Welcome to the dark world of horror author Tracy Cross! In this episode, Cross discusses her Conjure series trilogy, which follows a young girl developing into a powerful Hoodoo practitioner in Louisiana in the late 1800s. In the process, Cross sheds light on the practice of Hoodoo, why she was drawn to writing about this time period and setting, her research process, how Black writers are reclaiming the narrative surrounding Hoodoo and Voodoo, her experiences in an MFA program focusing on popular fiction, why writers must persist, and more.

Content warning: This episode includes a discussion of some dark topics horror writers might research as part of their work, including tanning practices for human skin. Please proceed with caution as needed.

Tracy Cross is a horror author based in Washington, DC. She is author of the Conjure Series (Dark Matter INK), which includes the novels Rootwork (2022), A Gathering of Weapons (2024), and The Legend of Pee Wee Conway (forthcoming 2026). A short story collection, The Journal of Small Hours, is also forthcoming. Her writing has been featured in numerous anthologies, and she has received awards from the Ladies of Horror Fiction and the Horror Writers Association. Follow her in Instagram @tracycrosswrites or visit her website, tracycrossonline.com.

Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and an edited transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.