She Wore Black

Today, I’m a little beside myself. It was my absolute dream to talk to Kelly Barnhill and it was such a treat to finally have that dream realized. I’ve been a fan of her short fiction and middle grade writing for years, and she indulged me in a lengthy conversation about one short story in particular, “Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch.” We also discuss her new novel, “When Women Were Dragons,” as well as her upcoming novella, “The Crane Husband.” This conversation felt like a real lesson on craft and fairytale and wonder, and I’m so thankful to Kelly for her time and wisdom. 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’ve invited author, Tiffany Meuret, to talk about her book, “Little Bird,” an unusual story that has a talking skeleton and plants with a mind of their own. We discuss cozy horror, gardens as metaphor, and the world of publishing with small presses. You can order your copy of “Little Bird” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Ruben Degollado, to talk about his book, “The Family Izquierdo,” a multigenerational story that follows a family that lives on the Texas/Mexican border. We discuss authentic representation, mental health, curses, brujos, curanderas, Selena and menacing grackles. This book captured the nuance of the people and places of south Texas beautifully. You can order your copy of “The Family Izquierdo” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Gwendolyn Kiste, to talk about her book, “Reluctant Immortals,” her novel that blends Jane Eyre and Dracula for a hippie, feminist story about reclaiming autonomy from the men who stole it. This was such a creative, moving and fun read that I can't recommend enough. You can order your copy of “Reluctant Immortals” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, April Yates to talk about her book, “Ashthorne,” a sapphic gothic romance set in a remote English manor that has hidden secrets. We talk about the recently discovered caves in England that inspired her story, as well as a desire for positive representations of gay love in gothic romances. You can order your copy of “Ashthorne” using my bookshop.org link to support the show, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Antonia Rachel Ward to talk about her new novella, “Marionette.” I want to issue content warnings for both this book and the episode, which are sexually explicit. The book has violence, mutilation and dubious sexual consent. We don’t discuss these things in detail, but we discuss the content as the horror she intended. Once you understand her intentions, everything in the book makes sense. “Marionette” is not currently available in my online bookshop, but you can support the podcast with book purchases made with my link. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can also help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited Neil McRobert, from the Talking Scared podcast, to talk about Stephen King. I’ve spent decades loving King’s book “On Writing,” and have always held a special place in my heart for “Stand By Me,” based on the King novella, “The Body,” but I’ve not read anything else. I also know that some of my listeners love gothic but are afraid to try other horror, so Neil is here with recommendations for readers like us. It was a real treat chatting with him and I can’t wait to hear feedback from those of you who try a King book based on Neil’s suggestions. I will have my online bookshop set up with a list based on these recommendations if you want to support the podcast, as well as independent bookstores nationwide. That’s at bookshop.org/shop/sheworeblack. You can help out the show by following She Wore Black on Twitter and Instagram, and leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us today.

Today, I’ve invited author, Stacie Murphy to talk about her Guilded Age paranormal mystery novels, “A Deadly Fortune” and “The Unquiet Dead.” We talk about haunted histories, researching historical fiction and the current relevancy of historical topics. You can order your Stacie Murphy’s 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’m bringing you a recording of my live podcast event with V. Castro and LP Hernandez at Lark and Owl Booksellers in Georgetown, TX. We had a great time as they answered questions from both me and the audience, and did short readings from their works. Lark and Owl does have signed copies of their books if you wish to order from them, which I hope you do since it’s important to support bookstores that support horror. I’ll put buy links in the show notes. I want to personally thank my dear friend Rachael Jonrowe, one of the owners of Lark and Owl Booksellers, and LP Hernandez and V. Castro for driving in from San Antonio to make this happen. I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed the event. Thanks for joining me today.

I need to begin with a content warning for domestic violence, a central topic in today’s book. I’m bringing you a two-part episode to discuss “Iris in the Dark,” a new book by Elissa Grossell Dickey. The first part of the episode is with the author of this eerie suspense novel that has a touch of romance, an important element for me as I navigated the difficult topic of domestic violence in our main character’s past. The second part is with a long-time friend of mine, Rhonda Williamson, who is the director of Safer Path, the family violence shelter in Pleasanton, Texas. I wanted her input on this novel, as someone who has made it her life’s work to help women and children in these situations. I will include buy links for the book and donation links to Safer Path in show notes. Any donations you can make are greatly appreciated. Thank you for joining us today.