Bookwild - Audra McElyea's Hush, Dear Sister: An Ex-Hollywood Star, A Haunted Mansion and The Red Carpet Killer

Episode Date: September 20, 2024

This week, I talk with Audra McElyea about her newest thriller Hush Dear Sister.  We dive into the inspiration behind the story, the Gothic mansion as its own character, complex sister dynamics and the freedom of self-publishing.Hush Dear Sister SynopsisAfter a tragic accident she can’t quite remember, forty-something-year-old beloved Hollywood actress Annette Taylor finds herself bound to a wheelchair with several injuries. Living in Crawford Manor, the Gothic Hollywood mansion from the film that made her famous, has become too much for her to handle alone, so she must rely on her estranged, child-star sister, Sophia, to help take care of her.Shortly after a serial killer targeting actresses emerges, the sisters agree to be filmed in the house together for renowned producer and director Frank Baxter’s new documentary about their life. Only Annette seems to be getting worse, and the rumored hauntings inside Crawford Manor prove to be more than just Hollywood legend.When Annette’s ex-fiancé, Charlie, and her actress best friend, Monroe, grow suspicious of Sophia’s motives, they plan to remove her from Annette’s house, but more trouble ensues when they're faced with accusations of their own. Everyone finds themselves at odds with one another in a race against time and a serial killer, but trying to figure out what happened the night of Annette’s accident and how it’s connected to the Red-Carpet Killer could give them all the answers they’re looking for.  Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian 

I wanted to kind of have like this Gothic revival house that felt like equal parts beautiful and equal parts creepy to kind of be a character. I wanted the house to be a character because our main character, she really, I guess was kind of burst into the Hollywood scene based on this thriller movie she was in that was filmed in this house that was rumored to be haunted. This week I got to talk with a repeat guest of the podcast, Audra Madre M. McAulier about her newest thriller, Hush Dear Sister, which is a very twisty Hollywood thriller set in a gothic mansion with a serial killer on the loose. So if that doesn't already grab your attention, here's the whole synopsis. After a tragic accident, she can't quite remember. 40-something-year-old beloved Hollywood actress, actress Annette Taylor, finds herself bound to a wheelchair with several injuries. living in Crawford Manor, the Gothic Hollywood Mansion from the film that made her famous,

has become too much for her to handle alone, so she must rely on her estranged child star sister, Sophia, to help take care of her. Shortly after a serial killer targeting actresses emerges, the sisters agreed to be filmed in a house together for renowned producer and director Frank Baxter's new documentary about their life. Only Annette seems to be getting worse, and the rumored hauntings inside Crawford Manor proved to be more than just Hollywood. legend. When Annette's ex-fiancee, Charlie, and her actress best friend Monroe grow suspicious of Sophia's motives, they plan to remove her from Annette's house, but more trouble ensues when they're faced with accusations of their own. Everyone finds themselves at odds with one another in a race

against time and a serial killer, but trying to figure out what happened, the night of Annette's accident, and how it's connected to the red carpet killer could give them all the answers they're looking for. You know, I love Hollywood. You know, I love a thriller and you know, I love Audrey McLeer and her crazy twists. So you can imagine how quickly I devoured this one. And I can't wait for you guys to hear about it from Andra. So that being said, let's get into it. I'm super excited to talk about your third thriller. This is three years in a row, actually. Your three Pete guests now. Yeah. Yeah. It's just super fun. But, We're going to talk a little bit about hush to your sister, which is, as everyone just kind of heard, a very fun Hollywood thriller with a big, creepy, gothic Hollywood mansion at the center of it all.

So very vibe, very atmospheric. I feel like I read it in like two days. I can't remember. It was a while ago, but I feel like I just burned through it. So I'm excited to talk about it. Yeah. Was there anything different? that you noticed with writing this one compared to your other ones?

I mean, this is the only psychological thrillers, but they all have kind of different subgenres, I would say. And this is the first that has a paranormal subgenre. So that was really fun for me to get into it and scare myself. I know. I've wondered about that. Like, do you ever scare yourself so much that it's like what you're waking up in the middle of the night thinking about? yeah so like when I was doing final edits and it had been to an editor and it came back to me and then it went to like a line editor and came back to me and I'd had a few months where I hadn't really read it and then I was going through and just kind of proofreading my husband came in to our bedroom one night when I was proofreading and I was like I was like I was like through everything and I was just like where did you go from he's like why are you so jittered I was like this is scary he's like you wrote it I'm scared it all. It's not real. You waded it all up. Yeah. I would get myself.

Yeah. I believe it. I, my husband's gone this week. So it's just me. I don't know why I said it that awkwardly. But I like normally don't get, like, things don't like always stick with me. Like I'm not typically someone who wakes up in the middle of the night scared. But two nights ago, my dog would not stop just like barking towards the hallway. like at three in the morning and I was alone and all of a sudden there is I won't say what movie it was but there was a movie we saw like last month and there is this terrifying reveal that someone had gotten into her house when she wasn't paying attention and like she realizes it and then there's this like she like turns the corner and it's just like this huge guy in the house with her And so, like, I saw that like six weeks ago, but my dog's like barking toward the hallway. And all of a sudden, that image is just like in my head. And I'm like, oh my God.

Like, and it's just like just like just dark enough that you're just really freaking yourself out. And you can even tell you're like not going to be scared when you wake up in the morning. But in the moment, you're like, there's someone in my hallway. Oh, it's terrible. I know. I don't know what he was barking at to this day. So. Oh.

Yeah, I don't like that. I know. He just kept barking. And I was like, bro, you are terrifying me right now. Yeah. And the cats, I swear, cats are worse because they won't, you know, bark. But they'll make these, like, they'll be like this. And they'll, like, look in one spot for like half an hour. And you're like, what is that?

I don't say anything. Oh, my gosh. And do yours? Because I've, we've never own cats. I'm allergic. But I was just hearing someone else on a podcast talking about how they get zoomies in the middle of the night. Do yours do that too?

Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh, that would be crazy, just hearing it run a cat running around. They're so funny. Yeah, I know. They do crack me up in videos. They just make my eyes itchy. So just dogs over here.

Oh, really? Yeah. So I was never allergic to cats until I had my second baby. And they say if you have a traumatic event, it can change our allergies. And so his birth is kind of dramatic. for me and then like months later I was like sick and sick and sick and sick and I was like the most allergic to cats when I went to to get tested oh my even though had been tested several times before and never had cats come up so now I can't have any cats.

So last year when my cat passed away um we didn't get another one I'm sad I don't have any cats oh well I have a dog yeah at least there's this that at least there's that. Yeah. Well, I'll distract your mind for you here. What was your initial inspiration for Hush to your sister? Well, I won't name the movie because it's almost, it's almost a modern retelling of this movie, so it would ruin the plot twist for you. But it's, honestly, it's the combination of three movies. Actually, I'm not going to tell you two of them, because it's kind of the plot twist really has to do with these two old noir type movies. But I can kind of tell you what they're kind of about.

But they're, I mean, they're both about, well, no, I can't say that. It's so hard. That's really all I can say. Yeah. I always inspired by old movies. You know, I was raised on like NCM and Hitchcock and all that kind of stuff. So actually, these two movies weren't Hitchcock. So I'm not spoiling anything by saying that.

But I usually get like two or three movies and kind of marry them together. And like if they had a baby, it would be this book. And that's kind of what I do for most of my books, except for that one that I dreamt the plot of. But I mean, that's kind of like my go-to system. Marry some books that have nothing to do with each other. So it was like these two old movies meets The Truman Show. We're mine. I'm not going to tell you the two old movies, which you probably know, but listeners, I don't want them to know.

But it's kind of a mix of those three movies. So it was definitely unique and interesting. Yeah. So we never put the Truman Show with these two old thriller type movies. Right. Yeah. That we were talking about it a little bit before. But it is like the synopsis like needs to be longer.

Because there are just so many threads. going on. So I can see how it's a combination of different things coming together for sure. Right. And this is the first book that I've ever written as well, where I actually created a cast for every character before I wrote them. So I had actors in place and like studied their mannerisms and really like went in hard on those actors. So that's really cool. I knew I knew you had really specific ones in mind. I didn't know that it was like, from the beginning you kind of knew. Yeah.

That's cool. Yeah. Well, the other adjacent to casting, it does take place in Hollywood and kind of covers child stardom and some of the stuff that happened there. So did you do any research into like the lives of child stars? Or did you kind of already just like have it there as an interest? Honestly, I've been so obsessed with like everything Hollywood. and, you know, lots of famous people in their lives and all that, like, my entire life that I'd already just know a ton of it, like a ton of useless information. And so I really just was able to dump all that in there.

That's cool. Tons of documentaries, tons of reality TV, tons of old movies, new movies, TV shows, like, you know, all of it. All of that e-news. Yes. all the years of EMZ, just all of it. Yeah. So the, and it takes place in this really Gothic, maybe haunted mansion. So where kind of like the setting is almost a character as well. So is that something kind of in place from the beginning for you?

Like did you know like that was going to be a big part of the bottom? Yeah. For sure. I wanted to kind of have like this got. Revival House that felt like equal parts beautiful and equal parts creepy to kind of be a character. I wanted the house to be a character because our main character, she really, I guess, was kind of burst into the Hollywood scene based on this thriller movie she was in that was filmed in this house that was rumored to be haunted. And then she filmed the movie there. She fell in love with the house. She bought the house after the film wrapped, and then she's been there for 15 years since. So it's definitely a big part of her life, and, you know, it's kind of like a child or a sibling or

something to her that's very close. And so it's definitely a character, and it has, you know, it's named Crawford Manor, so it's not just house, you know, it has his name. And it definitely has a lot of history and it's just a fun character. I love, you know, anything that feels like Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo with Secret Passageways and maybe the attic's haunted, maybe the basement's really creepy, like all of that. I mean, all of the things that you love about a maybe haunted house are in there. Yeah. But it's not an old decrepit house. It's also like at the same time this beautiful manner. Yeah. I wanted to live there. That's for sure. Yeah. Yeah. I do too. I think it would be I like it a lot. I can't remember if this was you or someone else I was talking to. Was there

a real mansion that you kind of like worked off of? I might be completely. Yeah, I did. I had a few when I started writing it. And then when I did the cover, I like really integrated it in there. The house on the cover even, well, the way that the cover is, it kind of looks all pink. But if you were to take that filter off, it has like stained glass and some of the windows, which I just, describe in the book and like the archways and all the types of windows and everything are really based off of that house in the cover. So that's one good thing about getting to do the covers yourself is that you can really make it fit the story. Yes. Yeah. I really, I really do. I like doing that. Yeah. Is there anything else while we're on the topic of that actually? Is there has there been

anything else you've noticed that you really love about self-publishing? I mean, I like to call it my Audra's version. Yeah, yeah. All the Taylor's version and stuff. But honestly, it's just like owning the rights. Because you can sell your books however you want, wherever you want, for whatever price you want to whoever you want, you know, wherever, however. However, I mean, you call all the shots, covers, people are really, a lot of people

don't like people's faces on covers. And so I don't really. I don't really either. So I definitely don't want that on my covers. And I get to go with more of an aesthetic that kind of fits the story. That's kind of my thing. I just really like having like all creative control because I'm a control freak anyway. And, you know, I don't know.

I just like everything about it, to be honest. I love selling on TikTok shop because, you know, I can kind of have like that book signing experience with people where I'm not just like a name on a book like they know me. they know my face and then I'm personalizing their books to them and getting to know people. So it's not just like, oh, you made this much money at such and such store and it's just a number. Like I actually know people's names and faces and get to know them. So and none of that would be possible if I weren't doing it myself. Right. So it's all, I don't know.

It just feels more involved. I feel like I'm more involved. Yeah. That's a cool perspective. And the whole process. Yeah. It is cool because it's like I've talked about it a few times. My dog is like stomping on my feet right now.

When I first went to start the podcast like years ago, I just, I didn't even know how many people would respond. And so I reached out to like six authors and like five of them even responded. And I was like, oh, okay, I guess I can do this. But it was like even though I knew I like wanted to talk about books, most likely with authors, that's how it started. it off. I wasn't thinking of how cool it was going to be to be connected to so many people. So like exactly what you were saying. It's cool with social media how like connected you can be to readers to authors like going both directions. And then it's cool like you're an example of like this is your third time on and I have a couple of others like that. So it is. It is fun when it can be

more of a community event. Yeah, because being an author, you really are by yourself a lot. If you have a publisher, you know, like they're always planning and doing a lot of things for you. So you don't feel like you really have a grasp of what's going on, like, on a personal level with readers as much. I wouldn't imagine, or at least I didn't when I had a book with a publisher. I just didn't know what was happening.

I didn't know the ends and outs of everything as much. So. And I definitely like to. like know everything. Yeah, it is just, it does sound just a little more autonomous. And yeah, like you also just like you're saying, you have a bigger grasp of like what's actually happening kind of. Right. Yeah. That's cool. So there's also kind of a complicated sister relationship dynamic going on. So how did you approach writing that relationship? well first of all um well this kind of goes back to the other question we were talking about earlier of like all the e-news child star type stuff was you know i wanted one to be you know that typical child star who got involved in bad things and really went one way and then i wanted one to be like a late bloomer who really you know grasped fame in a healthy way and so they're on opposite ends of success there so they're naturally going to have um

you know, jealousy and issues with each other. So I wanted them to really just from the get-go, from childhood, just have friction. And also, at the same time, since I have a sister in the title, I definitely wanted to dedicate the book to my sister, who we are both like the most non-confrontational people. and we never fight other than over our clothes when we were like in high school and college. Yeah. And so I definitely wanted it to be like, this is not about me and my sister.

Yes. Let me read the dedication. Yeah. Really quick. It's funny. It says, for my sister, Laura, thank God we aren't like these broads. I knew it was something. I could remember what it was.

But yeah, that's amazing. So I'm like, definitely wanted to. make that clear. So this is not based on experience, but I will say, I do have a lot of, you know, girlfriends growing up where, you know, them and their sisters were like, ah. So I had a lot to go off of.

Not based on me, but based on other people that I've experienced and, you know, just imagining what it would be like to have one sister be so successful later and one be kind of the breadwinner even as a child and then just

get hit rock bottom so fast. and so hard, only to see the other one rise up from that point. So, yeah. It's very juicy. It is. Yeah, they are, they are, like, the tables turn for them, essentially. And then they are more technically at odds with each other because of it. I feel like it's also probably one of those things where, like, since you're typically

living with your family and around them all this time, I'm assuming, like, if it's, like, if it's, like there's a little bit of tension in the relationship, then you're just around each other all the time. And so I'm sure it's less like elevated by that too, possibly. I don't know. I don't have a sister either. Well, and they had been estranged for 15 years. And then all of a sudden they're living in this house together. And they're filming this documentary. And they're trying to look a certain way and present that they have this certain kind of relationship on camera. And so it's It just makes for all kinds of just juicy things. Yeah, totally.

Well, and with the whole documentary aspect, you're kind of bringing up how they do. They are kind of, like, as we all know, once cameras are actually in front of you, like, you're going to behave a little bit different than when there aren't cameras in front of you. So, like, was that something you kind of wanted to play with as, like, a way to look at, like, especially in Hollywood, how common it is? to be like presenting one way when you're actually another. Yeah, I mean, for sure. Like, you know, they both have moments where they're strategically bringing up

certain things on camera that certainly could have been discussed off camera, just for the shock factor. Yeah. And, you know, they both do it to each other. They do. Yeah, there's a lot of competing going on. It goes both ways. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, no, it totally does. The other part that's going on or another thread that's going on is the red carpet killer. And I remember, like, I remember you posting about, like, needing to come up with a name. Yeah. I love that name, but were there any that you were, like, really close to choosing as well? Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I think there were, like, four or five that I was like, oh, I really like all these.

I cannot remember what they are. Oh, yeah. I don't remember what they are now. But there were. There was like, I think I narrowed it down to like four or five and have people vote. And everybody voted. Yeah. Red carpet killer.

Yeah, that's what I, that's what I was remembering. I thought it was something with a vote. Like, there was something like Hollywood. Hollywood this. Something. I don't remember what. I don't think it started with an age. But it was.

There were a lot. of them that were like, oh, they just were too, like, rhymy and sounded a little too hokey. And so I nixed all those. So we went with Red Carpacke. I wish I could remember that. I need to find that post. I know. It will be interesting.

Yeah. I have like this, I think it's called Audra McWillie's villain clan on Facebook. And so we do a lot of that kind of voting type of stuff there. And I'll, like, try to, I'll try to get a character name and I'll have a poll. or this or that or like for that you know we do a lot of fun things over there i know i need i need to add that link then too um what was the something came to mind just when you were saying all of that i wish i could remember all those names just left me oh i know i know some of them were pretty good yeah it's got it it is interesting when you go to like

name a killer because i feel you don't want it to be you don't want it to sound cute yeah yeah like you want it to be like catchy almost but you're like yeah this is still a killer technically right and then like those things happen in real life like you they always end up with not a killer but like you know just you know like brandjeline or whatever like things that people come up with that kind of go viral and become a hashtag they're never really on the nose yeah like what you think it would be a lot of times right so having it just be like where it runs or both started with an age or both started with this or that just seemed a little too hokey. So we just went with something that was just said what it was.

Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, it makes it makes sense. It gets the point across for sure. Right. Did you, with this one, did you know where it was headed with the ending when you were writing it? Or did you kind of discover it as you wrote?

Yeah, I'm definitely not one of those people that like start a setting. and characters and like, the characters are going to tell me this story and I don't know where it's going. Like, I can't do that. I'm very, I very much want to have like a very unique plot twist. And so I start out with just in my notes on my phone, I'll have lists of different plot twists. And if they're like a real wow factor, like will blow your mind and seem like unique and a little offbeat, then I will outline the whole book and then after I do that I'll write the book so I always know where it's going and I build the characters and the setting around the plot twist

so that's how I that's how I plan everything out so I always know the plot twist going into it and it's like I just can't wait to get there yeah that is a cool like I hadn't even thought of that like it is like then you're excited to just like write what you need to to get it up to that point I do remember you saying that from the beginning that like you work you and um Jamie Lynn Hendricks does the same thing like just like thinks of a twist and then like figures out how to fill it in but you do have some wild twists like it's been so I saw a podcast where Freedom McFadden does it exactly like I do and I was like that would make sense that that's awesome I love that that was the first time I'd heard anybody doing it exactly how I do it yeah you I hadn't heard it it

It was just you two that I knew of. But that makes sense because a lot of hers are definitely like built around like some shocking thing at the end. Because like, I mean, I'm sure people do it where it makes sense and it all comes together. But for me, if I'm starting and I'm writing like the setting and those characters and I don't really know where it's going, then I know I'm going to be married to everything that I wrote already. And if I get to the plot twist and those things aren't trickled in throughout, it's going to be so much work for me to go back and, and rework scenes to where, you know, well, if that happens down here, then this couldn't happen here and end up wasting a lot of time. So for me, I just, I have to be very strategic from

the get-go because I want to have little drops of clues throughout and, you know, not have anybody do something that conflicts with what is coming up with the plot twist, too. So. Right. It just makes sense. I know. I know, because that's what even people who say they do just kind of pants it. The common thing people seem to say, though, is like, what I have to do revision after revision after revision to make it make sense. I cannot. I cannot do it. No. I know. I know. That's how I get done. I'm pretty married to it, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that makes sense to me. Yeah. Which is what you were even saying. You're like, it makes sense. It just, yeah, it just does. Yeah. It just really does. Are you, are you working on

something else. I'm guessing that you are. Yes. I actually have the first chapter written of my next books. I finally caught up with myself. Yeah. And so I have like the cover done. I have the first chapter done. The whole thing's outlined. Like I know where it's going, obviously. It's just getting it down up to that plot twist is like the tedious part where I'm like, oh, I just want to be done and like polishing and editing and moving things around a little bit. And, The first 10 chapters, I'll say, are the hardest to get down. And then once I get that done, I'm pretty, I get into a flow. But right now, I'm like, I'm like, oh, I'll write a few paragraphs.

And I'm like, real housewives of New York. And I'm like, well, I got to write. I got to have some inspiration for a girl fight or something. I don't know. Yes. Oh, yeah. I know. It needs you'd be like, it's for research.

Yeah. It's my lunch break. Yeah, totally. It's just a fun lunch break. once I get through that hump, then I'm like a crazy person. Like I won't stop until I get it down. But those first like 10 or so chapters, I'm just like, oh, this is so hard. Yeah.

Oh, I bet. I know. That's what mine felt like now that I've, I met like I finally crossed over 50,000 words. And so now it like, it's, I'm having that same experience where I'm like, oh, I'm not having to establish as much stuff. and I know where it's headed and it like feels a little more real but like the beginning you're like

oh I just have to make up something out of nothing yes and then the more you kind of get your surroundings at least playing in your characters like you know they're all kind of described to where you kind of know what's going on and things can start happening

or it's you know I hate wasting time trying to think of like a name or you know what kind of tree I want to have been at this part. I mean, like, it has to all make sense with the time of year and what the location is. And I get so off track with like these little details that are wasting my time in my head, but they really are. Yeah. It's easy to get it. And sometimes you're like, well, maybe I do want to figure out the detail right now. And other times you're like, now I just keep writing.

Yeah. Just write three. Yes. Who cares? We'll go back and fix it later. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Well, where can people follow you? Okay, my voice is just going out. Everywhere. This day up to date. I pretty much get my name on everything. So I'm either Audra McAulier or Audra McAulier author on basically all forms of social media. Yeah.

Yeah. Or you can go to Audra McLeer.com and I have links to everything there. And you can order signed copies there. I have merch. I have info about all the books, but, you know, all my books are psychological thrillers, but like I said, they all have a little bit of a different subgenre. So you can kind of look into which one speaks to you the most at the moment. Yeah.

Grab it. Every time I've had like two or three friends read your books. Every time they're reading them, I'm always getting like a text, like when they're at like 90%. And they're like, what did I just read? Like everything. What? So it's always fun, like, knowing someone's reading it. And I'm like, I'm waiting for the, oh, my God, text. Right. That's like my goal in life. So, yeah.

What you've achieved in their life. I was up all night. I'm like, yes. Yes. I know. And it's the best feeling as a reader too. Yeah. I'm not going to apologize to you. That's what I want to. No, that was the goal. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. Well, I will add those links to the show notes for everyone. and I'll be talking to you soon, I'm sure, with another one. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I've got, if you see me has a sequel coming out next year. So after the one I write right now, which is kind of like a locked room mystery, thriller,

and I'm really excited about it. The plot twist is insane. It's like, if you see me, insane. Yeah. And then I'm doing the sequel for If You See Me, and then I have another book planned after that. I've already done the cover. I've already. like potted it out and that one's going to be a little bit of like a sci-fi thriller so oh my gosh

i love so like one little word is kind of like it's it's present day but it feels kind of old-school noir hitchcock yeah and if you see me is just crazy huster sister has some paranormal in it my next one is like more of a locked room and then if you see me sequel and then i'll have like a sci-fi so i'm really trying to dip my toe into all the subgenres of psychological thriller that I can. That is so cool. It's also very oddro's version of you. I know, because I really like, it's funny because when I watch movies, a lot of times I will watch either thrillers, documentary, crime, whatever, true crime, or I'll be watching sci-fi. I love sci-fi. I do, too. I do too. Why not? I had a crazy idea for a sci-fi thriller.

So I'm, it's down the road, but I'm already really excited about it because it's just different. I am too. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we're going to have you on lots of podcast in the future. I know. I might have two books come out next year again. That would be so cool.

Let's see.