Ink Heist - A Podcast for Readers of Dark Fiction

This week, we have a special episode for you as we had TWO guests on this week, Hank Early and Ian Pisarcik. We are a huge fan of Hank's Earl Marcus series and Ian's debut novel Before Familiar Woods is one of the best books we've read so far in 2020. Both authors write realistic characters that you can't help but be invested in and are masters at crafting vivid settings that are every bit as vital to the fabric of the story as the characters that populate them and can be viewed almost as another character. All three of us agree that when you pick up a book from either Pisarcik or Early, you might as well clear your schedule because you won't be putting them down anytime soon. This also marks the first time (I think) we've had two guests on the show at the same time. Which was pretty cool, especially when Ian and Hank had a conversation with each other about writing and publishing.

During the episode, we talked about rural noir, the importance of setting, influences, mixing in horror, the true inspiration behind Before Familiar Woods, our upbringing and reading, their experience writing their debut novel, inspirations, publishing during the pandemic, and so much more. Check out our conversation with Hank and Ian now right here on Ink Heist or on your favorite streaming service.

This week, we started the show with the intention of running a solo show, but we decided to cold call Todd Keisling while he was signing copies of his upcoming Dim Shores release, Scanlines, which led to one of our funniest episodes yet. By the end of the episode, we all had tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. We kicked off the show by talking about Ian Pisarcik's stunning debut novel, Before Familiar Woods, which hits shelves today. If you haven't already pre-ordered a copy, definitely go out and pick it up. It's a richly detailed, atmospheric noir novel with some of the most realistic characters we have read in recent years. Don't be surprised to see it pop up on a lot of "Best of" lists at the end of the year.
Then we called up friend of the show Todd Keisling and had a blast hanging out with him for a few hours. We talked about Faces of Death, his hometown, Hellier and other paranormal stuff, Noir at the Bar and a whole lot more. Check out our conversation with Todd now right here on Ink Heist or on your favorite streaming service.

This week, we're excited to welcome Daniel Barnett to the show to celebrate his latest book, The Flashlighters, which is the fourth installment in his Nightmareland series! Barnett's Nightmareland is a serialized horror novel that follows John Hawthorne, Mariah Nowak, and Marcos Walker as they attempt to travel across the country after the world is plunged into an endless darkness. The sudden absence of light causes society to crumble, but that's only the beginning of the hellish events in store for those who are left behind. Unimaginable horrors are unleashed into the world, heralded by a bizarre event that overwhelms those who experience it and in order to survive John, Mariah and Marcos must band together. In The Flashlighters, they encounter a strange group that offers sanctuary and the hope of salvation. But can they trust The Flashlighters? Barnett's Nightmareland series is made up (thus far) of four blazing fast reads that offer plenty of surprises and are packed with some unique scares. If you're looking for a horror series with an expansive setting and a sense of adventures with your scares, you should definitely pick up the first four installments!

Throughout the course of the episode, we talked about the Nightmareland Chronicles, the importance of cadence, writing a serialized novel, the work of Stephen Graham Jones and Caroline Kepnes, and so much more! We had a great time recording this episode and hanging out with Daniel. We hope you guys enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

This week, we're excited to welcome Mary SanGiovanni and Matt Wildasin to the show to talk horror, writing and everything in between! Mary SanGiovanni and Matt Wildasin are two amazing authors that horror fans are undoubtedly familiar with through their unique and terrifying books and also as podcasters. They are currently hosts of The Ghost Writers Podcast , along with Dave Thomas and Somer Canon, and were also members of The Horror Show with Brian Keene. The Ghost Writers Podcast is a must-listen show for anyone who is interested in horror fiction, whether as a fan or as a writer. It's loaded with great practical advice on writing and the publishing industry that has definitely helped us more than once. Not only is it informative, but you can tell everyone is genuinely friends with one another and the show is also loaded with humor and recommendations of things to check out (both good AND bad, as you'll find out later in this episode!). As a fan of both Mary and Matt's writing and The Ghost Writers Podcast, it was a pleasure and an honor to be able to sit down with them and talk about their work and the horror genre in general. Rather than link to all of their individual books, I'll list links to both of their author pages on Amazon. If you're unsure of what your next read will be, check out their page and pick up some of their books. You won't be disappointed!

Mary SanGiovanni

Matt Wildasin

Throughout the course of the episode, we discuss cosmic horror, podcasting, post apocalyptic fiction, THE EVERYWHERE HOUSE, DARK WORDS, bad horror movies, and so much more! We had a great time recording this episode and hanging out with Mary and Matt. We hope you guys enjoy the conversation as much as we did!

In this episode, Shane and I fly solo once again and make fools of ourselves on air for your listening enjoyment. We want to make these solo episodes a regular part of the podcast and we decide to open ourselves up to reader questions to help drive each episode. In this one, we talk about how we handle horror with kids, talking about the technical aspects of writing vs. storytelling, Stephen King, our favorite local indie stores, and what it would take to get Shane to sing on air. Also, if you're looking for a good laugh, I do an impression of a witch AND Steven Seagal. This was an amazing conversation and one that you won't want to miss, trust me. Check out our conversation with now right here on Ink Heist or on your favorite streaming service. You may note a reference toward the end of the cast where will mention Shaun Hamill. That episode aired Tuesday before last but this one was not ready for prime time yet.