Quills and Chills

The van-life dream looks great online. Staying alive is another matter. Brian Asman returns to Quills & Chills to talk about #VANDEATH, a horror thriller about a couple whose carefully curated online life is coming apart. And this book is a fucking thrill ride. We talk influencer culture, parasocial relationships, and the gap between the life you’re living and the one you’re selling. But benea...

Santa is real. That’s the bad news. Kevin Johnson joins me on Quills & Chills to talk about his debut holiday horror novel, ’TWAS THE NIGHT. A journalist investigating missing children finds herself in Yule, Maine, where the Christmas spirit comes with some deeply disturbing traditions. ’TWAS THE NIGHT is easily one of my top ten favorite books. Kevin and I talk about the characters who made i...

Alma Katsu joins me on Quills & Chills to talk about Incarnate , a Dorian Gray-inspired horror story about beauty, ambition, and the cost of becoming someone else online. And this one gets under your skin. We talk about influencer culture, the things people will do for attention, and characters who keep making you rethink whose side you’re on. Alma also shares how her years in intelligence and...

This week on Quills & Chills , I’m joined by actor, writer, and director Denise Devin from Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre in North Hollywood! Denise has been part of Zombie Joe’s for more than 25 years, and we’re talking about what makes this wonderfully weird, underground theater such a special part of the LA horror community. We get into their legendary Urban Death Tour of Terror Ultra , h...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined again by Jennifer Thorne to talk about her new novel, Newbourne Park , a dark, genuinely scary story that I absolutely loved. Jennifer describes it as “ Saltburn with a supernatural twist,” and we dig into Martha, a 26-year-old caregiver who finds herself untethered after the death of her mother and agrees to spend a week at an empty Cotswolds co...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined by author Matt Maxwell to talk about My Gifts Are Hungry , the fourth book in his Hazeland series, which also works as a standalone story running alongside the events of Queen of No Tomorrows . We talk about Grace Cather, a Valley teen who runs away to Hollywood and quickly discovers that the haunted house she’s landed in wants something from her...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I welcome back author JC Vande Zande to talk about Coven of the Worm Moon , the third and concluding book in his Fletcher Family supernatural horror trilogy. We explore how the series uses horror to examine grief, addiction, family, and generational trauma, and why this final installment shifts perspective to Carson, who lives with the constant voices of th...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I'm joined by bestselling thriller author Marie Sutro to discuss her horror short story, "Return of the Grateful Dead," featured in The Strangest Fiction Campfire Stories: Volume Two . We talk about how Marie found her way into the anthology after stumbling across a collection of campfire ghost stories in a Banff bookstore, and what it was lik...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I'm joined by bestselling author Cherie Priest to discuss her novel, It Was Her House First , completely spoiler-free. Cherie shares how a notoriously haunted house in West Seattle inspired the story and why she wanted to put a fresh spin on the classic haunted house novel, where ghosts can be terrifying without necessarily being evil. We talk about Ron...

As part of the Quills & Chills Pride Series , I'm thrilled to welcome back returning guest Jill Baguchinsky to discuss her haunting new novel, May the Dead Keep You. We dive into the story of Catie East, who has spent years living in a secluded historic home deep within Northern California's redwood forests. When a botanist and his son, Hunter, move into the property's guest cottag...

As part of this year's Pride Series, I'm revisiting my conversation with author Michael Reed about his novel Desperate Measures. Michael joins me to discuss the inspiration behind the book, his move from Alaska to West Virginia, and how the landscapes, folklore, and culture of Appalachia shaped the story. We talk about the creation of Joey and Rhonda, the complicated relationships at the h...

What if your sister disappeared... and came back claiming to be someone else? For this Pride Series episode of Quills & Chills, I'm joined by Dana Mele to discuss The Beast You Let In , a chilling story of twins, secrets, obsession, and the dark side of belonging. A great conversation about character, community, and the monsters we create. 🎧 Listen now! https://youtu.be/LUWb8iVqwgE #BookS...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined by author Gabrielle Sher to talk about her novel Odessa , a Jewish folklore Gothic set during the pogroms of 1905 in the Russian Empire. Gabrielle discusses the novel’s shifting family perspectives, how grief and trauma shape the story long before the supernatural arrives, and the terrifying consequences of trying to hold onto the people we love....

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined once again by Nick Cutter to discuss his new novel, The Dorians, a disturbing story about aging, mortality, and the lengths people will go to outrun death. We talk about the fears and moral questions at the heart of the book, the influence of classic horror and science fiction, and why body horror and isolation remain such powerful storytelling t...

Marcus Kliewer on The Caretaker | Horror Author Interview | Quills & Chills What happens when grief, money, and bad decisions collide? In this episode of Quills & Chills , I sit down with Marcus Kliewer to break down The Caretaker , a psychological horror story that starts grounded and keeps tightening the screws. Macy is a broke college grad, grieving her father and trying to care for her...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined by USA Today bestselling author Luke Dumas to talk about Nothing Tastes as Good , a body-horror thriller about a man over 300 pounds who joins a clinical trial for a miracle weight-loss drug and starts changing faster than he can understand. The results are extreme. So are the side effects, including missing time and urges he can’t explain. We ge...

n this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined by bestselling author Emily Carpenter to talk about her new Southern Gothic novel, A Spell for Saints & Sinners. We touch on the story setup, a young psychic in Savannah navigating inheritance, identity, and complicated loyalties, then dig into Emily’s approach to portraying magic in a grounded, family-rooted way. We also get into themes of is...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined by author Johnny Compton to discuss his latest novel, Dead First . Private investigator Shyla Sinclair is hired by billionaire Saxton Bray, a man who claims, and proves, he cannot die. He offers her millions to uncover the truth behind his immortality and missing memories, while holding leverage over secrets from her own past. We talk about immor...

In this episode of Quills & Chills, I sit down with acclaimed author Gemma Amor to discuss her latest horror novel, 'Itch.' Gemma sheds light on her fascination with misunderstood monsters, feminist horror, and the blending of folklore, supernatural, and body horror elements in her storytelling. We dive deep into the protagonist Josie's journey and transformation, the unsettling th...

In this episode of Quills & Chills, I sit down with writer Will Shindler to discuss his novel 'The Bone Queen.' Will talks about his transition from writing police procedurals to horror, crafting the story of a mother's desperate search for her missing daughter, and creating the chilling setting of Athelsea Island. We explore the emotional core of the story, the complexities of Jen...

In this episode of Quills & Chills , I’m joined by novelist Elena Taylor to talk about her latest suspense novel, The Haunting of Emily Grace . We dive into the emotional and psychological layers of the story, exploring grief, isolation, and the relationships that shape the haunting. Elena shares how personal loss informed the book’s emotional core, how the setting influences the characters, a...

In this end-of-year special episode of Quills & Chills , returning guest David Berger joins me for a fan-to-fan conversation about Wonder Woman. We talk through her origins in comics, her evolution across TV and film, and why the Amazonian Princess continues to resonate after 84 years. From classic interpretations to modern re-imaginings, this episode celebrates the enduring power, compassion,...

In this episode of Quills & Chills, I talk with writer and filmmaker Mark Steensland about his new book, The Black Magic Murders . We cover his approach to fictional true crime, how he balances paranormal elements with a grounded narrative, and why he set the story in 1970 San Francisco. Mark walks through character choices, structure, and research, along with what he learned while writing thi...

In this episode of Conversations With Creators, I talk with comic book creator Bijhan Agha about the latest installment of the Legendary X Nights series. Bijhan walks through the creative process, the influence of mid-20th-century illustrators, and the themes shaping the story. We discuss the series’ broad representation and how each character adds to the narrative. We also cover the new issue’s p...

In this episode of Quills & Chills, I talk with writer and filmmaker Mark Steensland. Mark shares his journey across various storytelling mediums, from novels to short fiction and filmmaking. We discuss his inspiration stemming from childhood experiences, his early attempts at journalism, and the numerous independent films he has created. Mark also reveals the trials of navigating the industry...