HAPPY SPRING!
We’ve been having a mostly gorgeous spring in the Northeast, and I hope you are, too—no matter where you are.
A few weeks ago I turned in my 2027 psychological thriller, GONE SILENT (man, there were some long, long days getting it done), and I’ll be picking a cover soon—which I can’t wait to share with you in the coming months. If you’re a fan of my books, I think you’ll really like this one. It’s a gripping story of a woman who is ghosted by her best friend of thirty years—but before she can uncover the reason, the friend dies tragically in a fall off a bluff on a hiking trail. And things get a lot more complicated from there.
Though I’ve been getting ready to start my next book (yes, for 2028!), I managed to sneak away for a few days to a fabulous event called Hamptons Whodunit (in beautiful East Hampton, NY), where I got to moderate some panels, appear on a couple more, and spend time with some of my favorite author pals (like the awesome Barbara Butcher and Lisa Unger).
Now I’m getting ready to head out on the road to give a talk called “You’ve Read a Ton of Thrillers. Now Write Your Own.” (See my website for locations if you are interested.) It’s very rewarding to share what I’ve learned with aspiring authors.
While still in Uruguay, my husband shot a video of me in a setting similar to one in I CAME BACK FOR YOU, and some rheas came out of nowhere to say hello!!!
At Hamptons Whodunit, I had the privilege of interviewing my friend Barbara Butcher, star of Peacock’s The Death Investigator.
Great book bargain news: The Kindle edition of ICBFY is available for free if you’re a Kindle unlimited member and for only $4.99 otherwise. A nice steal.
Amazon ~ Barnes&Noble ~ Books-A-Million ~ Target ~ Bookshop
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR AMAZING SUPPORT!
I’m just starting to wind down publicity and events for my March release, I CAME BACK FOR YOU, which I’m thrilled to say has been a big success. And I owe that to YOU. Here’s a short recap of some of the accolades:
A People Magazine Best New Book
A Criminal Element “Spectacular New Release”
An Amazon Top Ten Kindle Read
-“Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish… by gifted author and storyteller Kate White.” — Midwest Book Review
-“An extremely satisfying read.” — BookReporter
-“A seismic quake of a tale [with] brilliant first-person narration.” — BookTrib
-“Will leave you breathless.” — Cosmopolitan
-“Deeply satisfying… Rating: A. Recommended.” — Meredith Anthony, Deadly Pleasures
-“The best kind of psychological thriller… with enough twists to keep even the most experienced reader guessing. Outstanding.” — Winnipeg Free Press
ASK ME ANYTHING
There’s a scene in I CAME BACK FOR YOU in which [the protagonist] Bree wonders if the young woman she’s talking to might not be telling the truth because she keeps looking away and seems evasive. Is that really a sign someone is lying?
—Jonie J., Evanston, IL
photo of Kate
Before writing that scene, I did some research on body language to refresh my knowledge of a subject I covered more than once during my years as a journalist (because it fascinated me!). Yes, looking away and being evasive can be signs of lying—but, as Bree later acknowledges, they can also simply indicate nervousness. You only learn someone’s “tells” after observing them over time.
That said, there is one especially strong tip-off: when the story won’t sit still.
A wonderful police captain I use as a resource for all my books once told me that when a person tells a story that isn’t true, they’re simultaneously listening to themselves talk and gauging whether they sound believable. When they sense their listener isn’t buying it, they often start changing details or embellishing.
You see this often in documentaries about men who have murdered their wives and initially claim they’ve disappeared during a jog or something similar. Their stories tend to grow more detailed over time.
So consider it a red flag when the story mysteriously shifts or grows.
[If you have a question, just send it to me at Kate@katewhite.com]
WHAT I’M READING
MISSING E.A. JACKSON
Since you subscribe to this newsletter, my guess is that you enjoy psychological thrillers—but do you also love, as I do, curling up with a great British police procedural? Then let me recommend Missing. This totally gripping novel features Detective Inspector Martha Allen and revolves around the disappearance of a baby who seems to have been snatched through a hotel window. I had to slow my reading pace with it because I never wanted the story to end. Do you sometimes do that, too?
WHAT I’M COOKING
One night after my husband and I returned from Uruguay, I felt a sudden craving for comfort food—and I sensed he did too. So I made this one-pot dish I discovered in The New York Times.
The key ingredients are rice, chicken, peas, and pesto, and because you finish it in the oven, the rice turns wonderfully creamy. It was perfect. And just one pot to clean!
All the best and until next time,
