Anna Rose Reads - The Podcast

Kicking off a new bonus episode series spotlighting some of the friends of the pod! And what better way to get things started than with Agatha Andrews, author and host of She Wore Black. We chat about the Gothic, the literacy crisis, the duality of horror and romance, and so much more. Any day that I get a chance to chat with Agatha is a FABULOUS day, and I’m so, so thrilled to share this conversa...

Chatting with debut authors is such a unique, exciting experience, and this conversation with Sara Hinkley is no exception! We chat about her debut novel, The Red Sacrament , which is on shelves TODAY from Titan Books. We chat about drama, world-building, theater, French history, and so much more. Super grateful for Sara’s time, I feel like we could chat for HOURS! If you want to keep up with Sara...

Absolutely thrilled to be sharing my conversation with Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads , Day of the Door , and more. In particular, we chat about Crossroads , writing about grief, Laurel’s craft, and so much more. Speaking with Laurel was as easy as breathing, and I am immensely grateful for her time and insight! If you’d like to keep up with Laurel or order a copy of Crossroads, check out...

HOWDY! Happy bonus episode Friday! Grace Reynolds joins me to talk about Neon Moon, her slasher novella that is out now with Dark Matter Ink! We chat about y’allternative, country music, slasher kills, and managing heart and humor within the subgenre. Getting to talk to Grace always makes my day better, and this episode is no exception! I also want to point out, every podcaster’s worst nightmare h...

Trigger warnings for this episode : Abby and I discuss some very important, but also dark topics surrounding the following - gun violence, school shootings, child abuse, and child neglect. We discuss her novel, Writhe , in detail which includes spoilers around the 38 minute mark so beware if you’d like to read before listening as well! Unpacking her debut novel, Abby Vail joins me to discuss Writh...

Bonus episodes are back for the summer! Thrilled to be sharing my conversation with Nick Cutter (Craig Davidson) on his latest, The Dorians . We chat about the not-so-great fountain of youth, bad science, and compelling villains. Getting to chat with Nick about not just this book, but some of his others as well, was such an honor. You can pick up a copy of The Dorians today at the links below and...

2026 is the year of short fiction for me, thanks to this week’s guest, Annie Neugebauer! Her collection You Have to Let Them Bleed and her novella The Other have absolutely blown me away, and we chat about the specifics of writing short fiction, the logistics of The Outsiders Sequence, and even color theory! Annie is such a brilliant creative, and hearing about her process, the things that inspire...

A novel that is near and dear to my heart (for some reasons discussed in this episode), Headlights by CJ Leede is the kind of book that feels like it can change a life. I sat down and unpacked it all with CJ, how it felt to write about something so large, the approach to capturing place, leaning into The Shining of it all, and so much more. Speaking with CJ is always an occasion that makes a day i...

Chatting about one of my favorite reads this year, Hunger & Thirst , author Claire Fuller joins me to unpack the unreliable narrator, the modern Gothic, tapping into formative experiences, and so much more. Huger & Thirst is a brilliant novel that sings with dread, another facet that Claire and I dig into, and I hope everyone gives this book a read. Seriously, this is the kind of novel I live for,...

Bonus episode! T.J. Payne joins me to talk about his novel, Intercepts , which was originally self-published and has been republished for a wider release! We talk about the original inspiration for the novel, do a deep-dive on a few of the characters, and also chat about T.J’s screenwriting career and how that relates to his fiction writing. This was such a lovely conversation, and if you’re looki...

A guest that I have been dying to talk to, Sarah Gailey makes their Anna Rose Reads debut to chat about their most recent release, Make Me Better ! We foster an in-depth conversation surrounding topics of high-control groups, manipulative behaviors, what it means to skip over grieving, and so much more. My time chatting with Sarah is so, so treasured, and I am the most thankful for their time! To...

Aimee Pokwatka joins me to chat about her novel, Accumulation , which really examines what it means to be haunted. We chat about cycles, how to break them, gender roles, hauntings, inevitability, and many more nuanced topics. Getting to have such a thoughtful conversation with Aimee about this book was so fulfilling, and Accumulation feels like one of those books that does so much heavy lifting to...

“Ah, shit, here we go again,” to quote William Sterling on Punk Goes Horror 2. What better way to kick off an anthology and a conversation about punk music and horror fiction? We’re back, baby! As done last year, editor William Sterling and two anthology contributors, Grace Reynolds and Keith Rosson, join me to chat about their stories in Truborn Press’ wicked anthology. We chat about what it mean...

Bonus episode week! Absolutely delighted to have Alan Lastufka, author and brilliant mind behind Shortwave Publishing, on the podcast to talk about so many topics: we do a bit of a deep dive into his novel Face the Night , we revisit how Shortwave came to be, we discuss how some of the themes of Face the Night intersect with the formation of Shortwave, and so much more. Getting to properly sit dow...

One of the biggest episodes of the year, Nat Cassidy returns to chat about his collection, I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours. We chat for nearly two hours about how this collection came to be, deep dives on four of the stories included, and so much more. Chatting with Nat is a guaranteed fantastic time, but this conversation in particular was such an honor to have. I am utterly thri...

One of my personal favorite interviews that I have recorded, Caroline Bicks joins me to talk about her book, Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King . Now, we don’t just talk about the book itself; we cover lots of ground about Caroline’s experience with performing this kind of research, her own relationship with fear, and the reasons that projects like this feel so damn import...

Absolutely delighted to welcome Monika Kim to the show! Following the release of her debut novel The Eyes are the Best Part, Molka is another stunning, impactful read for numerous reasons which we discuss here. We chat about writing about anger, injustice, and the realities of a story such as this plus what Monika is working on next. I am the most grateful for Monika’s time, and if you’d like to k...

Debut novelist Gabrielle Sher joins me to talk about her stunning book, Odessa . We talk about Gabrielle’s academic research that went into the book, narrative psychology, revisiting the horrors of resurrection, and power of a character like Yetta. It was such a lovely timing chatting with Gabrielle, and I am the most grateful for her time! We even fangirl a little over Shirley Jackson at the end...

Wandering these haunted landscapes, Gwendolyn Kiste joins me to talk about her latest collection, The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own, which is on shelves TODAY from Raw Dog Screaming Press! This collection is packed with female-centric stories laced with darkness, mystery, poignancy, melancholy, and intrigue, all of which we discuss in great detail. Specifically, we focus on three of the stories...

Happy Tuesday, listeners! Avery Curran joins me to talk about her stunning debut novel, Spoiled Milk, which hit shelves a few weeks ago. I chat with Avery about her experience in writing this book while completing a PhD program, telling a coming-of-age story from a female perspective, the haunting juxtaposition of beginnings and endings, and the pervasive rot that grows within these pages. This wa...

Happy Bonus Episode Thursday, all! Today’s episode is a mega-discussion with two of my favorite voices in the horror community about two of the most harrowing horror reads I have come across. Stephanie Gagnon (Books in the Freezer) and Kim C. (The Year of Underrated Stephen King Podcast) join me to unpack Gerald’s Game and Dolores Claiborne, books that left me with many thoughts and in need of a p...

Super delighted to be sharing my conversation with the brilliant and super-thoughtful, Luke Dumas on his book, Nothing Tastes as Good which is on shelves TODAY! We talk about all the kinds of horror implemented in these pages, how this writing process felt for Luke, and playing with the idea of “true” perspective. I cannot express how thankful I am for guests like Luke who are so present for inter...

THRILLED to be sharing this episode with you all today! Eric LaRocca joins me to chat about their most recent release (on shelves today), Wretch . We chat about unlikeable characters, physical vs. psychological horror, and what we look for in what we read. Eric is so brilliant and well versed when it comes to horror in all its forms, and getting to have this conversation was a true pleasure. To ke...

Angela Sylvaine is BACK! With Cold Snap (the sequel to Frost Bite ) hitting shelves TODAY, we do a deep dive into both books, discussing conspiracies, toxic nostalgia, grief, and so, so much more. Any chance to get to chat with Angela is such an occasion and having this opportunity to really dig into her art is such a privilege. To keep up with Angela on socials or to order copies of Frost Bite or...

Happy Tuesday, friends! Brennan LaFaro joins me today to talk about his latest release, The Denizens , a novel that combines the small town horrors reminiscent of Salem’s Lot with a signature view of zombies. We talk about these small town horrors, grief, writing stories rooted in tradition but are your own, and so much more. It was a truly wonderful time getting to chat with Brennan, and if you’d...