The Suspense is Killing Me

Welcome to our first episode of 2026! And who better to spend the frigid new year with than the always amazing Jenny Kiefer. Come hang with us as we discuss her novel, Crafting for Sinners . Jenny shares her insights about writing, book touring (which I've never done!), and much more. Let this be your motivator to pick up a copy of Crafting for Sinners and be sure to stop by her bookstore, But...

Where? What?! A rotting room? Yes, that's right. Author Viggy Par Hampton takes us on a gothic, religious horror journey with the Sisters of Divine Innocence and the unfathomable yuck that is The Rotting Room . But don't be fooled, while this book is full of cringeworthy darkness, there is so much more to Sister Raphaela's story. It's probably best you hear it from Viggy... Learn more about Viggy...

Please welcome Catherine McCarthy back to the show! In this episode, we reach outside the loose confines of the horror world to discuss Catherine's latest genre-bending story, Death of a Clown , published by Sobelo Books (shameless plug!). Catherine takes us into the magical realism of Chester's world and the impactful themes embedded throughout the beautiful prose of her novella. Part dark fantas...

Welcome Todd Keisling to the show! Todd takes us into the world of The Sundowner's Dance , his latest novel from Shortwave Publishing. This cosmic horror novel brings us to the Fairview Acres Community and it's unusual inhabitants and rituals. More than you expect? Absolutely. You can learn more about Todd at https://www.toddkeisling.com/ Order your book at https://www.toddkeisling.com/wor...

Let's welcome Mike Allen back to the show! Mike's newest release is a reimagining of his dark fantasy/horror novel The Black Fire Concerto. The book hits shelves 22 April! Learn more about Mike Allen at http://descentintolight.com/ Pick up your copy of The Black Fire Concerto from Ruadan Books at https://ruadanbooks.com/product/the-black-fire-concerto-pre-order/

Welcome to my interview with author Chris DiLeo about his latest release, Empty Devils , a grief-raddled contemporary horror story about a man, his dead daughter's ghost, and a seething need for vengeance. I'll let the book description speak for itself: With his daughter in a casket and his wife in a cult, David Eden is on the brink of losing touch with reality. So when he begins conversing with h...

Welcome to my interview with Aimee Hardy about her southern gothic novel Pocket Full of Teeth . Found footage, creative narrative structure, footnotes, horror, crime, mystery...this book is a delectable concoction. We nerd out about the tastiness of a well-crafted slow burn gothic, the wilds of Southern US landscape and how the culture compliments gothic stories, and so much more. Pick up your cop...

Welcome to Roseneath, a fantastical exploration of gothic rust belt bliss. Join author Dana McSwain and me for a conversation about the inspiration for her wonderful novel, Anne Rice, crossing genres in gothic fiction, and of course, the music that inspires it all. Learn more about Dana and ROSENEATH at https://www.danamcswain.com/

Welcome to our very first interview with the one and only, Clay McLeod Chapman! Clay spends some time talking with me about a wide range of topics, including his recent post-apoc possession book Wake Up and Open Your Eyes. This book is wild. And it inspired a wild conversation about a wide assortment of topics including the unbridled power of nature, oily substances, motion smoothing televisions,...

Welcome to Emma Murray's latest work, The Drowning Machine and Other Obsessions . This collection...what can I say? It's my favorite collection released this year. I am thrilled Emma was available to discuss the grief, the weird, the parenthood fears, and the many layers of theme and story. Learn more about Emma and the collection at https://emmaemurray.com/the-drowning-machine-other-obses...

Please welcome author Edward J. Flora to the show! I first met Ed at AuthorCon3 in 2024 and we hit it off right away. In this conversation, we discuss his story The Triangle Forest and, for a bonus, Ed delivers our very first on-air author reading of his current work in progress! Learn more about Edward Flora on: TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@edwardjflora Or at Instagram

Welcome our friend Robert P. Ottone back to the show! In this episode, we explore his recent re-release of Nocturnal Creatures, a wild Sasquatch tale perfect for teen and adult readers who love cryptid stories. Of course, we discuss inspiration behind the story, middle grade and young adult horror, and why upstate New York is the perfect setting for a Sasquatch story. Follow Robert on all the soci...

Welcome Ivy Grimes to the show for the first time! Let's dive into her latest collection, Glass Stories. We discuss the common themes and threads running through this collection, a uniquely haunted location in Birmingham, Alabama (enter the furnace!), her novella Star Shapes , and how Ivy got to this point in her writing career! Learn more about Ivy at https://ivyivyivyivy.com/

Welcome to the world of Michael Clark and his reimagining of The Legend of Mildred Wells. In this conversation we discuss how Michael took on the monumental challenge of implementing over five years of lessons learned to reissue his series as one new story. We also discuss how Michael scored sand from the beach where JAWS was filmed. Oh, and WHO THE HELL IS THAT IN THE CLOSET?! You can learn more...

Listeners of this show know how much music impacts many of our writers and stories. Well, that's especially true with Stephen Schreffler and his horror scifi story, The Bleed (published by Dark Matter INK). Come hang with us while we discuss his book, the relationship between scifi and horror, and...music! Unexpected conversations: young guitar players and edgy band t-shirts. Pick up your copy of...

Welcome to the world of Jacy Morris and Bury My Heart with a Keyboard . In this episode, we discuss indigenous horror, Jacy's new collection, and working with Third Estate Books. Oh, and of course we discuss his catalog and his prolific production! Pick up your copy of Bury My Heart with a Keyboard at https://www.thirdestatebooks.com/store/p/bury-my-heart-with-a-keyboard-a-collection-pre-order-929

Did you grow up in Wes Craven's world like I did? As a child of the 80s and a teen of the 90s, the wonderous world of weird fantasy and horror movies set the tone for the world I lived in. You too? Great! Let's gather 'round and listen to the authority on all things Wes Craven, Joseph Maddrey. Joe spent several meaningful years interviewing the people in Mr. Craven's life and explo...

Meet my friend, S.Q. McGrath! S.Q. is the author of over 26 books (!) including Kitty, a wonderfully dark poltergeist novel and her latest book, Strings. We discuss these stories, her path as a wonderfully effective self-published author, and the role adolescents play in her horror. If you haven't discovered S.Q. until now, well, this is your wakeup call, folks. She's fantastic. Learn more...

Welcome back to The Suspense is Killing Me! In this episode, I sit down with the amazing K.C. Grifant to talk about her newest release Shrouded Horror: Tales of the Uncanny. Of course, I couldn't have K.C. on the show without discussing all the weird West horror your little heart can withstand. Find out more about K.C. at https://scifiwri.com/ Get your copy of Shrouded Horror at https://thedra...

She's back! Our dear friend, Katherine Silva, returns with her popular new release, Undead Folk. Join us to unpack grief horror (which we love), post-apoc action, and reanimated dead animals. All for good reasons, of course. Learn more about Kat and her amazing world of fiction at https://www.katherinesilvaauthor.com/ And once you've enjoyed Undead Folk, check out the much-anticipated follow-up, D...

Do you like ancient curses, exploring Turkey, Tunisia, and Egypt, and hanging with one of the nicest guys in today's adventure horror landscape? Great! You're in the right place. Kev Harrison is here to drag you through a regional adventure draped in ancient horrors in Shadow of the Hidden.

What happens when a former engineer and a former lawyer discuss insane asylums? Well, in this episode, I get to nerd out over one of my favorite books of the year, The Redemption of Morgan Bright , with the brilliant Chris Panatier. We discuss a few metal groups (of course), how Chris found a writing career later in life, and a myriad of women's rights issues hidden within the surreal walls of...

It's Mike Allen! No, not that Mike Allen. That Mike Allen! You know, the gentleman who wrote Unseaming (love that cover) and Aftermath of an Industrial Accident . Join us for a deep dive into the wonderful world of Mike Allen's horror short stories, long fiction, and prolific poetry. Oh, and of course we talk about how Mike got where he is today, the music behind the madness, and his upcom...

Climb on the bus, friend, we have somewhere to be. Have you been to the house at the end of Lacelean Street? No?! Well, lucky you, Catherine McCarthy will be our gracious host for today's visit. We'll visit the house and discuss how this beautifully dark psychological/cosmic horror story came to be. But first, we'll learn more about our host and her journey to becoming a writer. Okay,...

We welcome Red Lagoe back to the show (wait ... that rhymed), author of In Excess of Dark . Join us for a discussion about her new book (no spoilers!) and several other new projects including The Devil's Backbone . You can connect with Red at... X - https://twitter.com/RedLagoe Web - https://redlagoe.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/redlagoe/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@redlagoe