John Raposa tries a new genre with “All In The Cards”

When author John Raposa was last on the show, it was in 2017 for his dystopian thriller “Children of Apis” series. Now, he has a new book out, “All In The Cards” and while the book is indeed a thriller, this has a much darker tone. Here’s a look at the synopsis:

Danny and Leigh are your typical teenagers until a mystical deck of cards comes into their possession. What started as an innocent visit to a gypsy's tent results in a decision that alters the path of their lives.

For Danny, the cards are both intriguing and addictive. To Leigh, they have a dark quality that should have been left alone. As the lives of Danny and Leigh unfold, the cards' sinister nature begins to emerge, and their dark powers have a chilling reach.

As the cards' predictions are revealed, Danny and Leigh are forced to question everything they thought they knew. Are the cards really predicting their future, or is it all mere coincidence? And what is the true purpose of this sinister deck?

In this episode, John, Curtis and Max talk about where the idea for the book came from, and his use of a regular deck of playing cards for this dark presence. John goes into the new experiences he had in the writing process for a psychological thriller and how he developed his main characters.

A haunted mask and ancient evil take the stage in Kevin Lucia’s new book

It’s that time of year and we’re kicking it off with one hell of a horror story! Friend of the show Kevin Lucia joins us to talk about his debut novel, “The Horror at Pleasant Brook,” out on Oct. 13 through Crystal Lake Publishing.

This Halloween, a malevolent, creeping horror invades a small, isolated town nestled deep in the Adirondacks. It cares nothing for this town’s secrets, prejudices, or flaws. Its only desires are to consume everything in its path and spread, until nothing else remains.

A small group of people stand in its way. They are the leftovers, the ignored, the excluded, and the dismissed. However, as the evil grows, they prove to be the only ones strong enough to stand and fight.

Cool synopsis, huh? Kevin, Curtis and I talk about the menacing force that we’re introduced to in the first chapter and the real-life origin that happened during his day job as a teacher. Kevin’s a familiar name in the horror publishing industry through his work at Cemetery Dance, and he shares how this helped him in the writing process.

We’re introduced to some of the heroes of the story and what makes them stand out, and discuss some of the character types that reflect life in 2023. We look at some of the tropes in horror and the ones he hoped to avoid in this story.

Citywide Comic Spotlight: The Dummy’s Dummy

Series Creator: Mochamura

Published on: Webtoon 

Without a doubt, “The Dummy’s Dummy” has become my favorite horror comic, both for the captivating art and amazing story. It centers on a psychic girl named Yumi, an eerie living puppet named Paris, and the strange, deadly monsters they have to take down.

Art-wise, this is what really nailed it for me when I began reading. It’s absolutely beautiful, and bringing that skill set to a horror title—let’s just say it’s hard not to jump at the sound when my heater kicks on. The colors are a great blend of light and dark shades and the style flows like a living thing.

But it’s not just the art that sold me on it. Paris and Yumi’s mission to stop the her grandfather’s creations from committing wholesale slaughter brings a depth that goes beyond a normal horror tale. It’s not another ‘monster of the week’ kind of story. Each encounter brings something different, whether it’s Yumi coming to terms with her role or helping the spirit inhabit a haunted camera make peace with their past. There’s a lot of heart in this, which to me makes it stand apart from a lot of other stories.

You can check out The Dummy’s Dummy on both Webtoon and Tapas, and trust me, it’s a great read—just make sure the lights are on.