Some brothers share childhood memories. Kevin and Michael Kelly share a lifelong fascination with the darker side of storytelling, an interest that eventually led them to write a psychological horror novel together.
The 38-year-old identical twins grew up in Evergreen Park watching horror movies and reading books by authors ranging from R.L. Stine to Stephen King. Now, after four years of writing, reworking and bouncing ideas off each other, they are preparing to release Me and My Shadows.
“We’ve been huge Halloween and horror fans for decades,” the brothers said. “We grew up watching the classics on television, while also reading works from R.L. Stine to Stephen King.”
The twins, known as the Kelly Twins, have always enjoyed working together. That partnership became the driving force behind their novel.
Kevin lives in Orland Hills with his wife and daughter, while Michael lives in Bradley with his wife and six children. Although they now live in different communities, the distance did little to interfere with their creative process.
The idea for Me and My Shadows began with something the brothers had wanted to do for years. They envisioned a novel that would tell two stories at different points in time, gradually bringing them together.
Their brainstorming sessions often centered around one question.
“What if this happened? What if this was the twist?” they said.
One possibility led to another until they settled on the idea of a witch, which became an important part of the story. From there, the twins began shaping a novel that would rely as much on uncertainty and psychological tension as traditional horror.
“We wanted to take the story beyond traditional horror and really lean into psychological horror, making the reader question what is real, what isn’t, and whether everything happening has a logical explanation,” they said.
The story follows Zara Bennett at two different points in her life.
In 1979, 11-year-old Zara lives at Bennett Manor, a secluded home surrounded by woods where a local legend tells of a witch living beyond the tree line.
Seventeen years later, an adult Zara returns to the manor with her young son, Tommy, following the death of her husband.
As the two timelines unfold, the secrets of the manor and the woods begin to connect. Zara, along with the reader, is forced to question what is really happening and what may have been waiting for her all along.
The brothers spent four years bringing the story to life. Much of that time was spent collaborating remotely because Kevin was living in Colorado.
Text messages and phone calls became their writing room. They used them to discuss characters, rework scenes, develop twists and figure out where the story should go next.
“Probably the collaboration and planning that went into the book,” they said when asked what they enjoyed most about the process. “We enjoyed reworking scenes, creating twists throughout the plot, and constantly trying to make the story better.”
The twins were not interested in filling the novel with predictable scares. They wanted readers to pay attention, question what they were experiencing and reach their own conclusions.
“We wanted to scare the reader, but in a way that doesn’t necessarily jump out at you,” they said. “We wanted the book to be well thought out and to encourage readers to really analyze what’s happening and form their own conclusions.”
Me and My Shadows will be released Sept. 29. The twins are self-publishing through IngramSpark under their LLC, Next Nightmare Press. The book will be available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other independent bookstores.
The story will also have a life outside the pages.
Throughout October, the brothers will run a yard haunt in Orland Hills inspired by Me and My Shadows. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience some of the atmosphere and ideas from the novel in person.
“We wanted to give people the opportunity to step into the world we created and experience the atmosphere of the book in person,” they said.
The twins also have a following on TikTok as The Kelly Twins, where they share their enthusiasm for horror and their creative projects.
The idea for the book started years ago when the twins would throw story ideas back and forth and ask each other, “What if?” Four years later, those conversations have turned into a finished novel.
Now Kevin and Michael are ready to see what readers think of Me and My Shadows and whether they can figure out what is really happening before they reach the final page.