School Book Scare

School Book Scare

di Jose Cruz

Stagione 1

Eden Royce - The Creepening of Dogwood House

Today I am talking to Eden Royce, award-winning author of adult and children’s fiction, including today’s subject, The Creepening of Dogwood House. In this episode we discuss the Gothic, matters of cultural and personal identity, hoodoo, icky anatomy, sweet family moments, lots of cool books, horror as the speculative safe place, and the shifting future of publishing. Eden was such a warm and welcoming presence on the show, and you are not going to want to miss the insights she has to share.

E. D. Black - Fright Factory

Today I am talking to E. D. Black, head brewer behind the Fright Factory series. In this episode we talk about forging our way as readers and writers through books, mini-golf dreams, reworking tropes, starting from scratch, transformative teachers, impostor syndrome, getting gritty with grammar, and the allure of alliteration. E. D. was such a cool and gracious guest, and it was truly my honor to host him for this episode.

Kathleen Palm - Into the Gray

Today I’m joined by Kathleen Palm, staunch middle grade horror advocate and the author of the Nowhere trilogy, starting with today’s featured title, INTO THE GRAY. In this episode we talk about mental health in horror, cherished childhood possessions, portal fantasies, StokerCon, instinct vs. advice, kids cursing in books (!), procrastination, learning from the kids around us, the author echo chamber, and the power of a kind word (or a review). Kathleen was a pure delight to speak to, and her support of this genre is evident in everything she says.

Josh Allen - Out to Get You

Today I’m joined by Josh Allen, the laureate of short horror fiction for kids, here to talk about his debut collection, OUT TO GET YOU. In this episode we talk about the urgency for short narratives in today’s age, honoring the experiences and intelligence of young audiences, preaching for the librarians, the Twilight Zone, the power of storytelling, campfire vampires, novel structure, and our hopeful literary future. Listeners, when Josh speaks, he speaks with his whole heart, and I was so honored to have the chance to chat with him for today’s episode.

Stephanie Rose - I Wish I Was a Vampire

Today I’m joined by Stephanie Rose, author and editor-in-chief of Death by TBR Books, here to talk about her middle grade debut, I WISH I WAS A VAMPIRE. In this episode we discuss the glories of Halloween, navigating friendships on and offline, the allure of the undead, working as an editor, learning to celebrate the moment, and a wee bit of Bob’s Burgers fangirling. Stephanie was such a fun, open person to talk to and you will not want to miss this lovely conversation.

Trevor Henderson - Scarewaves

Today I’m joined by Trevor Henderson, acclaimed horror illustrator and creator of such characters as Siren Head and Cartoon Cat (and today’s book, Scarewaves). In this episode, we talk about big scary faces, achieving flexibility with creative projects, widening your pool of influences, internet urban legends, the death trap of social media, maximalist horror, and guess what else? AI still sucks!

Meg Eden Kuyatt - The Girl in the Walls

Today I’m joined by Meg Eden Kuyatt, poet and award-nominated author of THE GIRL IN THE WALLS. In today's episode, we talk about horror as the genre of metaphor, how marketing considerations can sometimes define the shape of a story, titles that raise questions, exorcising pain and anger through fiction, Pokemon etymology, and what the heck is free verse anyway.

D. W. Gillespie - Grin

Today I’m joined by D. W. Gillespie, a writer of adult horror fiction who has recently turned his hand at writing for the middle grade market including today's book, GRIN. In this episode we talk about the moving target of success, being terrified of ghosts late at night, learning how to get out of your own way as an author, the current exciting moment that horror is having, committing to the darkness of your story, and how the human need for genuine art will eventually prevail over the scourge that is generative AI. Yay.

Ally Russell - Down Came the Spiders

In this episode we chat with Ally Russell, modern maven of middle grade horror about her book, DOWN CAME THE SPIDERS. We talk about writing stories in response to the ones we read as kids, butt-kicking babysitters, slow vs. speed reading, the hard realities of being a full-time author, the cold intelligence of praying mantises, rediscovering your "why" through school visits, and how sometimes the best advice to follow is your own.

A. D. Aro - Bumps in the Night

Today's fair special: A. D. Aro, author of the BUMPS IN THE NIGHT series. We discuss the joys of finding your people, the ups and downs of self publishing, the creeping terror of severed hands, and why you should always be careful when handling a blowtorch. Bring your flashlight!