Dark Waters

What He Left Behind aka The Wind and Cell Block W

We're joined by the lovely Benjamin Bradley to discuss the charms and not-so-much charms of small towns, leaving vs. staying in hometowns, and his latest release What He Left Behind. We also talk about New Jersey folklore, letting teenagers run the show in certain stories, and revisiting the stories we wrote as kids. Benjamin Bradley is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He's the author of the Shepard & Kelly Mystery series through Indies United Publishing House and his short fiction has appeared in literary magazines including Reckon Review and Flash Fiction Magazine. He works in public health and homelessness and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, their cat Fox, and their dog Harper. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/darkwaterspod], and check out our ⁠merch store ⁠ [https://darkwaterspodcast.bigcartel.com/]too. Want to submit to be a guest author? Emaildarkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Burn this Night aka A basket case of chaos

We're joined by the marvelous Alex Kenna to discuss various levels of musical ability, 'satisfying' television, and writing strong visualizations, and her book ⁠Burn this Night⁠ [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203613977-burn-this-night]. We also talk about artistic skills applied to different mediums, the research process for Burn this Night, and writing in different genres, and get a sneak peek at chapter 1 of the book. Alex Kenna is a mystery writer, prosecutor, and amateur painter. Her first novel, What Meets the Eye, was a 2023 Shamus Award Finalist for best first P.I. novel. Kirkus Reviews called it a “righteous, painful debut,” and Bookpage called her “a master in the making.” Alex lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer. Before law school, she studied art and art history, worked as a freelance culture writer for the Atlantic and other publications, and sold paintings in a gallery. When she’s not writing Alex can be found exploring Southern California, toddler-wrangling, and playing string instruments badly. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/darkwaterspod], and check out our merch store [https://darkwaterspodcast.bigcartel.com/]too. Want to submit to be a guest author? Emaildarkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Alter Ego aka Comic book nostalgia and excessive gritty reboots

We're joined by the amazing Alex Segura to discuss his books Alter Ego [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203579103-alter-ego] and Secret Identity, dive into comic book (and other) nerdoms, and writing about an industry without asking readers to sit through a 101 crash course. We also get a sneak peek of Alter Ego [https://chireviewofbooks.com/2024/12/03/alter-ego/], discuss the process of writing a stand alone sequel, juggling different projects, and Alex's triple pisces energy.  Alex Segura [https://www.alexsegura.com/] is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693604-secret-identity]winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller and a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He's also the author of the Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and a Spider-Verse adventure called Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow. He lives in New York City with his family. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/darkwaterspod] Want to submit to be a guest author? Emaildarkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Origin Story aka The socially adept introvert community

We're joined by the fantastic A.M. Adair to discuss her novella Origin Story [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216747164-origin-story?ref=220], translating fiction into different mediums, and diving headfirst into a character's frame of mind. We also get a sneak peek of Origin Story, representation of women in fiction, and the therapeutic benefits of creative outlets. A.M. Adair [https://www.amadair.com/] retired from active duty as a Chief Warrant Officer of the United States Navy, having spent over 21 years in the Intelligence Community, specializing in counterintelligence and human intelligence. She has been to numerous countries, including multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her experiences have been unique and provided her imagination with a wealth of material to draw from to give her stories life. A lifelong fan of the genre, she is an International Thriller Writers associate member. Shadow Game [https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Game-M-Adair-ebook/dp/B07Z2CW6MS/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Zwebh&content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_r=137-5122868-9475264&pd_rd_wg=XJoM8&pd_rd_r=a4c9e3a1-af8a-4000-8f01-a878a75c3774&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk] was her debut novel and the first book in the Elle Anderson series. Her second novel, The Deeper Shadow, [https://www.amazon.com/Deeper-Shadow-Elle-Anderson-Book-ebook/dp/B08NTSQMQV?ref_=ast_author_dp] was a Distinguished Favorite in the 2021 NYC Big Book Awards thriller category. In 2023, her third novel, Shadow War [https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-War-Elle-Anderson-Book-ebook/dp/B09V3B8B49?ref_=ast_author_dp], won in the Action/Adventure category of the Independent Press Awards and was a finalist for the 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. Her fourth novel, A New Game [https://www.amazon.com/New-Game-Elle-Anderson-Book-ebook/dp/B0CLS9WGFN?ref_=ast_author_dp], won an Independent Press Award and NYC Big Book Award in 2024 for Action/Adventure, and it was a 2024 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion finalist. Her first novella, Origin Story [https://www.amazon.com/Origin-Story-M-Adair-ebook/dp/B0DHSX7KST?ref_=ast_author_dp], released at the end of 2024, became an Amazon bestseller. She lives in Tennessee with her husband Jake, daughter Arya, and son Finn. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get acopy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/darkwaterspod] Want to submit your writing? Emaildarkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinionsof the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.

Tricks of Fortune aka ...At least buy me dinner first

We're joined by the lovely Lina Chern to discuss her novel Play the Fool and it's recently released sequel Tricks of Fortune, as well as neurodivergent co-morbidities, being "ready" for an editor, and vice fueled fury. We also get a sneak peek of Tricks of Fortune and touch on writing with a series in mind. Lina Chern’s [https://www.linachern.com/] debut mystery novel, Play the Fool, [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61327487-play-the-fool] won the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award and was nominated for the 2024 Lefty and Anthony Awards. Tricks of Fortune, [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198563661-tricks-of-fortune] (Katie True #2), was released July 1, 2025. Her shorter work has appeared in Mystery Weekly, The Marlboro Review, The Bellingham Review, Black Fox Literary Magazine, and The Coil. She lives in the Chicago area with her family. Dark Waters vol. 1 & 2 are available to order! To get a copy, head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/darkwaterspod] Want to submit your writing? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated.