In this episode, author Bitter Karella joins host KJ Brantley to discuss Moonflow and Quaint Folk, two wildly different horror novels connected by queer identity, repression, cults, and the fear of revealing who you really are. From a psychedelic journey through a terrifying forest to the rot beneath an idyllic English community, Bitter’s fiction asks what happens when belonging comes at the cost of being yourself.

Bitter and KJ explore the family secrets at the heart of Quaint Folk: a mother struggling with religious trauma and repressed desires, a nonbinary teenager discovering their identity through witchcraft, and a family determined to maintain the appearance of a perfect life. They discuss the things parents and children hide to protect one another, and how that protection can become its own kind of harm.

Their conversation also considers the fear of being perceived, the pressure to downplay your needs, and the vulnerability of discovering and expressing your gender identity later in life. Bitter reflects on how writing Moonflow helped bring personal realizations to the surface, and how Quaint Folk became a place to work through the more complicated questions that followed.

There’s plenty of humor along the way, including invented insults, an allegedly unpublishable debut, and Bitter’s college experience attending religious meetings for the free food...until the group asked them to stop coming. Together, Bitter and KJ explore why cults are such compelling territory for horror, how well-intentioned parents pass down their baggage, and why the most unsettling stories often begin with someone else’s idea of the perfect life.

Bitter Karella’s Uncanny Women Podcast Book Picks:

Transmuted by Eve Harms
The Exodontists by Drew Huff
Ink Vine by Elizabeth Broadbent
Humboldt Cut by Allison Mick

Bitter also recommends exploring the work of Hailey Piper and Gretchen Felker-Martin.

Books Written by Bitter Karella Mentioned in This Episode:

Moonflow
Quaint Folk

Connect with Bitter Karella:

Instagram: @bitterkarella
Bluesky: @bitterkarella.bsky.social
Tumblr: @bitterkarella
Patreon: patreon.com/bitterkarella
Website: BitterKarella.com
Midnight Pals: @midnightpals.bsky.social

About the Host, KJ Brantley:

KJ Brantley is an Indigenous-mixed, autistic horror and dark fiction author whose work explores motherhood, feminism, identity, neurodivergence, trauma, and psychological horror. Drawn to the intersection of entertainment and social commentary, she crafts stories that are both unsettling and emotionally resonant. She is the host of Uncanny Women Podcast and founder and organizer of the SoCo Women in Horror Fest. She is currently the Chair of the Women in Horror Arts and Media Association and co-owner of Broom Book & Candle Horror and Dark Literature Bookstore, Cafe, and Bar in Denver. KJ lives in Colorado with her husband, two toddlers, and an ever-growing stack of spooky books.

Follow KJ and the Women in Horror Arts & Media Association on IG and Threads at @uncannywomenpodcast | @authorkjbrantley | @womeninhorrorassociation

Learn more at WomenInHorrorAssociation.org and BroomBookCandle.com.