Ledger: A Writing Podcast

Bookstores to Visit: Bucket O’ Blood

Bucket O' Blood is located in Chicago, IL at 3182 N Elston Ave and is filled with horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and welcoming vibes. They sell records, movies, and used/new books and are an essential destination for anyone wanting to buy a story or two that will take them on an adventure. You can find them online here: https://www.bucketoblood.com/
Please visit austinRwilson.com/Ledger to see photos of Bucket O' Blood as well as my recent bookhaul!
If you visit the shop let me know, and especially let me know what you buy! Reach out to me on Twitter through @austinRwilson or @Ledger_Podcast or send me an email at LedgerBooks@outlook.com. If you have a shop you'd like to tell me about please let me know! I can never visit too many bookstores and want to spread the word about as many as possible.
Bookstores are landmarks of hope and possibility!
 
 
This is NOT an ad or sponsored episode, the content is mine alone.

010: Brenda Tolian - Author, Blood Mountain

Blood Mountain, by this episode's guest Brenda Tolian is "A mosaic of mountain songs that penetrate all the way to the beating, blood heart." That's what Josh Malerman says.
Brenda Tolian talks about her relationship to Colorado, the importance of telling its stories from indigenous perspectives, why the Bible is actually like really scary, and so much more!Make sure you visit Raw Dog Screaming Press to pick up a copy of Blood Mountain, right here: https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/blood-mountain/
Also visit her website at https://brendatolian.com/.
You can find me at www.austinRwilson.com and on Twitter @austinRwilson and @Ledger_Podcast. Thank you for listening!

009: Jessica McHugh - Author/Poet, A Complex Accident of Life

"A cosmic horror exploration of sisterhood and feminine rage." That's how Jessica McHugh describes her next book of blackout poetry based on the classic Little Women. It will be published from Apokrupha, which is also the publisher of her book A Complex Accident of Life.
We discuss two novels she has coming out in 2022 from Ghoulish Books. The first book, Rabbits In the Garden is a reprint coming out in August 2022. Its sequel, Hares In the Hedgerow is a "crazy, cult horror [and] a big love letter to Joni Mitchell." It will be out in November 2022.
She also talks about writing two novels that tie-in to the WNUF Halloween Special sequel! Please check out her website www.mchughniverse.com.
 
My Twitters: @austinRwilson and @Ledger_Podcast
My website: www.austinRwilson.com

008: Tim Waggoner - Author, Writing In the Dark, X novelization

Terror and delight circle one another in the darkness and Bram Stoker Award-winning author Tim Waggoner is there to guide them directly into your heart.
Over the course of more than 50 novels, seven collections, and 20 media tie-in novels Tim has scared, shocked, and entertained readers with his tales of horror. Another thing he's done is teach, both in a classroom and on the page. His non-fiction book Writing In the Dark won the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement In Non-Fiction and the forthcoming Writing In the Dark: The Workbook expands on the exercises and tools supplied in the first volume. Both are available from Raw Dog Screaming Press and both are magnificent resources for writers.Tim came by Ledger to discuss his teaching, how he stays aware of his stories' potential influence on the real world, and why you'll drop your phone when trying to call 911 as Jason Voorhees sprints toward you.
 
Thank you for listening! Keep writing and keep telling stories.
 
Writing In the Dark - https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/writing-in-the-dark/
Writing In the Dark: The Workbook - https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/writing-in-the-dark-workbook/
Tim Waggoner - https://timwaggoner.com/
My work - https://www.austinRwilson.com
 

007: Keely Shinners - Author, How To Build a Home for the End of the World

What is the journey like from idea to a published book for a first-time author? Keely Shinners chatted with Ledger about their book How To Build a Home for the End of the World, out now from Perennial Press. Keely discusses the five-year process for writing their first novel, who did those eye-catching sketches in the inside covers of the book, and the "deferred gratification" of writing a novel.Aside from longform fiction, Keely writes short fiction, essays, and is also an art critic. Their work can be seen at www.keelyshinners.com and you can find their book at Perennial Press.Follow Ledger on Twitter through @Ledger_Podcast or @austinRwilson, and find my writing at austinRwilson.com. My most recent story, "Hate to Meet You" can now be read online at Ahoy Comics. It features an illustration from veteran cartoonist Peter Bagge!

006: Daniel Kraus - Author, The Ghost That Ate Us; The Living Dead; Trollhunters; Whalefall

Daniel Kraus, author of The Ghost That Ate Us (out in July 2022 from Raw Dog Screaming Press), The Living Dead, Bent Heavens, Trollhunters, and The Shape of Water stopped by Ledger!
His newest book is the tale of a poltergeist in a fast-food restaurant, written as a true-crime tale. We discussed how he had to reverse engineer characters/story for that novel, his general writing schedule, whether he's afraid of anything at all, and how George A. Romero is one of his favorite artists of all time.
Thank you to Daniel for stopping by! Check out his work at www.danielkraus.com. My work is available at www.austinRwilson.com with supplemental material for the show at austinRwilson.com/Ledger.

005: Tommy Dean - Writer/Editor

Tommy Dean writes and edits flash fiction and also teaches creative writing courses that focus on flash fiction as well as writing in general. He stopped by Ledger to talk about flash - which are usually stories of 1,000 words or less - including Hollow, a collection of his work out through Alternating Current Press. What does success look like for a writer? Is writing flash easier than writing long-form fiction? How does Tommy write and edit his own work (including how those processes are affected by others helping him)? We cover all of this and a lot more!
If you enjoyed the episode please share it with a fellow writer and rate/review the show wherever you listened, it really does help new listeners find it.
You can find Tommy Dean on Twitter under @TommyDeanWriter and at his website tommydeanwriter.com. Order (or preorder, depending when you see this) his book Hollows here.
Keep your eyes peeled for my fiction in Ahoy Comics and in the Tales From the Quarantine anthology. You can also read fiction on my website austinRwilson.com and follow my twitter accounts, @Ledger_Podcast and @austinRwilson.
I appreciate you listening!

004: Robin Sloan - Author, Sourdough, Moonbound

Robin Sloan’s first novel, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, was a New York Times Best Seller, translated into more than twenty languages. His latest novel, Sourdough, was published in 2017. With his partner Kathryn Tomajan, Robin produces California extra virgin olive oil under the label Fat Gold. He lives in Oakland and works out of the Murray Street Media Lab, down by the railroad tracks.
Mr. Sloan stopped by Ledger to talk about computer coding, the ways it intersects with fiction/novel writing, videogames, decapitation (and his lack of expertise in the field), and taking time to appreciate a good flower. Visit RobinSloan.com to subscribe to newsletters and look around at all the cool stuff.
Thank you to Robin Sloan for the chat and thank YOU for listening!
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Visit austinRwilson.com for comics and short stories.

003: Alec Nevala-Lee - Author, Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction

Alec Nevala-Lee is the author of "Astounding," a group biography of John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard. He's written three novels, a lot of short stories, and has published non-fiction in the New York Times and the L.A. Times.
Alec stopped by to chat about sci-fi as a genre, that famous quote about the "Golden Age" of sci-fi being 12, how long it took him to write this book (plus his forthcoming bio on Buckminster Fuller), and the relationship between a writer and their agent.
To check out more of Alec's stuff head over to nevalalee.com. Thanks so much for listening!

002: Erika Swyler - Author, Light From Other Stars

Author Erika Swyler has written two novels, The Book of Speculation and Light From Other Stars, and has received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus. She chats with Ledger about her writing process, the reasons she bristles at certain points of view in stories, her super-secret softcore erotica novel (shhhh), and which videogames she loves.
Thank you so much to Erika for being the first interview on Ledger. Visit her website at erikaswyler.com to subscribe to her newsletter and stay up-to-date on all things Swyler!
My website is austinRwilson.com and you can find this episode there, along with a transcript of the interview, plus my own fiction and non-fiction. Thank you!