The Dark Mind Podcast

On this episode of The Dark Mind Podcast, host Vincent Midgard welcomes horror author Holly Rae Garcia for a deep dive into her debut novel, Come Join the Murder, and her unique approach to dark fiction.

Key Topics Covered:

• From Psychological Thriller to Soul-Crushing Horror:
  Holly discusses the inspiration and emotional core behind Come Join the Murder, exploring themes of grief, vengeance, and morality in her protagonist’s harrowing journey.
• Constructing Realistic Grief:
  Holly reflects on her own experiences as a mother and how personal fears around child safety and loss influenced her portrayal of Rebecca's trauma and obsession with her family’s fate.
• Moral Ambiguity in Character Building:
  The conversation examines the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, and how good people might do bad things under extraordinary circumstances. Holly shares her fascination with this gray area and how it fuels her writing.
• Grounding Horror in the Everyday:
  Drawing inspiration from Stephen King, Garcia explains how taking everyday objects and situations—like a white van or a family outing—can evoke deep unease and make her stories linger with readers.
• Villains and Violence:
  Holly reveals her intent to subvert expectations with a villain (James Porter) who is menacing through his casual, emotionless approach to murder and the challenge of escalating violence in a way that always serves the story.
• Sensory Writing and Process:
  Learn about Holly’s process of "white-rooming" first drafts and then meticulously layering in sensory details, atmosphere, and action to make her horror scenes come alive.
• Genre Blending and Subjectivity:
  The discussion veers into lively debates about what constitutes horror vs. thriller vs. sci-fi, and why, for Holly, films like Jurassic Park qualify as horror.
• Personal Background:
  Holly shares her roots on the Texas coast, her background as a photographer, her family’s embrace of the macabre, raising reptiles (and parrots), and how a supportive—if darkly humored—family helped shape her creativity.
• Co-Writing with Family:
  Vincent asks about collaborating with her husband, army veteran Ryan Prentiss Garcia, on Easton Falls Massacre, and how they balance their writing strengths.
• Publishing, Rights, and Upcoming Projects:
  Holly talks about the upcoming re-release of Come Join the Murder with a new cover and her ongoing journey balancing writing, work, and life.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Good people do bad things for good reasons, and bad people do good things for bad reasons. No one is all one thing.”
• “When you show a reader the bomb under the table, you create tension—not just surprise.”
• “I don’t write for shock value; the violence has to serve the story or the character’s truth.”
• "Sometimes the darkness wins, and I think that's just more honest to life."

Connect with Holly Rae Garcia:

Website: https://www.hollyraegarcia.com
X (Twitter): https://x.com/hollyraegarcia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyraegarcia/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19577186.Holly_Rae_Garcia
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyraegarcia

Most recent work: Flesh Communion (short story collection)
Look out for the re-release of Come Join the Murder in 2026!

Support the show:
If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting The Dark Mind Podcast on Patreon for bonus content and more:
https://patreon.com/thedarkmindpodcast

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Guest: Keith Rosson
Host: Vincent Midgard
Episode Recorded: August 22, 2025

About This Episode

In this episode, Vincent welcomes renowned author and artist Keith Rosson to talk about his new dark literary novel Coffin Moon. The conversation covers the gritty heart of noir fiction, the reimagining of the vampire archetype, the lasting impact of war and trauma on storytelling, the struggle and beauty of DIY punk and zine culture, and the organic chaos of the writing process. Keith opens up about how blindness shapes his art, why family trauma is an unavoidable theme, and why ambiguous endings matter.

Key Topics Discussed

• The challenge and richness of setting a vampire story in 1970s Portland
• Breaking the mold: Writing messy, morally gray characters
• Punk, zines, and the creative energy of relentless DIY art
• How blindness shapes Keith’s visual and narrative sensibility
• The importance of landscape in fiction (Oregon, North Dakota, LA)
• Writing trauma, revenge, and the uncertain hope of healing
• Literary fiction vs. genre and why Keith refuses to choose just one
• Taking and leaving vampire tropes: Curses, curses, and fatherhood
• Inspirations: From Richard Lange’s Rovers to Andy Davidson’s In the Valley of the Sun

Connect with Keith Rosson

• Website: keithrosson.com
• Instagram: @rossonkeith
• Goodreads: Keith Rosson on Goodreads

Buy Keith Rosson’s Books

• Bookshop.org (support indie): Bookshop - Keith Rosson
• Amazon: Keith Rosson on Amazon
• Publisher: Meerkat Press - Keith Rosson

Support the Show

If you enjoyed this episode, rate and review the show and consider supporting Keith Rosson by picking up his latest book, Coffin Moon, and leaving a (non-spoiler) review. Share with a friend!

Support this podcast:
patreon.com/thedarkmindpodcast

Show Notes

This week, host Vincent Midgard welcomes back acclaimed dark fiction author Megan Stockton to discuss her novel "Pink Neon." Together they dive deep into the book’s brutal realism, creative process, the psychology of trauma and survival, and Megan’s approach to writing about difficult subjects with honesty and respect.

Episode Highlights

• Opening with Impact: Why Megan starts and ends her books with haunting scenes, and how her creative process is both intuitive and chaotic.
• Surviving and Dissociating: Exploring trauma responses, disassociation as a survival tool, and how Megan’s own experiences inform her writing.
• Writing Uncomfortable Truths: Keeping depictions of violence raw and honest—never exploitative—and understanding dissociation as both a literary and human tactic.
• Everyday Villainy: Bringing realism to antagonists, refusing cartoonish evil, and exposing systemic predation.
• Not Found Family—Trauma Bond: The relationships in "Pink Neon" are forged through necessity, not affection, subverting typical survival fiction tropes.
• Between Myth and Mundane: Missy’s symbolic presence—part vengeance, part myth, all unsettling realism.
• Social Systems and Research: Consulting sex workers, reading unbiased accounts, and striving for authenticity in representing marginalized voices.
• Tone, Prose, and Process: Balancing lyricism and harshness, using color as a storytelling device, and Megan’s “one-draft-and-done” writing method.
• Building Sunning: Megan’s fictional Tennessee setting, inspired by Memphis’s geography and history of decline.
• Looking Ahead: Teasers for Megan’s upcoming haunted house novel and the Missy prequel. Reflections on Texas AuthorCon and indie authors to watch.

Featured Books & Authors

• "Pink Neon" by Megan Stockton
• "Quite Pretty Things," "Bluejay," and others by Megan Stockton
• "The Fovea Experiments" by MJ Mars
• "Air Conditioned Nightmare" by David Slater
• "Where Pop Stars Go to Die" by David Washburn
• "Last Tour at Sulphur Creek" by Paul Avery Tindall
• "Rage" series by David Hardy

Connect with Megan Stockton

• Website: meganstocktonbooks.com
• Patreon: patreon.com/badluckcatclub
• Instagram: @meganstocktonauthor
• X / Twitter: @mstocktonauthor
• Goodreads: Megan Stockton on Goodreads

Follow & Connect with Vincent Midgard / The Dark Mind Podcast

• Official Website: thedarkmindpodcast.com
• Patreon: patreon.com/thedarkmindpodcast
• Instagram: @vincentmidgard
• Facebook: @vincentmidgard
• Bluesky: @vincentmidgard
• TikTok: @vincentmidgard
• Threads: @vincentmidgard

Resources Mentioned

• Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS)
• Very Young Girls (Documentary)
• The Oldest Profession Podcast

Enjoyed the episode?
Subscribe, review, and follow us for more conversations at the shadowy borders of literature and film. For guest suggestions or listener feedback, reach out on social media or through our official website.

Explore memory, morality, and the future of technology in this gripping conversation with author T. R. Napper.

We delve into his cyberpunk novel *The Escher Man*, set in a high-tech, neon-lit Macau of 2101, where identity can be erased and rewritten at will.

Napper discusses the inspiration for his world, the philosophical roots of cyberpunk, and the emotional impact of memory manipulation.

We also touch on his journey as a writer, world-building secrets, and the meaning of art in an increasingly dehumanized age.

Tune in for an episode that asks: what happens to the soul when our memories are not our own?

T.R. Napper Links & Social Media:

• Official Website: www.nappertime.com

• Twitter/X: @TheEscherMan

• Instagram: @trnapper (https://www.instagram.com/trnapper/)

• Bluesky: @trnapper.bsky.social

• Facebook: T.R. Napper

• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7826255.T_R_Napper

• Email: [email protected]

Where to Buy T.R. Napper’s Books:

The Escher Man (2024)

• Amazon (all international listings)

• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-escher-man-t-r-napper/1144264422

• Penguin Random House

• All good bookstores worldwide

Ghost of the Neon God (2024) - Aurealis Award Winner

• Amazon (all international listings)

• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-of-the-neon-god-t-r-napper/1143968635

• Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744919/ghost-of-the-neon-god-by-t-r-napper/

• All good bookstores worldwide

36 Streets (2022) - Award-winning cyberpunk novel

• Amazon (all international listings)

• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/36-streets-tr-napper/1139309064

• Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/678795/36-streets-by-t-r-napper/

• Kinokuniya (worldwide, including Japan)

• All good bookstores worldwide

Aliens: Bishop (2023) - Aliens tie-in novel

• Amazon (all international listings)

• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aliens-tr-napper/1143358855

• Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743030/aliens-bishop-by-t-r-napper/

• HamiltonBook.com

• All good bookstores worldwide

Neon Leviathan (2020) - Short story collection

• Amazon (all international listings)

• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/neon-leviathan-t-r-napper/1135617509

• IndieBound.org (US independent bookstores)

• Grimdark Magazine

• All good bookstores worldwide

Signed Editions Available

Contact T.R. Napper directly at [email protected] for signed copies of:

• Neon Leviathan

• 36 Streets

• Ghost of the Neon God

• The Escher Man
(Note: International postage may be expensive from Australia)

All books are also available as eBooks and audiobooks on major platforms including Kindle, Audible, and other digital retailers.

What happens when grief, abuse, and horror collide in the most intimate spaces of our lives? In this episode, I sit down with author Emma E. Murray to discuss her searing new novel, Shoot Me in the Face on a Beautiful Day. We explore the psychology behind toxic relationships, how abusers weaponize love and grief, and why the real horror often hides in plain sight.

Emma opens up about writing through the eyes of both victims and predators, the influence of abnormal psychology on her characters, and the visceral power of body horror to express what words alone cannot. We also dive into her haunting depictions of decomposition, the blurred line between care and control, and the shame that clings tighter than any monster.

This is not just a conversation about horror fiction—it’s about the human condition, survival, and the stories we carry in silence.

👉 If you value these kinds of deep conversations, support The Dark Mind Podcast on Patreon and help me keep bringing you the voices shaping dark literature today.

Official Website:

• ​https://emmaemurray.com

About Page / Bio:

• ​https://emmaemurray.com/about-me/

Anthologies:

• ​https://emmaemurray.com/anthologies/

Instagram:

• ​https://www.instagram.com/emmaemurray_

X (Twitter):

• ​https://x.com/emurrayauthor

Representative / Literary Agency:

• ​https://www.therightsfactory.com/Authors/emma-e.-murray

Interviews & Features:

• ​https://horrortree.com/the-crushing-weight-of-horror-a-conversation-with-emma-e-murray/
• ​https://christinogle.substack.com/p/emma-e-murray-dark-and-visceral-horror
• ​https://ivygrimes.substack.com/p/interview-with-emma-e-murray

Where to Buy Emma E. Murray’s Books:

• ​"The Drowning Machine and Other Obsessions" (Undertaker Books shop): https://undertakerbooks.com/products/the-drowning-machine
• ​Target (The Drowning Machine): https://www.target.com/p/the-drowning-machine-and-other-obsessions-by-emma-e-murray-paperback/-/A-1004581104
• ​Thriftbooks Author Page: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/emma-e-murray/5717854/
• ​Goodreads Author Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/21520496.Emma_E_Murray

In this episode of The Dark Mind Podcast, Vincent Midgard welcomes author Blaine Daigle back to discuss his latest Gothic-folk horror novel, The Ashes of August Manor. The conversation dives deep into the novel’s themes of grief, mortality, and the quiet dread that lingers in spaces where time feels frozen. Blaine shares how the story follows Noelle, a hospice worker and struggling writer, whose life takes a surreal turn after accepting an offer to care for a dying man in the secluded August Manor.

They explore the book’s balance of whispering horror and sudden impact, the dreamlike shift from grounded realism to mythic inevitability, and how physical spaces in Blaine’s work mirror the inner fractures of his characters. From moral ambiguity in compassion, to the uncanny power of body language, to the oppressive presence of the manor itself, the discussion examines how Blaine builds atmosphere through sensory decay and liminality rather than overt shocks.

Blaine also reflects on the novel’s quiet creation, its interplay of Gothic and folk elements, and why he hopes it leaves readers with a sense of closure amidst the darkness.

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Blaine-Daigle-Author-100086562623387/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMQ-RbhTbHa/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25085884.Blaine_Daigle

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

Barnes & Noble (Ashes of August Manor): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashes-of-august-manor-blaine-daigle/1147127732

NetGalley (Ashes of August Manor): https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/668738

NetGalley (A Dark and Endless Sea): https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/313891

Audiobook (Ashes of August Manor on Libro.fm): https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798895390818-ashes-of-august-manor?srsltid=AfmBOoolg2ZIqngzy2XX_12itEmvte9lMO8aiRPr45drLp5NO-zzl90F

Join host Vincent Midgard in a chilling discussion with Andrew Najberg, author of Extinction Dream, as we journey into a hidden war waged through dreams. Markus, a soldier stationed on a research outpost in orbit, defends Earth against a telepathic alien force that weaponizes humanity’s nightmares. As bonds—mental and emotional—fracture, we explore memory, trauma, and the blurry edges between peace and oblivion. Andrew shares his process behind crafting cosmic horror, the emotional landscapes that fuel his work, and how he builds dread through silence and suggestion.

Connect with Andrew Najberg

• Website: https://andrewnajberg.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewNajbergAuthor

• X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/AndrewNajberg

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewnajberg

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR96AxLpKTLob6neZQBDpQg

Learn more about Extinction Dream

• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235680409-extinction-dream

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Extinction-Dream-Novel-Andrew-Najberg-ebook/dp/B0FBS7H9K5

Upcoming Events and Appearances

• August 6 Event: https://parnassusbooks.net/event/2025-08-06/andrew-najberg-extinction-dream-megan-stockton

• Full Schedule: https://andrewnajberg.com/appearances

In this episode, Vincent Midgard is joined by author Elizabeth Devecchi to discuss her slow-burn psychological thriller A Twist of the Lens. They explore the novel’s complex themes of childhood manipulation, familial tension, and the subtle grooming that isn’t sexual—but is no less horrifying. Elizabeth shares the inspiration behind her enigmatic protagonist Charlie, the real-life story that shaped one of the novel’s most unsettling scenes, and how moral grayness anchors her work.

The conversation also dives into writing emotional subtext, converting criminal skill sets into redemption arcs, and crafting antagonists who live on in the psyche long after the final page. Along the way, Elizabeth reveals how motorcycles, accountability groups, crocheted Krakens, and creepy house pets all play a role in her creative life.

📚 Where to Buy Elizabeth Devecchi’s Books

• Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.ca/s?field-author=Elizabeth+Devecchi

• Barnes & Noble (via official site):

https://www.elizabethdevecchi.com/books

• Target (A Whisper in the Dark):

https://www.target.com/p/a-whisper-in-the-dark-by-elizabeth-devecchi-wicked-house-publishing-paperback/-/A-1005019381

• Goodreads (A Twist of the Lens):

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239014981-a-twist-of-the-lens

🌐 Official Website

• Author Website:

https://www.elizabethdevecchi.com

📱 Social Media Profiles

• Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/esdevecchi

• Facebook Personal Page (Author Updates):

https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.devecchi

• Instagram (@themoonthesunandlittleman):

https://www.instagram.com/themoonthesunandlittleman

• Bluesky (@esdevecchiauthor.bsky.social):

https://bsky.app/profile/esdevecchiauthor.bsky.social

• TikTok Interview Clip (hosted on your page):

https://www.tiktok.com/@vincentmidgard/video/7436376474917162270

In this episode of The Dark Mind Podcast, I sit down with author Caleb Jones to dissect the disturbing technological and psychological terrain of his new novel, The Eliza Test. We explore the book’s chilling premise: a team of scientists uploads mental illnesses—starting with borderline personality disorder—into a sentient AI designed to simulate and respond to therapy. But when consciousness meets trauma in a machine that was never meant to feel, things spiral into an uncanny nightmare.

Caleb opens up about the real-life mental health research that inspired the novel, the ethical tightrope of AI experimentation, and how emotional intelligence and religious guilt shape the human—and inhuman—characters. We also discuss the evolution of Eliza as both a psychiatric patient and a symbolic threat, the dangers of technophilia, and the looming question: if suffering can be simulated, does that make it real?

We also touch on:

• The myth of machine neutrality

• Emotional mimicry vs. authentic consciousness

• The horror of being obsolete in your own field

• What the future of therapy might look like—and why it should terrify us

🖤 Order signed copies of The Eliza Test and Red Hill Paradise directly from Caleb Jones at:

https://www.calebjonesauthor.com

📖 Check out Caleb’s earlier collection Bulls and Beaters on Godless:

https://godless.com/products/bulls-and-beaters-ebook-by-c-i-i-jones

🎵 Keep an eye out for his upcoming slasher Heart of Glass, releasing March 2026 from Water Tower Hill Publishing.

⸻

Follow Caleb Jones Online:

🌐 Website: https://www.calebjonesauthor.com

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caleb.jones.94214

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caleb_jones_author/

🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TheCalebJones

In this powerful episode, we sit down with author, producer, and journalist Tamika Thompson to explore her genre-defying short story collection Unshod, Cackling and Naked. From beauty pageants to beast transformations, from societal collapse to personal revenge, Thompson’s work challenges what horror can do—and who it can empower. We discuss creature features, unreliable narrators, body horror, and the radical idea that “terror is more productive than revenge.” Tamika also opens up about her journalistic roots, her views on community, resistance, and the intersection of horror and justice.

If you’re looking for horror that bites back—this one’s for you.

Follow Tamika Thompson:

🌐 Website: www.tamikathompson.com

📧 Newsletter: www.tamikathompson.com/tamika-talks-terror

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/tamikadthompson

🐦 Twitter/X: www.twitter.com/tamikathompson

👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/tamikathompsonauthor

💀 Support the show and get exclusive content: www.patreon.com/thedarkmindpodcast