Bonnie Kistler: On Writing a Psychological Suspense of Revenge
Bonnie Kistler is the author of Her, Too, The Cage, and House on Fire. A former Philadelphia trial lawyer, she received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College, magna cum laude with Honors in English literature, and her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
She and her husband now live in Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Bonnie Kistler
In this post, Bonnie discusses what inspired her latest psychological suspense thriller that revolves around silence and revenge.
Name: Bonnie Kistler
Literary agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency
Book title: Her, Too
Publisher: Harper
Release date: July 4, 2023
Genre/category: Psychological suspense thriller
Previous titles: The Cage, House on Fire
Elevator pitch for the book: A lawyer who’s built her career defending men accused of sexual assault finds herself the victim of a sex crime. She can’t seek justice without destroying her own reputation. So now she’s out for revenge.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I was intrigued by the trend of many of the high-profile #MeToo defendants to hire female attorneys to represent them—a savvy if cynical strategy on the part of these men. I started to wonder about the choices made by those attorneys, and how they would react if they found themselves the victim of a similar crime.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Three years, and the basic thread of the idea never changed.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Her, Too was the second book I owed to Harper under a two-book contract, and the first time I wrote to a deadline. I thought I’d left deadlines behind when I left my law career. I wasn’t sure I could create fiction on command. I surprised myself by delivering the book ahead of deadline. (It did help that I wrote it during the Covid lockdown when I had nothing else to do).
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I started this book entirely from the lawyer’s perspective, but as I drilled deeper into the story, I realized there were other voices that needed to be heard—the other victims she’d silenced through the use of non-disclosure agreements. So the final version includes vignettes from each of four women finally given her own voice to tell her story.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Though there are many compelling reasons why victims might choose not to speak out or come forward, their silence has consequences.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Read. Read critically. Deconstruct what you read. Analyze what worked for you and what didn’t. Think about what you might have done differently. The best way to become a good writer is to be a good reader.
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