What happens when mental illness, women’s autonomy, and psychological horror collide?

In this episode of The Literary Spiral, I’m joined by author Faith Gardner to discuss her newest psychological thriller, The Spin. A dark, unsettling novel that explores mental illness, women’s autonomy, power, control, and the terrifying ways systemic failures can shape our lives.

We dive into the inspiration behind The Spin, Faith’s writing process, the research that went into creating the novel, and how she develops psychologically complex characters. We also talk about the darker side of human nature, why psychological thrillers can be such an effective way to explore real-world fears, and the deeper questions surrounding mental health and the systems designed to support us.

If you love psychological thrillers, dark fiction, books about mental illness, women’s rage, complex female characters, and stories that blur the line between psychological horror and systemic horror, this conversation is for you.

In this gripping episode, I sit down with psychological thriller author Liv Lowry to explore what makes a truly unforgettable thriller. We dive into the psychology behind fear, suspense, secrets, manipulation, and those twists that leave readers questioning everything.

What if you don’t actually hate horror, you just hate gore?

In this episode, I’m diving into the difference between horror that scares us and horror that disgusts us, and why the two are so often lumped together. We’re talking fear, violence, discomfort, what makes something truly disturbing, and why some of the most unsettling stories barely need blood at all.

Then, I’m taking a deep dive into Nancy Tucker’s The First Day of Spring. A haunting, psychologically devastating novel that explores childhood, violence, trauma, and the terrifying ways we try to understand the people who commit unimaginable acts.

If you love horror but find yourself saying, “I can handle scary, I just can’t do gore,” this one is for you. Because maybe you don’t hate horror. Maybe you just hate what horror looks like when the blood starts flowing.

In this episode, we’re diving into the complicated, unsettling, and often fascinating world of women in horror. From the ways women are portrayed in the genre to the ways women have reclaimed horror to tell their own stories.

We take a deep dive into Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer, unpacking its themes, characters, and the disturbing ideas at the heart of the book. We’ll explore the intersection of femininity, domesticity, control, and horror, and why the “trad wife” ideal can become something far more sinister than it first appears.

If you love horror with something deeper to chew on, this episode is for you. 🖤