She Wore Black

Today I have Heather Redmond on the show to discuss her Mary Shelley Mystery Series. We chat about why she chose to use the real author and her family as her main characters instead of writing in the world of Frankenstein. We also discuss her previous series, which did the same for Charles Dickens, and we chat about the state of historicals in the mystery genre. All links and show notes at https:/...

Today I have Lindsay Barrett on the show to discuss “Ghost Brides” in books. We chat about her new book, THE DRAVENHEARST BRIDES, a loose retelling of Daphne Du Maurier’s influential Gothic novel, REBECCA, set on a haunted bourbon distillery estate in Kentucky. We also discuss the universal interest in ghost brides and give some great book recommendations which I will have in my Bookshop if you wa...

Today I have Olivia Blacke on the show to discuss “Friendly Ghosts” in books. Olivia’s “Cordelia and Ruby” mysteries are a great example of helpful, non-frightening ghosts, and we use them as a launching pad to discuss the work these types of characters can do in a story. After all, ghosts were once people, so I think it’s fair to refer to them as characters instead of monsters. Also, we have Oliv...

Today I want to wish Neil McRobert, from the beloved horror podcast Talking Scared, a very happy birthday! He is a good friend, and I’m truly delighted that he is my guest today. He came on the show to discuss his new novella, GOOD BOY, a part of the Northern Weird project from Wild Hunt Books. We chat about the story, tap into Neil’s romantic side, and discuss the gothic inspirations from both li...

Today I chat with Julie Leong about Magical Artifacts. We discuss her new book, THE KEEPER OF MAGICAL THINGS, as a launching point for the work magical artifacts do in fiction, like quests for power or prestige. We have some great recommendations that capture these ideas. Julie's book is out October 14th. All links and show notes available on my website at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Welcome to the She Wore Black Podcast. I’m Agatha Andrews. Today I chat with Leanna Renee Hieber about her new book, AMERICA’S MOST GOTHIC, that she wrote with Andrea Janes. It’s a look at America’s haunted history through the lens of Gothic tropes. They interviewed me as part of their research, which was quite an honor, and they used my interview with Neil McRobert on my “What is Gothic?” episode...

Today I chat with Jen DeLuca about her new book, GHOST BUSINESS. It’s the second book in her romance series set in Boneyard Key, “the most haunted town in Florida.” I’ve been a fan of Jen DeLuca since her previous series, set in a Renaissance festival. We discuss her unusual settings and the reverence she has for these delightful, kitchy places. We also chat about her Gilmore Girls inspiration, as...

Today I chat with Rachel Harrison about her exceptional new book, PLAY NICE. We discuss her inspiration for the story, including real life examples of society’s need to scrutinize and demonize women, both real and fictional. We also discuss Gothic elements of the book, and the “book within a book” feature readers will see on the page.  All links and show notes available at https://www.sheworeblack...

Today I bring you the ultimate in Halloween vibes with Auralee Wallace as we celebrate her new cozy horror novel, THE LATE-NIGHT WITCHES. We chat about what Cozy Horror means to her and how it departs from her popular Cozy Mystery series. We talk about her real life inspiration for the horror elements in her new book, and how she became an overnight TikTok sensation with IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES...

Today I welcome professor Alice Vernon to the show to discuss her newest book, GHOSTED: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF GHOST HUNTING, AND WHY WE KEEP LOOKING. It’s an engaging sociological look at Ghost Hunting primarily in British history. We discuss modern ghost hunting television shows, the evolving business approaches to ghost tours, and the escapades of her haunted doll, Bev, which she purchased on Ebay...

Today I welcome Ruby Dixon to the show to discuss her newest book, BY THE HORNS. It’s a fun monster romance with adventure, humor and spice, told with Ruby’s signature attention to craft. We discuss her journey as a writer, the evolution of monster romance and the work these stories do in fiction. She also answers questions from some of my Patreon members. Thank you Sarah Beth and Trevor for such...

Today I welcome Isabel Canas to the show to discuss her newest book, THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ. It’s a beautifully lush story with her signature cinematic storytelling. We discuss writing about possession in our current political climate, what possession means in the context of motherhood, and we get to the root of her core story. We also chat about genre blending between horror and romance, whi...

Today I welcome Sarah Beth Durst to the show to discuss her newest book, THE ENCHANTED GREENHOUSE. It’s a delightful cozy fantasy novel with sentient plants, a winged cat, and some subtle commentary on who has the right to learn and the importance of libraries in our communities. We also discuss a bit about craft and genre blending, if you’re interested in writing a cozy fantasy yourself. All link...

Today I welcome Sangu Mandanna to the show to discuss her newest book, A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING. It’s a wonderful book full of whimsy, self-reflection, and the most unusual ghosts I’ve ever read. This book wasn’t just a pleasure to read, it was so well written that I asked as much about craft as I did about her cozy fantasy elements. We also discuss the autism representation in her bo...

Today I welcome two of my favorite people back to the show to help me celebrate my birthday. Stephanie Gagnon, from Books in the Freezer, and Rachel Harrison join me for this special episode full of Goth Girl Summer book recommendations. Please excuse the number of F-bombs I drop. If you have little ones around you, put your ear pods in, then have a great time with us. All links and shownotes avai...

Today I wanted to celebrate Libraries and Librarians since they have taken a large hit in this political climate. They are a treasure to our communities, which is why so many books feature libraries and librarians. To do this, I welcomed back Jocelyn Codner and Jenny Adams, whom you all may remember from my Literacy episode last Fall. For the first 20 minutes, we discuss the state of libraries and...

Today I welcome Riley Sager back to the show to discuss his new book, WITH A VENGEANCE, a fun midcentury train mystery that was so captivating I couldn’t put it down. We discuss his inspirations for the book, as well as the process. Riley Sager is also on tour right now, so check his website for tour dates in your area. If you can’t make it out to see him, you  can get WITH A VENGEANCE, as well as...

Today I welcome Katy Horan to the show to discuss her new book, MURDER BALLADS. She painted each powerful illustration in the book and spent years researching these folk songs, which often depict young, beautiful, murdered women floating ethereally down a river. We discuss her process and background and, for my own curiosity, focus on songs by Johnny Cash, PJ Harvey and Nick Cave, and Nirvana’s fa...

Today I welcome C. J. Cooke to the show to discuss her new book, THE GHOST WOODS, and since I loved this book so much, we discuss books from her backlist too, including THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES and THE BOOK OF WITCHING. I’m fascinated by her gothic writing and consistent themes of witches and motherhood. I do want to take a moment to apologize for the way my voice sounds in this episode. I had an is...

Today I welcome Mimi Matthews to the show to discuss new book, RULES FOR RUIN. It’s a fantastic historical romance that’s Peaky Blinders meets Great Expectations. I love all of Mimi’s books, but this is my favorite historical romance from her, and it’s one I’ll definitely reread. You all might remember my chat with her in one of my first episodes, where she came on to discuss her gothic novel, JOH...

Today I welcome mermaid aficionado and longtime friend, Desiree M. Niccoli to discuss mermaids across genre fiction. I had her on for a previous MerMay episode a few years ago, soon after the release of her book CALLED TO THE DEEP. Today she created a fun mermaid quiz, which we do at the end of the show, and we discuss the rise in mermaid fiction since our last episode. We also give several book r...

Today I welcome Paulette Kennedy to discuss Queer Representation in Gothic. Her new book, THE ARTIST OF BLACKBERRY GRANGE is out today, and like all of Paulette’s Gothics, it includes queer characters. We chat about how queerness was once subtext, and how it’s evolved over time, and we give some great book recommendations that reflect this evolution. I’ve added any of these titles that are still i...

Today I welcome Erika T. Wurth to discuss the beloved genre plot device of “Portals,” which she uses in her new book, THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904. We chat about the difference between a “Portal” and a “Time Slip, " her love of science fiction and fantasy, and we give some great book recommendations which I have in my Bookshop if you want to support my show as well as independent bookstores natio...

Today I welcome an author I’ve long adored to the show, Leslye Penelope. We discuss Historical Fantasy and define the basic parameters of the subgenre. We discuss her work within that context, and we give some great book recommendations. All links and show notes available at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Today I welcome Olivia Waite to the show to discuss her new book, MURDER BY MEMORY, a cozy sci-fi mystery. Olivia is known for her sapphic historical romances, so this is a new fiction genre for her, but one that suits her voice well. We chat about knitting and how the fiber arts relate to science, her journey through genre, and what’s next in this series. Links available in show notes at sheworeb...