Ashes, Grief, and Surreality with Blaine Daigle

In this episode of The Dark Mind Podcast, Vincent Midgard welcomes author Blaine Daigle back to discuss his latest Gothic-folk horror novel, The Ashes of August Manor. The conversation dives deep into the novel’s themes of grief, mortality, and the quiet dread that lingers in spaces where time feels frozen. Blaine shares how the story follows Noelle, a hospice worker and struggling writer, whose life takes a surreal turn after accepting an offer to care for a dying man in the secluded August Manor.They explore the book’s balance of whispering horror and sudden impact, the dreamlike shift from grounded realism to mythic inevitability, and how physical spaces in Blaine’s work mirror the inner fractures of his characters. From moral ambiguity in compassion, to the uncanny power of body language, to the oppressive presence of the manor itself, the discussion examines how Blaine builds atmosphere through sensory decay and liminality rather than overt shocks.Blaine also reflects on the novel’s quiet creation, its interplay of Gothic and folk elements, and why he hopes it leaves readers with a sense of closure amidst the darkness.Official Website: https://www.blainedaigle.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Blaine-Daigle-Author-100086562623387/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMQ-RbhTbHa/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25085884.Blaine_DaigleAmazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BTB8JHCXBarnes & Noble (Ashes of August Manor): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashes-of-august-manor-blaine-daigle/1147127732NetGalley (Ashes of August Manor): https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/668738NetGalley (A Dark and Endless Sea): https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/313891Audiobook (Ashes of August Manor on Libro.fm): https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798895390818-ashes-of-august-manor?srsltid=AfmBOoolg2ZIqngzy2XX_12itEmvte9lMO8aiRPr45drLp5NO-zzl90F