hadows & Seasons with Kristal Shanahan

On this episode of Ink Blots: Author Interviews, we welcome Kansas-based horror author Kristal Shanahan, a high school British literature teacher by day and spine-tingling storyteller by night.

Kristal's debut collection, Four Seasons of Horror, dropped on March 27 and showcases her ability to weave chilling tales that explore the eerie edges of everyday life. Her debut novella, A Mortician’s Shadow, is set to release next month, and she has even more short stories haunting the pages of upcoming anthologies.

Whether you're a horror reader, teacher, or aspiring author, Kristal’s story will inspire—and unnerve—you in the best way.

📚 Find Kristal’s Work on Amazon:
👉 amazon.com/author/ladyinhorror

🔗 Follow Kristal Shanahan:
📸 Instagram: @ladyinhorror_author
🎵 TikTok: @ladyinhorrorwriting
📘 Facebook: Kristal Shanahan – Author

Kristal Shanahan, Four Seasons of Horror, A Mortician’s Shadow, women in horror, Kansas horror author, horror fiction, debut horror writer, horror short stories, British literature, horror podcast

#KristalShanahan #FourSeasonsOfHorror #AMorticiansShadow #WomenInHorror #HorrorFiction #DebutAuthor #LadyInHorror #HorrorTeacher #IndieHorror #InkBlotsPodcast

Lightning Round with R. J. Joseph

We had limited time when Rhonda sat down for an interview so we created a new show called Ink Blots: Lightning Round. What we have is a shorter, fast paced interview that is a lot of fun. Rhonda will be back on Ink Blots in a couple of weeks for a full interview, but for now, enjoy her Lightning Round!

Whether you're a horror fan, aspiring writer, or literary scholar, this episode will leave you thinking—and maybe even a little haunted.

📚 Explore R. J. Joseph’s Books on Amazon:
👉 https://tr.ee/DC9ha3tE-N

🔗 Connect with R. J. Joseph:
🌐 Website: www.rhondajacksonjoseph.com
📱 Social: @rjacksonjoseph

📸 Author Photo Credit: Sam Allen, SDA Media

Horror fiction, R. J. Joseph, Black horror author, Shirley Jackson Award, Bram Stoker Award, women in horror, Black women in horror, speculative fiction, horror podcast, author interview, horror academia, race in horror, gender in horror, social commentary horror, Texas horror writer

#RJJoseph #WomenInHorror #BlackHorror #BramStokerAwards #ShirleyJacksonAward #HorrorAuthor #AuthorInterview #InkBlotsPodcast #SpeculativeFiction #DiverseVoicesInHorror #HorrorCommunity #HorrorLit #BlackSpecFic

Dystopia, Redemption, and the Human Spirit – A Conversation with Author John Cohn

Jon is the award winning horror and thriller novelist behind books like Slashtag, Everything is Temporary, and the Publisher's Weekly's Book Life prize winner, The Island Mother. In addition to books, he also has over a decade experience working as a designer in the board game industry, having made over 20 games including Ghostbusters: Blackout, Horror Taboo, MonsDRAWsity, Basket Case, and Thanksgiving, co-designed with Eli Roth. Keep an eye out for his upcoming Ghostland game, based on the novels by Duncan Ralston, and the official Ice Nine Kills card game. Jon Lives in San Diego with his wife Delaney, and dog Miss Cordelia Chase.

👉 View John’s books on Amazon

• Dystopia & society collapse

• Character-driven storytelling

• Truth in fiction

• Technology and humanity

• Authorial voice & purpose

• Fans of dystopian fiction and speculative futures

• Writers looking to explore political or societal themes

• Readers of Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, or Cormac McCarthy

• Anyone interested in how fiction reflects (and warns) real life

John Cohn, The Thaws, dystopian fiction, speculative fiction, Ink Blots podcast, future fiction, AI and society, author interview, writing process, human resilience, societal collapse

#InkBlotsPodcast #JohnCohnAuthor #TheThaws #DystopianFiction #AuthorInterview
#WritingCommunity #SpeculativeFiction #FutureLit #BooksThatMatter #BookPodcast

From Whispered Fears to Wicked Tales – A Conversation with Elizabeth Devecchi

In this chilling and thoughtful episode of Ink Blots, host Rob Southgate is joined by Elizabeth Devecchi, a rising voice in horror whose work blends atmospheric dread, literary prose, and dark imagination. Elizabeth takes us through her journey from Rhode Island roots to recent breakout success with Wicked House Publishing and across acclaimed anthologies like Under Her Eye, Cooks of Horror, and Monsters in the Mills.

From poetry to short stories to her debut horror novel A Whisper in the Dark, Elizabeth opens up about her creative process, her favorite horror tropes, and how she explores themes of body horror, technology, and family dysfunction in her writing.

🕯️ Recent Releases:

• A Whisper in the Dark – [Wicked House Publishing, October 2024]

• “Oh, Brother” – Under Her Eye (Black Spot Books)

• “Mother’s Special Bread” – Cooks of Horror (Nightmare Fueled Inc, August 2024)

• “In the Belly of the Mills” – Monsters in the Mills (August 2024)

• “A Corporate Family” – Error Code (Rabid Otter Horror, November 2024)

• “Easy Pickens” – Wicked Universe (Wicked House Publishing, December 2024)

• 📸 Instagram: @elizabethdevecchiwrites

• 📘 Facebook: Elizabeth Devecchi – Author

• 🌐 Website: www.elizabethdevecchi.com/

Elizabeth Devecchi, horror author, women in horror, A Whisper in the Dark, Wicked House Publishing, horror poetry, horror anthologies, tech horror, atmospheric horror, body horror, speculative fiction, literary horror, emerging authors, horror fiction, writing process, dark fiction, author interview

#ElizabethDevecchi #WomenInHorror #HorrorAuthor #WickedHousePublishing #AWhisperInTheDark #HorrorAnthology #SpeculativeFiction #DarkFiction #BodyHorror #AtmosphericHorror #TechHorror #AuthorInterview #InkBlotsPodcast #IndieHorror #HorrorWriters #WritingTips

Love discovering fresh horror voices? Don’t forget to subscribe, review, and share Ink Blots: Author Interviews. Every listen helps spread the scares!

From Covers to Creeps – A Conversation with Joey Powell

In this episode of Ink Blots, host Rob Southgate talks with multitalented horror creator Joey Powell — a writer, publisher, cover designer, and actor whose passion for the weird and wicked spans from bookshelves to film sets. Joey shares how his day job in tech fuels his late-night obsession with horror fiction, and how that energy comes to life in his stories, short films, and the books he brings to life through Mad Axe Media.

We dive into Joey’s creative process, indie publishing, and how designing book covers informs his storytelling. Plus, he reflects on acting in award-winning horror shorts, and the storytelling power of visuals in both print and film.

🧠 Find Joey’s books on Amazon:
👉 Joey Powell Author Page

🪓 Visit Mad Axe Media:
👉 www.madaxemedia.com

• 📸 Instagram: @wowcooljoeywrites | @madaxemedia

• 📘 Facebook Author Page: Follow here

Joey Powell, horror author, indie horror, horror book covers, Mad Axe Media, horror publishing, indie press, horror film, short horror, cover design, writing horror, author interview, horror stories, visual storytelling, writing community, self-publishing horror

#JoeyPowell #HorrorAuthor #MadAxeMedia #IndieHorror #HorrorPublishing #BookCoverDesign #SelfPublishing #ShortHorrorFilms #IndieAuthor #WritingTips #DarkFiction #WeirdFiction #InkBlotsPodcast #CreepyStories #HorrorCommunity #PodcastForWriters

Love what you heard? Subscribe to Ink Blots: Author Interviews, leave a review, and share with your fellow horror fans and writers.

Fear, Film, and Fiction – A Conversation with James Kaine

This week, host Rob Southgate descends into the chilling world of horror with bestselling author, publisher, and filmmaker James Kaine. From his roots in Trenton, NJ to becoming a #1 Amazon horror author, James shares how his passion for visceral storytelling, cinema, and fear fuels his work — including his acclaimed novel The Dead Children’s Playground, which Publisher’s Weekly’s BookLife praised as a read that “will chill readers to the bone.”

As the founder of Horror House Publishing and a pro member of the Horror Writer’s Association, James dives deep into what makes horror stick, how to keep readers up at night, and what it means to write stories that linger long after the last page.

🩸 Explore his terrifying tales and #1 bestseller The Dead Children’s Playground on Amazon:
👉 James Kaine's Amazon Author Page

• 📘 Facebook: @JamesKaineWrites

• 📸 Instagram: @JamesKaineWrites

• 🐦 Twitter/X: @JamesKaineBooks

James Kaine, horror author, The Dead Children’s Playground, indie horror, psychological horror, horror writing tips, cinematic storytelling, horror fiction, Horror House Publishing, American Horrors, horror novels, indie publishing, Books of Horror, horror interviews, writing process

Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share Ink Blots: Author Interviews so you never miss a chilling conversation with today’s most creative authors.

#JamesKaine #HorrorAuthor #IndieHorror #DeadChildrensPlayground #HorrorWritersAssociation #HorrorBooks #ScaryStories #AuthorInterview #VisceralHorror #IndieAuthors #HorrorFiction #InkBlotsPodcast #HorrorCommunity #WritingTips #CinematicStorytelling

After studying Shakespeare in college, nepotism from a general contractor uncle in NJ, delivered the education that would keep Joe fed while chasing artistic dreams. Over the years, his days swinging a hammer dwindled as he studied at the Royal National Theater in London, acted in national-touring children’s theater, wrote / produced / directed numerous short films & two indie features films: Life Tracker and The Drama Club. Soon after joining the Writers Guild of America, he wrote and produced his (yet to be released) third feature film, Viral, which was directed by and stars Blair Underwood, Sarah Silverman, and Alfre Woodard. Sins of Survivors is Joe McClean’s first story told in novel form.

Joe lives with his wife and son in Los Angeles where he still chases dreams, occasionally supplemented by swinging his hammer.

✨ Use this link to order from Bookshop.org and support your local bookshop!
👉 https://bookshop.org/a/10588/9780063316782

Joe McClean, Ink Blots Podcast, Popular Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Blair Underwood

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_mcclean_gb/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Ginger-Beard/61574666273047/
• X https://x.com/Joe_McClean
• Amazon Author Page https://amzn.to/4k7nIqb

Enjoying Ink Blots? Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with fellow book lovers, fantasy fans, and future authors.

#JoeMcClean #BlairUnderwood #Mystery #MysteryAuthor #AuthorInterview #WritingTips #HistoricalThriller #Fiction #BookLovers #WritingCommunity #InkBlotsPodcast #CarterBrothers #AmWritingThrillers #PodcastForWriters #SinsofSurvivors