We're joined by the lovely Benjamin Bradley to discuss the charms and not-so-much charms of small towns, leaving vs. staying in hometowns, and his latest release What He Left Behind. We also talk about New Jersey folklore, letting teenagers run the show in certain stories, and revisiting the stories we wrote as kids. Benjamin Bradley is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He's the author of the Shepard & Kelly Mystery series through Indies United Publishing House and his short fiction has appeared in literary magazines including Reckon Review and Flash Fiction Magazine. He works in public health and homelessness and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, their cat Fox, and their dog Harper.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and check out our ⁠merch store ⁠too. Want to submit to be a guest author? [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

We're joined by the marvelous Alex Kenna to discuss various levels of musical ability, 'satisfying' television, and writing strong visualizations, and her book ⁠Burn this Night⁠. We also talk about artistic skills applied to different mediums, the research process for Burn this Night, and writing in different genres, and get a sneak peek at chapter 1 of the book. Alex Kenna is a mystery writer, prosecutor, and amateur painter. Her first novel, What Meets the Eye, was a 2023 Shamus Award Finalist for best first P.I. novel. Kirkus Reviews called it a “righteous, painful debut,” and Bookpage called her “a master in the making.”Alex lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer. Before law school, she studied art and art history, worked as a freelance culture writer for the Atlantic and other publications, and sold paintings in a gallery. When she’s not writing Alex can be found exploring Southern California, toddler-wrangling, and playing string instruments badly.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and check out our merch store too. Want to submit to be a guest author? [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

We're joined by the amazing Alex Segura to discuss his books Alter Ego and Secret Identity, dive into comic book (and other) nerdoms, and writing about an industry without asking readers to sit through a 101 crash course. We also get a sneak peek of Alter Ego, discuss the process of writing a stand alone sequel, juggling different projects, and Alex's triple pisces energy.  Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller and a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He's also the author of the Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and a Spider-Verse adventure called Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow. He lives in New York City with his family.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit to be a guest author? [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

We're joined by the fantastic A.M. Adair to discuss her novella Origin Story, translating fiction into different mediums, and diving headfirst into a character's frame of mind. We also get a sneak peek of Origin Story, representation of women in fiction, and the therapeutic benefits of creative outlets. A.M. Adair retired from active duty as a Chief Warrant Officer of the United States Navy, having spent over 21 years in the Intelligence Community, specializing in counterintelligence and human intelligence. She has been to numerous countries, including multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her experiences have been unique and provided her imagination with a wealth of material to draw from to give her stories life. A lifelong fan of the genre, she is an International Thriller Writers associate member. Shadow Game was her debut novel and the first book in the Elle Anderson series. Her second novel, The Deeper Shadow, was a Distinguished Favorite in the 2021 NYC Big Book Awards thriller category. In 2023, her third novel, Shadow War, won in the Action/Adventure category of the Independent Press Awards and was a finalist for the 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. Her fourth novel, A New Game, won an Independent Press Award and NYC Big Book Award in 2024 for Action/Adventure, and it was a 2024 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion finalist. Her first novella, Origin Story, released at the end of 2024, became an Amazon bestseller. She lives in Tennessee with her husband Jake, daughter Arya, and son Finn.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get acopy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinionsof the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

We're joined by the lovely Lina Chern to discuss her novel Play the Fool and it's recently released sequel Tricks of Fortune, as well as neurodivergent co-morbidities, being "ready" for an editor, and vice fueled fury. We also get a sneak peek of Tricks of Fortune and touch on writing with a series in mind. Lina Chern’s debut mystery novel, Play the Fool, won the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award and was nominated for the 2024 Lefty and Anthony Awards. Tricks of Fortune, (Katie True #2), was released July 1, 2025. Her shorter work has appeared in Mystery Weekly, The Marlboro Review, The Bellingham Review, Black Fox Literary Magazine, and The Coil. She lives in the Chicago area with her family.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

The phenomenal S.A. Cosby joins us to discuss his newest book King of Ashes, stepping into darkness as a writer, and exploring trauma and family ties through fiction. We also get a sneak peek of King of Ashes, the cameos in the S.A. Cosby universe, and touch on the dichotomy of the art vs business of writing and publishing. S. A. Cosby is a New York Times bestselling writer from southeastern Virginia. He is the author of All the Sinners Bleed, which was on more than forty Best of the Year lists, including Barack Obama’s, as well as Edgar Award finalist Razorblade Tears and Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Blacktop Wasteland. He has also won the Anthony Award, ITW Thriller Award, Barry Award, Macavity Award, BCALA Award, and Audie Award and has been longlisted for the ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. His upcoming novel King of Ashes is set to release on June 10 2025. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Our guest Libby Cudmore treats us to discussions on stories inspired by dessert dreams, lots of music references, and a dive into her latest book Negative Girl. We also get a snippet of her short story "We Hunger" published in Dark Waters Vol. 2, talk about actors escaping their teenage roles, writing across genres and different types of relationships, and various types of body horror. Libby Cudmore is the author of Negative Girl (Datura 2024), The Big Rewind (William Morrow 2016), and the Wade & Jacks P.I. series in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Tough. Her short fiction has appeared in The Dark, Smokelong Quarterly, Monkeybicycle, Shotgun Honey, Stone’s Throw and HAD, as well as the anthologies Mixed Up, Welcome Home, Hanzai Japan, A Beast Without a Name and Lawyers, Guns & Money: Crime Fiction Inspired By the Music of Warren Zevon (co-edited with Art Taylor). She is the 2018 recipient of the Oregon Writer’s Colony prize, the 2023 Shamus award for best P.I short story, and the 2023 Black Orchid Novella award.She is the current co-host of the OST Party and Misbehavin’ podcasts and the former co-host of The Shattered Shield podcast, and teaches short fiction through The Writer’s Circle. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

We're joined by Josh Mendoza to discuss switching between screenwriting and novels, $1,000 lego sets, and finding light in the darkness. We also get a sneak peak of his book Shadow of the Eternal Watcher, the fun parts of editing, and creepy Twilight Zone episodes. Josh Mendoza is a screenwriter, director, producer and author.  Mendoza is the founder of Strike the Sun Entertainment, and his movie work has been recognized by film festivals and competitions alike. Mendoza’s debut novel, Shadow of the Eternal Watcher, was released in January 2025. The novel is a noir detective mystery that spirals into a science fiction adventure. The novel has already received positive reviews from Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews. It was recently featured as one of the best upcoming sci-fi books for 2025 in New Scientist. Prior to his writing career, Mendoza received a BA in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University and an MFA in Film and Television Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and lived for over 15 years in Los Angeles, California.  He splits his time between the deserts of Arizona and the city of angels with his wife and two children.Mendoza is currently developing multiple feature-length scripts and writing his next novel.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Noah Rymer joins us for a lively discussion of Catholic literature and morality, Flannery O'Connor fandom, and selecting the least-bad vices. We also get a sneak peak of denouement, now available from Anxiety Press. Noah Rymer is a poet, editor, and prose writer who runs the literary outhouse Pere Ube as editor-in-chief, and whose debut novella denouement was released in March 2025 from Anxiety Press. He usually writes within the suburban gothic, and these dreadful narratives can be found within most magazines of ill-repute, such as APOCALYPSE CONFIDENTIAL, BRUISER, DO NOT SUBMIT!, and other similarly sordid sleaze-rags. You can often find him spiraling slowly into madness or chasing the specters of early modernity out of his closet. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Thomas Trang joins us to discuss nuances in villainous characters, balancing exposition in narration, and his book Dark Neon & Dirt. We also get a sneak peek of the book, talk second-person narrations, and the geopolitical considerations of Jafar. Thomas Trang is a French/Vietnamese writer currently living in the UK after stints in Australia, New York, and Singapore. His stories have previously appeared in FutureQuake, Full House Literary and the Revolutions 2 anthology. He is currently working on a SF trilogy which mixes cyberpunk with the gritty realpolitik of The Wire and Cold War spy fiction. His novel, Dark Neon & Dirt, was released by Shotgun Honey in March 2025.Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to submit your writing? Email [email protected]/Outro music: www.bensound.comDisclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.