Happy New Year! My new thriller, Tell Me What You Did, will be out on January 28. This is an angry, scary book that’s gotten a lot of pre-release attention—more so than any of my earlier nine releases—and I can’t wait to see what happens with it. Like most of my...

Book news
My Life So Far
Well, hi! This is Scully. Carter’s dog. I’ve been alive for two years and it’s awesome! I’m in charge of the newsletter this month. Carter said he ran out of ideas, which is weird, because ideas are kinda his job. Does this mean we won’t be able to afford food? But...
Halloween Scream Reel
All right, now that it’s November you probably don’t want to hear about Halloween. Too bad. You can go down to your local grocery store and immerse yourself in all the Christmas decor you want, but for now, we’re doing a Halloween debrief. I’ve come to realize writing...
How To Help a Writer
First things first: my Halloween theme this year is pirates. Usually my October newsletter is all about my Halloween theme, but I’m running late this year and it’s not even in good-enough shape to take pictures of my decorating progress. If I get some good...
Tell Me What You Did
It’s August and I’m ready to tell you about my new book. It doesn’t come out until January 2025, but an author has to start promoting early. From Goodreads giveaways, to website refreshes, to social-media posts, it’s critical for every author to get the word...
My Stupid Thing
Last month I promised to tell you a stupid thing I did. Time to make good on that. I've had a handful of embarrassing moments in my life, most notably the time I feel asleep on a plane, had a nightmare, then woke up mid-flight screaming and scaring the holy hell...
Preparing for a Launch
It’s less than two months from the launch of The Father She Went to Find and things are stirring. It’s the same with every book launch, so why does it always feel so surprising? This will be my ninth published book, and with every launch I’m never quite sure what to...
The Unbound Writer
You smell that? That’s the scent of a new year, fresh out of the dryer. Crisp and clean, almost like new. So what are you going to do with 2024? Fold it, put it away, and forget about it? Or put it on immediately and get it covered in dirt and sweat before it’s...
Waiting on a Volcano
I only went to one writer’s conference this year. Ideally I attend two or three, but, you know, that gets expensive! I made the hard decision to forgo Thrillerfest and Bouchercon (my usuals), and instead attend something truly special: Iceland Noir (“A literary...
The Father She Went to Find
Who the hell is Penny Bly? Early in the pandemic, this was the question I couldn't get out of my head. Penny Bly was going to be the driving force behind my next thriller, but I knew very little about her. As most of you know, I don't outline; my books simply start...