Paulette Kennedy on Dark Fiction, Late Blooming, and Why Villains Matter

Unapologetic Women and Double Standards in Horror with CJ Leede

In this episode of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with CJ Leede, author of Maeve Fly, American Rapture, and the brand-new release Headlights. CJ dives deep into how her background writing dystopian stories in grad school ultimately pushed her to seek pure catharsis and freedom through horror fiction. We discuss her childhood love for unlimited reading and media, the process of writing an unapologetic female Patrick Bateman, and exploring the dark realities of purity culture and religious trauma. Whether you're a fan of extreme splatterpunk, a romance reader who loves a dark twist, or just looking to dive into an immersive void that processes grief and loss, this conversation is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 – Grad School Revelations & Discovering Horror  00:09 – Introducing CJ Leede & Her Unapologetic Characters  03:58 – CJ's Horror Origin Story & Media Freedom as an Only Child  13:59 – Unexpectedly Landing in the "Extreme" and "Splatterpunk" Horror Space  26:30 – The Inspiration Behind Maeve Fly & Finding Catharsis in Anger  32:48 – Balancing Maeve’s Monstrous Actions with Empathy and Relatability  36:12 – The Double Standard of Justified Violence for Women vs. Men in Literature  43:44 – Exploring Purity Culture and Religious Trauma in American Rapture 48:05 – Horror as an Empathy Machine and Safe Space to Face Reality  52:30 – Finding Camaraderie and Support in the Welcoming Horror Community  55:27 – Headlights: Writing a Male Protagonist & Refusing to be Boxed In  1:01:08 – Guarding Peace and Ignoring the Pressure of External Expectations  1:03:51 – Processing Grief, Death, and Hope Through Headlights 1:08:45 – What’s Next: A Sneak Peek at Books Four and Five  1:12:19 – CJ’s Favorite Books to Reread for Inspiration  Books mentioned: Headlights: https://amzn.to/43WViJK [https://amzn.to/43WViJK] American Rapture: https://amzn.to/3QfoCrA [https://amzn.to/3QfoCrA] Maeve Fly: https://amzn.to/4dZb3pq [https://amzn.to/4dZb3pq] Connect with CJ Leede: Website: https://cjleede.com [https://cjleede.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjleede [https://www.instagram.com/cjleede] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cjleede [https://www.tiktok.com/@cjleede] Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ [https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd [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!

Evil Video Games and Feminine Rage with Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

In this episode of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with Tatiana Schlote-Bonne, author of The Mean Ones, Such Lovely Skin, and the upcoming dark fantasy What Feeds Below. Tatiana dives deep into how her background writing deeply personal essays about family trauma and living with her mother's ex-boyfriend ultimately pushed her to seek pure escapism through horror fiction. We discuss her childhood exposure to Resident Evil and Stephen King , the catharsis of surviving toxic male gaming lobbies , and balancing the mentally taxing world of publishing with the physical discipline of Olympic weightlifting. Whether you're a cozy gamer , a powerlifter , or just looking to dive into an immersive void filled with diabolical mushrooms, this conversation is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 – Horror as a Comfort Genre & Writing for Fun 00:36 – Introducing Tatiana Schlote-Bonne & Her Bizarre, Unsettling Worlds 02:41 – Childhood Tastes: Goosebumps, Dean Koontz, and Resident Evil 04:31 – Chasing Scares & Desensitization in Horror Movies 08:50 – From High School Family Trauma to the Iowa Non-Fiction Writing Program 16:31 – The Pivot from Memoir to Fiction During the Pandemic 19:31 – The Parallels of Writing Horror and Olympic Powerlifting 21:35 – Navigating Toxic Masculinity in Call of Duty Lobbies 27:30 – Cozy Gaming, Brain Rot, and Video Game Inspirations 32:22 – Such Lovely Skin: Demonic Video Games and Horrific Secrets 38:46 – The Mean Ones: Cults, People Pleasing, and 2000s Mean Girls 46:02 – What Feeds Below: Anime Inspiration, Diabolical Mushrooms, and Body Horror 52:23 – Adapting Voice for Protagonists & The Agony of the Publishing Industry 55:06 – Author Confessions Rapid Fire: Ghost Rom-Coms and the Dread of Starting Connect with Tatiana Schlote-Bonne: tatiana-schlote-bonne.com [http://tatiana-schlote-bonne.com] Instagram: @thebuffwriter TikTok: @the_buff_writer [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.tiktok.com/%40the_buff_writer] Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ [https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd [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!

Johanna Van Veen Writes the Sapphic Gothic Horror of Your Dreams

In this episode of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with the brilliant Johanna Van Veen. Known for her haunting and intimate gothic novels My Darling, Dreadful Thing and Blood on Her Tongue, Johanna dives deep into how her historical fascinations and the unique dynamic of being a triplet have shaped her deeply unsettling stories. We discuss her childhood terror of reading the Dutch equivalent of Goosebumps, the catharsis of writing unlikable women and sapphic romances in traditional gothic settings, and the bizarre history of bedazzled catacomb saints. Whether you're a lover of dark folklore, a fan of emotionally complex monster-human relationships, or just looking for your next gothic horror obsession, this conversation is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Connecting Across Time Zones 04:10 – Johanna’s Horror Origin Story: Dutch Goosebumps 07:17 – The Family Computer & Learning to Blind Type 10:25 – Drowning Fairies & Mermaid Curses: Dutch Folklore Explained 12:53 – Being a Triplet & Channeling Sibling Dynamics into Middle-Grade Fiction 15:21 – A Modern Millennial Meet-Cute: Tumblr Fanfiction 17:08 – The Tumultuous Road to Publication & Scrapped First Drafts 30:17 – My Darling, Dreadful Thing: Grief, Mediums, and Comforting Monsters 39:54 – Blood on Her Tongue: Vampires, Unlikable Women, and Forms of Hunger 45:54 – Book History, 17th-Century Gratitude Journals, and Puritans 53:28 – Power Structures & Why Queer Romance Belongs in Gothic Fiction 57:33 – Bone of My Bone: The Thirty Years' War and Bedazzled Skeletons 1:06:25 – Future Releases & Rapid-Fire Gothic Game Connect with Johanna Van Veen: Website: https://johannavanveen.com/ [https://johannavanveen.com/] Instagram: @johannavanveen1997 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42245290.Johanna_van_Veen [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42245290.Johanna_van_Veen] Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ [https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd [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!

Neena Viel Raised Her Brother in Her 20s and Turned the Nightmare Into a Horror Novel

In this episode of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with the hilariously brilliant Neena Viel. Known for her critically acclaimed and terrifying debut Listen to Your Sister, Neena dives deep into how becoming the guardian of her teenage brother in her early 20s inspired her to craft a horror masterpiece about the realities of parentification and invisible caretaking. We discuss her childhood terror of Dean Koontz, the catharsis of writing "women behaving badly," and why she has to twerk her way through writer's block. Whether you're an oldest sibling carrying the weight of the world, a fan of morally gray characters, or just looking for your next horror obsession, this conversation is for you. Timestamps: 00:00 – The Pre-Writing Dance Routine & Twerking Through Writer's Block 00:35 – Introducing Neena Viel & Her Debut, Listen to Your Sister 01:48 – Neena’s Horror Origin Story: Dean Koontz’s Phantoms & Resident Evil 06:46 – Childhood Reading Habits: From Large Print Romance to Goosebumps 11:04 – Pursuing the Dream: "Grandma Thinks I'm a Lawyer" 12:44 – The Real-Life Inspiration: Raising a Teenager in Your 20s 14:44 – The Corporate Grind, Pandemic Writing, and "Revenge" Drafting 17:52 – Neena’s Writing Process: Pantsing, Candles, and the "Party Box" 26:22 – Navigating the Sophomore Slump & Reader Expectations 34:57 – Exploring Sibling Trauma, Dynamics, and the Hilarious Character Jamie 43:27 – Character Building: Giving Siblings Distinct Voices Using the Senses 46:37 – Balancing Humor with Dark Themes (and the Famous Shower Scene) 49:59 – The Horrors of Parentification & The Invisible Labor of Women Caretakers 57:56 – A Sneak Peek at I’ll Watch Your Baby: Morally Gray Women Behaving Badly 1:01:47 – Book 3 Preview: The Trail Provides, A Hiking Horror Satire 1:06:05 – Author Recommendations: Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, and Debuts Connect with Neena Viel: Website: https://www.neenaviel.com/ [https://www.neenaviel.com/] Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49276349.Neena_Viel [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49276349.Neena_Viel] (Note: As Neena mentions in the episode, she isn't on platforms like Instagram and TikTok!) Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ [https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd [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!

Ashley Winstead on Revenge Writing, Cults, and Toxic Ambition

Ashley Winstead joins Rachel Redd on Talking Horror to explore how thriller and horror serve as a powerful mirror for the human condition, from the suffocating weight of hyper-competitiveness to the complex dynamics of control and submission. In this episode, Ashley and Rachel dive into: The Power of Words: How being a shy "Navy brat" moving every two years led Ashley to find companionship and an innate love for language within books. * Poetry as a First Love: Why Ashley’s process remains rooted in "painterly" self-expression and the precision of prose, inspired by poets like Richard Siken and Mary Oliver. The 10-Year Hiatus: The "lore" of how a traumatic car accident and 12 MFA rejections led Ashley to quit writing for a decade while she worked in the music and TV industries. Academic Thick Skin: How the "grind" of earning a PhD in literature finally gave Ashley the resilience to face the criticism inherent in the publishing world. The "Revenge" Thriller: How being told her fantasy novel lacked plot motivated Ashley to "revenge write" her debut thriller, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, in a fugue state. Cults and Control: A deep dive into The Last Housewife and how it explores patriarchal submission and the real-life Sarah Lawrence sex cult. Faith vs. Fear: Exploring the existential and religious trauma themes in Midnight is the Darkest Hour, where faith often acts as a "bandage" for the wound of uncertainty. Grief as a Detective: How the loss of her father fueled This Book Will Bury Me and its exploration of how grief makes us susceptible to obsession and true crime sleuthing. Whether you are a "prose snob," a fan of "unreliable narrators," or an eldest daughter fueled by spite, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the grit behind the glamour of storytelling. Timestamps: 00:00 — The car accident and 12 rejections. 02:15 — Intro: Welcome Ashley Winstead to Talking Horror. 03:09 — Growing up shy: Books as an escape for a Navy kid. 05:14 — First Love: Why poetry and Richard Siken are Ashley’s "Bibles". 13:54 — The 10-year break: Music industry, Hollywood, and the PhD grind. 22:17 — Genre Hopping: From YA Fantasy to "Revenge Writing" a thriller. 32:26 — In My Dreams I Hold a Knife: Toxic ambition and 10-year reunions. 42:16 — The Last Housewife: Exploring "tradwives," submission, and cults. 55:43 — Midnight is the Darkest Hour: Religious trauma and faith as a mask for fear. 1:03:54 — This Book Will Bury Me: Processing grief through true crime obsession. 1:14:23 — Coming Soon: A sneak peek at Hot Girl Murder Club. Follow Ashley Winstead: Website: ashleywinstead.com [http://ashleywinstead.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleywinsteadbooks/ [https://www.instagram.com/ashleywinsteadbooks/] Follow Talking Horror Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/ [https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd [https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd]