Pocket Full of Teeth won the 2024 Silver Falchion Award for Best Southern Gothic! The Silver Falchion Award seeks to discover and honor the best books of the previous year (novels, novellas, collections and anthologies, and non-fiction) that incorporate the elements of mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance in numerous genres.
Check out the acceptance speech below! It starts at 1:57:30.
I’ve always been a school nerd. I’ve loved the feel of new blank notebooks and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. I love the excitement of starting something new and working hard to perfect skills I didn’t know I could have. Since I’m an adult now, however, I’ve missed the feeling of the start of school and learning about new topics and have always secretly been yearning for an excuse to dive deep, research like a madwoman, and scribble down my thoughts like the fleeting whisps that they are.
Cue the TikTok influencer trend of creating fall curricula.
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Sure, these curricula seem interesting. They’re filled with reading lists and diverse topics (everything from political science to music theory), but I found many of them little more than glorified reading lists.
There’s nothing wrong with a reading list. I have a whole stack of unread books on my TBR pile by the bed, but when it comes to designing curricula, we have to consider not only what we are consuming, but also how we might add to the conversation.
For example, if I want to learn about feminism in American literature, I know I need to read the classics (The Bell Jar, A Room of One’s Own, Little Women, The Color Purple). There are also tons of articles written about the subject that I could read for context and analysis, but for a true curriculum to work, I need to be able to analyze and synthesize my own materials. There needs to be some level of output to show my level of understanding.
As my “final exam,” I need to be able to show that I fully grasp concepts of my topic, understand the context of my topic, and also have something original to contribute to the conversation. Here are a few ways I could show competency:
To effectively plan my fall curricula, I started with my output first. I knew I wanted to start writing articles again, so I planned a reading list and smaller assignments (such as reflections and check-ins) to help guide me along the way. And yet, I still felt overwhelmed. Wasn’t I consuming enough media? Wasn’t my TBR a frightening height already? How could I fit more into this framework?
That’s when I decided to try a gentle curriculum.
I knew I was consistently reading things that I liked. I read a new book every week or two and read several articles a day, so why didn’t I just use what I was already consuming to make personal connections, practice synthesizing the information, and write engaging articles about how these topics affect us every day?
So, this is my call to you, dear reader. You’re doing enough. You’re reading enough. You’re achieving enough. Your life is maximized beyond what anyone has asked for, and if you’re looking to have a “productive” fall, let go of the pressure to design a whole curriculum filled with books that will guilt you until you read them and suggest that you’re a failure if you don’t get around to it. Instead, pause to take a minute to connect with the things that already exist naturally: the sunset after a long day, the conversation you have with a friend over dinner, the rant your partner gives after watching the season finale of Severance. These are the moments that should pack your “reading list,” and they are the ones we should document like our lives depend on it… because they do. These small things are the ones that really matter. They are the essence that makes us human. They are the things that always make us feel a little less alone.
Article originally posted on Substack.
We are officially halfway through 2025, and although it is inspiring that we’ve made it this far, I know I have so much more that I want to accomplish in the second half of the year. This makes it the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on how far we’ve all come in following our dreams.
Earlier this year, we bought our home from Fred’s parents. The land has been in the family for over 100 years, so it’s a really special place that we want to take care of but also make all our own. We started updating the kitchen, bathrooms, and landscaping, so the house has been all out of sorts for the past few months. I feel like we’re finally on the tail end of things, and it’s nice seeing everything come together.
I’ve also been writing a TON! I have my next project out to a few select agents and have been drafting my next project (think Bones and All mixed with Challengers 🩸💜🥵🔥).
I’ve also been hearing from old students as they graduate and start their next phase in life. I started teaching writing in 2015 and loved storytelling. I wrote some in my free time but never thought I’d be published. It was only in 2017 that I took up a NaNoWriMo challenge and drafted a terrible attempt at a novel. Although that project “failed”, parts of it live on in Pocket Full of Teeth and some of my forthcoming manuscripts. Fast forward to today, I still work in curriculum and am a published author and am very involved in the writing community. Things might not have worked the way I envisioned, but they turned out way better than I ever could have imagined.
So as the summer heat builds, allow yourself to dream big. Follow your passions and lean into your voice. Things might get messy as you “construct” your dreams, but that’s life. And right now, you’re exactly where you need to be. 💜
We’ve all heard of writer’s block, but creative blocks can happen to anyone. Have you ever started a project with a clear direction and high motivation only to feel uninspired and lost a few weeks later.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned for how to “beat the heat” when it comes to creative blocks:
Remember, your creative path is all your own. Don’t be afraid to step away to get perspective, play with different ideas, and reconnect with your inspiration. Just keep going!
In the summer, I love a good gothic novel. To me, gothic is all about atmosphere. It’s heat, humidity, and a bit of mania. I grew up on novels like Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle (my personal favorite gothic novel), and I always chase the feeling of being fully enveloped by a book so that it transports me somewhere new.
So, as summer sizzles, here are a few of my favorites from modern authors:
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Pocket Full of Teeth. If you’re looking for my take on gothic literature, specifically from a Southern perspective, check out my book. It starts with the police interview of Eddy Sparrow as she reads aloud from a haunted manuscript. Inside, we’re confronted with an old house, a creepy maze, and a ghost that walks the grounds. Is there anything better than a story that truly takes over and transports us to a new place and time?! And what a perfect way to spend those hot summer nights that in that hazy clouds of mid-summer stories.
Writing every day is hard, but I find that if I set up my space, it’s easier to get-and stay-creative. Here are my top 10 Writing Must-Haves that help me stay consistent with my writing:
Although these “essentials” aren’t required for writing, they help signal when it’s time to write and allow me to settle into my creative process. The “must-haves” are different for everyone, so find the ones that work for you and use them to help set the scene and allow you to slip in to your creative process.
In order to grow, we must experience struggles that can be as annoying and painful as “thorns” and areas of growth that can be as beautiful and awe-inspiring as “roses”. This week, I had tons of new lessons (both good and not so comfortable). Here’s a roundup of what I learned this week!
Struggles: I definitely struggled this week. I didn’t write as many pages as I wanted, but I did start focusing on social media and getting involved in the community. I learned that I need to better prioritize my time so I can be productive but also play and engage better with those around me.
Successes: I had a lot of success this week on our renovations. Work on the house is almost done, and I got to celebrate how far we’ve come by enjoying our bathroom and not having to wake up super early to let the contractors inside. I’m so happy we’re finally in the final stretch!
Thanks for sharing this journey with me this week! I can’t wait to see what next week has in store!
The awards keep coming!
Pocket Full of Teeth has been named a Finalist for the Silver Falchion Award! The 2025 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Finalists are a diverse collection of the Top Silver Falchion manuscripts of 2025, representing the best books published in 2024. Final awards will be presented during Killer Nashville’s Annual Convention on August 23rd in Nashville, Tennessee.
I’m thrilled to share some wonderful news — Pocket Full of Teeth has won First Place for Best Book Published in 2024 in the Alabama Media Professionals’ annual contest for Writing Excellence!
This recognition means so much, especially coming from an organization that supports media professionals across the state. The contest celebrates work that demonstrates skill, originality, and impact — all qualities I strive for in my writing — so seeing my novel receive this honor is incredibly rewarding.
Even more exciting, this win advances Pocket Full of Teeth to the National Federation of Press Women’s national competition later this year. Being part of a larger, national literary community and representing Alabama on that stage is an absolute honor.
I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, and supported Pocket Full of Teeth along the way. Every encouraging message and kind word has kept me going — and this recognition feels like a celebration for all of us.
Stay tuned as I’ll share updates as the national results come in. For now, I’m going to take a moment to enjoy this milestone and then get back to writing — because there are more stories to tell!
🖤
Aimee Hardy
The last few months have been an absolute whirlwind as I hit the road for the Pocket Full of Teeth book tour — and I couldn’t be more grateful for every moment. From cozy corner bookstores to buzzing festival halls, I’ve been welcomed into so many amazing literary communities that have truly brought my novel to life.
A huge thank you to the indie bookstores that hosted my readings and signings. Thank You Books in Birmingham, Birch Tree Books in Dallas, Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Sweet Home Books in Tuscaloosa, and Shelf Life Books in Richmond — you all went above and beyond to make me feel at home. Every shop had its own unique magic, and meeting readers face-to-face in these special spaces reminded me why indie bookstores truly matter. Supporting small and independent stores keeps our literary culture vibrant, and I’m forever grateful for their passion and dedication.
I’ve also had a great time getting to know some great content creators. Before Pocket Full of Teeth was published, I loved being part of the reading and writing community on Instagram, and I’ve been blown away by the support of content creators. They’ve all had such kind words to say and have really given me the encouragement to keep going. Check out Jessica’s blog below where she reviews my book!
One of my favorite stops on this tour was attending Horror Reader Weekend. I attended in NY in the fall and Fredericksburg, VA this past spring. The energy was incredible — readers, writers, and fellow fans of all things dark and eerie gathered to share spooky stories and celebrate our favorite genre. I also had the honor of leading a panel, “What’s Next in Horror,” where we talked trends, new voices, and where we see the genre going in the years ahead. It was an amazing conversation, one that left me even more excited to see what surprises horror has in store for us.
The entire experience — from chatting with readers about Pocket Full of Teeth to diving into deep, nerdy discussions about ghosts, gore, and Gothic traditions — was unforgettable. Thank you to everyone who came to a reading, attended a signing, or joined our Horror Reader Weekend panel. And thank you again to the wonderful indie shops that champion small-press and genre fiction. I left each event with a heart full of stories and a suitcase heavy with new books.
Here’s to the next chapter — and I hope to see you all again very soon!
🖤
Aimee Hardy
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of bringing my debut novel, Pocket Full of Teeth, to the Howler Arts and Literary Festival in Montgomery, Alabama! This event, known for its celebration of southern storytelling, music, and art, felt like the perfect place to introduce my southern gothic novel to readers who appreciate the eerie, atmospheric tales that come from the heart of the South.
The Howler Arts and Literary Festival is a unique blend of visual art, performance, and literature, highlighting southern culture and its many creative voices. It’s more than just a festival—it’s a gathering of people who live and breathe the art of storytelling, whether through painting, poetry, music, or, in my case, fiction. I was honored to be part of this community, sharing the stage with local writers, artists, and musicians who all draw inspiration from the rich, complex history of the South.
For me, the festival is the perfect backdrop for Pocket Full of Teeth. The story is deeply rooted in southern gothic traditions, filled with dark family secrets, ghostly presences, and the kind of heat that only a southern summer can bring. The Howler Festival, with its lively atmosphere and focus on the arts, mirrors the intensity and magic found in the pages of my novel.
Pocket Full of Teeth isn’t just a story—it’s an exploration of the gothic South, where supernatural elements mix with the harsh realities of small-town life. At its core, the novel follows a young woman as she returns to her rural hometown to confront the secrets her family has buried for generations. As she digs deeper, she unearths both literal and figurative ghosts that have haunted her family for decades.
Selling the book at the Howler Festival feels particularly fitting because Montgomery has its own rich history of storytelling. The city itself, with its deep cultural roots and layers of historical significance, mirrors some of the themes in Pocket Full of Teeth. It’s a place where the past often feels present, where stories never truly die but linger in the air, much like the ghostly figures in my novel.
One of the most thrilling aspects of selling Pocket Full of Teeth at the festival was the opportunity to connect with readers face to face. I’ve spent years crafting this story, layering in southern gothic elements inspired by authors like Shirley Jackson and Stephen King, while also pulling from the deep well of southern folklore. The festival gave me a chance to meet readers who, like me, are drawn to the eerie, the strange, and the unsettling.
I love hearing how readers connect with the characters, the setting, and the supernatural elements that permeate the story. Festivals like Howler are invaluable for that direct connection—where conversations with readers can inspire future work and help build a community around the love of storytelling.
For independent authors like myself, festivals provide a crucial opportunity to share our work with new audiences. There’s something special about the face-to-face experience of selling a book directly to a reader, especially in an environment that celebrates creativity, but it isn’t just about selling books—it’s about building relationships, sharing stories, and creating lasting connections with people who might not have discovered Pocket Full of Teeth otherwise.
In a world where so much of book marketing happens online, festivals bring back the personal touch. Readers can meet the author, flip through the pages, and feel the weight of the story in their hands before they decide to dive in. It’s an intimate, tangible experience that reminds me why I love storytelling in the first place.
Bringing Pocket Full of Teeth to the Howler Arts and Literary Festival felt like a celebration of the unique magic of southern creativity, and I’m reminded of why I wrote this story in the first place—to capture the dark beauty of the South and share it with readers who appreciate the strange and the haunting.
Recently, I have been so lucky to talk about Pocket Full of Teeth to a wider audience, including Birmingham Mountain Radio’s Dru Cunningham from The She-Show. I sat down with Dru and discussed the various songs that went into writing Pocket Full of Teeth and my creative process.
When I began writing Pocket Full of Teeth, music became an unexpected but powerful source of inspiration. Each song on this list helped me tap into the mood, emotion, and tension that shaped the world of my southern gothic novel. These tracks spoke to the themes of longing, fear, and resilience—essential elements in the story I was telling.
Here’s how these songs found their way into the heart of my writing process.
This song has an infectious defiance to it. There’s something about the mix of vulnerability and strength that I wanted to capture in my protagonist. In Pocket Full of Teeth, the main character grapples with a painful past but refuses to be defined by it. Good Luck, Babe! became the anthem for writing scenes where my character took back her power, confronting ghosts—both literal and metaphorical.
Billie Eilish’s The Diner is a song soaked in quiet melancholy, and it inspired much of the eerie, small-town atmosphere in Pocket Full of Teeth. The slow, haunting tempo and Billie’s whispery vocals mirrored the quiet dread I aimed to create in my novel’s southern setting. I imagined scenes where characters sit in dimly lit diners, exchanging secrets while an underlying sense of danger lingers in the air.
Running Up That Hill is iconic for its desperate plea for understanding and connection. It echoes the emotional depth I wanted to explore in Pocket Full of Teeth, especially the complex relationships between characters. The song’s driving intensity and its themes of sacrifice and emotional conflict aligned with the heart of the story, where characters are often caught between past and present, love and fear.
SZA’s Saturn feels like a reflective journey through pain, growth, and transformation. The cosmic imagery helped me think about the larger, existential questions my characters face. In Pocket Full of Teeth, there’s an ongoing theme of reckoning with the unknown—whether it’s grappling with personal demons or supernatural forces. Saturn guided me through writing moments of introspection, where my characters face their darkest truths.
There’s a bittersweet independence in Dancing On My Own that resonated with me while writing about isolation and self-discovery in Pocket Full of Teeth. Robyn’s song captures the loneliness of watching someone from afar while you’re stuck in your own world. It influenced scenes where my protagonist stands apart from the town, watching, always on the outside looking in, but slowly coming into her own.
Summertime Sadness conjures a mood of nostalgia, loss, and the oppressive weight of summer—a perfect match for the southern gothic setting of my novel. Lana Del Rey’s cinematic, moody style made me think about the way the past hangs over my characters, influencing their decisions and emotions. That sense of melancholia layered into Pocket Full of Teeth, where the sultry southern heat holds buried secrets just beneath the surface.
The witchy, ethereal vibes of Rhiannon were an instant inspiration for the supernatural elements in Pocket Full of Teeth. Fleetwood Mac’s song about a mysterious woman who “rules her life like a bird in flight” gave me a sense of freedom and power. This energy flowed into the writing of the novel’s female characters, especially as they navigate forces beyond their control.
There’s an aching honesty to Spread Thin that speaks to vulnerability and emotional exhaustion, a theme that runs through Pocket Full of Teeth. The song helped me tap into my characters’ emotional fatigue—the weight they carry from their personal battles and the ever-present threat of the unknown. Writing scenes where they confront their breaking points was easier with this track echoing in the background.
Lorde’s Supercut explores the fragmented memories of a failed relationship, replaying moments that are both beautiful and painful. This song inspired the way I wrote flashbacks and fragmented moments of memory in Pocket Full of Teeth. The characters, haunted by the past, constantly replay events in their minds, unsure of what’s real and what’s imagined—just like the kaleidoscopic memories Lorde sings about.
Clairo’s Bags is filled with hesitation, longing, and the quiet tension of unspoken emotions. This song helped me shape the tentative, strained relationships in Pocket Full of Teeth. There’s a raw intimacy in Bags that influenced how I approached the conversations between characters who are struggling to communicate their true feelings, all while carrying heavy emotional baggage.
The haunting melody and emotional depth of Me & U by Tems influenced scenes of reconciliation and fragile connections in Pocket Full of Teeth. It became the backdrop for moments where characters come together, only to find themselves pulled apart by forces they can’t quite understand. The song’s softness and vulnerability helped me explore the more tender, uncertain sides of my characters.
The dreamy, almost hypnotic quality of Everytime is what drew me to it. Its mix of lightness and melancholy inspired the more surreal, otherworldly moments in Pocket Full of Teeth. The song’s ethereal vibe aligns with the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural in my novel, especially as characters navigate spaces that feel both familiar and strange.
Music has always been a way to tap into my emotions and imagination, and these songs were no exception. I was so happy to share my inspiration and process with The She-Show. Each song brought something unique to Pocket Full of Teeth, from the small-town melancholy of Billie Eilish to the defiant independence of Chappell Roan. The haunting vibes of Fleetwood Mac and the emotional depth of Kate Bush reminded me that storytelling, like music, is about the emotional beats as much as the plot.
These tracks guided me through the highs and lows of writing my debut novel, creating a soundtrack that shaped its tone, themes, and characters. Check out the episode HERE and make sure you pick up your copy of Pocket Full of Teeth.
I recently had an article published by The Nerd Daily called “Five Tales that Shaped Pocket Full of Teeth.”
Fairy tales and folk tales have captivated always captivated me. I love them for their magic, mystery, and wisdom. These stories, often passed down through generations, serve as powerful sources of inspiration for writers looking to craft modern novels that resonate with readers on a deeper level. The allure of these tales lies in their simplicity, yet they possess an emotional and symbolic richness that can shape even the most complex narratives.
Fairy tales and folk tales are packed with universal themes that transcend culture and time. Good versus evil, love and sacrifice, transformation, and justice are just some of the enduring ideas embedded in these stories. By using these themes as a foundation, novelists can explore human nature in ways that are instantly recognizable to readers.
They are also a way to subvert the expected. By turning traditional stories on their heads, writers can challenge readers’ expectations and offer fresh perspectives on familiar narratives. For example, in Pocket Full of Teeth, I use various tales in new ways that allow the reader to explore themes like morality, power, and empathy from new angles.
Fairy tales and folk tales are often rife with symbolism and metaphor, offering a deep well of imagery to draw from. Whether it’s a poisoned apple, a glass slipper, or a sharp teeth, these symbols carry meanings that are almost instinctively understood.
The richness of fairy tale symbolism provides a framework for exploring complex ideas in an accessible way, helping readers connect with deeper meanings behind the surface of the story. Check out my article to see how five fairy tales helped shape Pocket Full of Teeth and don’t forget to grab your copy!
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Craig and Gareth at Substrate Radio’s Sleep-In Cinema Podcast. I’ve always been a fan of film and of Stephen King adaptations.
When I sat down to write Pocket Full of Teeth, I didn’t know how deeply the work of Stephen King—specifically his film adaptations—had seeped into my creative process. His stories, translated to the screen, shaped my understanding of tension, atmosphere, and how horror can be so much more than simple scares. They became the blueprint for how to unearth the dark undercurrents of small-town life in my own southern gothic debut.
From Carrie to The Shining, King’s adaptations showed me that horror can have emotional depth and human complexity. It’s not just about the supernatural—it’s about the fears that linger within the mundane. In Pocket Full of Teeth, I wanted to evoke a similar feeling, where the line between everyday life and the uncanny blurs.
King’s It is a prime example of how childhood fears and adult trauma can intertwine, something that profoundly influenced my approach. The way King’s film adaptations handle layered storytelling—interweaving past and present—helped me shape my protagonist’s journey. The decay and unease that infect Derry, Maine, inspired the creeping sense of dread I wanted to capture in my fictional southern town.
In films like The Shining, the setting itself becomes a character. The Overlook Hotel’s haunting isolation, brought to life so vividly on screen, pushed me to develop the suffocating atmosphere in Pocket Full of Teeth. While my novel’s world is steeped in southern gothic, the same principle applies—the small town’s shadowy streets and crumbling homes are as important as any character. They bear witness to hidden secrets and past sins.
Watching the mist swirl around the halls of King’s haunted spaces made me realize that atmosphere is the backbone of horror. In my novel, I wanted every corner of the town to hum with tension, each street and home telling a story of its own.
What strikes me about Stephen King’s adaptations is how human his characters remain, even in the most monstrous circumstances. Films like Misery and The Green Mile deal with very real human emotions—obsession, love, and justice—against eerie backdrops. For me, this blend of emotional weight with a creeping sense of horror became essential in crafting my novel.
In Pocket Full of Teeth, I didn’t want to write a horror story that existed only to scare—I wanted to explore what fear does to people. How it shapes relationships, decisions, and the stories we tell ourselves. King’s ability to capture the human heart within horrific scenarios made me rethink how I approached the humanity of my own characters. They’re flawed, scared, and sometimes complicit in their own nightmares.
Stephen King’s adaptations, with their layered narratives, deep characters, and suffocating atmospheres, were a roadmap for Pocket Full of Teeth. They taught me that horror is not just about shock value—it’s about unearthing the darker sides of humanity, the hidden fears, and the things we can’t escape.
With Pocket Full of Teeth, I set out to tell a southern gothic tale that echoes the emotional depth and creeping dread of King’s best film adaptations. Though the world and characters are my own, the lessons learned from watching his stories unfold on screen were invaluable in shaping the novel’s core.
If you’ve ever watched a Stephen King adaptation and found yourself on the edge of your seat—both terrified and deeply invested in the characters’ fates—then you’ll recognize those influences in my novel. Pocket Full of Teeth is, in many ways, a love letter to the complex, unsettling world of King’s cinema.
Check out the podcast episode HERE to see how Dolores Claiborne inspired my work and make sure you order your copy of Pocket Full of Teeth.
