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Macabre Daily’s PAPER CUTS!

Macabre Daily’s PAPER CUTS!

Macabre Daily's PAPER CUTS! Podcast #118 - 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program's Young Adult Authors! (August 2026)

Aug 6, 2026 · 32 min · 8 segments

A few weeks ago, we spilled the beans on the superstar Middle Grade Authors chosen for the 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program, and now we’re ready to unveil the Young Adult Authors, who are just as…

A few weeks ago, we spilled the beans on the superstar Middle Grade Authors chosen for the 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program, and now we’re ready to unveil the Young Adult Authors, who are just as amazing as you’d expect! Ann Fraistat (“What We Harvest”), Linda Cheng (“Gorgeous Gruesome Faces”), Yamile Saied Mendez and Amparo Ortiz (“Our Shadows Have Claws”). bring the (moderate) scares to readers of all ages with fiction that feels custom-made for the turbulent times we live in. These authors bridge the gap between tween, teen, and beyond, but the honest truth is that their writing is for EVERYONE! Some of the best (and creepiest) fiction out there is coming from the YA community, and year after year it just keeps getting better. Ann, Linda, and Amparo (Yamile was on deadline) joined us to talk about the thrill of being chosen for this year's Summer Scares Program, how they got into writing, the YA stigma, what kind of scares they love, and so much more. We had the best time talking with these powerhouse creatives, and you’ll love the deep dive into their backgrounds, inspirations, and their joy in crafting the perfect scare. Enjoy! Stay up to date by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!

A few weeks ago, we spilled the beans on the superstar Middle Grade Authors chosen for the 2026 Summer Scares Reading Program, and now we’re ready to unveil the Young Adult Authors, who are just as…

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈10k followers

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Speakers: Sean O'ConnorHostAnn FraistatGuestLinda ChengGuestAmparo OrtizGuest

Top entities: Young adult literature×18 Jennifer McMahon×3 Librarian×2 Canada×3 Yamile Saied Mendez×2

Meeting the Summer Scares Authors0:55 – 2:38

Sean O'ConnorHost

0:55

And I feel so much

U

UnknownUnknown

0:56

better about myself now.

Sean O'ConnorHost

0:58

Hey, everybody.

Sean O'ConnorHost

0:59

Sean O'Connor here from Macabre Daily's Paper Cuts, and I have the last of a rogues gallery of a murderous bunch of sinister authors.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:09

Nothing could be further from the truth of the most lovely people I've ever had the pleasure of spending time with.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:15

I have the YA authors for... for 2026's Summer Scares reading program.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:21

I have Linda Chang, and I have Anne Freistadt, and I have Ampara Ortiz, and I have, she is not here with us, but Shamile Mendez, did I get it right, Ampara? You did.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:37

Is on deadline, and we can absolutely appreciate that, and we actually are feeling maybe a little bit of anxiety because of it, so all the good vibes going out there.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:46

How y'all doing tonight?

U

UnknownUnknown

1:48

Great.

Ann FraistatGuest

1:49

I'm excited to talk about horror.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:51

I'm so excited to have you on.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:53

Thank you for taking time out.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:55

I always want to note that you're taking time out of your lives.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:59

And that means so much to me.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:00

And, of course, it means so much to the horror community.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:03

And especially it's going to mean so much to the people that support the Summer Scares Reading Program and those wonderful, incredible librarians worldwide who are our heroes and our champions.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:15

And we just send all of the love to all the librarians.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:18

How about that?

Ann FraistatGuest

2:19

Yes, definitely.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:21

All right.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:22

Are you ready to be peppered with the hardest questions you're ever going to have to answer? Sure.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:27

Yeah.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:28

Let's go with

U

UnknownUnknown

2:29

yeah.

Young adult literatureEntityLiterary genre
97%18 mentions
Jennifer McMahonPersonAmerican novelist
92%3 mentions
LibrarianEntityCareer
86%2 mentions
CanadaCountryCountry in North America
81%3 mentions
Yamile Saied MendezPersonArgentine author
75%2 mentions
TaiwanCountryCountry in East Asia
69%2 mentions
InstagramSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
64%3 mentions
FacebookSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
58%2 mentions
BlueskySoftware ApplicationSocial media service
53%2 mentions
EnglishEntitySpoken language
47%3 mentions
The Last of UsTV SeriesDrama series
42%2 mentions
Latin AmericaAdministrative AreaRegion
33%1 mention
SpanishLanguageSpoken language
33%1 mention
AustraliaCountryCountry in Oceania
25%1 mention
StokerEntity
19%1 mention
The Long WalkBookNovel by Stephen King
14%1 mention
Christopher PikePersonAmerican author
8%1 mention
Stephen KingPersonAmerican author
3%1 mention

Cultural NarrativesLiterature > Genres > Horror > Young Adult
Community EngagementEducation > Literacy > Reading Programs > Library Programs
Literary ContributionsCulture > Cultural Identity > Immigrant Experiences
FolkloreCulture > Cultural Identity > Immigrant Experiences > Literary Contributions
Book PromotionArts & Entertainment > Publishing > Author Experiences
Literary EventsArts & Entertainment > Publishing > Author Experiences > Book Promotion
Diversity in LiteratureSociety > Youth Culture > Reading Habits > Literary Trends
Society
Cultural IdentityCulture
Youth CultureSociety
Immigrant ExperiencesCulture > Cultural Identity
Reading HabitsSociety > Youth Culture
Reading ProgramsEducation > Literacy
Literary TrendsSociety > Youth Culture > Reading Habits
Author ExperiencesArts & Entertainment > Publishing
HorrorLiterature > Genres
Young AdultLiterature > Genres > Horror
LiteracyEducation
Library ProgramsEducation > Literacy > Reading Programs
GenresLiterature
PublishingArts & Entertainment
Education
Culture
Literature
Arts & Entertainment

Meeting the Summer Scares Authors0:55 – 2:38

Sean O'ConnorHost

0:55

And I feel so much

U

UnknownUnknown

0:56

better about myself now.

Sean O'ConnorHost

0:58

Hey, everybody.

Sean O'ConnorHost

0:59

Sean O'Connor here from Macabre Daily's Paper Cuts, and I have the last of a rogues gallery of a murderous bunch of sinister authors.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:09

Nothing could be further from the truth of the most lovely people I've ever had the pleasure of spending time with.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:15

I have the YA authors for... for 2026's Summer Scares reading program.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:21

I have Linda Chang, and I have Anne Freistadt, and I have Ampara Ortiz, and I have, she is not here with us, but Shamile Mendez, did I get it right, Ampara? You did.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:37

Is on deadline, and we can absolutely appreciate that, and we actually are feeling maybe a little bit of anxiety because of it, so all the good vibes going out there.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:46

How y'all doing tonight?

U

UnknownUnknown

1:48

Great.

Ann FraistatGuest

1:49

I'm excited to talk about horror.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:51

I'm so excited to have you on.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:53

Thank you for taking time out.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:55

I always want to note that you're taking time out of your lives.

Sean O'ConnorHost

1:59

And that means so much to me.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:00

And, of course, it means so much to the horror community.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:03

And especially it's going to mean so much to the people that support the Summer Scares Reading Program and those wonderful, incredible librarians worldwide who are our heroes and our champions.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:15

And we just send all of the love to all the librarians.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:18

How about that?

Ann FraistatGuest

2:19

Yes, definitely.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:21

All right.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:22

Are you ready to be peppered with the hardest questions you're ever going to have to answer? Sure.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:27

Yeah.

Sean O'ConnorHost

2:28

Let's go with

U

UnknownUnknown

2:29

yeah.

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