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CONTENT WARNING: This episode covers some sensitive topics such as Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence. Delilah S. Dawson is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award winning author of The Violence, Guillotine, Bloom, and the new sapphic botanical horror novella Monstera. Delilah opens up about using horror to process domestic violence, sexual trauma, and being roofied on a date night, and how that shaped The Violence and It Will Only Hurt for a Moment. She breaks down how writing comics differs from writing novels, and what it takes to write franchise tie-ins for Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons Ravenloft, Minecraft, and Disney. We dig into eat-the-rich rage in Guillotine, Bloom as a female Hannibal in cottagecore, and why horror novellas hit like a stab. Plus, how Olympic weightlifting, a Savannah Victorian, and COVID houseplants grew into Monstera. Timestamps: 00:01 – Cold Open: Why Horror Felt Safe When Home Didn't 00:38 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Delilah S. Dawson 03:25 – Growing Up With Domestic Violence and Finding Comfort in Horror 04:53 – Blockbuster Box Art and Basement Sleepover Scares 06:14 – Writing Her Own Trauma Into The Violence 10:09 – Sleepless New Mom Hallucinations and "Just Write a Book" 14:49 – A Zeus Ferry Romance Written Out of Spite (and 57 Rejections) 16:03 – Book Four Sells at Auction: Wicked as They Come 23:29 – Readers Who Found Healing in The Violence 25:57 – Novels vs. IP Books vs. Comics: How the Planning Changes 26:53 – ADHD, a Chapter a Day and Seven Comic Pages 30:09 – How Comic Scripts and Artists Actually Work Together 37:20 – Seventeen People in the Phasma Comments 37:51 – Keeping D&D Spells Legal on the Page 44:09 – Bloom's Cover Started as Delilah's Own Artwork 45:21 – Bloom: What If Hannibal Were a Cottagecore Woman 48:17 – Why Horror Novellas Hit Like a Stab 53:32 – Going Undercover at a Wellness Retreat for It Will Only Hurt for a Moment 1:01:28 – Olympic Weightlifting, Savannah and COVID Plants 1:04:17 – From People Pleaser to Unhinged Heroines 1:08:45 – What's Next: Shannara, a Slasher Novella and It's Only Forever 1:09:44 – A Bram Stoker Win for Ride or Die Grab your copy of Monstera: https://bookshop.org/p/books/monstera/ea30b8a7de5d1aff Connect with Delilah S. Dawson: Website: https://www.delilahsdawson.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delilahsdawson/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/delilahsdawson.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@delilahsdawson Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Neil McRobert is the host of the Talking Scared podcast, a PhD in Gothic literature, and the author of the Stephen King blurbed novella Good Boy, with the chapbook House of Butterflies coming in December. Neil shares how a Vulture reading list for True Detective: Night Country led to Good Boy, a Northern Weird folk horror novella about a man, his dog, and a child-eating monster in a small English town. He explains why Good Boy is his answer to Stephen King's It, and what it really says about bigotry and getting stuck in your hometown. He gets honest about imposter syndrome at StokerCon, perfectionism, and why every podcast host should read the damn book. Plus, first details on House of Butterflies, set in a 1964 leaded gasoline refinery, and Bad Home, a violent home invasion novel about economic inequality. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Neil McRobert 02:44 – Harryhausen, Norse Serpents and a Lifelong Love of Monsters 04:31 – Dad Telling Him the Plot of Carrie on Holiday in Greece 05:19 – Point Horror and Getting His Mum Called Into School 07:00 – A Working Class Kid Who Wanted to Be a Film Director 08:47 – A PhD in Gothic Studies (and Horror Metafiction) 10:06 – Manny in Switzerland, Llama Farmer, Michelin Star Kitchen 13:10 – Why Writing Is Torture: Perfectionism and Type 2 Fun 15:32 – Imposter Syndrome and Not Feeling "In the Club" 17:52 – Quitting His Job in Lockdown and Emailing Paul Tremblay 21:30 – Fearless on Stage, Terrified of Rabies 24:25 – The Thrill of the Chase: How He Landed Stephen King 27:35 – A Rocky Mountain Horror Camp and Finding Your People 30:57 – Social Media Dopamine and Performative Rage Online 33:59 – The StokerCon Moment That Finally Made Him Write 37:43 – A Vulture Article, Bear Season and the Northern Weird Series 40:58 – 1,500 Words a Day: Writing Good Boy in Three Weeks 41:46 – Ted the Jack Russell and the Tree That Started It All 45:16 – Stephen King's It in a Small English Town 47:24 – Small British Towns, Bigotry and the Real Jim Howarth 50:35 – Doing Good Without Posting About It 52:18 – Growing Up on the Knee of Stephen King 57:33 – Why You Need to Read Dolores Claiborne 58:39 – Spinning Plates: Podcast Scripts and Reading Until 2 a.m. 1:02:53 – "Read the Damn Book": Why Hosts Have to Do the Homework 1:04:31 – The Day Stephen King Sent Him the New Talisman Manuscript 1:07:56 – House of Butterflies: Leaded Gasoline Horror in 1964 New Jersey 1:08:54 – Bad Home: Writing a Cruel Book With Heart 1:14:18 – Neil's Underrated Pick: The Hill in the Dark Grove Grab your copy of Good Boy: https://www.wildhuntbooks.co.uk/books/p/goodboy/9781068563102 Connect with Neil McRobert: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkscaredpod/ X: https://x.com/TalkScaredPod Talking Scared Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-scared/id1530064310 Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Isabel Cañas is the USA Today bestselling, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of The Hacienda, Vampires of El Norte, and her YA gothic debut, The House of Gardenias. Isabel shares how an "air quotes too Mexican" rejection on her honeymoon in Mexico City led to The Hacienda, and how she defended her PhD in medieval Islamic history the day before it came out. She reveals the 1850s quote from Rio Grande bandit Juan Cortina about "flocks of vampires" that turned Vampires of El Norte into a story about settler colonialism. She connects The Possession of Alba Díaz to pregnancy, bodily autonomy, and the fall of Roe v. Wade. And she opens up about the real family story, her grandfather's abusive stepmother counting tortillas, that opens The House of Gardenias. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Isabel Cañas 06:25 – A Self-Proclaimed Scaredy Cat Reading Dracula Under the Desk 09:12 – The YA Fantasy Books by Women of Color That Cracked Her Brain Open 10:14 – "Too Mexican": Two Novels That Died on Submission 11:34 – A Honeymoon Rejection in Mexico City and the Birth of The Hacienda 14:59 – Writing for Your Id: The Secret Lecture Passed Between Writers 19:44 – Kitchen Table Storytelling and the Grandfather Who Inspired The House of Gardenias 24:33 – The Turkish Grammar Tense Made Just for Gossip 25:48 – Becoming a Published Author and a Doctor in 24 Hours 28:25 – A Medievalist's Research Obsession (and Why the Embroidery Has to Go) 32:56 – Would She Ever Write a Modern Gothic? 36:33 – "Lol, It's Actually Colonialism": Why Humans Are the Real Monsters 43:17 – Vampires of El Norte and the One-Sentence Pitch That Sold It 48:12 – The 1850s Post Office List Where She Found Néstor 53:46 – The Real "Flocks of Vampires" Quote Behind the Book 57:52 – The Possession of Alba Díaz: Pregnancy, Control, and Who Owns a Woman's Body 1:06:56 – The House of Gardenias: A Nightmare, a Grudge, and Her YA Comeback 1:12:51 – Grief, Loss, and the "Flesh and Blood" Editing Passes 1:20:19 – 200,000 Words and What's Coming Next Grab your copy of The House of Gardenias: https://amzn.to/4qvK89l Connect with Isabel Cañas: Website: https://isabelcanas.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabelcanas_/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@isabelcanasauthor Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Noelle Ihli is the international bestselling, Bram Stoker Award longlisted author of Ask for Andrea, Grey After Dark, and her latest thriller, The Last to Drown. Noelle breaks down how the real case of serial killer Israel Keyes shaped the stalker terrorizing a women's rafting retreat in The Last to Drown, and the true story of an Olympic athlete's abduction behind Grey After Dark. She talks about ghostwriting fiction before her own career, self-publishing her debut The Thicket after fifty rejection letters, and the cover redesign that turned Ask for Andrea into a BookTok phenomenon. Noelle also opens up about the Ted Bundy documentary that inspired the ghosts in Ask for Andrea, and how she protects her creative process from online criticism. Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold Open: "A Little More Empathy for Victims and Survivors" 00:57 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Noelle Ihli 02:59 – A Childhood Drawn to "the Scary, the Spooky" and Watching Censored Horror at "Clean Flicks" 07:28 – Inside the Secret World of Ghostwriting Fiction 16:18 – Why True Crime and the Chowchilla Kidnapping Shape Her Fiction 22:15 – Fifty Rejection Letters Before Self-Publishing The Thicket 25:40 – The Cover Redesign That Turned Ask for Andrea Into a BookTok Avalanche 31:35 – Setting Boundaries With Reviews (and the Shirt With Her Best and Worst Ones) 38:49 – The Ted Bundy Documentary Behind Ask for Andrea's Ghosts 48:08 – The Real Late-Night Car Chase Behind Run on Red 52:01 – The Olympic Athlete Abduction That Inspired Grey After Dark 56:49 – Israel Keyes, the Serial Killer Behind The Last to Drown 1:05:16 – First Look at Her Darkest Book Yet, Coming in 2027 Grab your copy of The Last to Drown: https://amzn.to/45weT4w Connect with Noelle Ihli: Website: https://noellewihli.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noelleihliauthor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@noelleihliauthor Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Leopoldo Gout is the acclaimed visual artist and author behind the horror novel Pinata, the Ghost Radio series, and out today, his stunning new novel, Rooted. Leopoldo breaks down the true, horrifying history behind Pinata, how Spanish conquistadors forced Aztec children to break piñatas containing their own gods. He talks about the real artifact repatriation lawsuits reclaiming stolen Mexican heritage from Europe that inspired Rooted's archaeologist lead, and his mission to reverse engineer the trope of the evil witch into a protector. Leopoldo also opens up about writing as a dyslexic author, his unusual "photographic scent memory," and the real history behind the word abracadabra. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Leopoldo Gout 02:52 – "I Don't See Horror as Spooky, I See It as Beauty" 04:13 – Day of the Dead vs. the James Bond Carnival Version 08:03 – Discovering Horror as Social Commentary Through Night of the Living Dead 14:42 – Losing His Home and Studio to a Fire He Believes Was Arson 20:56 – His "Photographic Scent Memory" and How It Shapes His Prose 37:10 – The True, Horrific History Behind Pinata's Piñatas 41:00 – The Real Lawyer Fighting to Reclaim Mexico's Stolen Artifacts 44:19 – Reverse Engineering the Witch: Rooted's Central Idea 1:05:15 – First Look at His New Anthology Story, Luz e Fer 1:17:22 – "I Don't Believe There's a Genre Called Horror" Grab your copy of Rooted: https://amzn.to/4bUk95u Connect with Leopoldo Gout: Website: https://www.leopoldogout.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leopoldoleopoldo/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leopoldogout Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Nick Roberts is the award winning, indie horror author behind the bestselling Exorcist's House trilogy, Mean Spirited, and his debut novel Anathema, and he's one of the most reliably terrifying voices working in horror today. He talks about being a hybrid author, splitting his work between Crystal Lake, Wicked House, his own imprint Spooky WV, and now Zando's new horror line Evil Twin. Nick breaks down structuring The Exorcist's House: Genesis like The Godfather Part II, and building suspense the way Stephen King does in 1408. He opens up about writing addiction and recovery into Anathema and Mean Spirited, and the dog named Conehead who ended up hijacking the latter. Plus, a first look at his possession anthology Haunted Minds with a foreword by Stephen Graham Jones, his next novel Can You Help Me With an Exorcism?, and his story in the Shining anthology Views from the Overlook. Timestamps: 00:48 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Nick Roberts 02:33 – The "Is Nick Roberts Okay?" Reaction Readers Have to His Books 04:26 – Falling in Love with Horror Through Library Book Covers and Goosebumps 07:01 – Did Horror Ever Scare Him? Renting Pulp Fiction and Discovering the Craft 09:26 – The Writer-Director Dream That Fell Apart Before Film School 11:00 – Teaching English While Sneaking In Horror Film Electives 16:36 – Why Every Nick Roberts Book Starts as a Movie in His Head 17:37 – Being a Hybrid Author: Balancing Crystal Lake, Wicked House, and Self-Publishing 23:18 – From Anathema's COVID Release to Quitting Teaching for Full-Time Writing 30:44 – Why He Pantses Instead of Plots (and the Stephen Graham Jones Line That Inspired Him) 32:10 – The Stephen Graham Jones Outline He Wrote Just to Throw in the Trash 34:16 – Winning the Horror Authors Guild Debut Novel Award for Anathema 37:16 – Writing Recovery and Addiction Into Anathema and Mean Spirited 43:34 – Building Scares Like Stephen King's 1408 48:45 – Structuring The Exorcist's House: Genesis Like The Godfather Part II 54:01 – Falling In Love With a Character Before Something Horrible Happens 56:16 – Writing From the Killer's POV in My Corpse Has a Heartbeat 59:34 – First Look at the Haunted Minds Possession Anthology With Stephen Graham Jones 1:05:15 – A Tease of His Work in Progress, Appalachian Chainsaw Grab your copy of The Exorcist's House: https://amzn.to/4zoEcmB Connect with Nick Roberts: Website: https://www.nickrobertsauthor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spookywv/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spookywv Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Rachel Harrison is the New York Times bestselling author of The Return, Such Sharp Teeth, and Play Nice, back this week with her brand new release, Kiss Slay Replay. She talks about subverting the classic final girl trope in her new wedding-weekend time loop novel, and why she pushes back on being boxed in as a "feminist horror" author. Rachel opens up about landing her literary agent through a Twitter pitch contest called PitDark, and releasing her debut, The Return, during the first week of COVID lockdown. She also breaks down the shower epiphany about lady werewolf mythology that became Such Sharp Teeth, and the Blink-182 song that sparked Kiss Slay Replay's time loop. Plus, a first look at her next book and her nerves about her first ever European tour. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Rachel Harrison 01:47 – Horror as a "Will They or Won't They" Rom-Com: Her Path Into the Genre 06:09 – From a Screenwriting Major to a PA Job on The Newlywed Game 09:58 – The Persistence Advice She Swears By 10:42 – The Return, a Bram Stoker Nomination, and Chasing Traditional Publishing 11:42 – The Twitter Pitch Contest, PitDark, That Landed Her Literary Agent 14:02 – Debuting a Novel in the First Week of COVID Lockdown 18:02 – Creep Away Camp, Barbie Girl Karaoke, and a Duet With Nat Cassidy 20:08 – Why Humor Is Baked Into Every Rachel Harrison Book 21:32 – Her Two Kinds of Protagonists: Sad Sacks and Women Who Have Their Shit Together 24:21 – Character Never Comes First: How She Actually Builds a Story 25:48 – The Applebee's Line That Unlocked Black Sheep's Vesper 32:58 – On Bristling at Being Labeled a "Feminist Horror" Author 40:45 – Prioritizing Art Over Content Before It's All AI Slop 44:43 – The Shower Epiphany Behind Such Sharp Teeth's Werewolf Body Horror 51:13 – Growing Up in Enormous Families and Building Play Nice's Three Sisters 57:54 – The Blink-182 Song That Sparked Kiss Slay Replay's Time Loop 1:02:52 – Subverting the Final Girl Trope With a Protagonist Who's Just F****d 1:04:45 – Why Horror and Joy Aren't Opposites for Her 1:08:05 – First Look at Her Next Book: The "Emo, Sepia-Toned" One 1:10:28 – Gearing Up for Her First-Ever European Tour Connect with Rachel Harrison: Website: https://www.rachel-harrison.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelharrisonsghost/ Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Caleb Stephens joins Talking Horror to talk The Girls in the Cabin, If You Lie, and You'll Never Know, and how he went from a decade as a corporate accountant to becoming the internet's self-proclaimed "dad thriller guy." Rachel Redd sits down with the award winning and Colorado Book Award finalist author for a wide-ranging conversation on writing thrillers with horror baked in, surviving traditional publishing rejection, and building a career one breadcrumb at a time. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Caleb Stephens 01:41 – Rachel's 2 AM Reading Marathon and the Twist She Didn't See Coming 07:04 – From Alan Dean Foster to Stephen King: A Childhood Built on Fantasy and Horror 10:32 – Ten Years as a Corporate Accountant Before Taking the Leap 12:48 – Five Years, One Unpublishable Novel, and a Verdict From the Guy Who Wrote Jumanji 14:41 – Short Stories, Craft Books, and a Writer's Digest Honorable Mention 21:38 – The Fool's Cap Method and Why Gillian Flynn Can Pants a Whole Thriller 29:58 – The Girls in the Cabin's Two Year Agent Rollercoaster 32:27 – Getting Picked Up by the UK's Largest Indie Publisher and Discovering BookTok 34:02 – Why Feeders Flopped and He Became "The Dad Thriller Guy" 38:30 – Making Colorado's Deadly Weather a Character in The Girls in the Cabin 43:48 – Rewriting a Book Seven Times and Turning the Dad Into a Bigger Jerk 46:31 – Missing a Publishing Deadline and Self-Publishing If You Lie Out of Fear 48:26 – Writing Through Sciatica and a Full Manuscript Rewrite 53:39 – Building a Gone Girl Tribute Twist Into You'll Never Know 1:02:34 – First Look at Don't Hesitate: A Dad and Son Hunting Trip Gone Wrong 1:05:02 – Why Grief Keeps Showing Up in Every Book He Writes 1:07:45 – The Paperback Pre-Order Problem No One Talks About 1:10:21 – Book Recommendations: S.A. Cosby, John Boyne, and More Grab your copy of The Girls in the Cabin: [LINK] Connect with Caleb Stephens: Website: https://www.calebstephensauthor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calebstephensauthor/?hl=en Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Adam Cesare joins Talking Horror to talk Lights, Camera, Frendo, the fourth book in his Clown in a Cornfield series, and how fifteen years of self-publishing, folded presses, and selling books out of the trunk of his car built the readership that eventually made him a Bram Stoker Award winner. Rachel Redd sits down with the USA Today bestselling author of Video Night, Mercy House, and Influencer for a conversation about franchise iconography, vampire obsession, and why he loves his sequels more than his original books. Adam opens up about the small video rental section that scared him as a kid, and how a legendary horror editor's small press, his own self-publishing hustle, and a Big Five pickup fifteen years later all led to Mercy House getting "orphaned" pre-launch and later rewritten from scratch. He also confesses he genuinely likes the Clown in a Cornfield sequels better than the original, Bram Stoker win included. Plus his near-academic obsession with Frendo's mask and a first look at Bloodsick, his 14 POV vampire epic coming in January. 00:01 Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Adam Cesare 03:41 The Origin Story: A Supermarket Video Rental Aisle on Long Island 05:55 Running Out of Two Different Wes Craven Movies as a Kid 07:56 Stephen King on Cassette Tape and an Early Obsession With Spawn 13:53 Writing Video Night in College Before He Could Legally Drink 17:05 Chasing Down an Editor and Landing at a Small Horror Press 19:58 From Self-Published Oddity to a Big Five Book 22:56 The Used Car Salesman Theory of Surviving Publishing 28:37 If You Can't Love It, Quit: His Advice for Writers 34:15 Video Night: A Melancholic Alien Invasion Love Letter 40:22 Mercy House and Getting Orphaned by Random House Hydra 44:06 Rewriting Mercy House From Scratch Eleven Years Later 51:08 Confessing He Loves the Sequels More Than the Original 54:43 Lights, Camera, Frendo: Book Four Is Finally Out 59:04 The Auteurist Theory Behind a Long-Running Slasher Franchise 1:03:01 Why He Obsesses Over Every Detail of Frendo's Mask 1:08:37 A First Look at Bloodsick, His 14 POV Vampire Epic 1:15:45 Why Horror Is Living Through a Genuine Golden Era Grab your copy of Lights, Camera, Frendo: https://amzn.to/4wKDUUW Connect with Adam Cesare: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamcesare/?hl=en Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

TJ Payne joins Talking Horror to talk Intercepts, the self-published thriller that just landed him a two-book deal with Crown at Penguin Random House, and the strange road that took him from Hollywood romantic comedy screenwriter to acclaimed horror novelist. Rachel Redd sits down with the author of In My Father's Basement, Intercepts, and The Venue, and a TV writer on Netflix's The Burrows and Little House on the Prairie, for a conversation about self-publishing, Hollywood bureaucracy, and why the nicest people always seem to write the darkest books. Grab your copy of Intercepts: https://amzn.to/4vA1IKb Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting TJ Payne 02:13 – From Romantic Comedy Screenwriter to Reluctant Horror Writer 04:42 – Jaws, Aliens, and How American Pie Sparked a Screenwriting Dream 08:32 – Stanford, a Film Program That Wasn't, and a Korean War Screenplay 09:52 – Driving Down the I-5 to Hollywood and Seven Years Fetching Coffee 17:11 – Ghostwriting Other People's Dreams and Hitting a Breaking Point 19:37 – The Self-Publishing Itch That Became In My Father's Basement 39:26 – Waking Up to a Stranger Who Read His Debut Overnight 41:11 – Writing Intercepts and the Slow-Burn Word of Mouth That Followed 43:14 – The Cold Email From a Literary Agent That Led to Crown 47:25 – Turning Hollywood Bureaucracy Into a Terrifying Government Facility 48:49 – The Absent Father Story Hiding Inside a Sci-Fi Thriller 55:31 – Table 19, Weddings, and the Slasher Comedy Born From The Venue 1:01:30 – A New Two-Book Deal and His First Novel in Six Years 1:04:06 – Deep-Diving 1980s Satanic Panic Books for Research Connect with TJ Payne: Website: https://tjpayneauthor.wixsite.com/tjpayne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.payne.author Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Keith Rosson joins Talking Horror to talk Coffin Moon, his gritty 1970s vampire western, and the wild road that took him from legally blind art school dropout to acclaimed horror novelist. Rachel Redd sits down with the author of Fever House, The Devil by Name, and Smoke City for a conversation about grief, addiction, found family, and the recklessness it takes to survive ten books in ten years. Keith opens up about discovering at age ten that he'd been legally blind his whole life, and how that diagnosis turned into a twenty five year career illustrating punk album covers and band merch. He talks about dropping out of art school twice, getting 97 rejections from literary agents before his debut sold, and writing Fever House during COVID lockdown while fostering and adopting two toddlers during the George Floyd protests in Portland. He breaks down the phone call from Random House editor Caitlin McKenna that changed his career, why he set Coffin Moon in the 1970s so his vampires could still warp in mirrors and cameras, and how he trimmed his cast down to just a handful of characters after Fever House's sprawling ensemble. Plus his unflinching take on killing off main characters, the question his editor asks to keep violence from feeling gratuitous, and a first look at his upcoming novel Crone, based on a real unsolved disappearance that's haunted him for decades. Grab your copy of Coffin Moon: https://amzn.to/4gLNCBV Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Keith Rosson  03:34 – How a Stephen King Paperback at Age Ten Started It All  06:06 – Legally Blind: The Diagnosis That Shaped His Art  08:08 – Designing for Punk Bands and the Cover He's Proudest Of  12:06 – Art School Dropout Twice Removed  14:20 – From Punk Zines to 97 Rejections Before His First Yes  26:31 – Fever House: Writing Through Lockdown While Fostering Two Toddlers  31:05 – The Call From Random House That Changed Everything  36:06 – Why He's Not Afraid to Kill a Main Character  37:19 – Earning the Violence: What Makes Brutality Land  40:31 – Coffin Moon: Turning Vampires Into a 1970s Western Revenge Story  48:33 – Trimming the Cast: Why Coffin Moon Went Smaller 5 0:55 – The Redemption Question Running Through All His Books  56:11 – Crone: A Missing Daughter, a Biker Gang, and a Real Unsolved Case  59:09 – His Advice After Ten Books in Ten Years Connect with Keith Rosson:  Website: https://www.keithrosson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rossonkeith/ Follow Talking Horror Podcast:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

In this episode, Rachel Redd sits down with Luke Dumas, the author of A History of Fear, The Paleontologist, and Nothing Tastes as Good for a wide-ranging conversation on obsession, grief, identity, and writing horror that feels deeply human. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Luke Dumas 02:40 – Reading Roots: A Storyteller Before He Was a Reader 03:29 – The Boy Wizard Phase and Falling for Fantasy 04:22 – A Lifelong Jurassic Park & Dinosaur Obsession 06:50 – Discovering Horror: Weekends With Dad and the Haunted Hotel 08:42 – The Comedy Writer Who Wanted to Be David Sedaris 10:27 – Early Writing Dreams and Delusions of Fame 11:55 – Studying Literature and the Master's in Scotland 16:26 – Letting Go of the "Wonder Kid" Pressure 17:58 – The Risk-Averse Path: Writing Around a Day Job 18:29 – Grant Writing, Zoos, and Mining the Day Job for Fiction 21:08 – Book Five: How A History of Fear Found Its Agent 23:00 – The Overnight Offer That Made Him Cry 24:23 – Finding Resilience Through Five Unpublished Books 28:06 – Why Storytelling Is Woven Into His Soul 30:45 – Craft vs. Plot: Refusing to Sacrifice One for the Other 32:46 – The Heavy Plotter Who Loves Outlining Most 34:15 – The Two Wolves: Beautiful Writing vs. Getting It Out 37:37 – "I Hate Research": Faking It for The Paleontologist 40:32 – Interstitial Documents and the Book-Within-a-Book 43:43 – A History of Fear, Edinburgh, and Scottish Demonic Lore 46:02 – The Walk Through the Meadows That Sparked the Story 47:57 – Religious Trauma, Identity, and the Harm of Repression 50:13 – The Paleontologist: Excavation as Metaphor 51:31 – From "I Just Love Dinosaurs" to Ghosts in a Haunted Museum 53:55 – The Grim Ending and the Horror That Makes Him Giggle 56:46 – Raving About Nothing Tastes as Good 59:22 – Knowing When It Was Time (and Stephen King's Thinner) 01:00:20 – Weight-Loss Drugs, Ozempic, and Perfect Timing 01:01:19 – Writing Fatness From a Male Perspective 01:02:52 – Emmett: The Monster You Can't Help Rooting For 01:07:11 – Lisette, Body Positivity, and a Cousin Named Rachel 01:11:16 – Sitting With the Discomfort of "Just Change" 01:12:11 – First Look at We Don't Call Them Cages (Spring 2027) 01:13:53 – "Madagascar for Adults": Rewriting Childhood as Horror 01:14:56 – Wrap-Up & Thanks Grab your copy of Nothing Tastes as Good:  https://amzn.to/4fnO7PY Connect with Luke Dumas: https://www.lukedumas.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thenewdumas/?hl=en Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Chuck Tingle joins Talking Horror to talk Fabulous Bodies, the pink mask, and why love is the ultimate weapon against the cosmic void. In this episode, Rachel Redd sits down with the USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus, Bury Your Gays, and Lucky Day for a wide-ranging conversation on horror, empathy, and creating without fear. Chuck opens up about the surprising life-or-death story behind the pink mask and how it eased his chronic pain, why he never writes to market and has hit the jackpot twice by following his soul, and how believing humanity is innately good lets him write villains you actually understand. Plus the Collateral-meets-monster idea that sparked Fabulous Bodies, why he builds novels like screenplays as a self-taught outsider artist, and a gratitude practice built on succulents and Cheetos. Timestamps: 00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Chuck Tingle 04:32 – Baby Chuck: A Storyteller From the Start 09:32 – Dungeons and Dragons at Four and the Primal Urge to Tell Stories 12:16 – Drawn to the Taboo: Horror, Erotica, and Punk Rock Art 15:00 – Horror as the Metal of Writing (and Why Dark Romance Is Wilder) 18:39 – Self-Publishing the First Tingler 22:00 – Building a Utopia: The Politics of the Tingleverse 25:08 – Where Chuck Feels Most Artistically Fulfilled 26:38 – Hope as Innate, Not Intentional 30:12 – Never Writing to Market: Hitting the Jackpot Twice 33:57 – Authenticity on the Page and Art as Subconscious Communication 36:32 – The Pink Mask: Safety, Anonymity, and Coming Out 39:29 – How the Mask Eased Chronic Pain and Saved His Life 44:51 – The Mask as Amplifier: Becoming a Symbol 50:11 – Talking Camp Damascus and the Cost of Apathy 53:41 – Why Chuck Believes Humanity Is Innately Good 56:13 – Fabulous Bodies: Writing an Unlikable Hero and a Fun Villain 59:34 – The Slow Burn of Lucky Day and the Power of a Deep Cut 01:04:16 – Hit Singles vs. Art House: Reading His Own Catalog 01:07:47 – The Outsider Artist Who Writes Novels Like Screenplays 01:08:36 – Collateral Meets a Monster: The Origin of Fabulous Bodies 01:10:38 – Where Does Love Come From? The Heart of Fabulous Bodies 01:16:06 – Succulents, Cheetos, and a Daily Gratitude Practice Grab your copy of Fabulous Bodies: https://amzn.to/4fNjB2z  Connect with Chuck Tingle: Website: https://www.chucktingle.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chucktingle/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realchucktingle Linktree: https://linktr.ee/chucktingle Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Join Rachel Redd as she chats with Brian McAuley, a USA Today bestselling author whose slasher novels blend cinematic tension, deep emotional trauma, and genuine heart. Brian shares his journey from screenwriter to novelist, his horror origin story, and how his years in Hollywood shaped the characters and settings in his books. Key Topics: Brian's horror origin story, from Goosebumps to Are You Afraid of the Dark to Evil DeadHow watching Scream at age ten sealed his fate as a horror writerHis path from NYU film school to working as a WGA screenwriter in HollywoodWhy he thinks the slasher is the purest form of horrorTurning a rejected screenplay into his debut novel, Curse of the ReaperThe reality of querying agents and selling a first book in traditional publishingCrafting psychological dread on the page without relying on constant actionUsing Alzheimer's and addiction as parallel character struggles in Curse of the ReaperToxic wellness culture as the setting for Breathe In, Bleed OutHis take on the final girl trope and rewriting it on his own termsWhat's next, including his upcoming Renaissance fair slasher, Fairly Bad Ways to Die Timestamps: 00:01 - Introducing Brian McAuley, USA Today bestselling author 01:37 - Stoker Con and the surprising warmth of the horror community 05:14 - Brian's horror origin story: Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Evil Dead 09:17 - Discovering slashers through Scream at age ten 12:15 - Studying screenwriting and film at NYU 14:04 - Breaking into Hollywood and becoming a WGA screenwriter 17:24 - The transition from screenwriting to novel writing 20:55 - Querying sixty agents and selling Curse of the Reaper 24:35 - How the horror publishing boom has changed since he started 25:43 - Teaching screenwriting at Arizona State University 28:07 - Building Howard and Trevor's relationship in Curse of the Reaper 34:13 - Crafting claustrophobic psychological dread on the page 36:39 - Using Alzheimer's and addiction as mirrored character struggles 41:39 - Writing Candy Kane Kills for the Killer VHS series 49:05 - Toxic wellness culture and the inspiration behind Breathe In, Bleed Out 56:20 - Choreographing kill scenes in novels versus screenplays 59:18 - Rethinking the final girl trope 67:14 - Brian's next book, Fairly Bad Ways to Die, a Renaissance fair slasher Resources & Links: Brian McAuley on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22356963.Brian_McAuleyBreathe In, Bleed Out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3R2jFmw Connect with Brian: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianmcwriter/Website: https://www.brianmcwriter.com/ Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!

Join Rachel Redd as she chats with Megan Lally, a New York Times bestselling author whose books delve into dark human psychology, intense survival stories, and unexpected plot twists. Megan shares her journey from reluctant reader to thriller author, her creative process, and how personal experiences inspire her gripping narratives. Key Topics: * Megan’s unconventional start in writing after a family challenge * The influence of Twilight and true crime on her work * The evolution from fantasy/horror to YA thrillers * The importance of character depth in plot-driven stories * Planning vs. organic storytelling: Megan’s outlining process * Strategies for crafting chapters that hook readers * Balancing emotional fears and physical dangers in storytelling * The thrill of writing twists and misdirection in young adult fiction * The behind-the-scenes research for realistic survival scenarios * Navigating the stress and excitement of publication success * Megan’s upcoming projects and her passion for horror and thrillers Timestamps: 00:00 - Megan’s journey from reluctant reader to bestselling author 02:10 - The impact of Twilight and true crime on her writing 04:14 - Starting with vampire stories and evolving into thrillers 08:49 - Using extensive outlines to shape tight, twisty plots 13:24 - How her publisher deal influenced her writing schedule 16:06 - The importance of character development in suspense stories 20:17 - The emotional fears that drive her characters’ decisions 22:44 - How her recent book, "What We Did to Survive," was inspired by real adventures 45:27 - The research process for creating realistic survival scenarios 54:49 - Tips for balancing plot and emotional depth in YA thrillers 61:56 - Megan’s future writing plans, including new genres and themes 65:43 - Words of encouragement for aspiring writers Get What We Did to Survive: https://amzn.to/4waZly6 Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megan_lally_ Follow Talking Horror Podcast:
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/
 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!