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

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

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