About the Author: Wendy Heard
What would you like readers to know about you?
Here are some facts you may not find in my author bio: I like to write books set in California because that’s where I’m from; I grew up in LA and like to show different parts of the city and state than are usually shown on TV and in movies. I love animals (more than people) and tend to make friends with them everywhere I go. Currently, I have a few generations of squirrel friends in my yard, along with a variety of songbirds and a rat who doesn’t seem to know that rats are supposed to be 1. nocturnal and 2. wary of humans. I also have two rescue mutts with whom I’m quite obsessed as well.
What music do you listen to (if any) when you write?
Each book has a carefully curated Spotify playlist. My Spotify account is @wendydheard if you want to check it out. Each song represents either a person or a scene, or sometimes a song just kind of carries the vibe of a part of the book. For instance, my last YA, We’ll Never Tell, has a song called Into the Dark which is the vibe of the whole first act. There’s also a Lana Del Rey song that represents a certain love story, in particular a scene on a city street. There’s a song that is called out in the book that they listen to while fleeing the scene of a crime; it’s intentionally upbeat, a nice discordant note. I listen to the book playlist almost exclusively while drafting and editing a project; it makes it easy to jump into the story world when I need to.
What books or authors inspired you to become a writer?
Banana Yoshimoto. I loved her books when I was about 19. In school, we really only studied male authors, and it wasn’t until I got ahold of Banana Yoshimoto’s books that I realized it was possible to be a young woman publishing books that were taken seriously by the world. I launched into my first full-length novel, which was terrible and did NOT get published, and it took forever and a day to learnto write at a professional level, but I can trace my encouragement back to Ms. Yoshimoto. If you haven’t read her books, check them out! I really like Kitchen and N.P.
About the Book: We'll Never Tell
What is your book about for those who haven’t read it?
We’ll Never Tell is my most recent YA thriller. It’s about four teens who get sucked into the mystery of an old Hollywood murder house when one of them gets stabbed at the scene of a murder from the 1970s.
What has been your inspiration for writing it?
There’s a historical site here called the Los Feliz Murder Mansion. This is what inspired the Valentini Murder House in We’ll Never Tell. The characters were inspired by a project I had on the back burner about teen YouTubers, urban explorers who broke into off-limits places all over LA. It was the perfect way to unpack issues around true crime as entertainment and really set the scene. The book takes place in Hollywood, where I myself lived and worked for years. It was definitely one of my more enjoyable books to work on.
What was your favorite scene or part of your book to write?
Ooh, this is a tough question. There are a few. The scene toward the end where Casey is in the parking lot with the flowers is one of the most emotional scenes I’ve ever written. I was in a hotel room, cramming in the last act to meet my deadline, writing and crying at midnight.
Where can your book be purchased?
All the places! Amazon, of course. Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, Audible, etc etc etc.
To the Future Writer:
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write a book?
First, come to terms with the fact that being a writer is not necessarily about THIS book. It’s about building a portfolio of work and learning your craft. Get your hands on good craft books, such as Save the Cat, Anatomy of Story, Elements of Style, Steering the Craft, etc. Practice and practice and practice. Look at your work from a critical eye both at the plot level, the character level, and at the line level. Make friends with other writers and swap pages, do critiques. Be patient and persevere!
What’s next for you? Any events, upcoming pubs, etc.
I’m working on 2 new books right now! But I haven’t announced them yet, so mum’s the word. LOL. Typical publishing answer.
Where can we find you:
Twitter- @wendydheard
Instagram- @wendydheard
Facebook- facebook.com/wendydheard
Website- www.wendyheard.com
Others- Tiktok: @wendydheard
What’s on your TBR list?
I’ve been loving some sapphic romance lately, so I’m stoked about Ashley Herring Blake’s next book, Make the Season Bright. I want to read Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah and I haven’t read She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran yet, which is taunting me from my pile and I know is going to be amazing. Kosoko Jackson just announced his 2025 adult horror debut, THE MACABRE, which I’m now frothing at the mouth over. I’ll stop here. I could go on forever.