Author Interview Episodes

Middle Grade Horror with Author John Ward
Oct. 29, 2025

Middle Grade Horror with Author John Ward

In this episode of Killer Prose, Tanner sits down with John Ward, author of the Scareville series, to discuss the nuances of writing middle-grade and adult horror. John shares his journey into writing, including early influences like Goosebumps, his writing process, and how he approaches crafting horror stories for younger audiences. They get into the challenges of transitioning between middle-grade and adult horror, the importance of updating horror for modern audiences, and practical advice fo...
Story Evolution and Writing Processes with R.M. Galardo
Oct. 13, 2025

Story Evolution and Writing Processes with R.M. Galardo

In this episode of Killer Prose, Tanner sits down with author R.M. Galardo to discuss her latest book, 'Traveler,' and its development from her initial work, 'Sister.' They talk about the complexities of series writing, exploring how 'Heirloom' evolved into 'Traveler' and the lessons learned during the writing journey. The conversation also highlights the importance of writing courses and communities, particularly Holly's Writing Classes, and the specific tools, like the Octopus Map used for plo...
Horror Book Cover Design with Ruth Anna Evans
June 14, 2025

Horror Book Cover Design with Ruth Anna Evans

In this episode of Killer Pros, Tanner chats with cover designer Ruth Anna Evans about all aspects of cover design. They discuss Ruth's career, her approach to designing book covers, and the intricacies of working with a cover designer, including licensing. Ruth shares her journey from designing covers for her own books due to budget constraints to becoming a professional cover designer. The conversation also covers the importance of typography, lighting, texture, and focal points in creating ef...
Insights on Editing with Meriah Gutterson of Marked Up Editing
May 15, 2025

Insights on Editing with Meriah Gutterson of Marked Up Editing

In this episode of the Killer Pros podcast, host Tanner interviews Meriah Gutterson, an experienced editor from Marked Up Editing. They discuss the editing process, the importance of maintaining story continuity, and the common mistakes new authors make. Mariah shares valuable insights on how to work with an editor and the benefits of early consultation. She also provides tips for character development, maintaining an author's voice, and meeting reader expectations. They touch upon the intricaci...
Brad Ricks on Exploring the Intersection of Horror and Action in Fiction
April 22, 2025

Brad Ricks on Exploring the Intersection of Horror and Action in Fiction

In this episode of the Killer Pros, Tanner interviews author Brad Ricks about his new series, 'The Night Crew.' They discuss the intricacies of blending horror with action thriller elements, the evolution of writing styles, and the challenges of creating authentic and engaging stories. Brad shares insights into his writing process, character development, and the motivation behind his vampire lore, while also touching on the importance of accurate details and the collaborative nature of indie pub...
J.D. Barker on Co-authoring, Career Insights, and Publishing Trends
Jan. 16, 2025

J.D. Barker on Co-authoring, Career Insights, and Publishing Trends

In this episode of Killer Prose, I interview J.D. Barker, an international and New York Times bestselling author known for titles like 'The Fourth Monkey,' 'Dracul,' and his upcoming novel, 'We Don't Talk About Emma.' J.D. discusses his new book, his co-authoring process, and his unique deal with Simon & Schuster. He shares insights into his writing and publishing journey, the changes in the industry, and his approach to mentoring new authors. The conversation also touches on innovative marketin...
Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar on Finding Balance and Writing Craft
Dec. 1, 2024

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar on Finding Balance and Writing Craft

In this episode of Killer Prose Podcast, Tanner is joined by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar, an accomplished writer and associate English professor in Pennsylvania. With her work featured in over forty creative publications, including The Horror...
Lee Mountford on Writing Full Time
Nov. 24, 2024

Lee Mountford on Writing Full Time

In this episode of Killer Prose, we’re joined by Lee Mountford, the bestselling author behind the Haunted and Darkfall series. Lee shares his journey to becoming a full-time indie author, offering insights into planning and writing series,...
Ivy Tholen on being an Indie Author
Sept. 8, 2024

Ivy Tholen on being an Indie Author

Ivy Tholen is the author of “Tastes Like Candy," “Maul Rats,” and the upcoming "Mother Dear." She lives in Los Angeles. Don’t mention “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” to her, or she will never shut up. In this episode, we...
Writing is a Discipline with Andrew Najberg
Aug. 24, 2024

Writing is a Discipline with Andrew Najberg

Today I'm joined by author, Andrew Najberg. Andrew is the author of the best-selling (#1 US Horror Amazon) novels The Mobius Door (Wicked House Publishing, 2023) and Gollitok (Wicked House Publishing, 2023), as well as The Neverborn Thief...
Bryan Alaspa on Inspiration and Writing Craft
Aug. 7, 2024

Bryan Alaspa on Inspiration and Writing Craft

Today I'm joined by Bryan Alaspa. Bryan wrote his first short story in the third grade, way back in the 70s. He's now the author of more than 60 books and novels, all of them on the dark side of life. In today's episode Brian and I talk about craft,...
Clay Stafford On Killer Nashville And Breaking Into The Industry
July 18, 2024

Clay Stafford On Killer Nashville And Breaking Into The Industry

In today's episode, I'm joined by Clay Stafford. We cover pretty much everything. We talk about the opportunities at the Killer Nashville Conference, trad publishing vs self publishing, and getting out there and meeting agents.  Clay Stafford is...
Brad Rick on Debut Author
July 4, 2024

Brad Rick on Debut Author

Today, I'm joined by horror author Brad Ricks. Brad talks about his debut novel Fear Not the Dead, his path to writing and publication, and his feelings on the craft.  We also get into playing with timelines, and why he writes horror. You can...
Breaking Into Horror with MJ Mars
Nov. 22, 2023

Breaking Into Horror with MJ Mars

MJ Mars, author of The Suffering from Wicked House Press, drops by today to share what it was like to break into the horror genre, her process, and some a few personal stories. MJ has been featured in a plethora of magazines, anthologies, and podcasts...
Blaine Daigle on Writing with All Five Senses
Nov. 8, 2023

Blaine Daigle on Writing with All Five Senses

On today's episode, I'm joined by Blaine Daigle, author of The Broken Places from Wicked House Publishing. We spend about 45 minute diving deep into his process, how he uses Pro Writing Aid and Autocrit, and how he writes scenes that invoke such deep...
Breathing New Life Into Old Tropes with Andrew Najberg
June 30, 2023

Breathing New Life Into Old Tropes with Andrew Najberg

Following genre expectations is key to connecting with readers. But how do you stand out? How do you create something new inside of established structures. In today's episode I talk shop with internationally published author and writing processor...
Edward Morris on Alphabet of Lightening
Feb. 16, 2023

Edward Morris on Alphabet of Lightening

Edward Morris joins us to discuss his new book Alphabet of Lighting. We talk about starting out as a professional writer, building relationships with other authors, finding your voice, and so much more. Edward shared some amazing advice and lessons...
Lee Mountford on Building a Terrifying Brand
Jan. 26, 2022

Lee Mountford on Building a Terrifying Brand

Lee Mountford is the author of several books including the Haunted Series (Haunted: Perron Manor) and Supernatural Horror Series. You can find his work on Amazon and on Kindle Unlimited. On today's show we geek out about the craft of horror writing...
RM Galardo on Creating Fulton Hills Revision and World Building
Nov. 15, 2021

RM Galardo on Creating Fulton Hills Revision and World Building

Author and podcast Host RM Galardo joins us to talk about creating her world, her novel Sister, and why revision is so important. You can finder her work on amazon, follow her on Instagram @rmgalardo, and email her at rebecca@rebeccagalardo.com ...
L.C. Valentine X In Space
Oct. 17, 2021

L.C. Valentine X In Space

L.C. Valentine is the author of The Last Girls Standing and the Prequel Novella The Last Girls Standing: The Beginning. Both are available on Amazon. L.C. sits down with us today to discuss publishing with an indie press, slashers, and writing form...
Arjay Lewis on building an award winning indie career
Sept. 30, 2021

Arjay Lewis on building an award winning indie career

Arjay Lewis is the winner of 35 awards in indie publishing. In our conversation this week, we cover everything from creature creation to business structure. Arjay also shares tips on blurb writing, marketing, and tricks for self-editing and...
David Sodergren on being an Indie Horror Author
Sept. 12, 2021

David Sodergren on being an Indie Horror Author

David Sodergren is the author of six novels including Maggie's Grave and Night Shoot. David has been publishing his works under his Paperbacks and Pugs imprint. He joins us today to talk about being an indie author, publishing his works, co-authoring...