Just Married by Kiersten Modglin 

When my husband found this perfect little cabin in the woods for our honeymoon, I couldn’t wait to get away. Just us in the middle of the forest, waking up every day in the trees, ending each night in the hot tub under the stars. But now I’m not sure that I know my husband at all…

I just wish we’d gone to the police when someone left a note on the doormat saying: She’s dead, you’re next. Ryan said I was overreacting, but I don’t understand why he won’t go to the cops now that things are getting worse. Can I trust my husband?

Kiersten Modglin recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest thriller, JUST MARRIED:

Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?

The setting.

Last summer, my family and I spent a week in a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN with a wall made entirely of glass. My husband thought it was peaceful, but I couldn’t help being unnerved by it. At night, I kept wondering if someone could be in the woods watching us. At that point, the setting and plot began to take shape.

Kiersten Modglin

What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?

This is my first traditionally published book, which I consider to be an amazing opportunity. The biggest challenge was crafting these characters that readers would both feel for and fear, care about and question whether they could trust them. The characters were such a mystery to me from the beginning of the plot, and I wanted that to feel authentic for the readers… You really don’t know who’s lying or who to trust until the very end.

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

This book really draws a connection between the psychological thriller genre that I’ve really developed strong roots in with aspects of the horror genre that I think fans will love. It’s a dark, very cinematic story unlike anything I’ve written or read thus far!

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

I refused to write any parts of this book at night because it genuinely freaked me out! There was one scene in particular that I still get chills thinking about. I have twenty-four books out and I can say, without a doubt, this book is my scariest to date.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

Gillian Flynn was the first author I read that really challenged the way I looked at the thriller genre. Up until I read Gone Girl, I’d always thought of thrillers in a more traditional sense. Gone Girl flipped the table for me because I could relate to those characters in a way I couldn’t in others. Plus, that twist changed the game and set a new standard altogether.

Mark Edwards is another author who has really influenced me. I absolutely love his writing and the way each of his books is so profoundly different. I really admire his creativity and ability to take risks with his stories!

*****

Kiersten Modglin is an Amazon Top 30 bestselling author of award-winning psychological thrillers and a member of International Thriller Writers. Kiersten lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and their two Boston terriers, Cedric and Georgie. She is best known for her unpredictable suspense, and her readers have dubbed her ‘The Queen of Twists.’ A Netflix addict, Shonda Rhimes super-fan, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her nose in a book.

To learn more about the author and her work, please visit her website.