In this episode, author Blaine Daigle returns to discuss his latest novel, Porcelain Lullaby.

The book follows two estranged brothers, Jake and Nate Shepherd, whose childhood ended in violence when they woke to find their parents dead.

Twenty years later, they receive a message from their long-dead mother calling them to Meadowland, an abandoned orphanage in rural Pennsylvania.

We explore how the brothers hold two completely different memories of that traumatic night, and how those conflicting explanations drive the entire narrative.

Blaine discusses his approach to gothic horror, the use of music boxes as harbingers of dread, and why small shadows lurking in periphery vision are more terrifying than big monsters.

We dive into the concept of place as predator, examining how locations can absorb negative energy and develop hostile personalities.

Blaine also reflects on why Porcelain Lullaby represents the distillation of themes he's explored across all five of his books, from childhood trauma to fractured family dynamics.

He shares insights on his cover design process, the calcifying effect of collective town denial, and why unreliable memory makes for compelling psychological horror.

This is a deep conversation about grief horror, the uncanny valley of porcelain dolls, and refusing to write the same story twice.

Official Website:
https://www.blainedaigle.com/

Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Blaine-Daigle-Author-100086562623387/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blainedaigleauthor/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/bdaigle_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25085884.Blaine_Daigle

Amazon:
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BTB8JHCX

Barnes & Noble:
The Broken Places (eBook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-places-blaine-daigle/1147045506
The Broken Places (Audiobook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-places-blaine-daigle/1143258859

Publisher (Wicked House):
Porcelain Lullaby: https://wickedhouse.com/book/porcelain-lullaby/

Audiobooks:
Podium Audio: https://podiumentertainment.com/authors/1345/blaine-daigle

Support The Dark Mind Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

In this episode, filmmaker Alex Domenici joins us to discuss his horror short Never Let You Go.

The film follows a woman whose abusive ex-boyfriend reaches from beyond the grave to bind them together through an occult ritual.

Alex shares how he invested most of his life savings into the production, building elaborate sets and shooting in real caves outside Los Angeles.

We explore the film's themes of trauma, supernatural horror, and what it means to be trapped by the past both physically and spiritually.

Alex discusses his 20-year journey in filmmaking and why this is the first film he's truly proud of.

He opens up about working with top-tier sound designers at Sony Studios, the challenges of practical effects, and the emotional toll of bringing psychological horror to life.

We also dive into his other films including Call from Kelly, The Clapper, and Arts and Crafts.

Alex talks about imposter syndrome, manifestation, and the pressure of betting everything on a single project.

The film premiered at Screamfest at the TCL Chinese Theatre before being released on ALTER's YouTube channel in January 2026.

This is a raw, honest conversation about independent horror filmmaking, creative obsession, and refusing to compromise your vision.

ALEX DOMENICI

Instagram (Personal):
https://www.instagram.com/alex__domenici/

Instagram (Never Let You Go Film):
https://www.instagram.com/neverletyougo_film/

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@AlexDomenici

IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7503436/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-domenici-127314109

Email:
[email protected]

WATCH ALEX DOMENICI'S FILMS

Never Let You Go (2024) - FREE on ALTER YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh0nBbt3qKk

Call from Kelly (2023) - FREE on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROzjqNHe8oQ

The Clapper (2019) - FREE on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9lclBwaFa8

Arts & Crafts (2016) - Available on Alex's YouTube Channel

SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCAST

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Jon Cohn returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his latest novel, The Creed Falls Massacres, a genre-bending collision of 80s slasher horror and cosmic body horror.

Seventeen years after the Camp Creed massacre, final girl Jamie Campbell faces a town divided over whether she is a hero or a murderer.

When a meteor crashes on the anniversary of the killings and the Silver Fox killer returns, Jamie and her daughter Claire must survive both a personal vendetta and a town-wide plague of mutated monsters.

Jon and Vincent explore post-truth societies, multi-generational trauma, the horror of doubt, and what happens when communities weaponize skepticism against survivors.

The conversation dives into Jon's inspiration from the failed promise of the 2018 Halloween trilogy, his Freddy vs Jason approach to blending horror subgenres, and why he considers this cosmic plague story pure horror rather than science fiction.

They also discuss influencer culture horror in Slashtag, the death of long-form content, TikTok as a special circle of hell, and why doom scrolling might be the scariest thing we face today.

Jon Cohn is an award-winning horror author and board game designer whose work includes The Island Mother, Slashtag, Kill Beth, and collaborations with Eli Roth on the Thanksgiving board game.

Buy The Creed Falls Massacres, leave a review, and join the conversation about final girls, false narratives, and quantum nightmares.

Jon Cohn - Author Website & Social Media

Official Website
https://www.joncohnauthor.com

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

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/joncohnauthor

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@joncohnauthor

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21703052.Jon_Cohn

Buy Jon Cohn's Books

The Creed Falls Massacres - Bookshop.org
https://bookshop.org/a/91271/9781959798897

Barnes & Noble - Jon Cohn Author Page
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jon+Cohn

Amazon - Search for Jon Cohn books
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jon+Cohn+author

Support The Dark Mind Podcast

Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Radar DeBoard joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his visceral novella Everything But the Skin, published by Uncomfortably Dark.

Set in the cursed town of Shallow Root, the story follows a young girl named Sophia who finds herself psychically connected to an ancient evil hunting children.

We explore how Radar blends body horror with supernatural elements to create what he calls comfort horror steeped in splatterpunk violence.

Radar shares the origin of the infamous flagpole scene that sparked the entire book and discusses writing children in extreme horror without reducing them to symbols.

We dive into themes of generational trauma, community denial, and the terrifying ways people ignore evil to preserve their comfortable lives.

The conversation touches on his working class upbringing and how economic anxiety and inequality thread through all his work.

Radar opens up about his writing process, creating morally gray monsters readers almost cannot blame, and his approach to implication versus explicit violence.

We discuss his other projects including Drowning in the Drink, a grief horror novella based on his aunt's struggle with alcoholism, and A Year Spent in Horror, a collection of 365 micro horror stories.

Radar reflects on being active in the indie horror community, where he draws the line in extreme content, and how becoming a new parent has changed his perspective on writing about children.

Available now on Amazon and Godless.

RADAR DEBOARD - AUTHOR LINKS

Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Radar-DeBoard/author/B0937GYFP8

Barnes & Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Radar%20DeBoard%22

Godless (Everything But the Skin):
https://godless.com/products/everything-but-the-skin-by-radar-deboard

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/radardeboard

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

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WriterRadarDeBoard/

Publisher - Uncomfortably Dark:
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com

Support The Dark Mind Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

​

P.M. Raymond joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss her debut collection Things Are As They Should Be and Other Words To Die For.

This New Orleans-inspired noir-horror exploration examines revenge, consequence, and the violence that seeps into the soil of communities.

Raymond discusses blending crime noir's moral agency with psychological horror's supernatural consequences.

We explore the distinction between Voodoo as a monotheistic religion and Hoodoo as magical practice.

Raymond explains how New Orleans functions as a character with its own permissive moral weight.

The conversation covers her Eleanor Taylor Bland Award-winning story A Nasty Business and the generational trauma embedded in Southern families.

We discuss The Entitled Life and Untimely Death of King Booker, set in 1960s segregated New Orleans.

Raymond shares her creative process of annual experimentation with different formats including screenplays, second-person POV, and writing in French.

She explains her commitment to refusing editorial requests to sanitize cultural content or over-explain New Orleans-specific references.

The episode examines how silence functions as both weapon and resistance in her interconnected stories.

Raymond discusses the promise and inevitable failure of revenge as vicarious catharsis for readers.

We explore Southern Gothic's treatment of home as trap rather than refuge.

The conversation touches on her IT project management background and how analytical thinking shapes her chaotic emotional narratives.

Raymond reflects on her uncle George Raymond's civil rights work and the research behind her historical fiction.

This episode offers insight into crafting morally ambiguous characters, genre hybridity, and grounded escalation in dark fiction.

Official Website

P.M. Raymond – Official Site
https://www.pmraymond.com​

Email / Contact

Website contact page
https://www.pmraymond.com/contact-us​

Newsletter / Blog

Substack – “The Raymond Experience”
https://pmraymond.substack.com​

Blog via main website
https://www.pmraymond.com/blog​

Social Media

Instagram – P.M. Raymond (@pmraymond_author)
https://www.instagram.com/pmraymond_author/​

Facebook – P.M. Raymond Author Page
https://www.facebook.com/pmraymondauthor/​

Publisher

Uncomfortably Dark Horror – Author Page
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/ourauthors​

Goodreads / Reader Platforms

Goodreads – P.M. Raymond Author Page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/39871595.P_M_Raymond​

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/stores/P.M.-Raymond/author/B0BT8V74J3?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1768792762&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=af5cbe7a-dddd-412f-a13e-7cfa6d614597​

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble – Search results for P.M. Raymond
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22P.M.%20Raymond%22

Barnes & Noble – Search results for “Things Are As They Should Be and other words to die for”
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Things%20Are%20As%20They%20Should%20Be%20and%20other%20words%20to%20die%20for%22​

Anthologies / Other Work (Selected Purchase Paths via Publishers/Retailers)

Uncomfortably Dark – Main site (for news on the collection and other titles)
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com​

Level Best Books – The Most Dangerous Games (anthology including P.M. Raymond)
https://www.levelbestbooks.us

Down & Out Books – Rock, Roll, and Ruin (anthology including P.M. Raymond)
https://downandoutbooks.com​

Support The Dark Mind Podcast

Patreon – Support The Dark Mind Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Aron Beauregard returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his latest book Homewreckers, a devastating family horror story about the Huxley family and their possessed 14-year-old son Dustin.

Aaron breaks down the suffocating atmosphere of the novel, exploring how he crafted a story about a marriage crumbling under the weight of an impossible burden.

We dive into the cult element of the book, The Transcenders, and their disturbing practices involving autoerotic asphyxiation.

Aaron reveals how the book was inspired by his own sleep paralysis experience and research into the Hat Man phenomenon.

He discusses the innovative QR code nightmare videos embedded in the deluxe hardcover edition, created in collaboration with Michael Squid, offering POV glimpses into each family member's nightmares.

We explore the differences between extreme horror and splatterpunk, and why Aaron focuses on character-driven stories rather than gratuitous gore.

Aaron shares his two-year writing process for Homewreckers, including major revisions and the challenge of making disturbing scenes necessary rather than gratuitous.

We discuss the nature versus nurture debate, childhood innocence and corruption, and why the best horror must be inescapable.

Aaron talks about his previous viral success with Playground and his upcoming project Horsefly, which also features QR code integration.

The conversation ventures into philosophy, technology, conspiracy theories, Waymo driverless cars, and interdimensional beings.

Available at abhorror.com and wherever books are sold.

Official Website:

https://www.abhorror.com

Social Media:

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

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AronHorror

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aronbeauregardhorror

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aron.beauregard13

Substack Newsletter: https://aronbeauregard.substack.com

Where to Buy:

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/homewreckers-aron-beauregard/1148993165

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aron-Beauregard/author/B07RWS59JT?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=d556bec1-9862-4417-afea-3b0667e23b96

Audible Audiobooks:

https://www.audible.com/author/Aron-Beauregard/B07RWS59JT

Homewreckers Audiobook:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Homewreckers-Audiobook/B0G5RKSTRP

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19170844.Aron_Beauregard

Deluxe Editions (Exclusive):

AB Horror Store:

https://www.abhorror.com

Support The Dark Mind Podcast:

https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Rebecca Rowland returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss her new novel Eminence Front, releasing January 20th from CLASH Books.Set on a single New England street during a brutal snowstorm, the novel follows neighbors as an ancient entity preys on their secrets, sins, and regrets.We explore why snow creates such effective psychological horror, from its sound-muffling properties to the sensation of being smothered alive.Rebecca reveals how the title came from a Who song about false facades and self-deception, themes that run through every character on the street.We discuss agoraphobia as both vulnerability and advantage, dementia as a Cassandra narrative device, and why betrayal trauma appears in all of her work.Rebecca shares her extensive research process, from the science of snow to real historical blizzard accounts that inspired scenes in the book.We dig into the challenge of writing deeply flawed characters who are neither heroes nor villains, just people making terrible choices under pressure.Rebecca also talks about her novella Shagging the Boss, her background in psychology, and why she believes most people are fundamentally good despite writing horror.This conversation goes deep into quiet horror, art house atmosphere, and what happens when suburban pretense collapses under supernatural weight.Guest Websitehttps://rowlandbooks.com​Books Page (All Titles & Anthologies)https://rowlandbooks.com/the-books​Unburied: A Collection of Queer Dark Fictionhttps://rowlandbooks.com/unburied​Generation X-ed Anthologyhttps://rowlandbooks.com/generation-xed​Guest Social MediaInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/rebecca_rowland_books/​Blueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/rebecca-rowland.bsky.socialX (Twitter)https://x.com/BecRowlandTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@beccalrowGoodreads Author Pagehttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4738797.Rebecca_Rowland​Denver Horror Collective Profilehttps://denverhorror.com/rebecca-rowland/​Buy Rebecca Rowland's WorkAuthor Hub for All Books (various retailers linked per title)https://rowlandbooks.com/the-books​Amazon – Rebecca Rowland Bookshttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=rebecca+rowland+authorThriftBooks – Author Pagehttps://www.thriftbooks.com/a/rebecca-rowland/924284/​Godless – Rebecca Rowland Page (eBooks and more)https://godless.com/products/rebecca-rowland​Powell's Books – Search Results for Rebecca Rowlandhttps://www.powells.com/books/search?query=Rebecca+Rowland​Goodreads – Works by Rebecca Rowlandhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4738797.Rebecca_Rowland​Dead Sky Publishing – White Trash & Recycled Nightmareshttps://deadskypublishing.com/portfolio-item/white-trash-recycled-nightmares/​(Unburied, Generation X-ed, American Cannibal, and other titles also link out to individual purchase and audio options from the books hub on her site.)​Support The Dark Mind Podcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

A haunted house on Virginia’s Eastern Shore becomes a conduit between two women separated by 400 years.

Author and screenwriter Jacquie Walters joins The Dark Mind Podcast to talk about her new novel Turn Off The Light.

We dig into dual timelines, women of knowledge, and how small communities can be more terrifying than any ghost.

Jacquie unpacks how sleep deprivation, grief, and family secrets fracture her characters’ sense of reality.

We explore her use of quantum physics to reframe what a haunting actually is.

She shares how her TV background shapes her pacing, structure, and “cinematic” horror on the page.

Jacquie also opens up about mediumship, trusting her intuition, and how her daughter’s experiences with spirits helped inspire the story.

JACQUIE WALTERS - AUTHOR LINKS

Official Website:
https://www.jacquiewalters.com

Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwalterswrites/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquiewalters
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15036438.Jacquie_Walters
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61564033081098

Buy Books:
Dearest by Jacquie Walters:
https://www.amazon.com/Dearest-Novel-Jacquie-Walters/dp/0316580293

Turn Off The Light by Jacquie Walters:
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Off-Light-Jacquie-Walters/dp/0316580323

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/turn-off-the-light-jacquie-walters/512b3cf20bdbb039

Mulholland Books (Publisher): https://www.mulhollandbooks.com/titles/jacquie-walters/turn-off-the-light/9780316580328/
Hachette Book Group: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/jacquie-walters/

Book Community:
Send Me A Book (Book recommendations): https://www.sendmeabook.me

In this episode, horror filmmaker A.K. Espada joins me to discuss her deeply personal short film I Could Just Die and That Would Be All Right.The film follows a woman struggling with suicidal depression who offers herself to a cryptid called the Bonecat in the forests of Southern Gothic suburbia, only to wake up undead and denied the escape she sought.Kate opens up about writing the script during one of the darkest periods of her life and how making the film became a form of therapy and advocacy.We discuss the COVID shutdown that nearly ended the production, the challenge of maintaining directorial distance while depicting your own trauma, and why she felt obligated to be transparent about her mental health struggles during festival Q and A sessions.Kate also talks about her other films including The Promotion, a darkly satirical office horror co-directed with Phil Cheney, This Is Our Home, a vegan versus pragmatist horror that won the Audience Award at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, and Laundry Night, which won a Special Jury Prize.We explore the importance of programming at festivals, how dark humor functions in horror, and why she believes everyone needs some form of artistic expression to process difficult emotions.Kate shares insights from her work as a scenic artist on productions like Stranger Things, her participation in the Sundance Horror Fellowship and Moonshot Initiative, and her philosophy on self-distribution and making films outside the traditional gatekeeping system.This conversation covers the psychology of horror, the ethics of depicting suicide on screen, and what it truly takes to make independent films that break stigma and foster genuine connection.OFFICIAL WEBSITEhttps://akespada.comSOCIAL MEDIAInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/akespada/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/a-k-kate-espada-b24a1075FILM-SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIAI Could Just Die Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/i_could_just_die/STREAMING PLATFORMSShort of the Weekhttps://www.shortoftheweek.com/2025/07/17/i-could-just-die-and-that-would-be-all-right/Shudder (This Is Our Home - Etheria Showcase)https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/etheria-film-night-2022/9bf212afcd42a5daALTERhttps://youtu.be/-GHVEeMJc0M?si=dE4MuNTNZvv3GkKoIMDB PROFILEhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm6711544/SEED AND SPARK (Crowdfunding/Distribution)https://seedandspark.com/fund/i-could-just-dieCONTACThttps://akespada.com/contact

Guest: Kathe Koja

Kathe Koja is an award-winning author known for her groundbreaking Dark Factory trilogy, including the newly released Dark Matter. Her work explores immersive fiction, the collapse of consensus reality, and the psychological impact of living in a world where augmented experience and celebrity culture collide. Koja is a pioneer of narrative experimentation, blending genres and inviting readers to participate in her stories.

Website:

kathekoja.com

darkfactory.club

Social Media:

instagram.com/kathekoja

twitter.com/darkfactoryclub

Online Retailers (Books & Audiobooks):

barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-matter-kathe-koja/1146964352

barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-factory-kathe-koja/1140472551

amazon.com/stores/Kathe-Koja/author/B004N2MO82

amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Kathe-Koja/dp/1946154970

audible.com/author/Kathe-Koja/B004N2MO82

Publisher:

meerkatpress.com/category/authors/kathe-koja

Goodreads:

goodreads.com/author/show/8125999.Kathe_Koja