Sinister Soup: Recent Episodes
Clay Vermulm and Travis J. Vermulm
Hey there humans,
Sinister Soup is an exploration of genre fiction through the lens of literature, film, and ridiculous conversation. Our mission is to give a narrative voice to the best horror-fiction, science fiction, and fantasy content of the world.
Our show will also feature a monthly guest appearance episode, wherein we will dedicate an entire episode to promoting and discussing the work of an up-and-coming artist.
So... go on, hit that play button, and take a big ol' sip of that Sinister Soup.
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Sinister Soup! This week on Forced Entrollment we debate the HBO series The Outsider, written and directed by Jason Bateman.
Our Culture of the Week Shoutouts this week are:
Cinema Joe: Commentary and reviews on movies across multiple genres. Joe does a great job of providing informative, relevant movie review content without falling prey to the ‘over-the-top’ trends that plague many such TikTok channels.
Cascade Writers: A non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality opportunities, learning experiences, and community for the many writers across Washington State.
Be sure to check out our recommendations, and of course, give us a follow if you like the show. Links below:
Follow Clay:
Twitter: @claytonvermulm
Goodreads: Clay Vermulm
Website: clayvermulmfiction.com
Follow Travis:
Instagram: @tvermulmOG
TikTok: @tvermulm
Or simply follow the show: @sinistersouppodcast on Instagram.
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning into another episode. Today we will be shouting out The American Marriage Ministries and the ‘Removed’ photography series by Erick Pickersgill. Our book of focus for the installment is “Deceived” by Paul S. Kemp. This novel is a Star Wars novel set in the times of The Old Republic, which occurs long before the film adaptations we all know so well. By design, we will also be reviewing a video game that takes place in the same time period of the Star Wars Universe: Knights of the Old Republic, an RPG wherein you can play anything from a Jedi or Sith, to a Smuggler or Bounty Hunter.
Bring some Culture Shoutouts:
American Marriage Ministries: A non-profit organization dedicated to representation in ordination for non-traditional couples and those who want their families and friends to have the ability to legally marry them and be a part of their marriage. Check it out here, if you are looking to get ordained or want someone in your life to have the option of deeper involvement in your wedding ceremony.
‘Removed’ by Erick Pickersgill: A series of photographs featuring people of all walks of life, in all different locations, looking at their phones, with the phones edited out. You can see the series here.
Game of the Week
This week we feature Knights of the Old Republic, an RPG set in ancient Star Wars times when the Sith were abundant and ruling an entire empire and the Jedi council/galactic republic were at war with them.
Rather than sharing a play through this week, I’ll be sharing this AWESOME animated short film/promo which is also featured in “Deceived.”
Thanks again for tuning into the show. If you’d like to follow and support us further, you can do so at the links below.
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thank you so much for listening, we will see you next week!
Hey There Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Sinister Soup! Today we give a shoutout to Jakephilips116, a voice actor specializing in Southern/Country interpretations of Shakespearian script, and Yuriko J. Designs, a Japanese/Hawaiin illustrator, artist, painter, and book store owner from the island of Kauai. Follow these awesome folks at the links provided!
Our film this week is The Northman by Robert Eggers and friends. This film is a dark Nordic interpretation of Shakespeare, Norse mythology, and the overall concepts of vengeance and vice.
Finally, we have our video game of the week which is the famed Skyrim installment of the Elder Scrolls Franchise. Fitting the themes of nordic myth and fantasy/horror adventure, it’s the perfect game to play after watching Alexander Skaarsgard slaughter people and scream for two hours straight.
As always, thanks for being our listeners, we greatly appreciate ya’ll. Please follow and support the awesome content linked below, and if you want to follow us, you can get those links at the bottom of the page. Til’ next week, have a good one sitizens :).
Game of the Week:
This is a funny take on a playthrough of Skyrim, since there are thousands of Twitch streamers doing run-throughs of this game every day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPM-4-e9hpM
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Hey there Sitizens,
Thanks for joining us for another Featured Author of the Month Segment! This month we have YA and Sci-Fi author Nicky Flinkfelt. Nicky has written a wonderful dystopian sci-fi adventure titled Zinnia and the Original People. This first novel of a seven novel series will be our primary topic of discussion today!
We encourage you to support Nicky and to check out her awesome work! You can do so right here.
If you’d like to support us further and learn a bit about us, you can also follow all of our things.
Thanks to Nicky for coming on the show and thanks again to our viewers for tuning in. We will see you next week!
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Hey There Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Sinister Soup! Today we give a shoutout to the Nuke’s Top Five Youtube Channel and the Wands and Wizards RPG campaign from the GM Binder.
Our book for the week is a bit of a two-parter. We are reviewing both books in the Lawful Times series by Daniel Greene, those books being “Breach of Peace” and “Rebel’s Creed.” This urban fantasy/cop-thriller series is ongoing and you can learn all about what we think of it right here!
Finally, we have our board game of the week which is the Betrayal franchise. Check out a thorough description and play through right here.
As always, thanks for being our listeners, we greatly appreciate ya’ll. Please follow and support the awesome content linked below, and if you want to follow us, you can get those links at the bottom of the page. Til’ next week, have a good one sitizens :).
Bring some Culture Links:
Nukes Top Five: Bringing you the best ghost videos collected from all over the internet, Nuke's is a great channel for the ghost geek in all of us. Give him a watch and a follow right here.
GM Binder: Great resource for roleplaying GMs, complete with character sheets, map modules, and fully fleshed out campaigns. Our focus this week is on the Harry Potter themed campaign Wands and Wizards. Peep it here.
Game of the Week:
Check out this playthrough of Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Play for yourself.... if you dare.... MUAHAHAHAHAHAA!
Follow Us!
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Hey There Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Sinister Soup! Today we give a shoutout to Maximus Prime Art and Lauren Etkins Art for our cultures of the week and we debate the merits of Jurassic Park. As most of you likely know, this film is a Sci-fi/Horror classic directed by Steven Spielberg about a theme park featuring ACTUAL living dinosaurs! Hope you enjoy our banter on the subject.
Bring Some Culture Features:
Maximus Prime Art: Author of children's books and artist of cryptids across the United States. Optimus’ latest project is creating a map of all fifty states, each featuring a supernatural creature unique to that area. Give him a follow!
Lauren Etkins Art: Fantasy and sci-fi-themed digital character design. Currently open to submissions with a specialty in designing characters for DnD campaigns. Check her out, buy her stuff, and follow her pages!
Board Game of the Week:
Red Dragon Inn: Play as intrepid adventurers and heroes who, after completing their most recent quest, are taking a much needed night off in the local tavern. Be the last one sober enough to stand and pay for drinks while you watch all your friends get booted from the tavern. Watch a playthrough here.
Finally, you can always follow us :)
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for tuning in and we will see you next week!
Hey There Sinister Sitizens,
Welcome to another Featured Author episode of the podcast! This month we have the resplendent author of fantasy and sci-fi, Matthew Cesca. Our topic of discussion today will be his novel The Forbidden Scrolls, book one of a trilogy by the same name.
If you’d like to learn more about Matthew, follow him, and of course, buy his stuff (we wholeheartedly encourage you to do so, his books are AWESOME) then you can do all of that by following the links below!
Follow and support Matthew
Author Website
TikTok
And as always, you can feel free to follow and support us, should you so wish:
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Huge shoutout and thank you to Matt for coming on the show. Also, make sure to check out Matt’s new book The Miranda Project, especially if you are more into the Sci-Fi realm of things.
Until next time, this has been our Featured Author of the Month, and we shall see you next time! Thanks again to Matt and to every beautiful member of our audience.
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Welcome to another thrilling episode of Sinister Soup! Today we discuss the epic first novel of the highly acclaimed Greenbones Saga by Fonda Lee. Jade City is an urban fantasy novel set in the fictional city of Janloon. This novel has been described as The Godfather meets Martial Arts. Join us to see what we think about it!
Check out our bring some Culture features for this week!
Journeybound Counseling: Newly opened adventure therapy practice in Everett Washington dedicated to creating lasting community relationships and resources through experiential learning and adventure-based activity.
Spikeball: A fun new game to play with all the friends and family. This game is easily accessible and attainable and anyone who loves yard games should give it a go!
Check out this play-through of our Board Game of the Week, Mystic Veil.
And of course, you can always give us a follow :)
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for tuning in, as always. If you want to comment on stuff, argue with us, praise us, or anything else, follow the links above to connect with us on whatever platform is most suitable for you :)
Until next week friends,
Clay and Travis
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning into another episode of Sinister Soup. Today we are debating Firefly, Joss Whedon’s 2002 Cult Classic Sci-Fi/Western series.
Our Bring Some Culture features this week include:
The Pat Macafee Show: Fun, whimsical football show for those who want a healthy portion of entertainment with their football news. Check it out here.
Rezz: An awesome EDM artist who will get you pumped up beyond all measures of reasonable enthusiasm to accomplish whatever you’re going after on a given day. Listen here.
Finally, feel free to follow us:
We're worth a follow, wouldn't you agree?
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for tuning in, as always. If you want to comment on stuff, argue with us, praise us, or anything else, follow the links above to connect with us on whatever platform is most suitable for you :)
Until next week friends,
Clay and Travis
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for joining us once again, for yet another episode of our podcast. We love having you here and we are so excited for today’s debate, discussion, and featured ‘culture of the week’ selections.
Today we are debating the Fantasy/Heist novel, The Lies of Loch Lamora, which is the first installment of the Gentleman Bastards Seriesby Scott Lynch. Our official review will be released on our this Friday, as it is for each book we review on the show, but if you want to hear the basis for that review, listen in and let us know what you think!
Our Bring Some Culture features this week:
Via International: This is a philanthropic group focused on assisting immigration populations in the US and across the world to preserve their cultures, foster successful businesses, and communities and so much more. Check out their website and consider donating to a wonderful cause if you have the excess capital and the desire to improve the lives of your fellow humans!
Matt Cesca: Fellow indie author of fantasy and sci-fi, Matt is releasing his newest novel, The Miranda Project, very soon. Pre-order copies are available now! Matt is a great author and a splendid human being, we could not recommend his work higher. Follow this link to order your copy of his newest novel now, and don’t forget to LEAVE A REVIEW! You have no idea how important that is to us indies :).
Follow us:
We're worth a follow, wouldn't you agree?
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for tuning in, as always. If you want to comment on stuff, argue with us, praise us, or anything else, follow the links above to connect with us on whatever platform is most suitable for you :)
Until next week friends,
Clay and Travis
Welcome to another featured author of the month episode Sinister Sitizens! Thank you for joining us.
Today we welcome on Jenelle Schmidt, YA fantasy author of many novels, including the Minstrel Song series, which will be our focus of conversation today. That you so much for coming on Jenelle!
I’d also like to give a big thank you and shoutout to Benjamin Fife, who lended his voice to our podcast today by providing his professionally curated excerpt of Jenelle’s novel The King’s Warrior (first of the Minstrel’s Song series).
If you’d like to check out more from Jenelle, or from Benjamin, follow the links below. We highly recommend Jenelle’s Minstrel’s Song series and encourage you to get out there and buy it! It’s a fantastic book to read with your families or to your children, as it was literally written for that purpose.
Follow Jenelle:
Website
Follow Benjamin
Follow Us:
We're worth a follow, wouldn't you agree?
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for listening in! As always, feel free to chime off in the comments with any books, movies, shows in the genre fiction categories that you'd like us to feature on the show :).
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for joining us once again! Tonight we have a stirring debate in which we ramble on about Alien, the differences between old and new cinema, and whether we like our board game of the month, Stone Age. If you like the show, don’t forget to let us know! Shoot us an email, comment, like, review, and as always, join my newsletter at clayvermulmfiction.com for all the juicy updates and news.
Boardgame of the Week: Stoneage
Watch a full, instructional play through here, and show Toucan some love for his awesome description and walkthrough of playing this game :)
Our Bring Some Culture Features for the week:
Sterling and Stone: Independent publishing house founded by the indie author super friends Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant, and David Wright. Creators of podcasts of writers of over 2 million fictional words, these guys should definitely be a part of your TBR, if they aren’t already.
Pawns or Kings: New age country band firmly in the ‘Whiskey Country’ demographic of the genre, known for deep lyrics, intricate melodies, and haunting lyrical performance around the darker subject matter. These guys are doing the new genre, the good ol’ way. Go check em out.
Follow us:
We're worth a follow, wouldn't you agree?
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for listening in! As always, feel free to chime off in the comments with any books, movies, shows in the genre fiction categories that you'd like us to feature on the show :).
Hey Sinister Sitizens!
Thanks for tuning in this week, as promised, we have links for you to follow :).
Bring some Culture Features:
City Stone Publishing: Newly founded hybrid publishing house focused on author-first publishing methods.
@jdisjustin: Woodworker who carves each of the fifty states from the wood of their state tree while teaching the history of those trees.
Go check em' out ya'll!!!
Follow us:
We're worth a follow, wouldn't you agree?
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for listening in! As always, feel free to chime off in the comments with any books, movies, shows in the genre fiction categories that you'd like us to feature on the show :).
What up Sinister Sitizens?!
Welcome back to the show and thanks for joining us for season 2 of Sinister Soup!
We're excited to have you along for the ride. This week we will be debating the newly released Wheel of Time television series from Prime Video. Do we like it? Do we hate it? There's only one way to find out...
Our Bring Some Culture Features of the Week:
Please go check out and follow these wonderful pages and people!
Dana Schwartz: History and literature centric comedic content from a quirky creator of YA fantasy fiction. FOLLOW HER!
Simily: Newly founded social media site focused around publishing fiction, writer collaboration/community, and the positive growth of the indie author community.
Follow us:
We're worth a follow, wouldn't you agree?
You can find Clay at:
Goodreads
Simily
Wattpad
His Website
You can find Travis at:
Tiktok
Or simply follow the show on Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
Thanks for listening in! As always, feel free to chime off in the comments with any books, movies, shows in the genre fiction categories that you'd like us to feature on the show :).
Clay and Travis
Hello Sinister Sitizens,
Welcome to our special season finale! For this episode, we are debating two films, both of which were newly released and highly anticipated.
Today we debate Dune and Antlers. Spoiler alerts to those who haven't seen the films, we will be giving away major plot points, character development, etc. So if you want to see these films first, go do that! The episode will be here when you get back :).
For our final shoutouts of the season we have:
First, we have @bhvide on Tiktok. She is a Hugo nominated editor in Science Fiction and her TikTok account is dedicated to information about the publishing industry, how to publish and create successful sci-fi content, and many other tips and tricks around writing and publishing process.
Second, we have Ashley Baez, a fellow author who I recently met on Twitter. Specifically, we are promoting her self-published fantasy story Matilda and the Ice Dragon. You can read it at her Inkit account here:https://www.inkitt.com/ashleybaez1
We will be returning with Season 2 the first week of February in 2022. Thank you very much for supporting us and listening to us throughout the year. Your patronage means the world to us and we hope you'll join us for Season 2, in which we will have even more content for all of you loyal listeners!
If you'd like to reach to us before then, we are open to comments and feedback. We're also actively seeking suggestions for our reading and watching list for the next season. So if you'd like to hear us debate your favorite movie or book, drop it to us at our social media DMs or hit me up at my website.
Where to find us:
Clay:
Twitter-@claytonvermulm
LinkedIn- Clay Vermulm
Website- clayvermulmfiction.com
Instagram- @sinistersouppodcast
Travis:
TikTok- @tvermulm
Instagram- @tvermulmog
Email- tvermulm@yahoo.com
Thanks again for the year of support! We look forward to seeing you again next year. Happy holidays to all and to all a good night :).
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey Sinister Sitizens!
Welcome to another Featured Author of the Month!
This week we have the great pleasure of interviewing the extremely talented, warm, and friendly MJ Kuhn. Don’t let her kind personality fool you, however, as the characters in her book tend to be of a much darker cast.
MJ is the author of the fast-paced, fantasy/heist novel Among Thieves, and if you haven’t picked it up yet, you should do so immediately. This book is an extremely fun read with a unique world and magic system, witty sharp-tongued characters, and a plot with a breakneck pace. Fans of fantasy will eat this book up!
If you’d like to read Among Thieves, or connect with MJ on her social media platforms, you can find her basically everywhere! Link to her website is below: www.mjkuhn.com
Social Media Handle: @mjkuhnbooks (Find her at Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook).
Listeners, thank you so much for joining us today in our mission to support indie and newly published authors. Go check out MJ, she has a highly engaging social media presence and her novel is not one to miss!
We hope you enjoyed the interview, and if you did, please feel free to let us know at clayvermulmfiction.com or in the comment sections!
Until next month everyone,
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Sinister Soup Podcast
What up Sitizens!
This week we carry on with our Vampire theme of October (Travis and I are both gigantic Vampire geeks) by reviewing the acclaimed Netflix series Castlevania. Come join us for that debate, our beer of the week recommendations, and our weekly Bring Some Culture Segment, in which we shout out the two amazing applications/organizations below:
1st: Campfire Technologies- Campfire is an online platform for writers and creatives which allows you to centralize all your writing, pictures, outlines, maps, and anything other files you might have created in the name of fictional world creation. This app can be purchased for a 1-time fee (super rare these days, and very nice in my opinion) and it is excellent at allowing you to put this vast collection of different information into one easy location. The platform is intuitive, helpful, and run by a very responsive staff, so if you do end up having questions, it's never too tough to track down answers. Check it out here.
2nd:NaNoWriMo- NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writers Month and it is an entire non-profit platform based around a challenge in November. That challenge is to write an entire 50,000 word novel over the course of a single month. Writers from all over the world across all demographics are encouraged to attend and it can really pay off for those who do. Aside from offering constant support around the challenge in November, this platform offers access to forums, conventions, meetups, and regionalized writing groups across the world to help you be more productive in the writing craft, throughout the entire year. Check it out here.
Thanks for tuning in listeners! We hope you have enjoyed the show. If you'd like to see more content from us (Travis and Clay Vermulm), you can do so at the links below. See you next week :)
Travis' stuff:
Instagram: @sinistersouppodcast
@tvermulmog
TikTok: @tvermulm
Clay's stuff:
Website: clayermulmfiction.com
Twitter: @claytonvermulm
Good Reads: Clay Vermulm Fiction
What up Sinister Sitizens?
This week we review the chilling vampire/historical southern novel Fever Dream by my favorite author George R. R. Martin. If you thought all the legendary author had in his proverbial quiver was fantasy novels, prepare to learn of his seminal horror novels.
Our shout outs this week are:
The Creative Penn Podcast: Hosted by Joanna Penn, acclaimed Thriller author and knower of all things Indie publishing, this podcast is a must-have resource for anyone seeking to learn about the indie publishing landscape and the writing life. Find it here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
Daily Dose of Greek: This website is run by linguistic professors for linguistic students. It contains free lessons and resources to help you learn the Greek language, including readings and side-by-side English translations to help students learn ancient Greek. This is truly an invaluable resource for learning a language that is generally very difficult to learn outside of a specific major in college. Find it here: dailydoseofgreek.com
If you love the show, please let us know by following us and commenting on our stuff! Our DMs are always open to fans and readers.
You can find Clay at clayvermulmfiction.com. He’d love it if you joined his newsletter and emailed him directly, but you could also find the links to his Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn there!
Travis can be found at Instagram under @tvermulmog and @sinistersouppodcast. He is also active on TikTok under @tvermulm.
Thanks again for listening and we will see you next week!
Hey there Sinister Sitizens,
Thanks for tuning in! This week we review the book that even Stephen King himself thought was too disturbing to publish, “Pet Semetary.”
We will also be shouting out some cool cultural stuff that we have found in our random rovings of the internet realm, so listen up for those and follow the links below to check them out for yourselves :)
Bring some Culture Shout Outs for the Week:
1.) #Pitmad- a Twitter event where agents and publishing houses tune in to see thousands of pitches from authors all over the platform. It’s a great place to connect with fellow authors and possibly have your wok seen by an interested publisher, so give it a try! Link here.
2.) Yale Lectures- Yale is among the most prestigious American universities and they actually allow people to virtually see many of their recorded lectures, across multiple curriculums, for FREE! This is unheard of from the exclusive Ivy League schools, who tend to covet their upper tier educators and knowledge like dragons over hoard, so if you’re up for learning new things, this is a resource to be treasured.
As always, thank you so much for listening. If you’d like to know more about us or our work, check out the links below:
Clay- clayvermulmfiction.com
Travis- @tvermulmog on Instagram.
See you, next week folks!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey Sinister Sitizens,
Today we have a very special treat for you. In this featured author of the month interview, we have the pleasure of welcoming H.M. Long, author of the acclaimed fantasy debut Hall of Smoke, to the show.
We will be discussing all things fantasy world-building, Norse gods, historical Germanic influence, and the possibility of Loki having a TikTok page. We will also be sharing a six-minute excerpt of Hannah’s thrilling novel, so be sure to tune in and let us know what you think!
You can find Hannah (H.M. Long) at all the below social media platforms:
TikTok
Website
Thanks for tuning in to another featured author interview on Sinister Soup. Go check out Hannah’s work, buy her books, follow her on social media, and leave her some reviews! That really helps authors out :).
See you next week everyone.
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey Sinister Sitizens,
This week we review the long-running CW series, Supernatural, created by Erick Kripke and starring Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, and Jim Beaver. If you haven't seen it, it's a show about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who professionally hunt down monsters of all shapes and sizes.
Our cultural shout outs for this week are:
Escape Artists Podcast: An audio format literary magazine publishing fantasy, sci-fi, and horror fiction in both written and audio format. This is a fantastic podcast for those who prefer their excellent genre fiction in audio form. Check it out here
Legio Arcana: A graphic novel/manga series about a league of brave warriors who defend modern-day Seattle from the supernatural forces of the universe. If you love urban fantasy and horror, this excellently written and illustrated series will be right up your alley! Find it here
If you'd like to see more stuff from Clay and Travis, you can find us on our social media profiles below:
Travis
Clay
Goodreads
Thanks again for joining us this week! See you next time :).
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Sinister Soup Podcast
What up Sinister Sitizens,
This week we review/debate the captivating and highly successful novel The Martian by the extraordinary Andy Weir. This story about one insanely resourceful astronaut's survival on Mars has reached global acclaim and launched a highly successful motion picture since its publishing. Join us in today's episode to see what we think of it!
Our shout outs for the week:
1.)Capital Hill Books: Used books store in Washington DC which will hand pick and ship you books based on a set of criteria you provide them. Just tell them your preferred reading style, genre, and budget and they will collect a stack of books for you and send them your way. It's pretty awesome! Want some new books to read? Check it out here: https://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com/
2.) The Grinder: This submission website takes a huge amount of hassle out of the submission process. If you are a writer like me, you know how hard it can be to wait for months and months on publication, just to receive a rejection. With the Submission Grinder, you not only get thorough statistics on query response times, frequency, and pay, but you also receive an extensive list of the lit. mags accepting stories in your market. So, go check out this awesome resource and get to submitting more effectively: https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Search/ByFilter
Thanks for tuning in everyone! I hope you enjoyed the show and we will see you next week!
Hey there Sitizens,
As always, we are wrapping up the month with our featured author of the month. Today we have the charismatic and talented Caytlyn Brooke to share her eerily topical novel Wired. This sci-fi/horror novel centers around the prevalent issues of social media addiction, technological integration into the modern psyche, and the effects of such phenomena on society. Wired is a fast-paced read seen through the lens of an all too relatable society and protagonist. I highly recommend checking it out if you are into the horror, sci-fi, and dystopia genres.
Caytlyn is also the of author two other novels: Dark Flowers and Among the Hunted. All her work can be found at her publishers website.
Despite her best efforts to warn herself of the inherent dangers of social media, you can also find her on Ticktok, Twitter, and Facebook.
Thank you very much for coming on the show Caytlyn! It was such a pleasure talking to you. Also, thank you to all the readers and listeners out there who make it possible for us to do this show and for amazing artists like Caytlyn to continue bringing thrilling fiction into the world. Until next week, this has been Sinister Soup, fare thee well!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Sinister Sitizens,
What do be up this day? On our end of things, the 2017 film adaptation of IT is what's up. We will be delving into this Stephen King horror classic with as much gusto as Scarsgard dove into his title role in the film! Actually, I doubt we could match that level of utterly uninhibited gusto, but you know, we're gonna do our best.
Our shoutouts for Bring Some Culture today:
Viking Music (modern and folk) by Danheim: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLTQVYwu-M-MnfOJDKlFnOQ
WOT Up, a channel for all Wheel of Time fans who are bursting with anticipation for the series: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbl0nJfwdXWANnKEURnFkHg
Finally, where can you find our lovely face and profiles on ye olde' internet?
Well, you can find me (Clay) at clayvermulmfiction.com, on LinkedIn as Clay Vermulm, or on the Gram as @clayvermulmfiction
You can find Travis at Instagram as @tvermulmOG and on TikTok as Tvermulm.
Thanks for tuning in this week! Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, suggestions, or of course, embarrassingly glowing praise. Our next episode will be another Featured Author of the Month, so be sure to tune in for that interview with Caytlyn Brooke, author of Dark Flowers, Among the Hunted, and the book we'll be reviewing, Wired.
See you there folks!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Sinister Soup Podcast
What up, Sinister Sitizens,
This week we have a chilling discussion of Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box. This journey into the life of a deep-south heavy metal star changes host drastically when he orders a ghost online, hoping to add to his collection of the macabre, to find that he has added much more to his life than a mere collection piece. A quick warning, this book contains highly disturbing content from suicide to domestic/sexual abuse, so if those things trigger you in any way, this may not be the book or episode for you.
Our Culture Shoutouts for this week are Ashley Samek and her book blog "No Beauty, Just a Book Nerd," and "How to Drink," a Youtube channel on geek/nerd-core mixology. So if you like drinking a unique cocktail from your favorite fictional universe while reading an entertaining book blog, check out the links below:
Ashley Samek, No Beauty, Just a Book Nerd- https://nobeautyjustabooknerd.wordpress.com/blog/
Nerd and Geek Mixology- How to Drink- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htxUPNtdfPM
Thank you, everyone, for listening to Sinister Soup this week. Please support our fellow artists listed above and support us further, if you so desire! You can find my fiction writing and my blog on cryptids and folklore at clayvermulmfiction.com.
You can find more stuff Travis does at @tvermulmog on Instagram and 'tvermulm' on TikTok.
Have a wonderful week, everyone, see you next time!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey there Sinister Sitizens!
This week we discuss Van Helsing, Stephen Somers 2004 monster fight movie featuring such horror stars as Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, and Jekyll and Hyde. What could go wrong? Well, we will leave it to the dice on who has to tell you that.
As mentioned in the episode, I am entered in a writing contest with my short story Lucien's, about a dining establishment where people pay large amounts of money to eat pieces of their dates. (Don't worry, they also have the technology to grow your meat back for you...)
If you'd like to help me get that published, please head over to the link below and simply vote for the story. It only takes one click of a button! Thanks for your ongoing support listeners :)
Link to Vote for Lucien's: https://soopllc.com/blog/short-stories/luciens-by-clay-vermulm/
Shoutouts for the week go to:
Something or Other Publishing: A well paying, hybrid publishing house, and literary magazine
and
Merphy Nepier: Booktuber, publishing expert, and author.
If you'd like to learn more about publishing, get some great book reviews, or submit some of your own work, then check out these great resources!
Until next week, thank you for listening. Please feel free to follow us on Instagram:
@clayvermulmfiction
@tvermulmog
Hope to see you next week on Sinister Soup :).
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey there Sinister Sitizens!
Welcome to the podcast. This week, we have some more scrumptious debates for you, some more artist shoutouts, and further iterations of our general weekly shenanigans.
Our debate topic today will be Game of Thrones, with a specific focus on the television series, NOT THE BOOKS. Of course, we will mention the books here and there, as that cannot be avoided. As always, SPOILER ALERT!
Our weekly shoutouts are:
Kirsten Cliff Elliot author of Patient Property: A Journey Through Leukemia.
and
Jason Rich Art: Western-style art on Instagram.
Both of these artists have made amazing contributions to the creative world and we highly recommend checking them out!
Thank you so much for tuning into the show today, we will see you next week on Sinister Soup!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey listeners,
Thanks for tuning in today for our show. We have a great interview for you this month. Andrea Clark, author of Waves of Dissonance has created a chillingly topical, and realistic socio-political sci-fi novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the final page. Join us as we talk about modern politics, uncomfortable advances in technology, and the sociological effects of both.
If you would like to check out Andrea's work further, which I highly recommend that you do, you can find her here:
Facebook:@AndClark02
TikTok:@AndClark02
Instagram:@AndClark02
Twitter:@ClarkNovels
Thanks again to Andrea for coming onto the show and sharing her work with us. Thanks to all the listeners who make this show possible, we will see you next week!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
What up Sinister Sitizens?
Thanks for allowing us to take last week off for America's birthday! This week, we return with our triumphant review of the film Reign of Fire. This movie is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure set in a world where dragons have risen from the ashes of myth to burn the world to the ground. The few remaining humans struggle to survive under the oppressive reign of earth's new dominant species.
Shout outs for the week go to:
Vision 7 Apparel: Donate a portion of all proceeds to educating underprivileged children around the world and in war-torn regions.
Find at: @vision7apparel on Instagram.
AND
Rooks Games: Bozeman Montana-based game store which has a vast array of board games, table-top events, and employee-built "instant classic" boxes of pre-built magic decks.
Find at: Rooks Games and More on Facebook.
Thanks for tuning in everyone! See you next week on Sinister Soup :)
Hey there listeners!
It's the end of the month and that means we have another author interview! These are by far our favorite aspect of the show and we hope you all enjoy it as well. There is nothing quite like sitting down for a chat with your fellow artistic peers, especially when they are as talented and decorated as Jolene Loraine.
Nighthawk is an intricately developed Sci-Fi-political-action series that takes us all over the massive universe Jolene has created. She has even gone so in-depth as to create original languages for many of her races, which is a level of world-building we truly admire. Come on over to the show and hear about how it's done!
We hope to see you all over on the podcast tomorrow!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Ps: Apologies for the microphone quality on Clay's end of things. For some reason, we had a malfunction (which has never occurred before or since) with our Yeti mic that day, so Clay had to use his backup mic, which is quite noticeable. Hopefully, the quality of the overall interview will not be detracted from by Clay occasionally butting in with sub-standard audio... thank you for your understanding :)
Hey there Sitizens!
This week we discuss what is arguably the most influential and prolific fantasy saga in American history, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson for the final three books). As always, this debate will contain some spoilers, so if you plan on reading this superb series, you may want to come back in two years for this podcast, after you've managed to finish all the books (there are 14 books totaling 11,000 pages for the full series).
Our shoutouts this week go to a couple of artists we found on social media who are creating great content for the world. As always, we give them our full endorsement and highly encourage you to check them out!
@meetthebookstagrammer on Instagram
@lilli_furfaro_music on Instagram
Thanks for tuning in as always! If you'd like to suggest a movie or book for us to debate, send us a DM on Instagram or linked in:
@clayvermulmfiction on Instagram
Clay Vermulm on LinkedIn.
See you next week for our featured author of the month!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
What up Sinister Sitizens? (That's what I'm calling all of you now.)
This week we discuss the paranormal detective foibles of Harry Dresdan in the premier book of the series Stormfront. These books, penned by the acclaimed Jim Butcher, follow a wizard-detective/police consultant in Chicago as he battles the forces of good, evil, magic, and michevious.
Our shout-outs for this week go to a local Seattle film group called Filmabee, which specializes in artistically bent films and cultural promotion of storytelling and expression across multiple creative lenses. You can find them here: www.filmabee.com
Secondly, we shine our light on Fantasy High, the brainchild of the comedians behind College Humor. Fantasy High is a live stream and podcast focused around all things tabletop and rpg gaming. So if you are into that sort of thing, head over and check out their channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zZxCVBi7-k
Thanks for tuning in! If you'd like to recommend a book or film for us to debate, hit us up on Instagram, Linkedin, or Tiktok. See you next week!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey there listeners!
This week we are getting extra Sinister with the podcast as we will be discussing the horror film by that name. It is a fantastic trek through the darkest corners of the horror genre for all who enjoy such adventures. We would love to hear what you think of our debate on the subject! Please hit us up on our social media with your comments :).
Shoutouts this week go to:
Paperback Paradise: an Instagram page devoted to the hilarious re-writing of cheesy dimestore novel covers and blurbs. It truly is a great fun and worth a look if you want to follow a page that will consistently make you chuckle (@paperbackparadise).
And to:
Uncharted Literature: They are an emerging literary mag. which accepts re-prints and originals alike, pays writers very well for their short fiction pieces and publishes genre fiction! So basically, all the things we genre fiction authors wish we could find without a huge publishing house backing us, these folks are bring to an accessible place, go check them out! https://twitter.com/uncharted_mag
Hey there listeners!
This week we have an extremely fun interview with the ever-talented and charismatic Angela Darling. We also have a reading from her terrifying novel the Dybbuk.
So tune in, relax, and enjoy as we explore the horror genre and Angela's excellent novel! Thank you for listening :)
What up Sinister Sitizens,
Today we have a very special episode of that most Sinister Soup for ya'll. In this episode, we discuss one of modern Fantasy's greatest hits: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. We also give our weekly shoutouts to two awesome creative groups who are making the creative world a better place, at least by our reckoning (links below).
Weekly Shoutouts!
1). Corridor Crew: These cats are professional CGI and Stunt artists for some of the biggest films in the American film industry. They analyze and break down movies to provide a "behind the curtain" glimpse of how graphics, fights, and stunts are done on films. So if you're into all that, head over to their Youtube channel- https://www.youtube.com/c/corridorcrew
2). Stellar Media: This independent publishing group is founded by Sheena Monnin, you may recognize her as the author of the sci-fi novel Leaving Safety. Sheena and Stellar Media dedicate their time to promoting independent authors, hosting book awards/giveaways, and providing book reviews in the name of increasing visibility and platform for authors stuck outside the limelight of traditional publishing. So if you'd like to get some awesome indie book recommendations and support some self-published authors, check out Stellar Media- https://www.stellarmediaclub.com
Thanks for tuning in for another episode of Sinister Soup! If you'd like to suggest a movie or book for us to review, please submit your suggestions here: https://www.clayvermulmfiction.com/get-in-touch
See you next week folks :)
Yo Humans,
This week we debate the insanely popular and chilling horror film Hereditary. If you haven't seen this film yet, you really should treat yourself (unless of course you don't like horror movies, in which case it will be far less a treat and far more a self-induced nightmare).
Our shout-outs this week go to James Laurain of the LinkedIn Realm. He is a master content and copy writer, a salesman extraordinaire, and a pretty chill dude as far as I've been able to glean. Secondly, we shout out Whipjack, a Tik Tokker and fellow podcaster who releases regular, excellent DnD content for all of us mega-geeks out there. So if you are interested in some creative copy or some DnD content, go check out these two fantastic creators. Links below:
James Laurain:
LinkedIn: James Laurain.
Whipjack
Tik Tok: @whipjack
Podcast: Unprepared Casters (Spotify, Apple podcasts, and everywhere else you can find this show)
Thank you so much for listening to Sinister Soup! If you'd like to help us name the dice-rolling/debate section of our show, suggest a film or book, or just let us know what you think of the show so far, please reach out via social media or my website. Links below:
Clay
Website: clayvermulmfiction.com
Instagram: @clayvermulmfiction
Travis
Instagram: @tvermulmog
Tik Tok: @tvermulm
See you next week for our next Featured Author of the Month episode with Jolene Lorraine! Have a great week ya'll.
Clay and Travis Vermulm
What up listeners!
Today we discuss the foundational sci-fi novel (hehe... get it) by one of the sci-fi gods, Isaac Asimov. Do we like it? Do we hate it? Either way, we have to debate as the dice gods see fit.
Our shout outs for this week are two of our favorite Youtube channels: Viva la Dirt League and Overly Sarcastic Productions. If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing these two channels in action, you really oughtta treat yourself as soon as possible! Links below.
Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this weeks episode of Sinister Soup :). If you'd like to suggest a movie or book for us to debate or suggest a name for our debate segment, hit us up on social media or on my website (links also below.)
Shout Outs:
Viva La Dirt League
https://www.youtube.com/user/VivaLaDirtLeague
Overly Sarcastic Productions
https://www.youtube.com/user/RedEyesTakeWarning
Where to find Travis:
Instagram- @tvermulmog
Tik Tok- @tvermulm
Where to find Clay
Instagram- @clayvermulmfiction
LinkedIn- Clay Vermulm
Website- clayvermulmfiction.com
What up Listeners!
This week we review the Nebula Award-Winning, highly acclaimed novel The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. If you haven't already heard of this book, then you are definitely missing out! Go pick up your copy, post-haste, and get to reading!
Bring some culture shoutouts for this week:
1.) Q and TG on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPFEGPCnRG8tPsrkZ6Y5tw
This is a fun channel dedicated to discussions of great stories, geek culture, etc. It's pretty similar to our show, so if you like Sinister Soup, go check these guys out for some more fun geeky content!
2.) Adina Edelman, Editor: edelmanedits.com and #miningthemessage
Adina is a multi-faceted, professional editor and writer who produces entertaining, engaging, and informative content on LinkedIn, her hashtag #miningthemessage, and on her website. She also offers affordable rates for excellent editing services on her website. So if you are in the market for a good editor, or simply looking to learn more of the effective writing process, while being entertained, then go check out Adina's work!
Thanks for listening everyone! As always, please follow us and support us on our social media channels and website.
You can find Clay at:
Website: clayvermulmfiction.com (Sign up for the newsletter to receive FREE monthly short stories by yours truly :)
Instagram: @clayvermulmfiction
You can find Travis at:
Instagram: @tvermulmog (Daily voting polls on a variety of topics!)
Tik Tok: Travis Vermulm
See you next week Sinister Sitizens.
Hey there listeners!
This week we have an interview with fantasy author W.D. Kilpack the Third. He is the author of several fantasy novels, but the series we are focusing on today is his New Blood Saga.
Included in this episode is a short excerpt from the first book in the series: Crown Prince. We hope you enjoy the interview and the reading!
Please do check out Bill's work, he is a seasoned and superb writer who is creating some really fun fantasy, so show him some love!
If you'd like to support Bill by reading and purchasing his work, please do so at the link below:
https://www.kilpack.net/
What up listeners,
Today we review a more contemporary flick than usual. We will be diving into the epic monster bash that is Godzilla vs King Kong. We give shout-outs to a wonderful artist and a beloved gaming business in need, and we drink beer. Come on over and join us, let us know what you think!
If you like board games/card games, please consider buying your next game from Man Over Board Games online or donate to the Man Over Board fire fund on Go Fund Me. https://www.gofundme.com/f/mob-games-fire-fund
Thanks for listening, we hope to hear from ya'll soon!
Hey there listeners!
Today we have a very fun Sinister Soup for you. We review the brilliant novel The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. We shout out some incredible contributors to the artistic community (see below for linkage!) we drink some beer and we have some ridiculous conversation, as promised.
Shout-outs of the Week:
Cedric's Art Page: @montenegro_sf
Kristin Noland (editor): www.nolandediting.com
Pauline Harris (editor): www.paulineharriseditorial.com
Phillip Ridgers (editor): www.welltemperedproof.wordpress.com
As always, thank for tuning in folks! If you'd like to suggest a movie or book for us to review, please leave it in the comments, on my website, or somewhere on our social media pages. Our only specification with regard to suggestions is that they must be in the sci-fi, fantasy, or horror genres. See you next week.
Clay and Travis Vermulm
What up listeners!
This week we debate my favorite horror/sci-fi satire, Cabin in the Woods! We give a shout-out to Gems on VHS and Mark R. Morris Jr. for their amazing contributions to modern culture, and as always, we drink beer and talk about stuff.
So come on over to Sinister Soup and join in the fun! Hit us up on social media, sign up for the clayvermulmfiction.com newsletter and thank you for listening!
Clay and Travis Vermulm
Hey readers! Today we interview the extremely talented and friendly Sheena Monnin. She is the co-author (her father Phillip Monnin is the other author) of the riveting and dramatic hard-sci-fi series The Safety Trilogy. In today's episode, we discuss her first novel in the trilogy, Leaving Safety, her inspiration for writing the story, and the sci-fi genre in general.
Please tune in and support this our wonderful author of the month! Included in this episode is a short excerpt of Leaving Safety narrated by yours truly. If the book strikes your fancy, please head over to Sheena's website to pick up a copy! You will not regret it :)
https://www.safetytrilogy.com/
Thanks for being here with us! See you next week.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
If you want to read the Only Good Indians, you should do that first, then listen to this podcast, as we will be spoiling some things!
In this episode, we talk about two amazing visual artists who get our creative juices flowing, we drink some beer, then we debate the brilliantly constructed novel, The Only Good Indians, by one of my favorite horror authors Stephen Graham Jones. Thanks for tuning in and we hope you enjoy the show!
What up listeners! This week we delve into the live-action 2002-nostalgia-overload of a movie that is Scooby-Doo. Hope you enjoy the episode! If you do, feel free to follow us on Twitter (@claytonvermulm), Instagram (@tvermulmog and @clayvermulmfiction), and feel free to check out clayvermulmfiction.com for all kinds of fiction content! Feel free to let us know what you think down in the comments, thanks for listening and we will see you next week.
Hey there humans,
This week on Sinister Soup we discuss the adventure film The Mummy, we vote on our weekly acting polls, we crack a beer of the week, and engage in other general hijinks! Happy to have you here with us!
Clay Vermulm
Travis Vermulm