It’s a week of deep-dives, haunted-houses and academic horror-stories this week on Talking Scared.Our guest is Isabel Cañas. And she’s having the busiest week known to (wo)mankind. Not only is she defending her doctoral thesis on Medieval Turkish Poetry, she also has the small matter of her debut novel – a sweetly sinister piece of Latin Gothic called The Hacienda We talk about everything that could possibly have influenced the novel. From the creepy house she once lived in, to her worldwide travels and her academic studies. It also plays a part – but nothing more so than a childhood spent reading. As well as diving deep into what made Isabel who she is, we also talk about Latinx horror generally, about mixing Catholicism with something even stranger, how she will never be frightened by the same things as Stephen King, and why it’s so important to keep the literary door ajar once you’ve kicked it open. It was a pleasure to speak to Isabel. I can’t believe she found the time. Enjoy The Hacienda is published on May 3rd by Berkley Other books mentioned in this episode include:Mexican Gothic (2020), by Silvia Moreno Garcia (episode 3)This Strange Way of Dying (2013), by Silvia Moreno GarciaThe House of Hunger (2022), by Alexis Henderson Support Talking Scared on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TalkingScaredPodCome talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, and TikTok or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com Download Novellic on Google Play or Apple Store.Support the show