When the Past Won't Stay Buried: Building Dark Psychological Thrillers
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra
4.8 • 842 Ratings
🗓️ 29 January 2026
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this week’s author interview, Bianca chats with debut novelist Leodora Darlington about ‘The Exes’, a sharp, dark psychological thriller that asks how far the past can reach into the present. Leodora shares her unconventional (and accidental!) path to publication, what it’s like querying agents while working in publishing, and why choosing the right agent matters more than choosing the first yes. They dive into craft topics including dual timelines, unreliable narrators, planting twists that feel earned, and how deep editorial work can elevate a story. A must-listen for writers curious about suspense, structure, and the realities of debut publishing.
Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
Find us on our socials:
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing
https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author
https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/
https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW
Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com
Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting
To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Chime and use my code chime.com/TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.chime.com
* Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/tsnotyaw for a great deal: https://www.quince.com
* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi there. We've got a lot. We're really excited to tell you about, but I'm going to make this real |
| 0:04.9 | quick so you can get to the episode. The deep dive is coming up at the end of January. The lineup of |
| 0:10.9 | speakers is incredible and the range of topics is mind-blowing. You do not want to miss out on the last |
| 0:17.3 | deep dive ever. Then the beta reader matchup is open once again |
| 0:21.3 | with the matchups going out early in February. |
| 0:23.9 | Sign up to kick your creative year off with a bang. |
| 0:27.2 | Lastly, there's an amazing writer's workbook available |
| 0:30.0 | which will make the perfect gift for you |
| 0:32.3 | or the writer in your life. |
| 0:34.4 | Head to our website, The Shit About Writing, to find out more. |
| 0:44.6 | Hi there and welcome to our show. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. I'm best-selling |
| 0:51.1 | author Bianca Murray and I'm joined by Cece Leera of Wendy Sherman Associates and Carly Waters of PS Literary. |
| 1:00.2 | Hi everyone, welcome back to another author interview segment. |
| 1:04.6 | Today's guest is a writer from London with Ghanaian Heritage. |
| 1:08.5 | She received a distinction for her master's in creative writing from |
| 1:11.8 | Brunel University, where she studied under authors including Benjamin, Zephaniah, and Will Self, |
| 1:18.4 | a bookseller Rising Star in 2021. She is also an editor and has published a range of best-selling |
| 1:24.9 | fiction. The X's is her debut novel. It's my pleasure to welcome |
| 1:29.3 | Leodora Darlington. Lea D'Adora, welcome to the show. Hello, thank you so much for having me. |
| 1:34.8 | It's wonderful having you. And for those of you who are watching on YouTube, I am holding up |
| 1:40.7 | the book that we're discussing today, The Xes, and I'm going to read you the |
| 1:45.3 | flap copy so that we can give you some context before we dive straight in. So who hasn't |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.