Ashley Winstead on Revenge Writing, Cults, and Toxic Ambition

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