Scary’s Voices – Sound Bites
Week Ending 20th November 2020
Sometimes, when shadows stretch and the house is quiet, I hear voices. They tell me about ghosts and creatures of the night. They whisper sinister tales making my skin crawl. Sometimes they even tell me to do things, like watch certain movies or read specific books. Where do these strange voices come from? Podcasters, of course. But I like to call them Scary’s Voices.
Welcome to Sound Bites, where I highlight the best podcasts I’ve heard through the week. Here’s a quick breakdown of my rating system:
Scream of the Week – only one podcast can take this spot each week, and it represents the best of what’s haunted my earbuds, like a 5-Star rating.
Shivers – these shows are great, and not only do I recommend you give them a listen, but I’ve marked them down to listen to again in the future.
Goosebumps – podcasts I liked and will probably try again, but they didn’t quite knock my socks off.
If I listen to something that didn’t make me scream, give me shivers or even goosebumps, they won’t be listed here.
Now let’s get to it!
My Scream of the Week goes to:
Sex and Horror Podcast
Paranormal Investigators are a strange and fun bunch of people, and one person who never fails to entertain is Shaggy from the Para-Holix team. So, when I saw a post on Instagram that he’d be a guest on a horror podcast, I had to check it out. He appeared on Episode 73 of Sex and Horror Podcast with hosts Dicey Grenor and Chantell Renee, where the trio talked about what paranormal investigators actually do, unexplained experiences through the lens of a skeptic, and theories on paranormal entities. The episode was informative and a lot of fun. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to listen to another episode straight away!
Looking through the backlog of content, I discovered the podcast’s hosts Dicey and Chantell are also fiction writers and in Episode 72 they spoke with fellow author Missy Jane. The discussion ranged from thoughts on the Own Voices movement, Missy Jane’s muse for her erotic romance books, writing new twists in paranormal and fantasy fiction, plus a whole bunch more.
With thought provoking questions and no subject off the table, Sex and Horror Podcast explores all things sexy and horrifying, including books, movies, and music. I’m looking forward to hearing more great conversations from Dicey Grenor and Chantell Renee and think you should give them a listen too. Episodes typically run from 1 to 1.5 hours in length, and you can find them all on Anchor with links to all your favourite listening platforms: www.anchor.fm/sexandhorror
Now for the Shivers!
So, this next one isn’t exactly horror related, however, I tend to find that most people who enjoy information on true crime also have a general interest in the judicial and prison systems. If that sounds like you, Life of a Lifer is a podcast you should try. While serving a life sentence, Taylor Tom Conley founded Designed Conviction (a social enterprise aimed at helping current and former incarcerated persons reach their own creative pursuits) and launched this podcast to give a voice to those serving life in prison, as well as to lift the stigmas often associated with convicted persons.
This week I listened to two great episodes and will definitely be returning to this podcast. The first was a conversation between host Taylor and guest Brian Dolinar, Ph.D., a journalist specializing in mass incarceration. They spoke about the misconceptions and realities of the parole system in the United States. Next, I listened to guest host Salty Candace chat with Ezekiel Caligiuri about his involvement in the Stillwater Writer’s Collective, a full-time writing program created and run by incarcerated people. Both episodes were informative and provided a fresh perspective on people trying to improve their lives and the lives of others. Life of a Lifer releases new episodes on every Saturday, which typically run no longer than 30 minutes, and you can find them all on their website: www.lifeofalifer.com
And that’s a wrap for this week’s Sound Bites!
November is a busy month for me as I’m participating in NaNoWriMo, so Sound Bites may be on the leaner side this month. But not to worry, I’ll make sure I have at least a couple recommendations in the next few weeks to keep your podcast queues full.
As always, thanks so much to the awesome podcast listeners and creators who have been sending me terrific recommendations. Keep them coming via the comments section below, or direct messaging on Twitter or Instagram (links below). I can’t promise I’ll enjoy every podcast you throw my way, but I’ll give everyone a fair shot.
Remember, I’m all about scary things and spooky podcasts are what I’m after. Content focused on reviewing horror movies and horror books, true paranormal encounters, facts about cryptids, true crimes, and original scary stories are exactly what I want to hear.
Can’t wait to listen to all the dark podcasts you fine fiends suggest, and I’m looking forward to presenting you with even more Scary’s Voices next Friday.
J.A. Sullivan
J. A. Sullivan is a horror writer and paranormal enthusiast, based in Brantford, ON, Canada. Attracted to everything non-horror folks consider strange, she’s spent years as a paranormal investigator, has an insatiable appetite for serial killer information, and would live inside a library if she could.
As curator of “Scary’s Voices” on Kendall Reviews, an article series reviewing horror podcasts, Sullivan loves listening to all things spooky. If you have a horror podcast recommendation, let her know.
On top of contributing short stories to Kendall Reviews, her fiction has appeared in Don’t Open the Door (2019), It Came From The Darkness (2020), and she acted as an assistant editor for Black Dogs, Black Tales (2020). Other spooky tales and updates on her writing journey can be found on her blog.
You can follow J. A. on Twitter @ScaryJASullivan
Check out her blog https://writingscaredblog.wordpress.com
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
Find her on Instagram www.instagram.com/j.a_sullivan
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