We want to tell a scary story about a real problem: violence against women and the people who keep it secret. We believe in embracing the full potential of the audio drama medium. We're committed to expressionistic sound, lyrical writing, and a powerful, emotional story that grips our listeners.

The Love Talker is a folk horror audio drama launching in 2022. Unfolding over a planned ten episodes, the story revolves around a remote Appalachian town, the women who have gone missing there for centuries, and the secrets being kept about them. We're raising funds for the production of this story, paying talent and covering expenses.

It started because we were fans of each other's work, each having sucessfully launched an audio drama on our own. M.T. Goins horror audio drama Delivery has garnered a following for its atmosphere of dread, unnerving story, and a sound-driven, slow-burn feeling of menace. W. Keith Tims' sci-fi drama The Book of Constellations is praised for its craft: beautiful writing, captivating mood and deeply human characters. We loved what the other was doing, so it wasn't long before we wanted to work together.

We both believe audio drama is a powerful storytelling format, and we're both committed to using the medium to tell compelling dramas in ways other mediums can't. Keith has a background theatre and film, working in academia for 20 years teaching performance, writing scripts, acting and directing shows. He has a weekly podcast, The First Episode Of, where he talks with audio drama creators and they discuss the creative process. M.T. studied philosophy, and has a musical background, performing in bands and releasing solo music. He also does the artwork you see in our promotions. We think we make a great team.

The events of the story take place in the remote, fictional community of Kilruane, nestled in the shadow of the Appalachian mountains, somewhere along the borders between North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Appalachian Trail runs nearby, and hikers have been known to stop in Kilruane and stay in the local hostel overnight. But the locals here are not fond of outsiders. They still practice old ways and old customs. They protect their houses with witch marks, they pray not only to Mother Mary, but to Brigid and Eostre. And they burn thyme oil candles to ward away the evil that wanders the mountain: the gancanagh. The Love Talker.

When a young woman uncovers the truth about the mysterious man who wanders the woods and his connection to the missing women, she puts herself in danger from those who want to protect the town and keep its secrets. The gancanagh, or "love talker" is from Irish myth, a faerie creature that appears as a handsome man whose touch alone is enough to bewitch a woman's mind forever. Our story is a reinterpretation of this myth, and the true nature of this threat will be revealed over the story's episodes. Ultimately, The Love Talker is a story about the problem of violence against women and those that keep it secret to allow the cycle to continue.

One thing you can expect is the tale will unfold with shifting perspectives. The horrors of Kilruane affect everyone in different ways, and we'll spend time with each of the main characters, getting to hear their personal and intimate stories, as the tension spools up toward the truth.

Our major characters:

 

 

 

Janet: A young woman in search of herself out on the Appalachian Trail. Child of Virginia, seeking broader horizons, not content as her peers to stay put.
Ren: Janet's best friend, who stayed behind. A farm girl, adopted, a person of moods and tempers, serial dater and malcontent.
Tyler: Friend to Janet and Ren, Ren's latest ex-boyfriend. A carpenter's son, seeking stability, he grew up with them both, hovering around the light cast by these women.
Sister: Spiritual leader to Kilruane, trained by her mother, and her mother's mother, and so on. Herbalist, lore keeper, custodian of the church, keeper of secrets.
Doc: A man of science, doctor to Kilruane, educated and well-liked. Possessed of many skills and talents.

Auditions and casting will begin once minimum funding for the project has been reached.

We're crowdfunding this project for several reasons. Firstly, we are committed to making The Love Talker a professional, high-quality production, and having the resources to get the right equipment, software, VST instruments, and so on, ensures the final product is the best we can make it.

Secondly, we believe artists should be paid for their work. We want to offer our talent a fair rate of pay for the work they do for us, even at the indie scale at which we're operating. Thus, we are putting the bulk of our crowdfunding toward paying our actors. If we exceeed our crowdfunding goals, we pledge to put some of that toward raising our talent pay rate. The more we raise, the better we can pay our actors and staff, and the better talent we can attract.


What's the best way to support us? The best way is to make a pledge right here on this page. You can do that by clicking directly on one of the "Incentives" to the right. We've tried to come up with some cool ways that you can get involved in the world of The Love Talker as an incentive for your pledge, so please check them out.

The other way to support us won't cost you anything: tell your friends and family about this project! Share this page on social media and tell people about this story we're creating here. If you know horror fans, audio drama fans, or lovers of the arts, send them our way!

Not sure what to say? We can help get you started:

"Check out this audio drama that's in crowdfunding. It's called The Love Talker and it's a folk horror story about women going missing in remote Appalachia. You can watch their video, read up on this ambitious project, and support the creators at seedandspark.com/fund/the-love-talker !"

We owe a lot of thanks to the listeners who supported us with our existing shows. We also thank our families and friends for their enduring care. We're so grateful to the audio drama community at large. And we're also very grateful to our backers, whose generosity allows us to make art to share with the world. Thank you.