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/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd

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