want to remind you that we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, and Jocelyn Codner at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron.When we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! Show Notes Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson are the authors of the new book, Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction. Lisa is a writer who lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where she enjoys a life of reading, writing, and scaring the wits out of her husband, who doesn’t fully understand her love for all things horror. Sometimes she uses her Ph.D. in Gothic literature to teach, but mostly she uses it to write horror stories–and to raise two of her own little monsters, her sons. Melanie holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Mississippi. She is an assistant professor of English at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS, where she teaches courses in American literature. She researches and writes about the American Gothic and supernatural literature (with occasional forays into pop culture). Lisa and Mel (along with their pal Matter) are the hosts of The Know Fear Cast, a podcast about horror and all the things that scare us. This is one of our most rowdy chats yet, with so many laugh out loud moments! We loved chatting with Lisa and Mel about their origin story, the inception of their latest book, the process of writing Monster, She Wrote, women in horror, and so much more! Find Lisa Kröger: Website Find Melanie R. Anderson: Website

This episode of Ladies of the Fright is brought to you by Inkshares. This October experience Violet, the second novel of Stoker-nominated Kill Creek author Scott Thomas. Violet follows Kris Barlow, who after the death of her husband returns to a long-abandoned lake house.  She soon finds that the town of Pacington, Kansas is not as it seems, and that a presence has been awaiting her return.  Bird Box author Josh Malerman calls it a "master class in immersion." Jason Heller of National Public Radio calls it "indelible" and says that the "sheer, skin-crawling fright is masterful."  Available in bookstores nationwide and Amazon. Before we get into today’s episode, we want to remind you that we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahvi, Bjorn Svartalfson, and Jocelyn Codner at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron.When we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! Show Notes It was a complete delight to chat with Scott Thomas about his early interest in horror, the importance of nurturing childhood passions, his experiences writing for television, and the unique process by which his first novel, Kill Creek, was brought into the world. We are so delighted with his most recent novel, Violet, and were thrilled to have him on the show.  Find Scott: Twitter Buy Violet

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli and Viðarrbjörn Svartalfson at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron.And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Show Notes Alright, onto episode 43. We had a blast chatting with Ellen Datlow about how she doesn't believe in ghosts (but has had one maybe unexplainable experience?) and the process of putting the anthology together. We talked about some of the individual stories (no spoilers!), sleep paralysis, and more. Find Ellen: Website | Twitter  

Hey folks! Don't forget we now have a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to our higher tier patrons SM Fedor and Eli Ryder at the Satanic Panic level, and Kenesha, Nathan Blixt, and Nina Nahli at the Demon Possession level. We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron.And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway!  Show Notes Alright, onto episode 42. We were so inspired listening to Daniel Kraus talk about how writing without the intention to publish helped him cultivate joy in his craft, his trademark style of using gorgeous language to describe the grotesque, his collaborations with Guillermo Del Toro, and what it was like to collaborate posthumously with filmmaker George A. Romero. Find Daniel: Website | Twitter  

Don't forget we've finally launched a Patreon! Special shoutout to our higher tier patrons, who you can find on twitter at: @S_M_Fedor, @theeliryder, and @NathanBlixt.  We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! For more details, be sure to visit our Patreon page. We are thrilled to bring you our fourth Tropisode! Today’s episode is all about werewolves. As you know, with these episodes we invite a guest with some expertise on the trope we’re exploring. Today, we’re happy to welcome Stephen Graham Jones to the show. We’ve brought Stephen onto the show today because of his personal interest in werewolf stories—so much so that he’s even written his own werewolf novel, Mongrels. We really think you'll enjoy hearing Stephen's personal interest and passion about this fascinating horror tradition. Make sure you stay tuned for the pure hilarity at the end. Stephen unexpectedly divulges a personal experience from his youth that had us—shall we say—howling. Please note that starting about the 36 minute mark until the 40 minute mark, Stephen's dogs start barking. I could have cut this out, but we had a good conversation going & I didn't want you guys to miss out on any of that good info. If it really bothers you, just fast forward about 4 minutes and it stops. :D  Werewolf Books The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber Skin Trade by George R.R. Martin When We Were Animals by Joshua Gaylord Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice Carnivorous Lunar Activities by Max Booth III Red Moon by Benjamin Percy Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman Blood for the Sun by Errick Nunnally Murcheston: The Wolf's Tale by David Holland The Night's Neon Fangs by David Barbee Werewolf Comics The Astounding Wolf-Man by Jason Howard and Robert Kirkman Werewolf by Night by Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Mike Ploog Ferals by David Lapham and Gabriel Andrade Find Stephen: Website | Twitter Special thank you to our patrons: S.M., Bob, Eli, Nathan, Jessie, Michael, Emily, Kev, Christian, Jamie, Kanesha, Thomas, and Toria!

Don't forget we've finally launched a Patreon! Special shoutout to our higher tier patrons, who you can find on twitter at: @S_M_Fedor, @theeliryder, and @NathanBlixt.  We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! For more details, be sure to visit our Patreon page. Speaking of Patreon, today we are bringing you a VERY SPECIAL sneak preview of LOTF After Dark! This is an awesome way to sample before you buy, so to speak. So please, sit back and enjoy this special bonus content—usually only available to patrons!

Don't forget we've finally launched a Patreon! Special shoutout to our higher tier patrons, who you can find on twitter at: @S_M_Fedor, @theeliryder, and @NathanBlixt.  We’re offering cool rewards we’re offering at every tier, the most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to every single patron. And when we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! For more details, be sure to visit our Patreon page. Alright, onto episode 39. While we were at Stoker Con in Grand Rapids this past May, we had the complete honor of sitting down with Rachel Autumn Deering. You may remember our discussion of Rachel’s novella HUSK from episode 19. It was our absolute pleasure to chat with Rachel about comics, her childhood in the backwoods of Kentucky, the devil, her astonishing editing process, and so much more. Also! You won't want to miss the last ten minutes, when Rachel gives some of the most compelling writing advice we've ever heard.  Show Notes Cherry by Nico Walker (book rec from Rachel!)  Find Rachel: Website | Twitter | Instagram

It's difficult to put into words what a rewarding experience it was to host the panel "Why Does Horror Matter? An Exploration of the Relevance and—Dare We Say—Necessity of Horror in a Tumultuous World" featuring panelists Stephen Graham Jones, Kathryn E. McGee, Becky Spratford, and Gabino Iglesias this past May at Stoker Con 2019. It was incredibly rewarding and definitely one of the highlights of the con for us. This topic is one we've been thinking a lot about lately, but we had no idea if it was one that would resonate with others. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive at our panel room to find it was standing room only. Not only did we feel the podcast love, but we also felt that this is a topic that's heavy on many people's hearts.  Our panelists added a richness and depth to the conversation that we could have never anticipated. Our panelist table was smaller than what was featured in some of the other rooms, but it added such a feeling of intimacy to our discussion that wouldn't have been captured otherwise. The subject matter has a tendency to become heavy and intense, but our panelists sprinkled in moments of humor and lightness to balance it all out. We're incredibly honored to share this conversation with you, and we hope it sparks continued ideas, inspiration, encouragement—and most of all, reckless hope.  Show Notes Panelist book recommendations: Her Body & Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado Brook Bolander, Uncanny Magazine "The Tale of the Three Beautiful Raptor Sisters, and the Prince Who Was Made of Meat" "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies" The Line That Held Us by David Joy Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi Severance by Ling Ma The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste Sisters of Slaughter, C.V. Hunt Find Our Panelists: Stephen Graham Jones: Website | Twitter Kathryn E. McGee: Website | Twitter Becky Spratford: Website | Twitter Gabino Iglesias: Website | Twitter

In this special BONUS episode, Lisa & Mackenzie sat down with Kathryn E. McGee in their hotel room on the last morning of Stoker Con 2019 in Grand Rapids, MI. They were surrounded by empty wine glasses, bottles, coffee cups, and water bottles—a sure sign of a great weekend. Show Notes: More Kathryn on the LOTF podcast: LOTF 03 Stoker Con 2018 Highlights with Kathryn E. McGee LOTF 23 Tropisode 2 | Haunted Houses with Kathryn E. McGee Find Kathryn: Website | Twitter Read Kathryn's latest story "The Unboxing" on Automata Review

  Did you know that we've started a patreon that includes lots of cool rewards at every tier, including special bonus content? Check it out! And grateful shout out to our higher tier patrons, who you can find on twitter at @S_M_Fedor, @theeliryder, and @NathanBlixt. In episode 37, we chat with author Ray Cluley. The conversation celebrates his novella Water for Drowning, originally published by This Is Horror in 2014 and recently adapted into an audiobook narrated by RJ Bayley. Our conversation spans so much more than that though, and we get into things like why the ocean is so terrifying, the lure & appeal of mermaids (including a discussion about a friend of ours who wrote a hilarious piece of mermaid erotica), the necessity of making a living while pursuing the writing dream, and the thrill of reading outside the genre occasionally. Show Notes: Find Ray: Twitter | Website Buy Water for Drowning: Novella | Audiobook

Did you know that we've started a patreon that includes lots of cool rewards at every tier, including special bonus content? Check it out! And grateful shout out to our $10 patrons, who you can find on twitter at @S_M_Fedor and @theeliryder. This episode is our THIRD installment of a series covering the Summer Scares library summer reading program. The Horror Writers’ Association has partnered with Book Riot and Library Journal to curate the Summer Scares reading list, which includes three books each in the Adult, YA, and Middle Grade categories. We have already discussed the Adult selections in episode 32, and the YA selections in episode 34. Joining us today to talk about the middle grade selections is Kiera Parrott, a reviews director at Library Journal and School Library Journal. The middle grade picks for the 2019 Summer Scares program are: Doll Bones by Holly Black (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2015) Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014) The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (Algonquin Young Readers, 2016) Show Notes: Find Kiera: Twitter To discover more regarding the Summer Scares program, check out the Summer Scares information website. Special thanks to our patrons: Bob Pastorella, S.M. Fedor, Eli Ryder, and Nathan Blixt!

First things first: we have finally started a Patreon! We would like to give a special shoutout to S.M. Fedor, who has joined the Patreon at the $10 level. Find him on twitter at S_M_Fedor. If you’re interested in our Patreon, check it out over at patreon.com/ladiesofthefright. We would be thrilled to have you join us at any level, and we are offering cool rewards at every tier. The most exciting of which is our Patrons-only podcast, LOTF After Dark which is accessible to Patrons at every tier. We also have our first challenge going! When we hit our first 20 patrons, we’ll be doing a patrons-only giveaway! Alright, one last bit of “housekeeping” before we get on with the show: This week is Stoker Con! Mackenzie & I are in Grand Rapids this weekend. Make sure you look us up! We are on two panels: Friday 5/9 from 2:15pm-3:15pm Podcasting 101 for Librarians Day as panelists.  On Saturday 5/10 11am-12pm we are moderating Why Does Horror Matter? With Gabino Iglesias, Stephen Graham Jones, Kathryn McGee, and Becky Spratford—which we are also recording to air on the podcast. Show Notes: In this episode, we are thrilled to bring you our third Tropisode! Today’s episode is all about the Devil. As you know, with these episodes we invite a guest with some expertise on the trope we’re exploring. Today, we’re happy to welcome Bracken MacLeod to the show. We’ve brought Bracken onto the show because of his graduate studies (a million years ago) in philosophy and comparative religion, but also his own formative youth during the height of the Satanic Panic, he has a particular fondness for the character of the Devil. We think you’ll find his expertise valuable! Essential Devil Reading Paradise Lost by John Milton Lucifer: The Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg Demons edited by John Skipp Sefira and Other Betrayals by John Langan - the short story "At Home in Devil's House"  The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow Wounds by Nathan Ballingrud - the novella "The Atlas of Hell" The Master in Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov The History of the Devil - a play by Clive Barker Books of Blood by Clive Barker - the short story "Down Satan" Devil Movies Mentioned The Prophecy Angel Heart The Devil's Candy Find Bracken: Facebook | Twitter | Website Special thanks to our patrons, Bob Pastorella & S.M. Fedor!    

  First things first: Ladies of the Fright podcast is honored to have been nominated for Nonfiction Podcast of the Year in the 2018 This Is Horror Awards! Voting is open until Monday, 4.29.2019. If you enjoy what you do, considering throwing us a vote—and don't forget to check out the other excellent nominees in each category!  Also, Mackenzie and Lisa have both joined the This Is Horror features team! Watch that space for feature articles from each of them. On to LOTF 34! This episode is our SECOND  installment of a series covering the Summer Scares library summer reading program. The Horror Writers’ Association has partnered with Book Riot and Library Journal to curate the Summer Scares reading list, which includes three books each in the Adult, YA, and Middle Grade categories. Joining us today is Kelly Jensen, an Editor at Book Riot. The YA picks for 2019 Summer Scares are: Rotters by Daniel Kraus (Ember, 2012) Slasher Girls and Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke (Speak, 2016) The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow (Penguin Random house, 2015) Show Notes: Find Kelly: Website | Twitter Learn more about Summer Scares 2019.  ">If you want to support our podcast and you’re interested in purchasing any of the books we talk about, consider purchasing through our affiliate links above. As always thank you very much for your love and support!

Ladies of the Fright podcast has been nominated for Best Horror Nonfiction Podcast for the This Is Horror 2018 awards! What an unbelievable honor. Enjoy this short minisode from us to you, loyal listeners and new guests alike. We are so happy to be doing this thing that we love, and even happier to know that it's bringing joy to others as well. If you enjoy what we are doing, we would love it if you'd vote for us! Email awards@thisishorror.co.uk with the subject line ‘Awards 2018’. To cast a vote simply write the category and your vote for each award. You have until Monday, 4/29 to get your votes in! While you're there, check out the incredible nominations in the other categories. 2018 was an astonishingly good year for horror and we are so thrilled to have contributed to one tiny sliver of it.  We'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming 4/24 with our second installment of the Summer Scares miniseries.