Dark Waters

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? Emaildarkwaterspodcast@gmail.comIntro/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.

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 darkwaterspodcast@gmail.comIntro/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 darkwaterspodcast@gmail.comIntro/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 audio recording of our crowdcast for Dark Waters Vol. 2 - the podcast's second anthology of dark fiction. Guest host Bobby Mathews comes on board to talk through the anthology, and we're treated to some guest readings by several of the anthology's authors. We would also like to extend our congratulations to Jacqueline Freimor, whose story "Cruel to Be Kind" will appear in Best American Mystery & Suspense 2025, as well as DW authors Mary Thorson & Victor De Anda, whose pieces from other publications will also be included. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠Bobby Mathews is a novelist, short-story writer, and journalist who lives in Birmingham, Alabama.He currently has two books under contract with independent publisher Shotgun Honey. Living the Gimmick, a crime novel set against the backdrop of 1980s professional wrestling, published in May 2022; Magic City Blues, a noir love story set in Birmingham, was released in 2023.His collection Negative Tilt was released in 2024, with the title story having won a Derringer award in 2023. Also featuring Mary Thorson, Victor De Anda, Joel Nedecky,Gabriela Stiteler, Stanton McCaffery, Jacqueline Freimor, and Dannye Chase. Are you an author with a release you'd like to discuss on the show? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.comIntro/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 talented Nick Kolakowski to discuss his upcoming release Where the Bones Lie, stylistic choices for author readings, and dive into various rants including Chuck Palahniuk photographs, the 2008 writer's strike, and being shouted out of imposter syndrome. We also get a sneak peek at Where the Bones Lie, talk about the importance of having/building writing communities and dive into the "undermess." Nick Kolakowski is the author of several horror and crime novels, including Absolute Unit (Crystal Lake Publishing) and Where the Bones Lie (Datura, coming out 3/25). His short stories and nonfiction essays have appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including House of Gamut, Mystery Magazine, Shotgun Honey, Rock & A Hard Place, and Best American Mystery & Suspense 2024. He lives and writes in NYC. Dark Waters vol. 2 is now available to order! To get your copy, head over to our ⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠ Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: 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 again by the incredible Jordan Harper to discuss the US release of The Last King of California, writing the stories you want to write, and having an impromptu meeting of the S.A. Cosby fan club. We also get a sneak peek at The Last King of California, discuss publishing across different countries, and whether or not the UK has a valid excuse for not understanding the word "shotgun." Jordan Harper is the Edgar-Award winning author of She Rides Shotgun, Everybody Knows, the short story collection Love and Other Wounds, and The Last King of California. Born and educated in Missouri, he now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and producer for television. Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated. Host note: This episode was recorded prior to the publication of Vanity Fair's piece on Cormac McCarthy and Augusta Britt. The Dark Waters team does not condone the actions of McCarthy in regards to his relationship with Britt.

Debut novelist Sean Jacques joins us to discuss his book Doe Run, reading lists for high schoolers in 2024, the importance of indie publishing venues, and glimpses into the minds of former theatre kids. We also get a sneak peek of Doe Run, and touch on whether or not Into the Wild is tragic, turning diaries into movies, and the effects of children's dystopian stories on millenial minds. Sean Jacques was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks. Currently, he resides in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters, and a bird dog named Rye. He is a literature teacher and author after previously working in the film industry as a screenwriter and script analyst. His short stories, plays, and poems can be found in several noir and grit-lit publications. Doe Run is his debut novel. You can find him on his ⁠website⁠, ⁠twitter⁠, and ⁠instagram⁠. Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: 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 HWA NY chapter coordinator James Chambers and discuss his body of work, using horror as a way to process the world, and Lovecraftian writing in contemporary settings. We also get a sneak preview of his collection A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World and collectively wonder at how certain stories find their place in the children's section. James Chambers is a Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning author and a four-time Bram Stoker Award nominee. He is the author of the short story collections A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, described as “stellar” by Publisher’s Weekly, On the Night Border and On the Hierophant Road, which received a starred review from Booklist, which called it “…satisfyingly unsettling”; the novella collection, The Engines of Sacrifice, and the novellas, The Devil in the Green, Kolchak and the Night Stalkers: The Faceless God, Three Chords of Chaos, and many others, as well as the original graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe. His short stories have appeared in anthologies and publications in multiple genres, including crime, fantasy, horror, pulp, science fiction, steampunk, and more. He edited the Bram Stoker Award-nominated anthologies, Under Twin Suns: Alternate Histories of the Yellow Sign and A New York State of Fright as well as Even in the Grave, an anthology of ghost stories. He has also written the comic books Leonard Nimoy's Primortals, "The Revenant" in Shadow House, and The Midnight Hour. Dark Waters is OPEN for submissions for our second anthology. Check out our website www.darkwaterspodcast.com, our Twitter, or our Instagram for more info. Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Our audio recording of our crowdcast with editor Barbara Byer and writers from Motel: An Anthology, celebrating the it's release. Featuring contributors: Casey Stegman Nils Gilbertson Cole Beauchamp Tessa Rossi and M.E. Proctor Barbara Byar is a working-class American (CT and CA) writer living in Ireland for over 25 years. Her critically acclaimed collection of stories: Some Days Are Better Than Ours (Reflex Press) was short-listed for the Saboteur Awards. Her short fiction has been published and prize-listed widely. She was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Irish Short Story of the Year in 2023 and longlisted in 2021. A recipient of an Irish Arts Council Literature Bursary and an Agility Award, she is a Fiction Editor at Variant Literature and is currently writing a novel set in motels. Find her at her website, or on Twitter. Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: 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 phenomenal talent that is award-winning author Jordan Harper to talk about Everybody Knows, late stage capitalism, horseshoe theory, and universal guilt. We also discuss his other works She Rides Shotgun, and The Last King of California, his past experience in music journalism, and Western society being a catalyst for noir stories. Jordan Harper is the Edgar-Award winning author of She Rides Shotgun, The Last King of California, Everybody Knows, and the short story collection Love and Other Wounds. Born and educated in Missouri, he now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and producer for television. She Rides Shotgun has also been optioned for a movie staring Taron Edgerton Find him on Twitter, Everybody Knows at Mulholland Books, and his other work at HarperCollins. Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: 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 incredible talent that is Ai Jiang and talk about their projects both released and upcoming, whether AI will take over the world, and if the apocalypse can come before we've written the books we want to write. We also get a snippet of I Am AI and talk about using horror as a way to discuss grief. Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, a Nebula Award finalist, and an immigrant from Fujian. She is a member of HWA, SFWA, and Codex. Her work can be found in F&SF, The Dark, Uncanny, The Masters Review, Prairie Fire, among others. She is the recipient of Odyssey Workshop’s 2022 Fresh Voices Scholarship and the author of Linghun and I Am AI. Find her on Twitter and online. The Dark Waters anthology is also out now! Find it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and many other outlets. Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: 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 wonderful Holly West and second-time visitor C.W. Blackwell to talk about Bouchercon 2023, editing anthologies, blind submissions, and efforts to widen submission pools to as wide a group as possible. We also talk about the Bouchcon anthology Killin' Time In San Diego, hear a sample of C.W.'s story within it "Hard Rain on Beach Street," and get excited for a West Coast trip. It's also our ~50th~ episode, so that's pretty cool. Holly West (she/her) is the Anthony Award-nominated author of the Mistress of Fortune historical mystery series and the editor of Murder-A-Go-Go’s: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of the Go-Go’s, and the 2023 edition of the Bouchercon anthology Killin Time in San Diego. Her novella, The Money Block, about a pair of grifters who set up a cryptocurrency con, is out now from Down & Out Books. More at https://hollywest.com/https://hollywest.com/. C.W. Blackwell is an American author from the Central Coast of California. His recent work has appeared with Down and Out Books, Shotgun Honey, Tough Magazine, and Reckon Review. He is a 2021 Derringer award winner and 2022 Derringer finalist. His folk horror novella Song of the Red Squire was published in 2022 from Nosetouch Press. His crime fiction novella Hard Mountain Clay was published in January 2023 from Shotgun Honey Books. Want to submit your writing or be a guest editor? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.