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/

Instagram: @johannavanveen1997

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42245290.Johanna_van_Veen

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 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/

Goodreads: 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/

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!

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/

Follow Talking Horror Podcast:

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

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