Ink Heist - A Podcast for Readers of Dark Fiction

This week we have a very special show for you as we welcome Josh Malerman back to the show to celebrate the upcoming release of the highly anticipated sequel to Bird Box, Malorie, which hits shelves on July 21st. Throughout the course of the episode, we touched on growing through failure and working through self-doubt, some of the themes that influenced Malorie, his thoughts on short fiction, to name a few things. We were also happy to have John F.D. Taff  join us and surprise Josh. Listening to him and Josh talk to each other about writing is a jolt of creative energy and we hope you love it as much as we did. It's always a great time hanging out with Josh and John and there are a ton of great stories and nuggets of advice that you definitely don't want to miss!

This week, we're joined by special co-host and friend of the show, Tracy Robinson. For those who don't know her, Tracy contributes to both Ladies of Horror Fiction and Sci-fi & Scary. The four of us had an amazing conversation with Stephen Graham Jones, whose new novel The Only Good Indians, is out now through Gallery/Saga Press. During this episode, we explore some of the themes of The Only Good Indians, the importance of a first-line, creating writing playlists, and more that you won't want to miss. You guys are going to dig the fuck out of this one.

Step into a pair of plush Cthulhu slippers as we talk with Horror legend F. Paul Wilson, who has written well over 50 books in a variety of genres and has crafted a career spanning mythology that has appeared in his standalone works as well as the Repairman Jack and Adversary Cycle series. We had a blast talking to Paul and discussing his writing career, his latest release Signalz, Cosmic Horror and so much more. This is a must-listen episode for both new and long-term fans alike as Paul shared some great insight into his career. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did and don't forget to pick up a copy of Signalz!

Ink Heist is happy to welcome Tracy Robinson back to the show as we have this candid, entertaining, and highly informative conversation with Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts, Cabin at the End of the World, and his newest release, Survivor's Song. If you don't yet know what Paul Tremblay or Survivor's Song are about, here's a chance to unfuck that. Give this a listen, then go buy some books from your favorite indie bookseller. 

Music provided by the band Secret Smoker

Today on the Ink Heist podcast we're talking to author Todd Keisling about a whole brigade of interesting topics, chief among them, his new novel from Silver Shamrock Publishing, Devil's Creek. If you don't have that novel in hand yet, do go unfuck that, and listen to this, the first of many episodes to come with Todd. We barely scratched the surface of this epic horror novel this time around, but in the episodes to come we'll be diving deep. Oh, and while you're listening, keep the hashtag #MidnightBaptism in mind. We have a very special contest with some badass horror bling up for grabs. 

Special thanks to Secret Smoker for allowing us to use their music.

This week, we're excited to welcome Max Booth III and Lori Michelle of Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing to the show! Max and Lori are almost superhuman in the amount of projects they take on in indie publishing from running Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing and their fiction magazine Dark Moon Digest to doing their own writing, podcasting, formatting books, and so much more. It was a lot of fun to hang out with them and talk about their various projects and some of the behind the scenes editorial stuff at Perpetual Motion Machine. Max and Lori have consistently put out some of the best and most original dark fiction in the genre today and if you haven't picked up one of their books yet, well, what are you waiting for?

During the course of the episode, we discuss Hannibal, Lori's background in publishing, their editorial process together at PMMP, Lost Contacts, how they acquire books, Paul Michael Anderson's Standalone, the inspiration for We Need To Do Something, Night Frights, upcoming projects, Max breaks down ejaculation terms, interviewing Joe Lansdale, favorite podcasts and so much more.

This week, we're excited to welcome Jessica Laine to the show to talk about her writing and her upcoming reading series co-hosted with Angel Luis Colón, Two Bad Apples Present Reading for Relief. This is an exciting event loaded with readings from some of the best writers working in fiction today and will take place on both Thursday, June 25th and Friday, June 26th at 7 p.m. EST. Trust us when we say this is an event you'll want to be a part of, so click the link and reserve your spot today. We had an absolute blast talking with Jessica, who became one of our favorite writers after we read her genre-bending story "The Sundowner" in the stunning anthology ¡PA'QUE TU LO SEPAS! and "Lust to Love" in Murder-A-Go-Go's . If you haven't read either anthology, we highly recommend picking up copies of both. Also, Jessica references a story based on a personal ghost story called "Lily of the Valley", which you can read online at The Norwegian American.

During the course of the episode, we discuss the genesis of "The Sundowner", being a part of ¡PA'QUE TU LO SEPAS! , submitting to anthologies, the Two Bad Apples Reading series, living in Minnesota, lifting up diverse voices, the genres that influence her writing, a potential series with Margarita from "The Sundowner", the impact of the pandemic on writing, a personal ghost story, and so much more. 

This week, we're excited to welcome Michael David Wilson to the show to celebrate the release of his brand new debut novella The Girl in the Video which is out now through Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Chances are if you're a fan of horror fiction, you're already well aware of Michael as he is the founder of the website and podcast This Is Horror, which has run for 350 episodes and counting and features him and Bob Pastorella interviewing some of the biggest names in the genre. It's a great podcast and one of the biggest influences on our show and if you aren't already a listener, head over and dive into some of their previous episodes. The Girl in the Video is a terrifying story that Michael has pitched as "The Ring meets Fatal Attraction for the iPhone generation", and I don't think there is a better description for it. Without delving into spoilers, I will say that Michael taps into isolation and the fears about our digital privacy to craft a pretty gripping premise that might make you want to delete all of your social media profiles. If you haven't checked it out, definitely pick up a copy.

During the course of the episode, we discuss the beginnings of the This Is Horror Podcast, dealing with anxiety, interview styles, profanity, discussing ejaculation with Max Booth III, the origins of The Girl in the Video, negative reviews, a possible The Girl in the Video film, dealing with the pandemic, isolation and technology as themes, The House of Bad Memories, favorite Peep Show scenes, Peeper Ritual, Bob Pastorella being his prizefighter, what he's into lately,  and so much more.

This week, we're excited to welcome Kathe Koja to the show to celebrate the release of her new collection Velocities and the upcoming re-release of The Cipher, both on Meerkat Press. This was a truly special conversation as Kathe's work has had a huge impact on all three of us as Horror fans and she is truly a master of the genre. Her works have a legendary reputation among genre fans, and for good reason. Her prose has a darkly poetic quality and is infused with a raw, unfiltered energy that crackles on every page and consumes readers, keeping them immersed in the unique worlds and the lives of her characters until the very last page. This was an engaging conversation with one of our favorite authors and we're excited to be able to share it with you. We had a great time and learned so much from Kathe, we look forward to having her on the show again in the future. If you have yet to read Kathe's work, a good place to start would be Velocities. It 's a perfect showcase of the many different styles she writes in.

During the course of the episode, we discuss The Dark Factory, immersive narratives, collaborating with other artists, bringing your experiences to books as a reader, social isolation, how horror can tackle different emotions, the history of The Cipher at Dell Abyss, handling stories that get shelved, battling your craft, Velocities and the story selection process, working with Meerkat, discussing Dr. Seuss, a plan for a Velocities live event, options, humor in horror and so much more.

This week, we're excited to welcome Glenn Rolfe to the show to celebrate the release of his latest novel, Until Summer Comes Around, which is out now through Flame Tree Press. Until Summer Comes Around is a perfect summer read as Glenn sets his story in Old Orchard Beach and infuses the magic of summer vacation throughout the course of the novel. When Rocky meets November, the two quickly fall for each other and are determined to make the most of their time together. However, November's family harbors a dark secret that threatens to destroy their relationship. There are a lot of Joyland vibes in Until Summer Comes Around, so if you loved the atmosphere of that book, definitely pick up a copy of Rolfe's latest. During the course of the episode, we discuss his start in publishing, pitching revisions on the fly, the creative process, Old Orchard Beach, punk rock, Don D'Auria, and so much more. Check out our conversation now right here on Ink Heist or on your favorite streaming service.