Chuck Tingle joins Talking Horror to talk Fabulous Bodies, the pink mask, and why love is the ultimate weapon against the cosmic void. In this episode, Rachel Redd sits down with the USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus, Bury Your Gays, and Lucky Day for a wide-ranging conversation on horror, empathy, and creating without fear.

Chuck opens up about the surprising life-or-death story behind the pink mask and how it eased his chronic pain, why he never writes to market and has hit the jackpot twice by following his soul, and how believing humanity is innately good lets him write villains you actually understand. Plus the Collateral-meets-monster idea that sparked Fabulous Bodies, why he builds novels like screenplays as a self-taught outsider artist, and a gratitude practice built on succulents and Cheetos.

Timestamps:
00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Chuck Tingle
04:32 – Baby Chuck: A Storyteller From the Start
09:32 – Dungeons and Dragons at Four and the Primal Urge to Tell Stories
12:16 – Drawn to the Taboo: Horror, Erotica, and Punk Rock Art
15:00 – Horror as the Metal of Writing (and Why Dark Romance Is Wilder)
18:39 – Self-Publishing the First Tingler
22:00 – Building a Utopia: The Politics of the Tingleverse
25:08 – Where Chuck Feels Most Artistically Fulfilled
26:38 – Hope as Innate, Not Intentional
30:12 – Never Writing to Market: Hitting the Jackpot Twice
33:57 – Authenticity on the Page and Art as Subconscious Communication
36:32 – The Pink Mask: Safety, Anonymity, and Coming Out
39:29 – How the Mask Eased Chronic Pain and Saved His Life
44:51 – The Mask as Amplifier: Becoming a Symbol
50:11 – Talking Camp Damascus and the Cost of Apathy
53:41 – Why Chuck Believes Humanity Is Innately Good
56:13 – Fabulous Bodies: Writing an Unlikable Hero and a Fun Villain
59:34 – The Slow Burn of Lucky Day and the Power of a Deep Cut
01:04:16 – Hit Singles vs. Art House: Reading His Own Catalog
01:07:47 – The Outsider Artist Who Writes Novels Like Screenplays
01:08:36 – Collateral Meets a Monster: The Origin of Fabulous Bodies
01:10:38 – Where Does Love Come From? The Heart of Fabulous Bodies
01:16:06 – Succulents, Cheetos, and a Daily Gratitude Practice

Grab your copy of Fabulous Bodies: https://amzn.to/4fNjB2z

Connect with Chuck Tingle:
Website: https://www.chucktingle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chucktingle/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realchucktingle
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/chucktingle

Follow Talking Horror Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd

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Join Rachel Redd as she chats with Brian McAuley, a USA Today bestselling author whose slasher novels blend cinematic tension, deep emotional trauma, and genuine heart. Brian shares his journey from screenwriter to novelist, his horror origin story, and how his years in Hollywood shaped the characters and settings in his books.

Key Topics:

• Brian's horror origin story, from Goosebumps to Are You Afraid of the Dark to Evil Dead
• How watching Scream at age ten sealed his fate as a horror writer
• His path from NYU film school to working as a WGA screenwriter in Hollywood
• Why he thinks the slasher is the purest form of horror
• Turning a rejected screenplay into his debut novel, Curse of the Reaper
• The reality of querying agents and selling a first book in traditional publishing
• Crafting psychological dread on the page without relying on constant action
• Using Alzheimer's and addiction as parallel character struggles in Curse of the Reaper
• Toxic wellness culture as the setting for Breathe In, Bleed Out
• His take on the final girl trope and rewriting it on his own terms
• What's next, including his upcoming Renaissance fair slasher, Fairly Bad Ways to Die

Timestamps:
00:01 - Introducing Brian McAuley, USA Today bestselling author
01:37 - Stoker Con and the surprising warmth of the horror community
05:14 - Brian's horror origin story: Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Evil Dead
09:17 - Discovering slashers through Scream at age ten
12:15 - Studying screenwriting and film at NYU
14:04 - Breaking into Hollywood and becoming a WGA screenwriter
17:24 - The transition from screenwriting to novel writing
20:55 - Querying sixty agents and selling Curse of the Reaper
24:35 - How the horror publishing boom has changed since he started
25:43 - Teaching screenwriting at Arizona State University
28:07 - Building Howard and Trevor's relationship in Curse of the Reaper
34:13 - Crafting claustrophobic psychological dread on the page
36:39 - Using Alzheimer's and addiction as mirrored character struggles
41:39 - Writing Candy Kane Kills for the Killer VHS series
49:05 - Toxic wellness culture and the inspiration behind Breathe In, Bleed Out
56:20 - Choreographing kill scenes in novels versus screenplays
59:18 - Rethinking the final girl trope
67:14 - Brian's next book, Fairly Bad Ways to Die, a Renaissance fair slasher

Resources & Links:

• Brian McAuley on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22356963.Brian_McAuley
• Breathe In, Bleed Out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3R2jFmw

Connect with Brian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianmcwriter/
• Website: https://www.brianmcwriter.com/

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!

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_


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!