Chickling Chronicles

Courtney Hickling, Author
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On Chickling Chronicles, we dive headfirst into mystery, magic, movies, and manuscripts. This is where cursed mirrors become plot devices, TBR piles whisper at midnight, and every looming deadline feels a bit like a gothic ghost story. Join each week for behind-the-scenes chaos on author life, plus fun, fangirly takes on the books and films I’m completely obsessed with (and think you should be too). Whether you’re a fellow writer, a story lover, or just here for the haunted vibes, there’s a cozy, eerie corner waiting for you. Connect & join the flock: https://linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles

  1. 10/14/2025

    Book of Shadows: Top Witchy Reads That Cast a Spell

    Hey! Hi! Hello! If folklore gave the witch her bones, books gave her a voice. In Part 2 of Witchtober, we crack open a different grimoire, the one on your bookshelf, to trace how authors reinvent the witch across eras and genres: from revolution and selfhood to legacy, history, ecology, and found family. This episode is a cozy-cinematic tour for readers hunting their next fave and writers looking for comp titles, tropes, and craft sparks. Light a candle that smells like old paper and rebellion, then let’s read our way through the evolution of the witch. 🕯️ 💌 Links & Extras All the things (podcast, socials, bonus content, and my novel The Missing Reflection) live here: linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles Loving Witchtober? Follow/subscribe and drop a quick rating & review. It helps our little coven grow. Leave a 🕯️ if this episode added a book to your TBR! 📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching Featured Books (Episode Core) ​Alix E. Harrow — The Once and Future Witches​Madeline Miller — Circe​Anne Rice — The Witching Hour​Louisa Morgan — A Secret History of WitchesStacy Schiff — The Witches: Salem, 1692 (nonfiction)Rachel Griffin — The Nature of Witches​Sangu Mandanna — The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Bonus Witchy Reads (Indie/Underrated Vibes) ​Alyssa Palombo — The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel (gothic romance & folklore)​Carissa Broadbent — The Serpent and the Wings of Night (for romantasy comp energy)​J.A. White — Nightbooks (MG dark whimsy, great for trope study) 📬 Join the conversation What’s your favorite witchy read or your go-to comp title when you’re pitching a magic-forward story? Drop it in the comments or DM me on IG. Bonus emoji if you share the vibe: 🕯️ (cozy), 🌩️ (stormy), 🥀 (gothic), or ☕ (comfort). Next up: Double Double: Witches on the Big Screen. Don’t miss the cinematic spell!

    22 min

  2. 10/07/2025

    Born of Fire: The Folklore Roots of the Witch

    Hey! Hi! Hello! Witches are everywhere each October, but where did they actually come from? In this Witchtober kickoff, we fly from mud-brick Mesopotamian rooms and Greek crossroads to Slavic forests and Salem courtrooms, tracing how the witch evolved from healer and threshold-keeper to scapegoat, fairy-tale trial, and modern icon. It’s cinematic, cozy, and a little eerie. Perfect for readers, writers, and anyone who loves a good origin story told by firelight. You’ll hear how Hecate’s torches, the völva’s prophecies, Baba Yaga’s chicken-leg cottage, and real-world panics (hello, Malleus Maleficarum and Salem) shaped the archetype we still write and film today. And if you’re building worlds or characters, I’ll share clear takeaways for turning folklore into fresh, living fiction. Light a candle, pour something warm, and step into the firelight. 💌 Links & Extras Curious about my own eerie tale? All my links live here: linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles Grab The Missing Reflection (out now!), find socials, bonus content, and Witchtober goodies. 🎧 If you loved this one, make sure you’re subscribed and drop a quick rating/review, it helps our little coven grow. Feeling the vibes? Leave a 🕯️ so I know your lantern’s lit. 📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching Books & History: Stacy Schiff — The Witches: Salem, 1692Ronald Hutton — The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the PresentKatherine Howe (ed.) — The Penguin Book of WitchesMalcolm Gaskill — Witchcraft: A Very Short IntroductionDubravka Ugrešić — Baba Yaga Laid an Egg (modern myth remix) Folklore-to-Fiction (for inspo) Madeline Miller — CirceAlix E. Harrow — The Once and Future WitchesAnne Rice — The Witching HourLouisa Morgan — A Secret History of WitchesRachel Griffin — The Nature of Witches Watchlist (Episode 3 sneak peek!) Häxan (1922) — folk horror/docu hybridThe Wizard of Oz (1939) — the pop-culture split: Glinda vs. Wicked WitchWicked (2024) - the wicked witch's reimaginingThe Craft (1996) — teen power, price, and aestheticHocus Pocus (1993) — cozy camp classicThe Witch (2015) — dread, belief, and the unseenPractical Magic (1998) — grief, sisterhood, and domestic enchantment 📬 Join the conversation What witch from folklore or fiction haunts your imagination? Drop me a note on Instagram or YouTube comments—bonus points for a 🧹 or 🕯️ emoji. P.S. This is Part 1 of my Witchtober mini-series. Next up: Part 2 — “Book of Shadows: Top Witchy Reads That Cast a Spell.” Make sure you’re following so you don’t miss it.

    23 min

  3. 09/30/2025

    Twilight Saga Movies: Camp, Chaos, and Cultural Impact

    What does it mean when a messy, awkward, campy teen vampire saga becomes one of the most defining pop culture events of the 2000s?✨🎬 Hey! Hi! Hello! In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re wrapping up our glitter-soaked trilogy by stepping into the cinematic chaos of the Twilight movies. So reapply your body glitter, cue the Paramore playlist, and grab some popcorn, as we dive into how Twilight conquered the big screen and why we’re still talking about it nearly twenty years later. 💌 Links & Extras Curious about my own eerie tale? Check out ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠⁠ for The Missing Reflection (available now!), plus all my socials, bonus content, and spooky behind-the-scenes ramblings. 📬 Want to share your favorite (or cringiest) Twilight movie moment? Drop a 🎥 or 👶🏻 in the comments on YouTube or DM me on Instagram. I live for this stuff! 📚 Sources & Further Reading/Watching The Films: Twilight (2008), dir. Catherine HardwickeNew Moon (2009), dir. Chris WeitzEclipse (2010), dir. David SladeBreaking Dawn: Part 1 (2011) & Part 2 (2012), dir. Bill Condon Behind the Scenes & Culture Catherine Hardwicke interviews on Twilight’s indie approachChris Weitz commentary on New Moon’s productionDavid Slade on balancing horror vs. melodrama in EclipseBill Condon on adapting Breaking DawnRobert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart interviews (2008–2012)Quileute Nation – Move to Higher Ground Cultural Critique & Fandom Anne Helen Petersen – “The Kristen Stewart Backlash” (Buzzfeed, 2012)Lindsay Ellis – Dear Stephenie Meyer (YouTube)Jenny Nicholson – The Hot Mess That Was Twilight (YouTube)Twilight in the Cultural Imagination (fandom studies essays)

    43 min

  4. 09/23/2025

    Twilight, the Book Series: From Eye Rolls to Appreciation (Sort Of)

    ✨📚 Hey! Hi! Hello! In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re cracking open the sparkly, storm-clouded pages of Twilight, yes, the books, and asking: How did a saga this flawed become so unforgettable? We’ll revisit each installment, from the swoony meadow of Twilight to the unhinged chaos of Breaking Dawn, and talk about: Why Bella Swan is more blank slate than badassWhy Edward Cullen’s behavior would get anyone else a restraining orderWhy Jacob imprinting on a baby still makes us go 👀😬And how a self-insert fantasy from a dream in 2003 became a billion-dollar genre juggernaut More importantly? We’ll dig into what writers can learn from the mess So grab your glitter, brace for the drama, and maybe bring a chagrin counter… we’re going back to Forks. 💬 Whether you’re Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team “they all need a long nap and several therapists,” you’ll find something to scream (or laugh) about in this deep-dive. 💌 Links & Extras Craving more moody forests and paranormal messiness? Check out ⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles for The Missing Reflection (available now!), my socials, spooky bonus content, and other behind-the-scenes fun. 💬 Got Twilight opinions? Drop a ✨, 🩸, or 🐺 in the comments or your review—I read them all and scream into the void with you. 📚 Resources & Further Reading/Watching The Twilight Saga (Stephenie Meyer): Twilight (2005)New Moon (2006)Eclipse (2007)Breaking Dawn (2008)The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (2010)Life and Death (2015)Midnight Sun (2020) Critique, Commentary, and Cultural Context: Edward Is a Vampire (podcast) – thoughtful, hilarious, and brutally honestMagic by Mikaila (YouTube) – commentary gold with razor-sharp insights and reenactmentsTeam Jacob: The Evolution of a YA Werewolf by Shani Silver (essay)The Problem with Twilight’s Romance – Lindsay Ellis (video essay archive)Stephanie Meyer and the Rise of YA Paranormal Romance – BookRiot article Craft & Writing Analysis: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica BrodyThe Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald MaassWriting Irresistible Kidlit by Mary KoleYou’re Allowed to Write Cringey First Drafts – and Twilight proves it

    40 min

  5. 09/16/2025

    The True Lore Behind Twilight: Bloodlines & Full Moons

    ✨🩸 Hey! Hi! Hello! In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re sinking our teeth into the bloodlines and fur-covered folklore that gave rise to Twilight’s iconic monsters. We’ll unearth terrifying origins like Mesopotamia’s restless ekimmu, the Philippines’ winged manananggal, and Greece’s cursed King Lycaon, before fast-forwarding to Dracula, The Wolf Man, Buffy, The Lost Boys, and of course… Twilight. Why do these creatures endure? What do they represent about desire, rage, and transformation? And most importantly, how can writers still make vampires and werewolves feel fresh without recycling the same old tropes? So light the candle, sharpen your stake, and maybe grab a silver bullet; we’re diving deep into the true lore that still howls in our imaginations. 🧛‍♂️🐺 If you’ve ever argued Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, or secretly drafted your own monster romance, this one’s for you. 💌 Links & Extras Curious about my own eerie tale? Check out ⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠ for The Missing Reflection (available now!), plus all my socials, bonus content, and spooky behind-the-scenes ramblings. 📬 Want to tell me your favorite vampire or werewolf story? Drop a ✨, 🩸, or 🐾 in the comments on YouTube or DM me on Instagram. I live for this stuff. 📚 Sources I Used & Further Reading/Watching Folklore & Myth • Mesopotamian Ekimmu (restless spirits) • Babylonian Lilitu / Lilith traditions • Filipino Manananggal • Indian Vetala • Ghanaian Asanbosam • Japanese Nukekubi • Greek myth: King Lycaon • Norse Berserkers and wolf-warriors Classic Literature & Media • Bram Stoker – Dracula (1897) • Sheridan Le Fanu – Carmilla (1872) • Anne Rice – Interview with the Vampire (1976) & The Vampire Chronicles • Stephen King – ‘Salem’s Lot (1975), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983) • Annette Curtis Klause – Blood and Chocolate (1997) • L.J. Smith – The Vampire Diaries (1991–1992) • Amelia Atwater-Rhodes – In the Forests of the Night (1999) Film & TV • Nosferatu (1922) • Dracula (1931) – Bela Lugosi • The Wolf Man (1941) • An American Werewolf in London (1981) • The Howling (1981) • The Lost Boys (1987) • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 film; 1997–2003 TV series) • Interview with the Vampire (1994 film; 2022 TV series) • Silver Bullet (1985) • Teen Wolf (2011–2017, MTV series) • Twilight Saga (2005–2008 books; 2008–2012 films) • The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (2007–2014 books; 2013 film; Shadowhunters TV, 2016–2019) Modern Takes & Writing Inspiration • Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Certain Dark Things (2016) • Grady Hendrix – The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (2020) • Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker – Mooncakes (2019) • Billy Martin (formerly Poppy Z. Brite) – Lost Souls (1992) • What We Do in the Shadows (2014 film; 2019– TV series) • Hemlock Grove (2012 novel; 2013–2015 Netflix series)

    29 min

  6. 09/09/2025

    From Paperback to Popcorn: The Business of Adaptations

    ✨🍿 Hey! Hi! Hello!Ever wondered how your favorite books make the leap from paperback to popcorn? In this episode of Chickling Chronicles, we’re pulling back the curtain on the messy, magical, and sometimes maddening world of book-to-screen adaptations. We’ll dig into:🎬 What actually counts as an adaptation (spoiler: not everything you think does!)📖 The behind-the-scenes business of optioning—and why so many books get stuck in “development hell”👀 The genres Hollywood loves (fantasy, thrillers, and romance/romantasy) and the ones that struggle to survive the pitch room⚡ The Percy Jackson saga—from Rick Riordan’s heartbreak over the movies to his redemption arc as executive producer of the Disney+ series📱 How social media is shaping which books studios choose (yes, BookTok is basically a talent scout now) So whether you’re a writer secretly manifesting your Netflix call-up, or a reader who can’t stop saying “the book was better,” this one’s for you. 🖤 At the end of the day, adaptations aren’t just about business—they’re about stories powerful enough to be retold again and again. 💌 Links & ExtrasCurious about The Missing Reflection—my own eerie, twisty thriller? Head to ⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠ for the book, my socials, and all the behind-the-scenes extras. 💬 Let’s make this interactive: drop a 🎬 emoji in your review or the comments if you’ve got a book-to-movie win… or flop… that you’ll never stop talking about. 📚 Sources I Used & Further Reading/Watching Books & Authors Mentioned• Thomas Harris – The Silence of the Lambs (1988)• Liane Moriarty – Big Little Lies (2014)• Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman – Good Omens (1990)• Gillian Flynn – Gone Girl (2012); Sharp Objects (2006)• Delia Owens – Where the Crawdads Sing (2018)• Erin Morgenstern – The Night Circus (2011)• Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale (1985)• Diana Gabaldon – Outlander series (1991– )• Walter Tevis – The Queen’s Gambit (1983)• Renée Ahdieh – The Wrath & the Dawn (2015)• Caroline Kepnes – You (2014)• Julia Quinn – The Bridgerton series (2000– )• Sarah J. Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) [announced at Hulu]• Holly Jackson – A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2019)• Leigh Bardugo – Shadow and Bone (2012) & Six of Crows (2015)• Celeste Ng – Little Fires Everywhere (2017)• George R.R. Martin – A Song of Ice and Fire (1996– )• Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2005–2009)• Michael Crichton – Jurassic Park (1990) Film/TV Examples• Game of Thrones (2011–2019, HBO)• The Handmaid’s Tale (2017– , Hulu)• Big Little Lies (2017–2019, HBO)• Outlander (2014– , Starz)• You (2018– , Netflix)• Bridgerton (2020– , Netflix)• Sharp Objects (2018, HBO)• The Queen’s Gambit (2020, Netflix)• Shadow and Bone (2021–2023, Netflix)• Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023– , Disney+)• Daisy Jones & The Six (2023, Amazon Prime)• Jurassic Park (1993, Universal Pictures) Author Quotes & Commentary Sources• Rick Riordan on Percy Jackson movies: “life’s work through a meat grinder” – Read Riordan Blog / Tumblr Posts, 2020• Rick Riordan on not watching the films: Variety interview, May 2020• Rick Riordan on Disney+ reboot: “We’re going to do it right. Or not at all.” – Entertainment Weekly, Dec 2020• Neil Gaiman on adaptations: “You don’t have to do it the way I did. You just have to do it well.” – The Guardian, 2017• Margaret Atwood on The Handmaid’s Tale: “You don’t get to be the boss of your book once it’s out there.” – The New York Times, 2017• Gillian Flynn on adapting Gone Girl: Vanity Fair interview, 2014

    33 min

  7. 09/02/2025

    Launch Day is Here! Indie Author Survival Tips

    ✨📚 Hey! Hi! Hello!It’s officially launch day, and in this very special episode, I'm going to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to go indie—from the chaos of last-minute uploads to the deep, career-shaping why behind choosing self-publishing in the first place. Also, I'll share some of my top tips I've found for launch day survival, real-world advice from other indie authors crushing it on their own terms, and a whole lot of encouragement if you’re dreaming of doing this yourself one day. So take a deep breath, crack your knuckles, and join me in the behind-the-scenes mess and magic of publishing a book your way. 🖤 You don’t need permission to create something powerful. You just need to hit publish. 💌 Links & ExtrasReady to read the book that launched this whole thing? Head to ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠⁠ for The Missing Reflection, social links, and more behind-the-scenes goodness.💬 Got launch day vibes of your own? DM me on Instagram, tag me in your book stack photos, or drop a 🎉 emoji in your review so I know you were here for the big moment. 📚 Sources I Mentioned & Indie Authors to FollowJenna Moreci – AuthorTube & Self-Publishing CoachAbbie Emmons – Author, Storyteller, & YouTube EducatorSarra Cannon – Heart Breathings, HB90, & the Publish & Thrive Course@AuthorIsabelleWoodward – Gothic Horror Writer@WriteNiaWrite – Speculative Fiction Author@TheRealKariJames – Contemporary Author & Launch Strategist@MGBlackwood – Fantasy Author & Emotional Support Witch@IndieBookHive – Indie Publishing Resource Page@CleoWritesThrillers – Thriller Author & Kindle Top 100 Indie@AuthorDaniHart – Romance/Fantasy Author & Launch Buddy Creator 🎧 Tools & Platforms Mentioned/Researched: Amazon KDP IngramSpark Linktree / Beacons / Notion Canva StoryOrigin / BookFunnel Goodreads Reedsy Marketplace Fiverr (for promo design & other assistance)

    25 min

  8. 08/26/2025

    Part Two: Guilty Pleasures and Lasting Legacies

    ✨🩸 She didn’t just bite — she built a genre.Hey! Hi! Hello! In Part Two of our Anita Blake deep dive, we’re stepping out of the graveyard and into the bigger picture: the birth of urban fantasy as we know it. From vampires paying taxes to necromancers testifying in court, Laurell K. Hamilton rewrote the rules of what fantasy could be — and readers have been debating her choices ever since. We’ll unravel the crime-procedural-to-erotica pivot that divided the fandom, trace how Anita’s legacy shaped authors from Jim Butcher to Patricia Briggs, and pull together a whole list of books, shows, and movies for when you need your next dark, witty, monster-filled fix. (Yes, including my own The Missing Reflection, because Anita made me the writer I am today.) So lace up those combat boots, sharpen your sarcasm, and let’s talk about the guilty pleasures and necessary obsessions that built an entire genre. 💌 Links & ExtrasLooking for more haunted delights? Head to ⁠⁠linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles⁠⁠ for The Missing Reflection, social links, and more. 💬 Got hot takes? DM me on Instagram, drop a 🩸 emoji in your review, or tag me in your favorite vampire boyfriend debates. I live for it! 📚 Sources I Used & Further Reading/Watching Laurell K. Hamilton – Guilty Pleasures (1993) Charles de Lint – Moonheart (1984) Emma Bull – War for the Oaks (1987) Charlaine Harris – The Sookie Stackhouse Series Patricia Briggs – Mercy Thompson Series Jim Butcher – The Dresden Files Ilona Andrews – Kate Daniels Series Kim Harrison – The Hollows Hailey Edwards – The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003, TV) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992, Film) The Craft (1996) The Craft: Legacy (2020) True Blood (2008–2014) Penny Dreadful (2014–2016) Being Human (2008–2014) Grimm (2011–2017) The Witch (2015) Constantine (2005) Underworld (2003) Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) Doctor Strange (2016) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

    30 min
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On Chickling Chronicles, we dive headfirst into mystery, magic, movies, and manuscripts. This is where cursed mirrors become plot devices, TBR piles whisper at midnight, and every looming deadline feels a bit like a gothic ghost story. Join each week for behind-the-scenes chaos on author life, plus fun, fangirly takes on the books and films I’m completely obsessed with (and think you should be too). Whether you’re a fellow writer, a story lover, or just here for the haunted vibes, there’s a cozy, eerie corner waiting for you. Connect & join the flock: https://linktr.ee/chicklingchronicles

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  • Creator
    Courtney Hickling, Author
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Courtney Hickling, Author
  • Show Website
    Chickling Chronicles