Anna Rose Reads - The Podcast

Happy Tuesday, folks! This week I’m chatting with Ronald Malfi about his latest release that is on shelves TODAY, Senseless. I’ve been a fan of Malfi’s for quite a while now so getting to ask about the ins and outs of this gritty, intense, and disturbing novel was a dream come true. I am sad to report that my good luck streak of avoiding technical issues was broken on this episode so this one is a bit shorter than normal. However, I do have a solid thirty minutes of convo that I am incredibly grateful for. I absolutely LOVED Senseless, and I think that it’s a novel that pays off for the strange, unhinged places it goes. So this is my highest recommendation to pick this one up. A huge thank you to Ronald Malfi for his time!

And if you do decide to order a copy of Senseless or you want to follow Ronald Malfi on socials, check out the links here:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronaldmalfi/

* Twitter (X): https://x.com/RonaldMalfi

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mropdeehc6ifqyt3ivykjtt6

* To order Senseless: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/775642/senseless-by-ronald-malfi/

Another week, another episode! Today I chat with Alex Gonzalez about his debut novel, rekt. This is a gritty, mean, and quite jarring story following one young man’s tumble down the rabbit hole that is the internet. From creepypastas to the dark web, Alex and I chat about how lawless the internet is, what it was like to grow up with such a thing, and much more. rekt is a book that is most definitely sticking with me, and getting to chat with Alex about it was such a delight. If you’d like to keep up with Alex on social media or order a copy of rekt, you can do so at the links below:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nahitsjustalex/

* Website:

https://www.alex-gonzalez.me/

* To order rekt: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770872/rekt-by-alex-gonzalez/

Happy Tuesday, friends! This week, I’m sharing my conversation with Tyler Jones, author of Midas, Burn the Plans, Heavy Oceans, Night of the Long Knives, Carved in Salt, and I Know What You Need (just to name a *few* of his works). We talk mostly about his most recent works, the complexities of genre classifications, writing authentically, and the emotional connections we look for in honest characters. As always, all of the thanks to Tyler for his time and honesty in this conversation.

If you’re looking to keep up with Tyler on socials or order his books, check out the links below:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tjoneswriter/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tjoneswriter?xmt=AQGz0P33pJIUWsQ4hXfV1rhF45lij1FOltYkdD6bTXdn-q8

* Twitter (X): https://x.com/tjoneswriter

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/tjoneswriter.bsky.social

* Website: https://www.tylerjones.net/shop

Hello, listeners! Today, Philip Fracassi joins a very special club as a return guest on the podcast, this time to discuss his time-travel novel, The Third Rule of Time Travel. A genre-mashup of a novel, we unpack the real science behind the kind of time travel Fracassi implements, the heartfelt emotion behind these characters, and the art of good storytelling. As always, a huge thank you to Philip for returning to the show and answering all of my questions!

If you want to follow Philip on social media or order a copy of The Third Rule of Time Travel, see the links below:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pfracassi/

* Twitter (X): https://x.com/PhilipFracassi

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pfracassi

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pfracassi.bsky.social

* To Order The Third Rule of Time Travel: https://pfracassi.com/third-rule

* To preorder D7: https://shop.shortwavepublishing.com/collections/books/products/d7-a-novelette

Hello, friends! On shelves today is Erika T. Wurth’s The Haunting of Room 904, a unique blend of paranormal mystery that covers so many topics from academia to ghosts to psychics to hauntings and everything in between. I was fortunate enough to get to sit down and chat with Erika about Room 904, her previous novel White Horse, and many of these topics. The Haunting of Room 904 feels like a timely read as evidenced by our discussion of real-world horrors, the trends of capitalism, and authenticity. As always I am immensely grateful for the writerly wisdom shared, but also Erika’s kindness!

If you want to keep up with Erika on socials or order a copy of 904, see the links below:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikatwurth/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@erikatwurth?xmt=AQGzLlynfJ87HHM9Gn_fO04FO-qHh_7J6LA-cWVGXPjW1Mk

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/erikatwurth.bsky.social

* To order The Haunting of Room 904: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250908599/thehauntingofroom904/

Fair disclaimer, even though this is an audio only podcast, my dog Charley still manages to make a cameo around the 36 minute mark. Apologies in advance!

Welcome back, friends! This is a very special episode of the pod, one in which I have not one, not two, but THREE guests! Rachel Harrison, Liz Kerin, and William Sterling join me this week to discuss the killer collection from Truborn Press (out today), Punk Goes Horror: A Mixtape Anthology!

This is one kickass convo if I do say so myself as we talk about the inspirations for the antho, story ideas from the songs that scream at us, and what it means to be punk. Curating an anthology such as this is no small feat, and William shares some of the things that stood out to him most when bringin’ the band together. Liz and Rachel each impart where their stories started and how the songs behind the prose spoke to them. Music and fiction work *very* well together, and Punk Goes Horror is proof of that symbiosis.

*** Note: Liz mentions at the end of the ep that she has some exciting news to share that she hopes will be out before this goes live. I can confirm that the rerelease of her debut YA fantasy novel, The Phantom Forest, has been announced! See the links below for details.

If you want to follow any of these lovely folks on social media or order your own copy of Punk Goes Horror, check out the links below:

Rachel Harrison

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelharrisonsghost/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@rachelharrisonsghost?xmt=AQGzKtKkzGRj6qKGZyxU9aC7iK4LOc6zRFJ1xvO_4AN4t5c

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rachelharrison.bsky.social

Website: https://www.rachel-harrison.com/

PreOrder Play Nice: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/742649/play-nice-by-rachel-harrison/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZe1A_mXAjUI2OMG2Y4iuDHBPY4USG1s_-c-XBBBb-1vhY7SeFfg_KOjC8_aem_d8GXVNMU-GmRzJNfmzkdgA

Liz Kerin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizkerin/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lizkerin?xmt=AQGzKtKkzGRj6qKGZyxU9aC7iK4LOc6zRFJ1xvO_4AN4t5c

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lizkerin.bsky.social

Website: https://www.lizkerin.com/

PreOrder The Phantom Forest: https://www.lizkerin.com/phantom-forest-2025-edition

William Sterling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spooky_sterling/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@spooky_sterling?xmt=AQGzKtKkzGRj6qKGZyxU9aC7iK4LOc6zRFJ1xvO_4AN4t5c

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:vthqtukongafqbfdzwas7ydg

Website: https://thewilliamsterling.wixsite.com/main

Truborn Press

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trubornpress/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@trubornpress?xmt=AQGzKtKkzGRj6qKGZyxU9aC7iK4LOc6zRFJ1xvO_4AN4t5c

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ndurvfzlku53bs4regt77iyp

Website: https://trubornpress.com/product/punk-goes-horror-anthology-backstage/

Hello, hello! And welcome to another installment of Anna Rose Reads - The Podcast. I’m showing up in style this week; that’s right, we are officially in *somewhat* professional podcast territory complete with recorded intros and outros. Yes, you can now hear me yap even longer than before as I now introduce our guest of the week and leave you all with some closing sentiments.

Podcast housekeeping items aside, I am absolutely over the moon to be sharing this week’s conversation with the one and only, Chris Panatier. If you don’t know Chris (well, you should), he is the author The Redemption of Morgan Bright, Stringers, The Phlebotomist, and most recently, Death on the Swayback from Rapture Publishing. In addition to being a very talented author, Chris is also an amazing artist specializing in vibrant pieces of digital and physical art. Seriously, go check out his Instagram page, his work is stunning.

Chris and I talk about his fiction, his approaches to long and short fiction, the balance of genre, and the merits of writing without a plan. We also spend a great deal of time discussing the editing process and how oddly comforting it is to know that changes can be made when it comes to fiction. We eventually venture into discussing Chris’ art style, how he finds inspiration for his illustrations, and other aspects of the creative process.

I could seriously chat with Chris for hours, and so it is my sincerest hope that you all find this conversation as lovely as I did. Here are some links to Chris’ social media pages and where you can find his books:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrispanatier/

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@chrispanatier?xmt=AQGzeZV_lPx1Q5S-mu9UKW97nNtIn32Uj91rQj4tNFWXaH0

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/scribeofhades.bsky.social

* To order The Redemption of Morgan Bright: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739930/the-redemption-of-morgan-bright-by-chris-panatier/

* To order Death on the Swayback: https://www.rapturepublishing.com/product/death-on-the-swayback-numbered-edition/9?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

* Chris’ Art Website: https://panatier.com/home.html

* To listen to Chris’ journey with The Dark Tower on Talking Scared: https://pod.link/1530064310/episode/2bca0e97575fc4e1bf1d4e6149c387b7

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Another week is upon us, and I cannot state how utterly thrilled I am to be sharing this interview with you all today. Kim C. is the one-woman wonder behind one of my favorite podcasts, The Year of Underrated Stephen King. Do you ever hear a person talk about one of your favorite topics and think, “Oh my gosh, I don’t know how it has to happen, but I MUST talk to this person!” That was very much my feelings when I discovered Kim’s podcast following her appearance on an episode of Talking Scared last year (episode 203 if you’re interested). And Kim was gracious enough to humor ALL of my questions about her love of King from favorite books, favorite characters, what it feels like to read King in 2025, what it’s like to be a female Constant Reader, and a fairly hearty conversation on The Stand. To try to share a complete list of every King story we touch on, we would be here for a while. So just know we cover MANY titles. And I will say that we do enter into some spoiler territory for a few of King’s books so proceed with caution! All in all, this was a dream of a conversation filled with so much relatability and joy.

Kim’s love, knowledge, passion, and authenticity are so touching and profound, I dare you to listen to this and not crack a smile. This is a longer episode, but there was much ground to be covered and much to be said. I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did, a true highlight to my year already.

If you want to follow Kim on socials and keep up with The Year of Underrated Stephen King podcast, you can do so at the following links:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underrated_sk_podcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

* Threads: https://www.threads.net/@underrated_sk_podcast

* BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/underratedskpod.bsky.social

Another week, another stunning release in the world of horror fiction. Today, I’m sharing my conversation with the wickedly talented, wonderfully delightful, and massively creative, Sam Rebelein. On shelves today is his collection, The Poorly Made and Other Things, which is easily one of my favorite collections of all time. Sam’s stories are packed with horror, twists that drop on a dime, and so much strangeness. There’s much more to these stories as you’ll realize through this conversation such as where to find weird inspiration, why we’re drawn to horror to begin with, and the places “otherness” can take you.

If you’re interested in reading some of Sam’s books or finding him on social media, please see the below links:

* To order a copy of Edenville: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/edenville-sam-rebelein?variant=41467732295714

* To order a copy of The Poorly Made and Other Things: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-poorly-made-and-other-things-sam-rebelein?variant=42517937029154

* Follow Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebelsam94/

* Follow Sam on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rebelsam94.bsky.social

* Follow Sam on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@rebelsam94

Once more, The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein is on shelves TODAY (February 11th) from William Morrow!

And as a quick side note, if you’re reading this via email or on Substack itself, I am on Apple Podcasts and Spotify as Anna Rose Reads - The Podcast for your listening pleasure!

Well, hi there. If you’ve made it this far, I think I’ve done something right in integrating my author interviews on YouTube also into podcast format here on Substack. If you’re a fan of seeing my face along with my guest’s face, my interviews will still be posted to YouTube as well as here. But now we have ~options~. Technology is grand, aint it (she says only if this works the way she’s thinking)?

Assuming everything is peachy, hi again! I'm very excited to be getting back into the groove of things and sharing my first author interview of 2025, the one and only Clay McLeod Chapman. That's right, I somehow convinced Clay to come back (hence the Electric Boogaloo) and talk about his latest release, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes from Quirk Books which is on shelves as of TODAY! While we open with a little bit of silliness and lots of persuasion to get Clay to actually talk about his book and not everyone else's, we do get into Clay's process of writing a book like Wake Up and Open Your Eyes and other topics such as: - Clay's novella, Kill Your Darling - What makes a good book these days - Big swings in horror fiction in 2025 - When Clay began to write Wake Up and Open Your Eyes as it relates to the timeliness of this story - The political essence of the novel and its commentary on our state of (un)connectedness - Extreme horror and the scopes in which we view the genre (micro and macro) - While I couldn't remember the name of the experiment during the interview, I researched and found that I was referencing the Rat Park experiment which I have linked a TED talk to here in case you're interested (I'm not saying this theory or experiment is gospel, I just think it's interesting): https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong/transcript?subtitle=en - Elevating normal elements in horror to make a point - The isolating or communal scream felt in writing a book like this - Pacing, structure, and feel of the story

We also throw around a few books and movies which I will list here: - When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy - Senseless by Ronald Malfi - Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig - The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt - Good Night, Sleep Tight by Brian Evenson - Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy (if you can't tell, we genuinely love that guy) - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones - Play Nice by Rachel Harrison - FOUND anthology edited by Andrew Cull and Gabino Iglesias - The Stand by Stephen King - A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay - The Evil Dead - 28 Days Later - Remake of Dawn of the Dead

As always, Clay is a very busy author who has other projects releasing this year such as a graphic novel edition of Séance in the Asylum, a YA novel, and a short story collection releasing with Titan Books. I am always so incredibly grateful for Clay's time, kindness, and honesty. It's a true celebratory occasion when we get to speak. Links to find him on social media and to order Wake Up and Open Your Eyes can be found below: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claymcleod?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== - Threads: https://www.threads.net/@claymcleod - X/Twitter: https://x.com/claymcleod - BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/claymcleod.bsky.social - To order Wake Up and Open Your Eyes: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/756648/wake-up-and-open-your-eyes-by-clay-mcleod-chapman/