Who sends a letter to publishers demanding they respond to her manuscript on Raggedy Ann stationery? Sarah Pekkanen did when she was in grade school. Now a bestselling author, she won’t be needing any stationery to state her case. She’s busy writing great thrillers that send chills up the spines of her loyal fans. I’m one of them and was delighted when she took the time to answer a few questions.
Yvonne Durant: In , the family is rich—they have that golden glow. What is it about such “golden people” that make them popular subjects in thrillers?
Sarah Pekkanen: We all love to peek into other peoples' lives—and when the seemingly golden family hides dark secrets, the juxtaposition is especially fascinating. I love creating characters who act very differently behind closed doors than they do in public.
Do you think they have more to hide or are in some ways more prone to harm than those who are less wealthy?
People with great financial means have power. If they get in trouble, they can afford the best lawyers. Does that mean they have more to hide? Absolutely, at least in the books I write.
By the way, I loved —nothing rich or gilded there. How did writing the two families compare?
Thank you! Unlike the family in House of Glass, my characters in Gone Tonight fly under the radar. One works as a waitress—and as she says, she's essentially invisible. Peeling back her hidden layers and exposing her explosive secrets was the fun challenge of this novel.
I can’t believe you have three sons. That’s a lot of energy, yet you have plenty left over for these great twisty stories. What’s your secret?
Being the mom of three boys helped my development as an author, but in the opposite way you’d expect. As any parent can tell you, time is a rare commodity. So whenever I had a few free moments, I wrote like the wind. Had my days yielded long, empty stretches, I wouldn’t have been gripped by the same urgency I felt when my kids dozed off in the back of the minivan and I pulled over and grabbed the notebook and pen I always kept in the console, not knowing if I’d have five minutes or an hour.
What happens in the moment you know you’ve nailed the story?
When the puzzle pieces click together, it's pure exhilaration. People say there's nothing like getting your book published, and don’t get me wrong, that’s fantastic too—but when you’ve nailed writing a book? It’s euphoria. And more than a little relief.
