Interview With Author Liz Alterman
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I'm the author of the award-winning memoir, Sad Sacked, the young adult thriller, He’ll Be Waiting, the suspense novels The Perfect Neighborhood, The House on Cold Creek Lane, You Shouldn't Have Done That, and A Different Type of Poison, as well as the romcom Claire Casey's Had Enough. My work has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and other outlets. Subscribe to my Substack where I share the ups and downs of the writing life (and cat photos).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My suspense novel, A Different Type of Poison, came out in November 2025. It's about an author who receives an invitation to a book club and accepts without fully vetting the person who reaches out. Needless to say, she ends up walking into the scariest chapter of her life.
Working on this story gave me an opportunity to point out the good, bad, and even dangerous aspects of the writing life. It was a lot of fun.
What inspired it? One summer evening I was arriving at someone's home for a book club. I'd never met them before and as I was pulling down the long, dark driveway, I began to wonder: What if this person isn't really who she says she is? Who knows where am I? What if I've put myself in danger in the hope of promoting my book and connecting with readers? The idea began there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Great question! I would say that when I hit a wall, I enlist my youngest son to play ping-pong with me and that seems to help get me unstuck.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love a good domestic suspense novel. I was hooked from the moment I read Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark. Sally Hepworth was an early influence and I love to see what she's up to on social media. She blends humor and suspense in a way I truly admire. A.M. Homes's Music for Torching is a novel that looks at the absurd and the dark side of suburbia with delightfully twisted humor.
What are you working on now?
I just completed my next suspense manuscript and am awaiting copyedits. I hope it'll be out in mid-2026. The theme is revenge and there's an element of romance, which isn't something my books normally include but was a lot of fun to write.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I've met wonderful readers and writers on Instagram. I'm fairly new to TikTok but enjoying it!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say be gentle with yourself and keep writing. It's easy to get discouraged. Find a community that supports you and makes you feel excited to get back to the page or screen.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love thinking that for every writing rule, there's a bestselling author who broke it.
What are you reading now?
I just finished A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage by MK Oliver. The audiobook made a 9-hour car ride fly by. If you enjoy a snarky narrator, don't miss this one.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I'm hoping to start a sequel to my novel You Shouldn't Have Done That.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Will Not Attend: Lively Stories of Detachment and Isolation by Adam Resnick
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories
by Steve Almond
Author Websites and Profiles
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