What if your deepest trauma gave birth to the monster that saved you? In this revealing and powerful episode, we sink our teeth into a transformative conversation with a horror author and former teacher who quite literally wrote his way through pain—by creating werewolves.
After surviving a devastating car accident that left him with a broken back and a new reality filled with PTSD, nightmares, and cognitive setbacks, our guest found traditional therapy wasn't enough. What helped him claw his way out? Horror. Writing. Monsters. And a full moon’s worth of metaphor.
We explore how horror stories—particularly werewolves—became a vessel for healing, expression, and identity. From early literary love affairs with The Hobbit and Tales from the Crypt, to sneaking horror flicks as a kid, to launching a publishing press for authors seeking catharsis through darkness, this episode shows how horror isn’t just scary—it’s sacred.
What We Talk About in This Episode:
Links & Resources:
🐺 Visit Reader2Writer.com to explore books and the new Dead Avenue anthology
📚 Interested in writing horror as healing? Keep an eye on Reader to Writer Press for future submissions
🎧 Follow Horror Heals for more stories where the shadows offer shelter
Thank you for listening to Horror Heals.
Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.
If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.
You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.
Horror Heals is produced by How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC.
Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.
