In this episode, author Blaine Daigle returns to discuss his latest novel, Porcelain Lullaby.

The book follows two estranged brothers, Jake and Nate Shepherd, whose childhood ended in violence when they woke to find their parents dead.

Twenty years later, they receive a message from their long-dead mother calling them to Meadowland, an abandoned orphanage in rural Pennsylvania.

We explore how the brothers hold two completely different memories of that traumatic night, and how those conflicting explanations drive the entire narrative.

Blaine discusses his approach to gothic horror, the use of music boxes as harbingers of dread, and why small shadows lurking in periphery vision are more terrifying than big monsters.

We dive into the concept of place as predator, examining how locations can absorb negative energy and develop hostile personalities.

Blaine also reflects on why Porcelain Lullaby represents the distillation of themes he's explored across all five of his books, from childhood trauma to fractured family dynamics.

He shares insights on his cover design process, the calcifying effect of collective town denial, and why unreliable memory makes for compelling psychological horror.

This is a deep conversation about grief horror, the uncanny valley of porcelain dolls, and refusing to write the same story twice.

Official Website:
https://www.blainedaigle.com/

Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Blaine-Daigle-Author-100086562623387/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blainedaigleauthor/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/bdaigle_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25085884.Blaine_Daigle

Amazon:
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BTB8JHCX

Barnes & Noble:
The Broken Places (eBook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-places-blaine-daigle/1147045506
The Broken Places (Audiobook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-places-blaine-daigle/1143258859

Publisher (Wicked House):
Porcelain Lullaby: https://wickedhouse.com/book/porcelain-lullaby/

Audiobooks:
Podium Audio: https://podiumentertainment.com/authors/1345/blaine-daigle

Support The Dark Mind Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

In this episode, filmmaker Alex Domenici joins us to discuss his horror short Never Let You Go.

The film follows a woman whose abusive ex-boyfriend reaches from beyond the grave to bind them together through an occult ritual.

Alex shares how he invested most of his life savings into the production, building elaborate sets and shooting in real caves outside Los Angeles.

We explore the film's themes of trauma, supernatural horror, and what it means to be trapped by the past both physically and spiritually.

Alex discusses his 20-year journey in filmmaking and why this is the first film he's truly proud of.

He opens up about working with top-tier sound designers at Sony Studios, the challenges of practical effects, and the emotional toll of bringing psychological horror to life.

We also dive into his other films including Call from Kelly, The Clapper, and Arts and Crafts.

Alex talks about imposter syndrome, manifestation, and the pressure of betting everything on a single project.

The film premiered at Screamfest at the TCL Chinese Theatre before being released on ALTER's YouTube channel in January 2026.

This is a raw, honest conversation about independent horror filmmaking, creative obsession, and refusing to compromise your vision.

ALEX DOMENICI

Instagram (Personal):
https://www.instagram.com/alex__domenici/

Instagram (Never Let You Go Film):
https://www.instagram.com/neverletyougo_film/

YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@AlexDomenici

IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7503436/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-domenici-127314109

Email:
adomenici50@gmail.com

WATCH ALEX DOMENICI'S FILMS

Never Let You Go (2024) - FREE on ALTER YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh0nBbt3qKk

Call from Kelly (2023) - FREE on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROzjqNHe8oQ

The Clapper (2019) - FREE on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9lclBwaFa8

Arts & Crafts (2016) - Available on Alex's YouTube Channel

SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCAST

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast

Jon Cohn returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his latest novel, The Creed Falls Massacres, a genre-bending collision of 80s slasher horror and cosmic body horror.

Seventeen years after the Camp Creed massacre, final girl Jamie Campbell faces a town divided over whether she is a hero or a murderer.

When a meteor crashes on the anniversary of the killings and the Silver Fox killer returns, Jamie and her daughter Claire must survive both a personal vendetta and a town-wide plague of mutated monsters.

Jon and Vincent explore post-truth societies, multi-generational trauma, the horror of doubt, and what happens when communities weaponize skepticism against survivors.

The conversation dives into Jon's inspiration from the failed promise of the 2018 Halloween trilogy, his Freddy vs Jason approach to blending horror subgenres, and why he considers this cosmic plague story pure horror rather than science fiction.

They also discuss influencer culture horror in Slashtag, the death of long-form content, TikTok as a special circle of hell, and why doom scrolling might be the scariest thing we face today.

Jon Cohn is an award-winning horror author and board game designer whose work includes The Island Mother, Slashtag, Kill Beth, and collaborations with Eli Roth on the Thanksgiving board game.

Buy The Creed Falls Massacres, leave a review, and join the conversation about final girls, false narratives, and quantum nightmares.

Jon Cohn - Author Website & Social Media

Official Website
https://www.joncohnauthor.com

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/joncohnauthor

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/joncohnauthor

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@joncohnauthor

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21703052.Jon_Cohn

Buy Jon Cohn's Books

The Creed Falls Massacres - Bookshop.org
https://bookshop.org/a/91271/9781959798897

Barnes & Noble - Jon Cohn Author Page
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jon+Cohn

Amazon - Search for Jon Cohn books
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jon+Cohn+author

Support The Dark Mind Podcast

Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast