Beyond the Bounds of Infinity is a fiction anthology featuring 20 stories from marginalized voices, all inspired by the works and worlds of H.P. Lovecraft. Stephanie Pearre and Vaughn A. Jackson are the anthology's editors and both joined Ledger to chat about the successful Kickstarter launch in 2023 as well as the book's publication on July 10, 2024.

We cover the horrible nature of Lovecraft the person and the ways in which it must be confronted; utilizing Kickstarter for smaller publishers (and managing and/or not managing the stress); maintaining authorial voice while editing; and how to title a story!

Thank you so much to Stephanie and Vaughn for the chat and insights into editing an anthology as a whole versus a story by itself, and so much more. Make sure you swing by Raw Dog Screaming Press and buy a copy of Beyond the Bounds of Infinity - https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/beyond-the-bounds-of-infinity/ - and enjoy the weird tales!

-- -- -- -- --

Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. .

Head over to DriveThruFiction or Itch.io to read my newest story, Dynasty of Blood. Volumes 01 & 02 are live now, with more on the way, including some NEW ORIGINAL art. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson

Thank you so much!

Ken Lowery is a tabletop roll-playing game (TTRPG) writer most well-known for writing the fantastic game VOID 1680 AM. He stopped by Ledger to discuss his journey in starting Bannerless Games and the process of writing VOID as well as other games like Lighthouse At the End of the World and Hell Grinders.

We chat about the community aspect of VOID 1680 AM, including how he actually has his own AM radio broadcaster from which he broadcasts player creations, plus the perceptions (and some hesitations) of playing solo tabletop games. His newest game is No-Tell Motel, a more narrative-focused mystery game that is currently on Crowdfundr - https://crowdfundr.com/notellmotel?ref=ab_75SIUaHJrtV75SIUaHJrtV - so make sure you check it out.

Visit Bannerless Games on Itch to find more of what Ken has written - https://bannerlessgames.itch.io/ - and then maybe go play a game tonight!

-- -- --

Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction.

You can also check out my work on Medium, including my weird sci-fi publication Shibboleth, which features aliens, government conspiracies, and maybe even sentient fire.

Head over to my Itch.io page to read my newest story, Dynasty of Blood. Volume one is live now, with more on the way, including some ORIGINAL NEW art. Thank you so much! https://austinrwilson.itch.io/

Brian Allen Carr is a novelist originally from Texas, author of the books Sip; Opioid, Indiana, and his newest book, Bad Foundations, which is out via Clash Books as of January 23, 2024.

It is a peek into a hidden and ignored world beneath the feet of midwesterners, a world that literally supports their entire lives. The narrator is a man named Cook, someone who will essentially become a coworker to readers as they open this book.

Brian chats with Ledger about the importance of setting, how he utilizes and thinks of genre (one of Ledger's favorite topics; but in this case there are sharks leaping out of puddles), and how he is currently working as a foundation inspector like his book’s protagonist.

One of the bigger topics in this episode is success and, specifically, what happens when you win a big short story contest? Brian won the inaugural Texas Observer Short Story Contest in 2011, which was judged by Larry McMurtry.

Make sure you check out Bad Foundations out from Clash books. Thank you so much to Brian for chatting and thank you for listening!

-- -- --

Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by AustinRWilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. You can also check out my work on Medium, including my weird sci-fi publication Shibboleth, which features aliens, government conspiracies, and maybe even sentient fire.

Debut novelist David Connor joins me to chat about his book Oh God, the Sun Goes which is out TODAY, August 1st, 2023 from Melville House.

Although this is his first novel he has in fact always been writing, which we talk about for sure. He has an undergrad degree in neuroscience and during that time in school he took a writing workshop with Maggie Nelson. Things changed after that.

Also, what’s becoming a touchstone for the show, he mentions the genesis of his novel came out in a few sentences on his phone.

We talk about the perspective of the story, specifically how “close” or “distant” the third person narrative hews, how he utilizes the passage of time and our perception of that phenomenon, and whether this is metafiction or not? Is it? IS IT? Well…yeah, is it?

We do tiptoe up to some topics David says he doesn’t want to dive too deeply into, for fear of giving away the magic trick, including psychedelics. His book is a strange, fantastical journey into perception and time featuring noir sensibilities...that was maybe was influenced by psychedelics?

Grab David’s book wherever books are sold, or over at my affiliate link on Bookshop.org. That’s a great way to support the show and get some fantastic new reading material. If I’ve interviewed someone and their work is available via that site, it’s on my list.

-- -- -- --

Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people you think would like it. Swing by AustinRWilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. You can also check out my work on Medium, including my weird sci-fi publication Shibboleth, which features aliens, government conspiracies, and maybe even sentient fire.

Brock Swinson is the author of Ink By the Barrel: Secrets from Prolific Writers which is available now at BrockSwinson.com. He's also a regular contributor to CreativeScreenwriting.com, a marketing copywriter, the host of the Creative Principles podcast, and currently is creating a docuseries titled Daredevil Society.

He stopped by to chat about what prolific means for him as well as for writing in general, what it's like to ghost write, whether he writes every day or if you need to (the BIG topic on Ledger, it seems), and how Daniel Kraus is on another freaking level.

Thank you to Brock for stopping by, make sure you check out all his work here: https://linktr.ee/brockswinson

Be sure you download your free copy of Ink By the Barrel.

--

Links to all of my work are available here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson.

If you'd like to support the show, you can buy books from my Bookshop affiliate link https://bookshop.org/lists/ledger-guests, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or share the show with someone you think will love it.

Thank you so much!

Albert Wendland is the author of three sci-fi novels and a poetry collection, all featuring his character Mykol (pronounced "Michael") Ranglen as a universe-exploring poet adventurer. His newest novel is "Haunted Stars" and is available now from Dog Star Books.

Apart from the poetry collection - which features poems written by Ranglen - the books are adventures colored by Golden Age sci-fi yearnings but with a noir sensibility added in. You wonder who to trust. You wonder what the next discovery will mean for the humans bouncing between stars. You turn each page with wonder.

Wendland is also co-founder of the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction MFA, alongside Lee McClain. He still teaches there in an adjunct capacity while also writing and doing things other than writing to stay sane, just like his character Ranglen.

We chat about the MFA program, how he came to create his sci-fi alter ego, what it's like writing multiple stories with a recurring character, plus how teaching plays into his reading and writing. Find his work at https://albertwendland.blogspot.com/ and to learn more about the Writing Popular Fiction program visit https://www.setonhill.edu/academics/graduate-programs/writing-popular-fiction-mfa/faculty/.

Thank you to Albert for the discussion and thank you for listening!

-- -- -- --

Links to all of my work are available here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson.

If you'd like to support the show, you can buy books from my Bookshop affiliate link https://bookshop.org/lists/ledger-guests, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or share the show with someone you think will love it.

Thank you so much!

Lor Gislason is the author of Inside Out, a goopy gross horror adventure out now from DarkLit Press. They are also the editor of the anthology Bound In Flesh from Ghoulish Books, an author of non-fiction horror reviews and appreciation, and are currently writing more entertaining body horror filled with memorably gross scenes and stories.

Lor stopped by to talk about their writing journey, the dreams that led to Inside Out gooping onto the page, as well as what their writing routine looks like and whether there’s such a thing as too gross. Also, yes, there is a mention or two of cannibalism.

Check out links to all of their work and social media right here: https://linktr.ee/lorgislason

Thank you so much to Lor for coming by and to you for listening!

— — —

You can read my most recently published story at Defenestrationmag.net. It’s called “Men’s Rights Activists Resurrect Charles Bronson” and is a humorous tale of some reliably ignorant people, plus necromancy. Join the Ledger Discord server or support the show by buying books via my Bookshop affiliate link both found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson As always, check out my work at austinRwilson.com.

Ledger is officially now part of the Writer's Bone Podcast Network. It’s featured alongside many great writing shows, including the official Writer's Bone show itself. Check it all out at WritersBone.com.

Thank you for listening and supporting the show however you do!

Emily Marie Passos Duffy is the author of the poetry collection Hemorrhaging Want & Water, out now from Perennial Press and available on Perennial Press.com. It’s hard to beat the publisher’s description of the book, which describes it as "Pastoral city smut for bad girls with big hearts.”

If you’re looking for poetry that travels the globe but also hops across the borders of genre and form then you might really dig this. Emily and I chatted about connective thematic tissue between poems, a recurring character named Alias, and when/where humor flows into her work.

Follow Emily on Instagram @duffylala and find links to her work there.

Check out my latest story on Defenestrationmag.net, where my story “Men’s Rights Activists Resurrect Charles Bronson” was included in the April 2023 collection of stories. Also, brand-new, join the Ledger Discord server and find my Bookshop affiliate link here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson and as always check out my work at austinRwilson.com.

The biggest news is Ledger has officially joined the Writer's Bone Podcast Network and will be featured alongside many great writing shows, including the official Writer's Bone show itself. Check it all out at WritersBone.com.

Thank you!