Bestselling author Freida McFadden discusses the process of writing her new psychological thriller, The Housemaid.
Number one Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this post, Freida discusses the process of writing her new psychological thriller, The Housemaid, her advice for other writers, and more!
Name: Freida McFadden
Literary agent: Christina Hogrebe Grand Central Publishing
Book title: The Housemaid
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release date: August 23, 2022
Genre/category: Psychological Thriller
Previous titles: (Psychological Thrillers) The Inmate; The Housemaid; Do You Remember?; Do Not Disturb; The Locked Door; Want to Know a Secret?; One by One; The Wife Upstairs; The Perfect Son; The Ex; The Surrogate; Brain Damage; and Suicide Med. (Women’s Fiction) The Devil Wears Scrubs; The Devil You Know; and Baby City.
Elevator pitch for the book: When Millie gets a job as a housemaid, working for a wealthy couple in Long Island, she realizes that nothing is quite as it seems. But then again, neither is she.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I read another book where an employer was a bit snippy to her maid in one scene, and I enjoyed that one scene so much, I thought to myself, “This should be a whole book!”
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It’s hard to say because I tend to sit on ideas for ages, letting them percolate, while I’m writing other books. I’d estimate at least two to three years from seed of an idea to publication. The idea definitely evolved but I can’t say how without giving away the twists!
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
My Bookouture editor, Ellen Gleeson, surprised me by how well she “got” my book. I’ve worked with a lot of beta readers and editors over the years, but she really was able to pinpoint the problem areas, which helped me to fix them.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This one surprised me by how long the first draft was. Usually my first drafts run around 60,000 words, and there was a point when I was writing it where I was like, “Oh no! I’ve written so much, and I still have so much more to say!” Thankfully, people still think it’s a very quick read.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I really wanted to write a book where the “guilty” party was thoroughly punished for their misdeeds, so I want my readers to finish the book with a deep sense of satisfaction and smiles on their faces.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Publish your book! I see so many writers sitting on their manuscripts forever, but I feel like the best way to grow as a writer is to get your book out there.
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