Clay McLeod Chapman on Devil Inside, demonic possession, and writing morally gray characters

Today I sit down with USA Today bestselling and Bram Stoker Award–winning author Clay McLeod Chapman, whose newest novel, Devil Inside, is a darkly funny horror romance about a bike messenger who returns from the dead without his soul and falls for a body-hopping demon named Lilith. Our conversation covers the long history of romance in horror, what readers expect from a “horrormance,” and why falling in love can be as frightening as any supernatural threat. Clay also explains how he approached the book’s morally gray characters, its themes of consent, possession, and bodily autonomy, and the challenge of creating a happily ever after for a soulless man and a demon without a body. Plus, he shares his go-to coffee order, the subject he would teach besides writing, his favorite horror movie of the year, and a preview of his next novel, Mr. Lonelyhearts. Get Devil Inside, available now, and see Clay’s upcoming events. Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan

Today I sit down with USA Today bestselling author Saratoga Schaefer, whose newest novel, A Thousand Monstrous Forms, is a sapphic gothic retelling of Bluebeard about a ceramic artist who moves into her new wife’s isolated manor and is forbidden from entering the basement. Our conversation covers what drew Saratoga to the Bluebeard folktale, the theme of toxic relationships that connects their four novels and the whirlwind experience of publishing Trad Wife, The Last Time We Drowned, and A Thousand Monstrous Forms within seven months. Saratoga also shares what it took to become a full-time author after a decade of writing alongside a day job, the burnout and anxiety that accompanied that transition, and the inspiration behind Trad Wife. Plus, we talk about their needy cat Cricket, a possibly haunted clown table, and the folktale they would love to retell next. Preorder A Thousand Monstrous Forms, out September 15, and see Saratoga’s upcoming events. Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan

Today I sit down with author and screenwriter Hallie Elizabeth Newton, whose debut novel, Agnes Lives!, follows a fading New York City socialite over the course of 24 hours as she searches for someone willing to kill her before her next SoulCycle class. Our conversation covers why Hallie set the novel in 2014, writing in an extreme first-person stream of consciousness, and using a strict time constraint to hold together an intentionally messy, human story. We also discuss loneliness and the search for connection, creating an unlikable but compelling protagonist, and why real life doesn’t always provide a tidy narrative arc. Hallie also shares how her background in screenwriting shaped the book, what it was like working with editors at two different publishers, and how she found Agnes’s voice while narrating the audiobook herself. Get Agnes Lives! Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan

Today I sit down with Rachel Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of The Return, Cackle, Such Sharp Teeth, Black Sheep, So Thirsty, and Play Nice and chat about her newest novel, Kiss Slay Replay, follows a reluctant wedding guest trapped in a time loop of masked killers, carnage, and increasingly unpredictable horrors. Our conversation covers the challenges of writing a time-loop story without becoming repetitive, grounding supernatural horror in genuine emotion, and finding humor in dark situations. We also discuss why horror is such a powerful way to explore anxiety, grief, loneliness, and other difficult subjects, the growing visibility of women in horror, and the friendships that have helped her survive the lonely side of publishing. Get Kiss Slay Replay out September 1 and see Rachel’s upcoming US, UK, and Ireland tour dates. Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan

Today I sit down with bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author J.W. Ocker, whose work spans spooky travel guides, children’s books, and horror novels. His newest book, Don’t Go There: A Tour of the World’s Most Sinister Spots, takes readers to 30 dangerous, mysterious, and unsettling locations that continue to inspire stories of hauntings, monsters, disappearances, disasters, and unexplained phenomena. Follow @JWOcker on Instagram / https://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/ Get Don’t Go There Our conversation covers the strange origins of the Bermuda Triangle, the overlapping legends that can transform a location into a paranormal hotspot, and J.W.’s travels to places like the Salton Sea and Centralia, Pennsylvania. We also discuss what makes a place feel genuinely frightening, travel writing, and how the internet is changing the creation and lifespan of modern folklore. J.W. also shares his favorite Halloween tradition, where new readers should begin with Edgar Allan Poe, and details about his forthcoming book on Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan

Today I sit down with Sara van Os (https://www.instagram.com/saramcclarinet/), author of the debut horror novel Decomposition Book, an emotional, electrifying, and darkly hilarious debut about a woman who finds a dead body and can’t give up its ghost, for fans of Mona Awad, Yellowjackets, and weird girl fiction. Get Decomposition Book: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/decomposition-book-sara-van-os?variant=44270250917922 Our conversation covers the origins of Decomposition Book, Sara’s experience writing OCD through the lens of horror, and the research she conducted into death rituals and relationships with the dead across different cultures. We also discuss queer representation in fiction, social media’s role in modern publishing, and what comes next after her novel’s successful launch. Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan

Today I sit down with Allie Rowbottom, author of the memoir Jell-O Girls, the novel Aesthetica, and the new novel Lovers XXX. Set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles adult film industry in the 1980s, Lovers XXX follows two young women whose friendship, ambitions, and lives become intertwined over the course of decades. Photo credit © Matthew Weinberger (https://www.instagram.com/mweinbergerr) Our conversation covers the origins of Lovers XXX, researching the history of of this era, and why Allie is drawn to writing about subjects that are often misunderstood or dismissed. We also discuss Los Angeles as a literary setting, recurring themes across her work, and the differences between writing fiction and nonfiction. Get Allie’s books: Lovers XXX https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/788105/lovers-xxx-by-rowbottom-allie/ Aesthetica https://sohopress.com/books/aesthetica/ Jell-O Girls https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/allie-rowbottom/jell-o-girls/9780316510622/ Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan https://maglory.bandcamp.com/

Today I sit down with author Yah Yah Schofield, whose debut novel On Sundays She Picked Flowers began as a project on Tumblr before being self-published and later rereleased by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. We talk about the novel’s long journey to publication and writing honestly about trauma and identity. Our conversation covers weird girl fiction and microgenres, horror as a space for grief and catharsis, the tension between separating art from the artist, and how lived experience inevitably shapes writing. Author Photo © Hunter Photography Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan https://maglory.bandcamp.com

Today I sit down with Isaac Fitzgerald, bestselling author of Dirtbag Massachusetts, Pen & Ink, How to Be a Pirate, and the forthcoming book American Rambler: Walking the Roads of Johnny Appleseed. In the new book, Isaac retraces the path of Johnny Appleseed from Massachusetts to Indiana while exploring family history, storytelling, faith, loneliness, and the generosity of strangers across America. Our conversation covers writing honestly about family, how memoir changes when the people you’re writing about are still around to read it, and the experience of retracing Johnny Appleseed’s path across America. We also talk about long walks, why Isaac believes America is kinder than the internet would have you think, and why he likes moving between different styles of writing. Author Photo © Nader Farzan Get Isaac’s books: American Rambler (out May 12) Dirtbag Massachusetts Pen & Ink How to Be a Pirate Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan https://maglory.bandcamp.com/

Today I sit down with Eleanor Anstruther and Alisa Kennedy Jones, author and publisher behind Fallout, a punk-hearted coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp. Our conversation dives into the radical history that inspired Fallout, the power of protest and community, and why stories about women’s lives—especially in midlife—are often overlooked by traditional publishing. We talk about alternative paths to publishing, from Substack to indie presses, what it means to truly support authors, and how Empress is rethinking the model to center creative freedom, transparency, and collaboration. Author photo credit: Rosalind Hobley ⸻ Get Eleanor’s book: Fallout (out April 21) ⸻ Learn more about Empress Editions: Empress Editions ⸻ Intro music by: Trevor Vaughan