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_


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In this episode of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with national bestselling author Christina Henry, writer of nearly 20 books spanning urban fantasy, dark fairy tale retellings, and modern horror, including Near the Bone, The House That Horror Built, and The Place Where They Buried Your Heart. Her upcoming novel Pinfeathers drops this November.

Grab your copy of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart: https://amzn.to/4vbTAQG

Christina opens up about writing her first novel longhand in a notebook at age 12, why she still writes every single book by hand, and the discovery-based process that lets her pants her way through nearly two decades of publishing without ever plotting. We dig into her Gen X horror origin story (Ouija boards, slumber party slashers, and a Freddy Krueger fear that genuinely haunted her) and what eventually shifted horror from scary to fascinating. Christina also gets into why she fought hard not to be typecast as "the retellings girl," how a Guillermo del Toro interview sparked The House That Horror Built, the single image of a house where three boys went in and two came out that became The Place Where They Buried Your Heart, and the tiny black needle appearing under a baby's arm that started Pinfeathers. Plus: the best piece of advice she ever got about bad reviews, what it was like to get a three-book deal while her toddler climbed a slide at Gymboree, and why she's patiently waiting for the right zombie novel idea to arrive.

Timestamps:
00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Christina Henry
04:21 – Starting in Urban Fantasy: Black Wings
05:17 – A Gen X Girl's Horror Origin Story
11:59 – Writing Every Book by Hand: The Process Explained
14:45 – Pantsing 19 Novels: How Her Brain Works on Simmer
18:14 – The Road to Publication: Writing Black Wings During Nap Time
22:18 – Three Editors, Same Publisher: 16 Years with Ace/Berkley
25:32 – The Urban Fantasy Boom and Bust
26:24 – Writing Alice and Changing Her Own Career
27:23 – Jumping Genres and Writing for Herself
29:02 – Don't Do It If You Don't Love It
30:20 – Why Bad Reviews Aren't Really About Your Book
36:04 – From Retellings to Horror: Not Wanting to Be Typecast
42:23 – The Real Horror: Vulnerability and Poverty
44:15 – Building Dread Without Jump Scares
46:31 – When the House Is the Villain
47:25 – The Place Where They Buried Your Heart: Moving from Forest to Buildings
54:27 – Pinfeathers: Coming November
55:15 – A Baby, a Pin Feather, and Body Horror
58:47 – Juggling Multiple Books at Once
59:46 – What Comes After Pinfeathers: Dark Humor Returns

Grab your copy of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart: https://amzn.to/4vbTAQG

Connect with Christina Henry:
Website: https://www.christinahenry.net/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorchristinahenry/

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 of Talking Horror, Rachel Redd sits down with New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten, known for the Wilderwood duology (For the Wolf, For the Throne), the Nightshade Crown trilogy (The Foxglove King), and her brand new adult horror debut, Reliquary. Hannah opens up about how she started writing For the Wolf in the grip of postpartum depression, rewrote it from the ground up at least four times, and spent five years getting it from a spell-checked first draft to a TikTok sensation.

Grab your copy of Reliquary: https://amzn.to/3Q2bTbZ

We dig into her childhood as a "spooky little kid" sneaking Goosebumps into her school desk, why Buffy the Vampire Slayer is "in the bedrock of her soul," the religious-trauma threads running through her work, and the Ready or Not-inspired spark behind Reliquary. Whether you're a fan of lush gothic atmosphere, slow-burn dread, a love triangle where everybody wins, or a theater kid who loves a dark twist, this conversation is for you.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Buffy in the Bedrock: Where the Whimsy Comes From
00:37 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Hannah Whitten
02:18 – A Spooky Evangelical Kid Sneaking Goosebumps Into Her Desk
05:31 – Best House on the Block: Halloween & Vintage Goosebumps
07:57 – Writing Since She Could Hold a Pen
09:27 – Postpartum Depression & the Birth of For the Wolf
12:44 – Meeting Erin Craig, Edit Letters & Rewriting the Book Four Times
15:46 – From YA to Adult: The Five-Year Road to Publication
18:56 – Advice for Writers: Finish It & Be Your Own Audience
23:13 – Building the Wilderwood Duology
25:01 – Becoming a TikTok Sensation (Without Being on TikTok)
27:09 – Trolls, Doom Scrolling & the Spider-in-the-House Rule
30:48 – Melting Fairy Tales & Balancing Whimsy With Horror
35:09 – Monsters, Grief, Religious Trauma & Female Power
39:01 – Going Darker: The Nightshade Crown & a Love Triangle Where Everyone Wins
43:23 – Lore the Performer & the Theater Kid Confession
46:13 – Soft Power vs. Hard Power in Romantasy
48:14 – Writing Her First Horror: The Ready or Not Spark & a Secret 55K Draft
52:43 – Meet Claire: Her Most Challenging Protagonist
53:54 – "She's Drew Barrymore in Scream" & the Art of the Slow Burn
57:10 – Anxiety, ADHD & OCD on the Page
59:04 – A New Era? Second Horror & Hawthorne and Oak
1:01:15 – Book Recs: The Starving Saints & Coffin Moon
1:02:39 – Dark Fantasy This or That
1:05:02 – Goodbyes & Reliquary Out August 11th

Connect with Hannah Whitten:
Website: https://hannahfwhitten.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hwhittenwrites/

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!