We're joined by the wonderful James D.F. Hannah who regales us with tales of Mississippi tornado warnings, southern noir writers, if Falkner is a crime novelist, and his latest release Somewhere Outside Salvation (A Grifter's Song Book 32). We also get a sneak peek at the story and hear about the process of writing a piece in the Grifter's Song series (as well as a few other music references).

We are joined by the a brilliant new name on the horror scene, Rae Knowles, to talk about narcissistic love interests, the tragedy of plot butterflies fluttering away the second you have the ability to write, and taco bell erotica. We also get a sneak preview of The Stradivarius, talk about her nonfiction piece in Nightmare Magazine, and more accurate definitions of the word "gaslighting."

We're joined by author Adam Godfrey to discuss his novella, Narcissus, crossing genres, being a panster vs a planner, and myth retellings. There are also several side tangents involving music, movies, and music in movies.

In which we discuss After The Lights Go Out by John Vercher, mental health, the toll that contact sports take, and one-star reviews. Also the cost of entertainment, conflicting character motivations, and balancing multiple issues within a story.

If you want to hear from the author himself, check out his appearance on NPR's Fresh Air.

Trigger warning:

This episode contains discussions of mental health, including self-harm and suicide. If you are struggling, please know help is available.

If you are in the US, call or text 988, or visit https://988lifeline.org/

If you are in the UK, call 0800 689 5652 or visit https://www.spuk.org.uk/national-suicide-prevention-helpline-uk/

We're joined by fellow Midwesterner Scott Mitchel May to discuss the categorization of Ohio, the twisted origins of some Arthurian legends, allowing readers to feel uncomfortable, and finding out twists as readers do. We also get a sneak preview of his debut novel ⁠Breakneck: or, it happened once in America, ⁠discuss the pros and cons of trying to plot map and how expectations within the publishing industry have changed from decades past to the 2020s.

We're joined by Peter Farris to discuss finding inspiration in unique places, transitioning from horror to thriller writing, and rural noir stories. We also get a snippet of The Devil Himself, and discuss both the French and US publishing worlds, the relevance of luck, and the importance of perseverance.

We're joined by the awesome Alexander James to go on many nerdy tangents and get a sneak preview of his debut novel The Woodkin. We also talk about complex timelines in writing, relative degrees of horror, and Nate's appalling lack of bookshelves.

We're joined by the wonderful Holly West and second-time visitor C.W. Blackwell to talk about Bouchercon 2023, editing anthologies, blind submissions, and efforts to widen submission pools to as wide a group as possible. We also talk about the Bouchcon anthology Killin' Time In San Diego, hear a sample of C.W.'s story within it "Hard Rain on Beach Street," and get excited for a West Coast trip.

It's also our ~50th~ episode, so that's pretty cool.