She Wore Black

Today I welcome professor Alice Vernon to the show to discuss her newest book, GHOSTED: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF GHOST HUNTING, AND WHY WE KEEP LOOKING. It’s an engaging sociological look at Ghost Hunting primarily in British history. We discuss modern ghost hunting television shows, the evolving business approaches to ghost tours, and the escapades of her haunted doll, Bev, which she purchased on Ebay. All links and show notes available on my website at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome Ruby Dixon to the show to discuss her newest book, BY THE HORNS. It’s a fun monster romance with adventure, humor and spice, told with Ruby’s signature attention to craft. We discuss her journey as a writer, the evolution of monster romance and the work these stories do in fiction. She also answers questions from some of my Patreon members. Thank you Sarah Beth and Trevor for such thoughtful questions! All links and show notes available on my website at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome Isabel Canas to the show to discuss her newest book, THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ. It’s a beautifully lush story with her signature cinematic storytelling. We discuss writing about possession in our current political climate, what possession means in the context of motherhood, and we get to the root of her core story. We also chat about genre blending between horror and romance, which you all know is my favorite combination. Links and shownotes available at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome Sarah Beth Durst to the show to discuss her newest book, THE ENCHANTED GREENHOUSE. It’s a delightful cozy fantasy novel with sentient plants, a winged cat, and some subtle commentary on who has the right to learn and the importance of libraries in our communities. We also discuss a bit about craft and genre blending, if you’re interested in writing a cozy fantasy yourself. All links and shownotes available on my website at sheworeblackpodcast.com

Today I welcome Sangu Mandanna to the show to discuss her newest book, A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING. It’s a wonderful book full of whimsy, self-reflection, and the most unusual ghosts I’ve ever read. This book wasn’t just a pleasure to read, it was so well written that I asked as much about craft as I did about her cozy fantasy elements. We also discuss the autism representation in her book, so I hope that has as much meaning for you as it did for me. 

Today I welcome two of my favorite people back to the show to help me celebrate my birthday. Stephanie Gagnon, from Books in the Freezer, and Rachel Harrison join me for this special episode full of Goth Girl Summer book recommendations. Please excuse the number of F-bombs I drop. If you have little ones around you, put your ear pods in, then have a great time with us. All links and shownotes available at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I wanted to celebrate Libraries and Librarians since they have taken a large hit in this political climate. They are a treasure to our communities, which is why so many books feature libraries and librarians. To do this, I welcomed back Jocelyn Codner and Jenny Adams, whom you all may remember from my Literacy episode last Fall. For the first 20 minutes, we discuss the state of libraries and celebrate a few victories, as well as share ways you can support your libraries. The rest of the episode is dedicated to book recommendations that feature libraries across genres. I’ll list these in my show notes with links to my Bookshop if you want to support my show as well as independent bookstores nationwide. Show notes available at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome Riley Sager back to the show to discuss his new book, WITH A VENGEANCE, a fun midcentury train mystery that was so captivating I couldn’t put it down. We discuss his inspirations for the book, as well as the process. Riley Sager is also on tour right now, so check his website for tour dates in your area. If you can’t make it out to see him, you  can get WITH A VENGEANCE, as well as Riley’s other books, in my Bookshop if you want to support my show as well as independent bookstores nationwide. All links and show notes are in my bookshop at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome Katy Horan to the show to discuss her new book, MURDER BALLADS. She painted each powerful illustration in the book and spent years researching these folk songs, which often depict young, beautiful, murdered women floating ethereally down a river. We discuss her process and background and, for my own curiosity, focus on songs by Johnny Cash, PJ Harvey and Nick Cave, and Nirvana’s famous Unplugged performance. All links and show notes are on my website at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome C. J. Cooke to the show to discuss her new book, THE GHOST WOODS, and since I loved this book so much, we discuss books from her backlist too, including THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES and THE BOOK OF WITCHING. I’m fascinated by her gothic writing and consistent themes of witches and motherhood. I do want to take a moment to apologize for the way my voice sounds in this episode. I had an issue with my microphone connecting to my new computer, but that issue has been resolved on other recordings. All links and show notes for the episode are at www.sheworeblackpodcast.com