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  • Tamika Thompson: No Ghosts Needed

    Tamika Thompson: No Ghosts Needed
    2026/03/17

    Tamika Thompson returns to The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss her debut novel The Curse of Hester Gardens, a Black Gothic horror story rooted in grief, motherhood, faith, and survival.

    ​

    In this episode, we explore how haunted public housing transforms the classic haunted house framework into something inescapable, where economics, danger, and the supernatural are all bound together.

    ​

    Tamika talks about growing up working class in Detroit, the oral storytelling traditions in her family, and how fear became both a lived reality and a literary language for her work.

    ​

    We also dig into moral complexity, youth violence, religion, systemic neglect, and why the real monster in the story is often the conditions people are forced to survive.

    ​

    Along the way, Tamika reflects on her journalism background, her writing process, the role of research in shaping the novel, and what she hopes readers are left questioning after the final page.

    ​

    If you love horror that is psychologically sharp, socially grounded, and emotionally devastating, this is an episode you do not want to miss.


    CONNECT WITH TAMIKA THOMPSON


    Website:

    https://www.tamikathompson.com


    Newsletter/Blog (Tamika Talks Terror): https://www.tamikathompson.com/tamika-talks-terror


    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/tamikathompson


    Instagram: https://instagram.com/tamikadthompson


    TikTok:

    https://www.tiktok.com/@tamikadthompson


    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tamikathompson.bsky.social


    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tamikadthompson


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


    X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamikathompson


    LinkedIn:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamikathompson


    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tamikathompson


    BUY THE CURSE OF HESTER GARDENS


    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Hester-Gardens-Tamika-Thompson/dp/1645663191


    Barnes and Noble:

    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-curse-of-hester-gardens-tamika-thompson/1147750299


    Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/shop/tamikathompson


    Penguin Random House:

    https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804756/the-curse-of-hester-gardens-by-tamika-thompson/


    Goodreads:

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237693607-the-curse-of-hester-gardens


    BUY UNSHOD, CACKLING, AND NAKED


    Universal Book Link: https://mybook.to/unshod


    Audible:

    https://www.audible.com/author/Tamika-Thompson/B07XFFMRNP


    BUY SALAMANDER JUSTICE


    Universal Book Link: https://mybook.to/salamander


    SUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCAST


    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast
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    1 時間 7 分
  • Jeremy Wagner: The Drug, The Detective, and The Meat Grinder

    Jeremy Wagner: The Drug, The Detective, and The Meat Grinder
    2026/03/10
    Death metal guitarist, horror novelist, and accidental publisher Jeremy Wagner joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his savage new novel Wretch.Set in Chicago during the hottest summer on record, Wretch follows three men on a collision course: a hard-boiled detective tracking a killer who should not exist, a mob boss running on grief and vengeance, and Derek Hoffman, a steroid-abusing sociopath whose body and mind have been rewritten by an experimental drug called LIBIDONAL.Wagner breaks down how a real person he knew in the 1990s planted the seed for Derek Hoffman.He talks about his own experience as a human guinea pig in a pharmaceutical research program and how it inspired the Big Pharma horror at the heart of the story.He explains why he spent months interviewing a retired Chicago police detective and doing ride-alongs to get the psychology of law enforcement exactly right.He discusses why even the most monstrous characters in the book needed layers, backstory, and something worth losing.He reveals the one scene in the book that he knew would be misread as pure shock value, and why it was never written that way.Wagner also talks about becoming an accidental publisher with Dead Sky Publishing, what horror fiction needs more of right now, and why Broken Hope lyrics were always micro horror stories long before the novels began.Wretch is available now wherever books are sold.LINKS:Websitehttps://jeremyxwagner.comInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/jeremyxwagnerFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/JeremyWagnerOfficialX (Twitter)https://x.com/JeremyXWagnerGoodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3145526.Jeremy_WagnerIMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm7990420WRETCH - WHERE TO BUYDead Sky Publishinghttps://deadskypublishing.comAmazonhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1639511326Barnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wretch-jeremy-wagner/1143024616Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/p/books/wretch-jeremy-wagner/de816042391431e5MUSIC - STREAM AND LISTENBroken Hope on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/7yFcBZceMVuvIoTnZXprFdBroken Hope on Apple Musichttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/broken-hope/74969262Earthburner on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/7fqhfpH3XM8547KokH7tZmDEAD SKY PUBLISHINGWebsitehttps://deadskypublishing.comX (Twitter)https://x.com/DeadSkyPubSubstackhttps://substack.com/@deadskypublishingBROKEN HOPEWebsitehttps://brokenhope.comEARTHBURNERWebsitehttps://earthburner.comSupport The Dark Mind Podcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast
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    1 時間 10 分
  • N.J. Gallegos: Anatomy of an Obsession

    N.J. Gallegos: Anatomy of an Obsession
    2026/03/03
    N.J. Gallegos returns to The Dark Mind Podcast.She is an Emergency Medicine physician, horror author, and co-host of the Scream Kings Horror Podcast.Her new novella, Eat Your Heart Out, is published by Black Hare Press and releases March 14, 2026.The book follows Jules, a first-year medical student with an exceptional mind for anatomy and a carefully controlled emotional life.That control shatters when she meets Maureen, a magnetic and confident woman who effortlessly draws desire.What begins as attraction quickly deepens into something darker and more consuming.Jules mistakes intensity for intimacy, chemistry for destiny, and fixation for love.As their relationship lurches between passion and distance, Jules begins to unravel.The boundaries between study and obsession blur.In this episode, Gallegos breaks down the psychology of obsession, the powder keg of medical school, the cultural narratives that make devotion dangerous, and what it means to write a toxic queer relationship without flinching.She also discusses how her years working in the emergency room shape the horror she puts on the page.Website): https://njgallegos.com/Author Store): https://www.njgallegos.com/productsX (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/DrSpooky_ERBluesky): https://bsky.app/profile/drspookyer.bsky.socialGoodreads): https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22352302.N_J_GallegosBuy Eat Your Heart OutApple Books): https://books.apple.com/us/book/eat-your-heart-out/id6757347465Kobo): https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/eat-your-heart-out-22Black Hare Press): https://blackharepress.com/products/eat-your-heart-out-by-nj-gallegosBuy The Fatal MindAmazon): https://www.amazon.com/stores/N.J.-Gallegos/author/B0CGMS4BSJBarnes and Noble): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fatal-mind-n-j-gallegos/1146422660Audible): https://www.audible.com/author/NJ-Gallegos/B0CGMS4BSJBuy The Broken HeartBarnes and Noble): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-heart-n-j-gallegos/1143619606Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/stores/N.J.-Gallegos/author/B0CGMS4BSJScream Kings PodcastWebsite): https://www.screamkingspodcast.comApple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scream-kings/id1286579957Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/4xb6C1lAYeFSeZUP7ySnGSPublisherWinding Road Stories): https://windingroadstories.com/project/n-j-gallegos/Black Hare Press): https://blackharepress.com/products/eat-your-heart-out-by-nj-gallegosSupport The Dark Mind PodcastPatreon): https://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast
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    1 時間 8 分
  • Geoffrey Kelly: The FBI's Hunt for 13 Perfect Fugitives

    Geoffrey Kelly: The FBI's Hunt for 13 Perfect Fugitives
    2026/02/24

    In 1990, two men disguised as Boston police officers stole 13 priceless works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in what became the largest art heist in history, valued at over $1 billion.

    FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly spent 28 years as one of the founding members of the FBI Art Crime Team, and in 2002 inherited this cold case.

    Rather than working it as a standard property crime, Kelly treated the missing paintings as fugitives, enlisting the media and public to help track them down.

    In his new book, 13 Perfect Fugitives, Kelly pulls back the curtain on the full investigation, separating fact from decades of myth and misinformation surrounding the case.

    Kelly also served as the real-life inspiration for Jon Hamm's FBI agent character in the film The Town, and currently teaches at Harvard Extension School alongside the Gardner Museum's security director.

    The paintings remain missing to this day, but Kelly believes they will be found.

    WEBSITE

    Argus Cultural Property Consultantshttps://arguscpc.com

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    LinkedIn (Geoffrey Kelly)https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-kelly-7a18202b8/

    LinkedIn (Argus CPC)https://www.linkedin.com/company/argus-cultural-property-consultants

    Facebook (Argus CPC)https://www.facebook.com/arguscpc

    Bluesky (Argus CPC)https://bsky.app/profile/arguscpc.bsky.social

    X/Twitter (Argus CPC)https://x.com/ArgusCPC

    BUY THE BOOK: THIRTEEN PERFECT FUGITIVES

    Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FDGTZJH9

    Barnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thirteen-perfect-fugitives-geoffrey-kelly/1147669547?ean=9798895653173

    Support The Dark Mind Podcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast
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    1 時間 11 分
  • Blaine Daigle: Fatigue, Fatherhood, and the Fear That Bleeds into Fiction

    Blaine Daigle: Fatigue, Fatherhood, and the Fear That Bleeds into Fiction
    2026/02/17

    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
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    1 時間 16 分
  • Never Let You Go: Alex Domenici on Gulam, Grief, and Going All In

    Never Let You Go: Alex Domenici on Gulam, Grief, and Going All In
    2026/02/10

    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
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    1 時間 8 分
  • Cosmic Carnage and Camp Horror: Jon Cohn Returns

    Cosmic Carnage and Camp Horror: Jon Cohn Returns
    2026/02/03

    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
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    1 時間 17 分
  • Radar DeBoard: Witches, Body Horror, and Working Class Nightmares

    Radar DeBoard: Witches, Body Horror, and Working Class Nightmares
    2026/01/27

    Radar DeBoard joins The Dark Mind Podcast to discuss his visceral novella Everything But the Skin, published by Uncomfortably Dark.

    Set in the cursed town of Shallow Root, the story follows a young girl named Sophia who finds herself psychically connected to an ancient evil hunting children.

    We explore how Radar blends body horror with supernatural elements to create what he calls comfort horror steeped in splatterpunk violence.

    Radar shares the origin of the infamous flagpole scene that sparked the entire book and discusses writing children in extreme horror without reducing them to symbols.

    We dive into themes of generational trauma, community denial, and the terrifying ways people ignore evil to preserve their comfortable lives.

    The conversation touches on his working class upbringing and how economic anxiety and inequality thread through all his work.

    Radar opens up about his writing process, creating morally gray monsters readers almost cannot blame, and his approach to implication versus explicit violence.

    We discuss his other projects including Drowning in the Drink, a grief horror novella based on his aunt's struggle with alcoholism, and A Year Spent in Horror, a collection of 365 micro horror stories.

    Radar reflects on being active in the indie horror community, where he draws the line in extreme content, and how becoming a new parent has changed his perspective on writing about children.

    Available now on Amazon and Godless.

    RADAR DEBOARD - AUTHOR LINKS

    Amazon Author Page:
    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Radar-DeBoard/author/B0937GYFP8

    Barnes & Noble:
    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Radar%20DeBoard%22

    Godless (Everything But the Skin):
    https://godless.com/products/everything-but-the-skin-by-radar-deboard

    Linktree:
    https://linktr.ee/radardeboard

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

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

    Publisher - Uncomfortably Dark:
    https://www.uncomfortablydark.com

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

    ​
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    1 時間 18 分