Horrifically Well Read, Bled, and Said

Our Cut of Salt is one of the best books of the year and one of the best debuts we have read in many years. It is a book that is absolutely vital to read in this moment, and listening to the passion that Deena has for the story and the messages it contains is incredible. We hope you enjoy this conversation and that it inspires you to read this fantastic book.

Ally Russell is one of our favorite authors and people. All of her books are the exact kinds of stories that would have made us fans of horror and reading if we had found them in Elementary school. As adults, they are pure joy and worlds that we could live in forever. We are in desperate need of authors like Ally Russell to create the next generation of spooky kids to carry the torch of this art form that we love so much. Listen as we talk about the final entry in the Mystery James duology, our love of cats, and so much more.

American Nightmare is one of the best horror novels of the year. It's a vital and important book that deserves to have the widest possible audience. It's a brilliant historical reimagining. It's a compelling and suspenseful look at the very real events of heroic white passing Black people travelling to southern states to report on lynchings and violence towards Black people. It's also incredibly horrific and dives into one of our favorite things that horror does, using the genre to examine the realities of the horrors we inflict on each other. Kelly is an absolutely incredible writer, and this year we are blessed not just with American Nightmare, but her gloriously creepy Lovecraftian YA novel Noone Leaves the Manor. Pick them up, you will not be disappointed!

Frank Reddy's Ghost in the Grove is a Southern Gothic religious horror that dives into some of our favorite topics and regions. Frank is such a wonderful guest and this conversation runs from explorations of evangelical beliefs to money and power. We hope you enjoy and pick up Ghost in the Grove today!

Rachel Harrison, one of the masters of modern literary horror, returns to the podcast to talk about her new novel Kiss Slay Replay. We talk about time loops, slashers, anxiety, depression, and so much more. It's always such a pleasure talking with Rachel and this was such an inspiring conversation.

Are you ready for a Party of a Lifetime?? Henry Corrigan is going to send you on an unforgettable trip through hell as a group of teens trying to recreate the prom night stolen from them a year ago end up on a literal highway to hell. Join us as we talk about growing up, all manner of monsters both human and supernatural, and why Henry loves torturing these characters so much!

Markus Redmond's Blood saga is a brilliant re-imagining of early 1700's North America. It is the revenge and justice filled story that we need in this cursed timeline we find ourselves in. It's also inspiring, horrifying, action packed, and filled with the kind of hope we really need.We were also lucky enough to be joined on this episode by our dear friend author and Cemetery Dance editor Haley Newlin, who might be an even bigger fan than us!Enjoy this deep, fun, moving conversation about a series of books you absolutely need!

A.P. Thayer's debut novel Tapeworm is a complex look at adult relationships. It looks very realistically at how difficult it is to keep friendships as everyone's lives are changing and relationships break apart. Oh, and there's vampiric cosmic horror that threatens to destroy everyone, too. Listen as we talk about this great book, horror in general, and what it's like to get older.

The Sleeping Sisters is one of those books that you just can't stop talking or thinking about once you have read it. Both a retelling of The Girl with the Green Ribbon, the real-life West Mesa Murders, and Indigenous Chicana folklore, Jennifer Givhan has not just written one of the best books of the year but a book that will certainly be an all time favorite for us both. We were so excited to talk to Jenn and she did not disappoint in her brilliance during this conversation. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and get The Sleeping Sisters now!

Kailee Pedersen's second novel, The Minimalist, is a brilliantly written psychological horror novel that is incredibly complex and beautifully written. Listen as we discuss some of the themes of the novel and so much more. Pedersen has truly shown herself to be one of the most exciting and talented new writers in horror and modern fiction in general.

Meat Bees is one of the most entertaining and disgusting experiences that you are likely to have with a book this year. We both absolutely loved it and after talking with Dane, we can see why it was such a wonderful book. This is the kind of book that all ages will enjoy from teens to the elderly. Dane gets his characters in a real way and that shines in the way that the reader immediately understands and connects with the work, making it have such a fantastic impact. Join us as we talk all things bees, forests, tourist areas, and so much more!

Stephanie Rose is a huge part of the horror book community, running a horror-focused indie bookshop (Death By TBR Books), heading up her own press, editing the Twisted Tales anthologies, and writing her own books! Stephanie was kind enough to give us some of her time to talk about Small Town Slasher, her plans for a series of novellas set in her fictional town of Woods Bay, slashers, disability rep, and so much more. Buy Small Town Slasher (and so much more) at www.deathbytbrbooks.com

Join us as we talk to Sylvester Barzey about his fantastic novel Camp Lanier. Barzey brilliantly combines true historical horrors with supernatural and all too human threats in this book that is an absolutely perfect summer read. This was an absolutely wonderful conversation that brings in so many topics that are near and dear to our hearts. Sylvester's Websitehttps://sylvesterbarzey.com/

Viggy Parr Hampton is writing some of the most exciting horror novels around, so we were so excited to finally have her on the podcast. Her latest novel, Ripped Up the Middle in Two, is a suitably unsettling and disturbing look at new motherhood. We talk all about the realities of parenthood and the completely unfair expectations placed on women. Viggy's Websitehttps://viggyhampton.com/

Grace Daly's The Scald Crow was nominated for a Stoker for best first novel for a reason. That reason being it is incredibly good. Horrifying, emotional, and very funny, The Scald Crow brings in fascinating folklore and has wonderful disability rep. It is a must read and listening to this conversation with Grace we are sure you'll have as much fun as we did. She is hilarious and insightful and we can't wait to see what she does next!Grace's websitehttps://gracedalyauthor.wordpress.com/

V.S. Lawrence is one of our favorite writers and people, and we are so happy to have her back to talk about her latest novel, Just Us, Here. It is a change of pace for V.S. and a book that invites really great conversation surrounding social media and care giving. It's a great book and we had a great conversation about it!V.S.'s websitehttps://vslawrence.com/

Lora Senf had written some of the best Middle Grade horror novels of the past decade with her Blight Harbor series, and now she written one of the best YA, and simply one of the best books of the year, period with Unnamed Bones. This is a book that is best gone into blind, but we will say it involves a lake that shouldn't be there, an island that shouldn't be there, and a group of teenagers that really shouldn't have gone to the island. It's terrifying, it's thought provoking, it's brilliantly written, and it's one of our favorite books of the year. This conversation was just as fantastic as well! Lora's Websitehttps://lorasenf.com/Instagram and Threads@lorasenfauthorBuy Unnamed Bones and all of the other books featured on HWRwww.bookshop.org/shop/horrificallywellread

Bram Stoker Award winning author R.J. Joseph returns to the pod to discuss her new story collection, My Monsters Ain't Like Yours. This collection includes the aforementioned award-winning story "Inheritance", along with a host of other enthralling and horrifying stories. We are truly lucky to have a writer and thinker on the caliber of R.J. and it is always such a joy to have a conversation with her.

PN0K0 is a masterclass in how to take a well known story and turn it into something completely new. It is a meditative look at how AI and technology is infiltrating all of humanity and the dangers that come with that. It is a thrilling and sometimes gross techno horror with some creepy robot "boys". And it is a fantastic look at how generational trauma informs our decisions and actions and how we can break that cycle. Our conversation with Rachel is far reaching and fantastic, she is such a deep thinker and there were so many "wow" moments for us listening to her. We hope you feel the same way!Buy PN0K0https://bookshop.org/shop/horrificallywellreadRachel's websitehttps://www.rachelhorakdempsey.com/Rachel's InstagramInstagram: @rachelsdempsey

Listen today as we discuss The Hospital at the End of the World with author Justin C. Key. This was a fascinating discussion about technology, medical treatment, AI, and what it means to be human and why human interaction is so vital. Thank you so much to Justin for coming on and speaking with us, this is a book that we think will only gain in popularity as we continue to navigate a lot of the questions it poses. Support all of the authors we've had on, the show, and independent bookstores by buying books we've featured on our bookshop.org shop!https://bookshop.org/shop/horrificallywellreadJustin's websitehttps://www.justinckey.com/

My Lips, Her Voice is a book that is a favorite this year for both of us, so we were so happy to sit down and talk with L.L. Madrid for this episode! She is an absolute delight as well, and this conversation will hopefully not just make you want to read her outstanding novel, but visit Arizona and the ghost towns that inspired the book. But be careful, there might be something sticking around those seemingly empty towns, and it really is that hot!

The Little White Flowers series is the perfect summer Religious Folk Horror read, and Amber Hathaway stops by the show to talk about these fantastic books, the second of which, Hallowed Deadly Seeds, releases on June 30th. Amber talks about the autistic character rep, religious trauma, and her other inspirations for the books. Enjoy this fantastic conversation and read both of these books ASAP!

Carmen Catena is a guest we have wanted to have on the show from the very beginning. Her insights on Gothic novels were part of the initial discussions we had when talking about the type of topics we wanted to tackle here at Horrifically Well Read. So we are so happy to share this wonderful conversation with Carmen, who will certainly be releasing her own novels someday soon as well.

In a conversation that we found to be absolutely fascinating and fantastic, Linda Hamilton discusses her Mormon Gothic novel The Fourth Wife. This is a creepy, atmospheric book with richly layered characters. And in our conversation, she delivers a masterclass in Mormon history and how it influenced this novel and why it is such an important subject to study when looking at religious trauma, patriarchy, and other issues in today's society.

Dopefoot is a singular experience. Cryptids, cannabis, found footage, Lithuanians, this book has it all. It's one of those books that when you're finished with it, you want to recommend it to everyone but have a hard time summing it up in just a singular sentence or two, because there is so much going on. Listen as we get to the heart of belief, character, and the power of storytelling.

To quote the tagline from the classic 80s movie Say Anything, to know Ryan La Sala is to love him, and you are all about to get to know Ryan La Sala. The Dead of Summer, which is getting a beautiful paperback release in July, is also getting a sequel, Bodies of Water, coming next April. So, make sure that you're caught up and read The Dead of Summer right now, it's obviously the perfect time for it. This conversation was one of the most delightful that we've had, and we think that you are going to feel the same way!

Christa Carmen's How to Fake a Haunting is a fresh, frightening take on the haunted house genre, filled with toxic men and female rage. This conversation was so much fun, and we hope you check out all of Christa's books, which are fantastic!

Taylor Grothe burst on to the scene last year with the excellent YA novel Hollow, and this year they are back with Lethal Kiss, a brutal dark academia horrormance that will have you flying through the pages this fall. We talk about LGBTQIA+ Rep, the pitfalls and patriarchy of academia, monsters and myths from Nordic Sagas, and so much more!

For our 100th episode, we have gotten together three of our favorite authors and people, Laurel Hightower, Haley Newlin, and Renee Thomasin, to talk about Adam's novella Do Better (available now). This is such a fantastic conversation about toxic masculinity, how the Patriarchy and misogyny hurts us all, and so much more!We hope you enjoy and here's to 100 more episodes!

John Collins is writing the type of stories that will transport you to a fireside in October. It's spooky, it's creepy, it's a little dangerous. Did this happen to a friend of a friend? Who knows. In his hands, you never know where exactly you're going, but it's going to be a fun ride getting there.John himself is an absolute delight as well. We met him at Horror Reader Weekend last fall (Get your registration in for this year if you haven't already!), and it is always a great time to have a conversation with him. So, sit back, smell the burning leaves and step into a crisp fall night with John Collins.

Meg Ripley's Necrology is a hypnotic, beautiful dark horror/fantasy that will draw you in and leave you wanting more. Luckily, there is more coming this November in the form of the second part of this duology in Woodfeast. But first, we deep dive into the world of Rabbit and this dark mirror of our own world.

In Root Rot, Saskia Nislow has created something so rare, a truly original story. Listen as we discuss this fantastic novella and so much more! Saskia is such a great author and conversation partner and we can't wait to see what they come up with next!

Kenya Moss-Dyme has been writing excellent horror for years, and if you haven't discovered her yet, now is the perfect time! We had such a great time talking horror, inspirations, medical horrors, and so much more!

Killer Summer is the pink slasher of your nightmares. Wendy Dalrymple writes a slasher that is brutal, surprising, and filled with remarkable truths and reflections on our society. It's always a pleasure to talk with Wendy, and you will certainly see why from this conversation!

Neena Viel broke onto the horror scene last year with the excellent Listen to Your Sister (Nominated for best first novel at the Stokers this year) and she's back with a brilliant alternate historical horror in I'll Watch Your Baby. This book takes on the trope of the welfare queen and brings some full blooded horror, multiple timelines and POVs, and a dash of brilliant social commentary. This is one of the best books of the year and our conversation was so much fun and insightful!

David Simmons is an absolute star in horror, and it's time for you to discover it if you haven't already. His story collection coming in June from Clash Books, Fetty on the Switches, is a transcendent grouping of stories that range from the absurd to all too human. He is an absolute joy to talk to as well, and we hope that comes through in our conversation.

Mikayla Randolph's Not Your Final Girl is a razor-sharp modern-day slasher retelling of Tess of the D'urbervilles. This is the perfect book to add to your summer TBR and Randolph tells us all about how it began with righteous anger and ended with a bident. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Keala Kendall's new novel That Which Feeds Us is a brilliant Hawaiian Gothic that will keep you guessing and glued to the page to the very end. Join us for a really wonderful conversation where Keala tells us about her inspirations for the book, the true history of the settler colonization of Hawaii, and so much more!

Grace Reynolds has created the Honky Tonk slasher of your country music nightmares with Neon Moon, a brutal, emotional, thrill ride of a novella that will have you itching to throw on some cowboy boots and take a couple shots.In what might be our most unhinged, most insightful, and most fun conversation yet, Grace talks her inspirations, this hellish landscape we call our present reality, and all manner of varmints and critters.Visit Grace's website and buy Neon MoonHome – Author of Dark Poetry and Fiction

G.G. Silverman's debut story collection, The Blood Year Daughter, out tomorrow from Creature Publishing, is a rallying cry against the patriarchy. The stories inside range from timeless fairy tale like reimagining's, to modern day horrors that are all too real. Silverman is such an insightful, thoughtful, fun guest, and we think you'll have as much fun with this conversation as we did!Purchase the Blood Year DaughterThe Blood Year Daughter a book by G G Silverman - Bookshop.org USThe Blood Year Daughter by G.G. Silverman, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®The Blood Year Daughter: Silverman, G.G.: 9781951971410: Amazon.com: Books

Amber Dean's bravura and absolutely unhinged first novel, Hysterical, is a glitzy, drug fueled look at the social scene of New York City in the early 2010s. It gets violent, it gets crazy, and it's somehow both beautiful and gag inducing. Join us for a freewheeling conversation that fits the book perfectly.

Rebecca Cuthbert's work is an absolute joy to read, dark, smart, and creepy, and a conversation with her is just as amazing, as you will find out when you listen to this episode!

Annie Neugebauer has been writing incredible short stories and poetry for a long time, and we are lucky to be able to read them in one collection for the first time with You Have to Let Them Bleed. Join us as we talk about the stories and how they were chosen, as well as her trilogy of interconnected novellas, The Outsiders Sequence.

Cillian Black's debut novella, Holy Ghost, is a creepy, disturbing look at the lengths we would go to be able to say one final goodbye to a loved one. Listen as we discuss Catholic guilt, zombies, and surprisingly good direct to video sequels.

Carter Keane's excellent debut Novella Morsel will have you cheering to bring down the capitalist patriarchy. This book is fun, brutal, smart, and skillfully written. Our conversation was so much fun and we believe Carter is truly a talent to watch! We can't wait to see what they do in the future!

Multi-Stoker award winning, including the reigning Novel of the year The Haunting of Velkwood, Gwendolyn Kiste joins us to talk about her new story collection, The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own. We talk about a number of the stories, which are all so different but absolutely excellent, as well as her previous work and upcoming releases as well. Kiste is one of the best working today, and has such fantastic insight!

Burn Down Master's House is one of the most vital and important books of the year, and we were truly honored to have Clay Cane on as a guest to talk about it. While not shelved in the horror section, Burn Down Master's House is a book that fits perfectly in with the purpose of literary horror, which is to shine a light on society, to look at the things that are ugly and scary, and to find ways to fight back, to see the truth and to spread that flame as far and wide as possible. Join us for an unforgettable conversation and read Burn Down Master's House as soon as you can.

The Curse of Hester Gardens is not just one of the best horror novels of the year, it's one of the best novels of the decade, period. Tamika Thompson is one of our favorite guests and this conversation will show you exactly why.

Paulette Kennedy is the queen of the modern gothic and her latest, The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael is a fantastic, suspenseful, romantic, and beautifully written example of her work. Listen as we talk about her work, her inspirations, and maybe even her special powers?!

J.H. Markert is writing some of the most exciting and frightening horror/thrillers and DIG is an absolute thrill ride. Listen as we discuss the surprising origins of this novel, other inspirations, and much more.