In this episode, Daniel sits down with Tim Lebbon — award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels across horror, fantasy, thriller, and tie-in fiction, including The Secret Lives of the Dead, The Silence, and novels set in the Alien, Predator, Firefly, Conan, and Halo universes.

Tim returns to the chair for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about building a long-term writing career, finding community in horror, and staying creatively sane in an increasingly noisy, online world. They discuss book tours, conventions, imposter syndrome, drafting chaos, novellas versus novels, and why horror writers might just be the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

This episode is a grounded, generous look at the realities of writing over decades — the wins, the doubts, the friendships, and the work that keeps you going.

• How The Secret Lives of the Dead evolved from a crime novel into folk-tinged horror
• Why horror conventions and community friendships can make or break a writing career
• How Tim navigates imposter syndrome — even after thirty years in publishing
• The difference between writing novels and novellas (and why novellas may be his best work)
• What drafting actually looks like for a “panster” — and why the first draft is really the plan
• The realities of writing tie-in fiction for Halo, Alien, and Conan
• Why social media is becoming less useful — and how to protect your creative focus
• Tim’s advice for new writers trying to find their place in the horror community

Tim Lebbon’s website: https://www.timlebbon.net

The Secret Lives of the Dead (Titan Books): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Lives-Dead-Tim-Lebbon/dp/1789099732

British Fantasy Convention: https://britishfantasysociety.org

StokerCon (Horror Writers Association): https://www.horror.org/stokercon

Frank Turner (mentioned): https://frank-turner.com

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow horror fan or writer.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@devilsrockbooks

🎧 Listen on your favourite app: https://pod.link/1829723468

💬 Join the community: https://www.devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

Tim Lebbon is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author with a career spanning over three decades. He has written more than fifty novels, dozens of novellas, and hundreds of short stories across horror, fantasy, and science fiction. His work includes original novels such as The Silence (adapted into a Netflix film) and The Secret Lives of the Dead, as well as tie-in fiction for Alien, Predator, Hellboy, Star Wars, Firefly, Conan, and Halo.

Tim lives in South Wales, writes daily, walks his dog every morning, and firmly believes horror is where we work our darkest thoughts out — so we can be kinder everywhere else.

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In this behind-the-scenes Twisted Tales Diaries episode, Daniel Willcocks and his co-author R.P. Howley sit down to reflect on five months of their “Goosebumps for grown-ups” horror series — from the chaos of launch day to the lessons learned from writing, publishing, and growing the Twisted Tales brand.

They share an honest look at the realities of indie horror publishing, co-authoring across busy lives, and finding joy (and sustainability) in the process — plus a few exclusive teases about what’s coming next.

🩸 IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL DISCOVER

•How Twisted Tales has evolved since Jack, Heir, and Slay hit shelves

•Why collaboration is both a creative blessing and a logistical nightmare (in the best way)

•Real-world sales and KU data from the first five months

•How to build a horror series that’s sustainable, joyful, and audience-focused

•A sneak peek at Book Four: Deal — and what 2026 might bring

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

📚 Read the series: https://twistedtalesbooks.com

💬 Join the Devil’s Rock community: https://devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

🎧 Listen to all episodes: https://pod.link/1829723468

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@devilsrockbooks

🧠 ABOUT THE HOSTS

Daniel Willcocks and R.P. Howley are UK-based horror authors and co-creators of the Twisted Tales series — fast-paced, standalone horror novellas for readers who grew up on Goosebumps and still crave a good scare. Together, they explore the darker corners of storytelling while building the Devil’s Rock horror universe.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Daniel sits down with James Kennedy — author of the genre-bending horror novel Bride of the Tornado, which was selected by The Guardian as one of the best SFF/horror books of September 2023.

James shares how he created one of the most original and unsettling horror tales of recent years, blending Ray Bradbury nostalgia, Lynchian dread, and the visceral terror of the American Midwest. Together, they discuss genre expectations, experimental writing, and the dangers of commercial conformity. This is an episode for the bold, the curious, and the beautifully terrible people among us.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why Bride of the Tornado defies genre — and how it nearly cost James his agent.

What David Lynch and Ray Bradbury taught him about mystery, horror, and dream logic.

The deep cultural horror of small towns, cult rituals, and being “nobody-ized.”

Why he never names his protagonists (and why it makes you complicit).

How embracing the strange can create unforgettable art — even if some people hate it.

Links & Resources:

James Kennedy’s website: https://www.jameskennedy.com

Bride of the Tornado on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Tornado-James-Kennedy-ebook/dp/B0BWF5M7TD

90-Second Newbery Film Festival: https://www.90secondnewbery.com

The Secrets of Story Podcast: https://www.secretsofstory.com

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

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/iamjameskennedy

Subscribe to The Writer’s Chair:

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your weirdest friends.

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@devilsrockbooks

🎧 Listen on your favourite app: https://pod.link/1829723468

💬 Join the community: https://www.devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

📚 About the Guest

James Kennedy is the author of Bride of the Tornado, Dare to Know, and The Order of Odd-Fish. His work has been praised for its unflinching weirdness, literary elegance, and unapologetic originality. He’s also the founder of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival and co-host of the Secrets of Story podcast. He lives in Chicago and welcomes terrible readers everywhere.

Find him at https://www.jameskennedy.com or @iamjameskennedy on socials.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.