Talk Your Lit Podcast

Jalen Tellis joins the show to talk, fangs, faith and fiction in their latest novel, West of Damnation.

About guest

Jalen Tellis is an Amazon Bestselling and three-time award-nominated novelist whose work blends horror, speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and psychological suspense into unforgettable stories driven by compelling characters and high-stakes conflict. Tellis writes stories that explore resilience, morality, fear, and the unknown. His work combines cinematic pacing with emotionally resonant storytelling, creating immersive worlds that stay with readers long after the final page.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

Please note since recording, No Dead Man Walking's release has been pushed back.

During the show, we discuss:

• West of Damnation
• Inspiration and research
• Vampirism as a system
• Remixing vampire lore
• No Dead Man Walking
• BIPOC Vampire Day

Connect with Jalen Tellis

• Instagram
• Threads

Buy His Book

• West of Damnation

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Support Nailah

• Buy Dead Pretty
• Read my column

Briana N Cox joins the show to discuss social horror in their debut novel, Indigent.

About guest

Briana N Cox (she/they) is the oldest of seven children and a first-generation academic. She holds a BA in cognitive science from Swarthmore College and an MS in speech-language pathology from Purdue University. Briana has been a writing Fellow through The TN Playwright’s Studio, Stowe Story Labs, Bend Base Camp Feature Lab, Stage 32 Feature Competition, and the Moonshot Initiative Feature Accelerator. She has won Best Script at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival and Best Tennessee Writer at the Nashville Film Festival. They have additionally been featured in Variety magazine, the 2024 Next List of screenwriters to watch for, Reactor magazine, and FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction.

Briana writes genre stories from the margins, illuminating the experiences of overlooked demographics with authenticity, dignity, and dark humor.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• Medical trauma and stigma
• Community and reciprocity
• Cannibalism
• Gentrification
• Surveillance
• BIPOC Vampire Day

Connect with Briana N Cox

• Instagram
• Threads

Support

• Contribute on Ko-fi
• Buy Indigent

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Support the host

• Buy Dead Pretty
• Read my column

Savannah Stephens joins the show to discuss Black witches, family pressure, and love triangles in her debut novel, Witch Queen Rising.

About guest

Savannah Stephens is a dark fantasy author who proudly creates the representation she lacked growing up. Her complex protagonists are warriors, queens, assassins, witches, and monsters who all embody Black Girl Magic. Her goal is not only to give readers fantastical worlds to escape into, but lessons and tools to survive the real one when the pages stop turning.

Her southern gothic fantasy debut, Witch Queen Rising, was an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy (April 2026).

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• Southern Gothic
• Difficult family dynamics
• Family Legacies
• Double standards
• Love triangles

Connect with Savannah

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Buy her book

• Witch Queen Rising

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Support Nailah

• Buy Dead Pretty
• Read my column

Tiffany Morris joins the show to discuss cannibals in her latest book, Carnalis, and, rage and grief rage amid a climate emergency.

About guest

Tiffany Morris is an L’nu’skw (Mi’kmaw) writer from Nova Scotia. She is the author of the Ignyte, Indigenous Voices, Shirley Jackson, and Aurora award-nominated Green Fuse Burning (Stelliform Press, 2023) and the Elgin Award-winning horror poetry collection Elegies of Rotting Stars (Nictitating Books, 2022). Her work has appeared in the Indigenous horror anthology Never Whistle At Night, as well as in Nightmare Magazine, Uncanny Magazine, and Apex Magazine, among others.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• Cannibalism
• Toxic relationships
• Climate horror
• Climate rage
• Climate grief

Connect with Tiffany Morris

• Instagram
• Bluesky

Buy her books

• Tiffany's website

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Support Nailah

• Buy Dead Pretty
• Read my column

Robert de la Chevotière joins another Caribbean gothic episode of the show to talk folklore, resistance and destiny in his third novel, The Twelfth House.

About guest

Robert de la Chevotière  is of both African and Kalinago ancestry. He is a short story writer, novelist and award winning poet. He has been a public school teacher for nearly 20 years. Originally from the Caribbean Island of Dominica, he spent equal parts of his childhood in Guadeloupe and in Bermuda. He now resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• The Caribbean gothic
• Caribbean folklore creatures
• The Kalinago
• Language justice
• Fate and destiny

Connect with Robert de la Chevotière

• Instagram
• Facebook

Buy his books

• Rob's website

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Support Nailah

• Buy Dead Pretty
• Read my column

A.M. Shilling joins the show to talk blending cosmic horror and gritty crime in her debut novel, The Devouring.

About guest

A.M. Shilling is a self-published author who delights in blending horror, fantasy, and romance in her stories. Her books often feature morally questionable people, their terrible circumstances, and how they manage to love one another despite it all. When she’s not contemplating her favorite villains like a sommelier appreciating fine wine, she enjoys roleplaying games and watching cooking shows with her husband.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• Genre blending
• Cosmic horror
• The unknown or unknowable
• Older protagonists
• Love after first love

Note:  You may notice a bit of echo as we had some challenges with audio quality while recording.

Connect with A.M Shilling

• Instagram
• Bluesky

Buy her books

• The Devouring

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Support Nailah

• Buy Dead Pretty
• Read my column

Summer Writing Recap

In a bonus solo episode where I take you behind the scenes of my writing over the past few months.

Topics discussed

During the episode, I discuss:

• General updates
• My challenges
• My wins
• Lessons learned
• Audience Q&A

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Horror Roundtable: Part two

A conversations with Bookish Horror BIPOC creators in a round table discussion to discuss their thoughts on horror lit in 2026.

Correction: Ivy Fang was a missaid as Ivy Wang. I'm sorry for the mistake and it's been corrected on the transcript.

About guest(s)

Morgan

A member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Morgan (she/her) - nicknamed Momo - was born and raised in Oklahoma, often watching cult classics like Scream, The Craft, and Interview with a Vampire with her mom.

Now a voracious reader of the spooky, gory, and weird, Momo still loves horror storytelling more than any other genre. In particular, she loves reads that uplift traditionally marginalized communities and expertly weave in social commentary, such as recent faves Listen to Your Sister, Molka, and The Whistler.

Momo currently works for a leading civil rights organization as both a fundraiser and Indigenous Justice lead with her two cats, Sake and Soju.

Jess

Just an avid reader of books that raise eyebrows.

Abby

An avid reader, reviewer and fierce supporter of the horror community. She is also the author of the short story "The Inevitable", her first piece of fiction, which is included in the With Teeth werewolf anthology.

Bianca

When she's not reading books or thinking about books, she's hanging out with my husband, being a dog mom, convincing myself I enjoy the gym, watching horror movies, or trying to write some kind of story. Her favorite places to go are the library, the movies, indie bookstores, and local coffeeshops. Being an introvert, she's not one to talk much but when she does, it's about books.

Topics discussed

During part two, we discuss:

• Trends we have had enough of
• Trending horror books
• 2027 anticipated releases
• Audience questions

Connect with guests

• Jess: Instagram & TikTok
• Morgan: Instagram
• Abby: Instagram | Bluesky | Threads
• Bianca: Instagram

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Horror Roundtable: Part one

A conversations with Bookish Horror BIPOC creators in a round table discussion to discuss their thoughts on horror lit in 2026.

About guest(s)

Morgan

A member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Morgan (she/her) - nicknamed Momo - was born and raised in Oklahoma, often watching cult classics like Scream, The Craft, and Interview with a Vampire with her mom.

Now a voracious reader of the spooky, gory, and weird, Momo still loves horror storytelling more than any other genre. In particular, she loves reads that uplift traditionally marginalized communities and expertly weave in social commentary, such as recent faves Listen to Your Sister, Molka, and The Whistler.

Momo currently works for a leading civil rights organization as both a fundraiser and Indigenous Justice lead with her two cats, Sake and Soju.

Jess

Just an avid reader of books that raise eyebrows.

Abby

An avid reader, reviewer and fierce supporter of the horror community. She is also the author of the short story "The Inevitable", her first piece of fiction, which is included in the With Teeth werewolf anthology.

Bianca

When she's not reading books or thinking about books, she's hanging out with her husband, being a dog mom, convincing myself I enjoy the gym, watching horror movies, or trying to write some kind of story. Her favorite places to go are the library, the movies, indie bookstores, and local coffeeshops. Being an introvert, she's not one to talk much but when she does, it's about books.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains strong language and mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During part one, we discuss:

• The state of horror literature in 2026
• The best horror (so far) from BIPOC writers
• The horror space overall (what we love and what needs to change)

Connect with guests

• Jess: Instagram & TikTok
• Morgan: Instagram
• Abby: Instagram | Bluesky | Threads
• Bianca: Instagram

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Quiet horror out loud

Eden Royce joins the show to talk about quiet horror, the craft of writing short fiction, folklore and her latest release, Psychopomp & Circumstance.

About guest

She is a writer of Southern Gothic for kids & adults and a Gullah Geechee descendant. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, she now live in Southeast England. Her adult fiction has won the Shirley Jackson Award and been a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award and the Locus Award. Her books for young readers have received Walter Dean Myers Award Honors, and been recognized as an Andre Norton Nebula Award Finalist, an Ignyte Award winner, a Bram Stoker Award winner, and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection for outstanding children’s literature.

Topics discussed

During the show, we discuss:

• Cross cultural folklore
• Consulting for Ring Shout
• Quiet Horror
• Psychopomp & Circumstance
• Hollow Tongue
• Writing and craft

Connect with Eden

• Instagram
• Bluesky
• Threads

Buy her books

• Kids books

Adult books

• Psychopomp & Circumstance
• Hollow Tongue

Collections

• Who Lost, I Found
• Spook Lights: Southern Gothic Horror
• Spook Lights II: Southern Gothic Horror

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message