She Wore Black

Today, I’ve invited author, Rachel Harrison, to talk about her book, “Such Sharp Teeth,” but I love all her work so we really chat about all of it. This is one of my most cherished conversations because we talk so honestly about how her work reflects the female experience. We dive deep into what that looks like through her stories, revealing the complexity behind her charm. I want to issue a content warning. We address assault and the emotional aftermath starting about 14 minutes in, so if you want to skip ahead 5 minutes, we get to other feminist topics as well as things that make us laugh. It’s a conversation I really needed and I’m so glad I get to share it with you. You can order her books using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining me today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Diana Biller, to talk about the craft of writing gothic romance. Her book, The Widow of Rose House, became an instant hit with gothic romance fans because she combined beloved tropes with new ideas. All of her work is smart, sexy, funny and enchanting, and I learned a lot from our conversation. We do talk about writing sex, so you may want earbuds if you’re listening near children or co-workers. You can order her books using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining me today.

Today I bring you a bonus episode about a wonderful nonfiction book, “A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America’s Ghosts.” It’s one of the best books I’ve read about ghosts in American history and regional myth, with thoughtful analysis that centers women as both subject and storytellers. I did this as part of a series of “live” podcast episodes I was invited to do at Lark and Owl Booksellers in Georgetown, Texas as part of their October programming, so you’ll occasionally hear customers in the background. I was also sick during production, so I was tuning in via zoom, but this is really a wonderful conversation that I’m proud of and I can’t wait to hear your feedback on both the episode and the book. You can order “A Haunted History of Invisible Women” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I chat with Sara Crocoll Smith about Edgar Allan Poe. She just won the Saturday Visitor Award from the Poe Museum for the first in her “Love Letters To Poe” anthology series, “A Toast to Edgar Allan Poe.” I will put purchase links in the show notes, as well as links to other Poe resources discussed in the episode. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I chat with Briana Una McGuckin about her kink-positive gothic suspense novel, “On Good Authority.” If you are listening to this in proximity of children and are not yet ready to answer questions about kink, I suggest you listen with ear buds. Though not explicit, this conversation is honest and it was wonderful to chat with someone who wrote about it so beautifully. You can order “On Good Authority” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I chat Kris Waldherr. We discuss her novel, “Unnatural Creatures,” a retelling of Frankenstein from the point of view of the women in the story. We also chat a bit about her journey and success with self-publishing after decades working for the biggest publishing houses. You can order “Unnatural Creatures” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I bring you a special episode, a recording from my live podcast event with RJ Joseph and Johnny Compton at Lark and Owl Booksellers in Georgetown, Texas. We discuss “Ghost Stories from Black Voices,” including their own work as well as what inspired them. I didn’t include their readings from their work for the sake of time, but that’s also one of the special things you get when you come to a live event. I hope to see you at one soon! RJ’s book is currently available to order using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I chat with suspense author Rachel Hawkins, known in the romance community as Erin Sterling. We talk about both her suspense and her witchy rom-coms, as well as her inspiration from gothic classics. You can order any of her books using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I chat with middle grade and young adult author, Kalynn Bayron. We talk about her upcoming middle grade vampire novel, “The Vanquishers,” and her new young adult novel “This Wicked Fate,” the second book in her witchy “This Poison Heart” series. Both of these books celebrate Black and queer characters, and we chat about the joy that comes with seeing them in stories that are fun and involve the whole family. You can order any of her books using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today I get to talk to an author you’ve heard me discuss numerous times on the podcast, Simone St. James. She’s an icon for me so it was really special to be able to discuss her collective works with her. We talk about everything from writing sex to building dread, and I know I certainly learned a lot. You can order any of her books using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.