TSM: How did you initially come to write in the psychological thriller genre? Are there any authors, novels, films, or other pieces of media that drew you in or inspire you in your current writing?
WW: When I first started writing, I was drawn to legal thrillers – mostly because I was a lawyer, and had no training outside of my field. I then tried my hand at general fiction, because I was very interested in the suburban culture that engaged me as a stay-at-home mom. Years later, after I had gone back to work as a family law attorney, I decided to write another novel. I had an agent, but had not broken out in a way that would make a sustaining career. Gone Girl had exploded a couple of years before, and I had been immersed in family trauma and psychology with my law practice. My agent at the time suggested I try my hand in this new and very popular genre of psychological thrillers. When I studied them, looking for the components that set them apart from other suspense, I knew I had found my new home. Being able to write about personal trauma and psychology, while also weaving detailed, complex plots gave me a freedom that I had never felt before as an author. I love it!
TSM: What was it like to transition from writing on the side while being a lawyer to making writing your full-time job?
WW: My first instinct is to say that it was a dream come true. And it really was. But there are things about more stable and established professions that I do sometimes miss. Like health insurance! And also being able to predict what the future will likely hold. Writing is wonderful. And I will continue to write thrillers for as long as I can! But when I’m not nestled on my couch with a fresh cup of coffee and my laptop, coming up with twisty stories, I am promoting and managing social media, and keeping an eye on books, sales, and trends. Writing as a profession involves a lot more than just writing!
TSM: Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming novel, What Remains?
WW: What Remains is the story of cold case Detective Elise Sutton. She’s married to Mitch, and has two young daughters, Amy and Fran. Her partner, Rowan, is an ex-Marine who works cold cases reluctantly, because he has PTSD from his time in active duty. One day after an interview, they stop at a department store so Elise can buy towels for her daughters. And in that store, her life changes forever when she hears a shooter, and takes his life in order to save another man who is in the line of fire. Hailed a hero but inside riddled with guilt and doubt, she withdraws from those around her – and obsesses about finding the man whose life she saved. Meanwhile, that man has been watching her. And when she realizes he’s dangerous, it’s too late. All of this happens in the first two chapters! The rest of the book is a taught, psychological cat-and-mouse thriller where Elise has to use all of her skills and resources to keep herself and her family safe.
TSM: You’ve mentioned on your website how your background as a former family law attorney, and subsequent familiarity with psychology and trauma, has allowed you to craft complex characters in your stories. What does your character creation process typically look like?
WW: For a book like this one which begins with an event rather than a character, I try to construct the characters to give life to that event, and what I am trying to explore. In this book, it was trauma that results from a sudden, life-threatening event. Elise was originally imagined to highlight the before and after of this event. But that is only the beginning of the process. As I write, I find that the thoughts and feelings of each character, which are written on the page, create the deeper aspects of each one. I ask what type of person would feel these things and say these things? What does her history look like? What other personality traits would be consistent? Also, research into cold case detectives was very instrumental in bringing Elise to life!
TSM: What challenges did you find yourself encountering as you wrote What Remains?
WW: I had two primary challenges in writing What Remains. The first was external. The book was inspired by a real-life event in Boulder, Colorado a few years ago. There was a shooting in a grocery store, and I was listening to the radio when it happened. There were interviews with bystanders just as they were leaving the store, and I found myself thinking about their stories in the days that followed, and then the weeks, and then the months. I wondered what this event had done to their lives, even though they were physically unharmed. But when I pitched the book, there was some concern about starting with a mass shooting (even though no one but the shooter is killed in the book). Because there is such political polarization around the issue of gun violence prevention, there was fear that people would think the book was a political statement. While I do have views on the subject, they are not in the book, and that is not what the book is about. I actually rewrote the entire book to take that piece out, and it did not land. There is something unique about that type of trauma because it is so prevalent in our news. So I put it back in. I felt it was important to be true to the inspiration of the story. The second challenge was in constructing the storyline involving the hunting shelter, and the “Kill Room.” You’ll have to read it to see why, but piecing together that story line with Elise’s was pretty tricky!
TSM: Your works have been translated into an impressive 23 languages. What has that process been like?
WW: Being published in foreign languages has been a wonderful perk in my writing journey! Other than approving cover art, there really is nothing additional that is asked of me. However, I have been lucky enough to travel to other countries to help promote the books. My favorite trip was to Taiwan where I toured as well as promoted the book with a wonderful translator. I was able to fully immerse in the culture and find out firsthand what people in that country enjoyed about my work.
TSM: Finally, are there any projects in the works after What Remains that we can look forward to?
WW: I have so many things in the works! This October, a book called American Girl will be published. The story was originally released as an audio original by Audible. It is finally coming to print! That is the story of a 17 year-old autistic girl who overhears a murder in a sandwich shop where she works. In 2024, I will have another audio project released called Mad Love. That will be a fully scripted audio play which is similar to an old-fashioned radio play! It will have a full cast of characters, be about three hours long, with all kinds of fun sound effects. I describe it as Dirty John meets The Tinder Swindler meets me! And finally, my next novel called Kill Me Softly will be out in 2024. That is the story of a serial killer targeting middle-aged women and making it look like suicide. The similarities are discovered by a young feminist researcher who enlists a veteran homicide detective to help catch the killer. Told in four points of view, the book explores the impact of these killings on the researcher, the detective, one of the victims, and the killer! I am already thinking about my next projects for 2025 and beyond.