Briana N. Cox and Kailee Pedersen join the show to discuss their debut horror novels.
We explore themes of home, economic precarity, and body horror through the lens of queer and BIPOC identity.
Briana shares how "Indigent" transforms urban gentrification and addiction into visceral, psychological horror.
Kailee unveils the mythic and operatic roots of "Sacrificial Animals" set on a Nebraska farm, unraveling family trauma and supernatural possibility.
Both authors reflect on writing truthfully about marginalization without reducing it to a trend or symbol.
We dig into their personal backgrounds, influences from cognitive science and opera, and the creative power of alienation.
Our conversation reveals how landscape, language, and myth structure their approach to horror.
Listeners get insights into scene edits, professional challenges, and the drive to bring authentic voices to dark fiction.
Tune in for a nuanced, candid exploration of horror, identity, and literary ambition.

Briana Cox:

briana-n-cox-writer.carrd.co
https://briannajcox.com
https://instagram.com/pedroparo2
https://linktr.ee/briana.n.cox
https://graveside-press.com/indigent-by-briana-n-cox
https://ko-fi.com/briana_n_cox

Kailee Pedersen:

https://kaileepedersen.com
https://instagram.com/kailee_pedersen
https://threads.net/@kailee_pedersen
https://blueskyweb.xyz/user/kaileepedersen.bsky.social
https://twitter.com/KaileePedersen
https://audible.com/pd/Sacrificial-Animals-Audiobook/B0CGRXFC5L

Peter Caffrey joins the show to discuss his novel, The Ballad of Seven Bastards.

We dive into the splatter western genre and how it explores moral ambiguity and violence.

Peter shares how the Western setting exposes truths about manipulation and greed that modern stories can’t.

He describes his struggle with structure and how a unique approach helped bring the novel together.

We talk about origins, voice, and rewriting until the story feels right.

Peter discusses his decision to shelve the book while the genre surged in popularity, focusing on authenticity over trends.

We discuss his characters—none truly redeemable, but all deeply human.

We explore the necessity of grotesque honesty in fiction and why avoiding standard horror tropes keeps his writing surprising.

Peter unpacks the role of humor, both as a defense and an ingredient for deepening dread.

He shares darkly comic stories and how real-life struggles with illness shaped his outlook and fiction.

Peter talks about compartmentalization, survival, and how his experience with cancer changed his attitude toward suffering, both real and fictional.

He explains how fiction, unlike journalism, creates individual truth for the reader.

The episode ends with thoughts on individuality, creativity, and the joys of making readers uncomfortable in the best way.

Website https://petercaffrey.com

Twitter/X: https://x.com/p_caffrey?lang=en

Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/100077415820994/

Facebook (Author Page - Alternative): https://www.facebook.com/p/Peter-Caffrey-Author-61564582937618/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNYsWRAybvM/ (posts found, profile link not directly provided)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18772593.Peter_Caffrey

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Peter-Caffrey/author/B07MSBW6ZV

Amazon - The Ballad of Seven Bastards: https://www.amazon.com/Ballad-Seven-Bastards-Peter-Caffrey-ebook/dp/B0FF6DDZXC

ThriftBooks: https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/peter-caffrey/5486829/

Godless.com: https://godless.com/products/fucked-up-bedtime-stories-episode-5-legs-eleven-by-peter-caffrey-godless-exclusives