Hello Beautiful People,
For me, Heather Gudenkauf is one of the greatest writers of psychological thrillers. Her stories suck you in. They scare you. They excite you. They fully envelop your mind int he world that she has created, and it is always a thrill. Last summer, Heather was kind enough to participate in our Summer Author Interview Series, and THIS summer, she’s returning and participating in our Beach Book Bonanza!
TWT: Where did you come up with the inspiration for One Breath Away?
HG: As I began writing One Breath Away, the story of how one small Midwestern town handles the unthinkable, an armed stranger entering a school filled with unsuspecting teachers and students, I had the unique opportunity to approach the novel from four very unique perspectives: as a student, a teacher, a mother and as a writer. When I was a senior at the University of Iowa, a disgruntled former graduate student entered a university classroom with a gun, killed five and severely injured a sixth person before turning the gun on himself. While my roommate and I were well away from danger we were close enough to clearly hear the wail of sirens and the sadness and fear that descended upon the campus eventually made its way into the pages of One Breath Away.
TWT: What’s your favorite summer reading spot?
HG: My favorite reading spot during the summer is on our deck. I love sitting in the shade with an ice-cold drink and whatever I’m currently reading. Pure heaven!
TWT: What’s the fondest memory of your summer vacation during your high school years?
HG: My fondest memory of summer vacation has to be playing sports. If I wasn’t attending a basketball or volleyball day camp, I was dribbling a basketball or setting a volleyball in my backyard.
TWT: How would you suggest parents get their children engaged in reading over the summer?
HG: The best way to get children interested in summer reading is to find out what they are passionate about. If your child loves horses take them to library and check out every single fiction and nonfiction book about horses you can find. If they are obsessed with space travel, check out all the books about the solar system. Your child is bound to discover something they will enjoy reading. Also, one of the most powerful ways to show your child that reading is important is to let them see you reading every single day.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
HG: I LOVE ice cream. I don’t splurge on these very often by my guiltiest pleasures are Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond and Ben & Jerry’s Everything but the… which is chock filled with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, Heath Bar chunks, white chocolate, peanut butter cups AND chocolate covered almonds. So good!
Thank you, Heather!
And readers, check back tomorrow for details on how to win an autographed copy of one of Heather’s books!
Live, Love, Learn,