And then there’s Jennifer Hillier... While waiting for my son at our local library I spotted her debut, Creep, on a shelf. Intrigued by the cover, I picked it up, read the blurb, took it home and couldn’t put it down. It was a turning point in my writing career. When I was younger, I mainly read thrillers, but after a personal tragedy in my early 20s, I could only stomach lighthearted reads. Creep reminded me of my love of thrillers, and I realized the second book I was working on, The Neighbors, was far grittier than my debut. Jennifer’s book gave me that final push I needed to cross over to the dark side. Fun fact: we live in the same town and have become great friends. Jennifer is an inspiration to me and fiercely talented, and I have all her books. I’ll read anything she writes!

Tell us about your writing process. Any quirks?

I’m a very structured plotter. I’ll start off with an idea—something I read, saw, overheard, or a “what if” situation that pops into my brain. I’ll build my main character(s) around that to figure out whose story it is, and I’ll ask myself where those people are at the beginning of the story, and at the end. Next come major plot points, and those large stepping stones get further developed into about thirty smaller ones. Each smaller point gets broken down into scenes. I dig deeper into my cast by interviewing my main characters and building a photo gallery...and then, finally, I write. I admire people who don’t plot. I like to have a road map of where I think I’m going although my characters don’t always let me take them where I’d initially imagined.

What can you tell us about your next novel?

Oh, it’s another wicked story, of course. It’s the tale of Lucas, who’s set to inherit not only the fortune of his kidnapped and presumed dead wife, but also that of his ailing mother-in-law. When he receives a potentially more recent photograph of his spouse, the race to find her is on. Question is, does he want her alive...or would he prefer her dead? I’m having so much fun writing this novel, and I can’t wait for you to meet my characters.

Excerpt

Don’t miss Hannah Mary McKinnon’s next breathtaking novel of suspense:

Never Coming Home

First comes love. Then comes murder.

For years, Lucas has been honing a flawless plan to inherit his wife Michelle’s fortune. Unfortunately, it involves taking a hit out on her.

Every track is covered, no trace left behind…until a shocking photo and cryptic note show up on his doorstep, and Lucas goes from hunter to prey.

“[A] highly entertaining, bone-chilling must read.”—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest