ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What is the first thing ever that you remember writing?
I called it The Cracked Case.
It was my first taste of literary rejection.
Credit: Trevor Paulhus; Knopf Doubleday
What is the last book that made you cry?
There Thereby Tommy Orange.
Which book is at the top of your current To-Read list?
A BurningbyMegha MajumdarandOttessa MoshfeghsDeath in Her Hands.
Where do you write?
I write on a secretary desk in a small, yellow shed in my backyard in Austin.
Which book made you a forever reader?
Charlotte’s Webby E.B.
White was the first novel I remember reading that made me cry.
It was a powerful experience to read a story that didnt have the traditional happy ending of childrens books.
I was blown away that a story could move me to tears.
What is a snack you couldnt write without?
If I need some extra motivation, Ill add a croissant.
If you could change one thing about any of your books what would it be?
What is your favorite part ofThe Secrets We Kept?
The Halloween party where Irina and Sally first connect.
Its a beginning the point where everything changes for both characters.
After that, theres no turning back.
What was the hardest plot point or character to write?
Without giving away any spoilers…the New Years Eve party was the hardest scene for me to write.
So mine would be: Love and Literature Caught in the Cold War.
