Diana Rodriguez Wallach (award-winning author of The Silenced, Small Town Monsters and Hatchet Girls) joins Rachel Redd on Talking Horror to explore how horror serves as a powerful mirror for real-world fears, from the dangers of charismatic leaders to the dark side of the troubled teen industry.

In this episode, Diana and Rachel dive into:

The "Psychic" Origin Story: How a chance encounter with a Salem psychic and a vivid dream launched Diana’s career as a YA author.

Horror as a Social Tool: Why "the zombie is never just a zombie" and how horror allows authors to tackle heavy themes without sounding like an after-school special.

The Book Banning Loophole: The surprising reason axe murders are often more "acceptable" in school libraries than stories about identity or romance.

Raising Awareness: Using The Silenced to shed light on the terrifying reality of wilderness programs and therapeutic boarding schools.

Dual Timelines and Gripping Hooks: Why Diana loves crafting "before and after" narratives to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The Journalist’s Eye: How Diana’s background as a reporter fuels the intense research and factual history woven into her fiction.

Beyond YA: A sneak peek into Diana's upcoming adult horror short story and her "secret project" moving into adult fiction.

Whether you're a fan of 90s classics like Christopher Pike, a writer looking to sharpen your craft, or a reader who loves stories that "push the boundaries," this conversation is a must-listen.

Timestamps:
00:00 — A life-changing career prediction in Salem.
00:26 — Intro: Welcome Diana Rodriguez Wallach to Talking Horror.
02:15 — Double Nominations: Celebrating The Silenced at the Bram Stoker and Thriller Awards.

03:09 — Why Horror? Growing up on Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine.
04:24 — "The zombie is never just a zombie": Using horror to talk about the real world.
05:26 — The Book Banning Issue: Why "bloody axes" get a pass in the Bible Belt.
07:51 — Intentional Storytelling: Raising awareness for the troubled teen industry.
09:44 — The dual timeline obsession: Crafting Hatchet Girls and The Silenced.
12:06 — The Full Story: 9/11, hotel reporting, and the dream that changed everything.
15:59 — You can't take the journalist out of the writer: Research and factual history.
17:28 — What’s Next: Adult horror anthologies and secret projects.
19:01 — The "Training" Phase: Why authors find it hard to look back at old work.

Follow Diana Rodriguez Wallach:

Website: dianarodriguezwallach.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianawallachauthor/

Follow Talking Horror Podcast:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd

Kiersten White (New York Times bestselling author of Hide and Mister Magic) joins Rachel Redd on Talking Horror to explore why horror is the ultimate tool for navigating religious trauma, from the "invisible" God of a high-control childhood to the cathartic power of a cursed children’s show.

In this episode, Kiersten and Rachel dive into:

• Religious trauma and the "sucky foundation" of being raised in a high-control Mormon environment.
• Dismantling purity culture and the process of "healing the shit out of" trauma through fiction.
• Why Mister Magic serves as a "holy grail" for survivors seeking to reclaim their identity from toxic beliefs.
• The millennial horror of Hide: sacrificing the next generation for a measly $50,000 and the "unlikability" of human desperation.
• Giving Lucy Westenra her groove back: reclaiming Dracula’s most tragic victim through a queer, feminist lens.
• The "T-shirt book deal" and the secrets to writing for iconic franchises like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Wars.
• The real star of the show: Kimberly, the 40-pound, "opportunistic omnivore" tortoise living in Kiersten’s backyard.

Whether you're a "self-proclaimed chicken" who loves scary stories, an author navigating the "murky areas" of different genres, or a survivor looking for the hope and catharsis hidden in the dark, this one is for you.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Intro: Does horror still scare a professional horror writer?
• 01:47 — Why horror? Taking control of childhood fears.
• 03:16 — Forbidden stories: Growing up in a high-control religious environment.
• 08:33 — The "Twilight" effect and accidentally starting a career in YA.
• 10:50 — Writing for teens vs. adults: Hope vs. "we’re on our own".
• 13:39 — Re-imaginings: Having a creative conversation with Dracula and Frankenstein.
• 18:02 — The "Sunnydale" T-shirt deal and pitching a Ben Solo novel.
• 23:49 — Balancing ADHD, humor, and darkness across different "cookie jars".
• 29:09 — Hide: Greek myths, reality TV, and the horror of the American system.
• 36:50 — Religious Trauma: Why Mister Magic is for the people "crying in the DMs".
• 47:25 — Reclaiming Lucy Westenra: Why the men in Dracula are the real villains.
• 54:26 — The Fox and the Devil: Forensic science, world fairs, and joyful queerness.
• 1:08:17 — Meet Kimberly: The dinosaur-sized tortoise in the backyard.
• 1:10:06 — Upcoming projects: Graphic novels and Wild and Wicked.

Follow the Guest (Kiersten White):

• Website: kierstenwhite.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkierstenwhite

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!

Paulette Kennedy didn't finish a single manuscript until age 44. Her debut novel published at 46. Now Paulette Kennedy is one of gothic suspense's most talked-about voices, and this conversation is exactly why.

In this episode, bestselling author Paulette Kennedy pulls back the curtain on her unexpected path to publication, the pandemic grocery run that sparked The Devil and Mrs. Davenport, and why she believes dark fiction isn't just entertainment, but one of the safest ways to explore what makes us human. We go deep on grief, weaponized religion, "punchable" villains, and how her stunning new novel The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael is really a story about transformation and what you do with the time you have left.

Whether you're a lifelong gothic fiction fan or just discovering the genre, this one will stay with you.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Intro: Meet Paulette Kennedy & the "punchable" villain

00:43 — How the Brontës, VC Andrews & Stephen King shaped her voice

03:06 — The book that made her want to write (Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier)

04:04 — ADHD, unfinished manuscripts, and not publishing until 46

06:21 — The real (unglamorous) truth about early writing life

07:50 — Her morning ritual: 5 AM, candles, film scores & flow state

09:23 — Where story ideas come from — and when they don't

11:31 — Plotter vs. Pantser: why she now does both

13:40 — Working with a developmental editor & finding your craft

14:50 — Her hardest book to write (and why it became her bestseller)

17:03 — The pandemic grocery run that became The Devil and Mrs. Davenport

19:32 — Faith vs. religion — and how religion gets weaponized

21:30 — Writing grief from the inside: "I've lost pretty much everyone"

24:02 — Feeling like a midlister despite massive success

28:33 — Why writing faster made her writing better

30:15 — The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael: toxic families & sibling rivalry

33:29 — Crafting villains readers love to hate

35:33 — Why dark fiction matters more than people think

36:17 — Balancing emotional depth with thriller momentum

37:41 — Why she keeps choosing historical fiction (and how she picks the era)

40:05 — A full year of research: archives, maps, diaries & location visits

42:20 — Writing race, LGBTQ+ oppression & abuse in historical contexts

45:19 — The Death tarot card, transformation, and "what am I doing with my time?"

48:01 — The magic of readers finding themselves in your pages

48:48 — Why readers are drawn to the dark side

50:05 — When to make your antagonist supernatural vs. human

52:16 — What's next: future genres & upcoming projects

📚 Connect with Paulette Kennedy:

🌐 Website:

paulettekennedy.com

📸 Instagram:

@pkennedywrites

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!