Why do you write the genre that you write?
I write domestic suspense, and I decided to write those kinds of books because that’s what I love to read. These books tend to be focused on relationships–people who you think you are close to but can no longer trust, for example. I like being creeped out, but I don’t love reading about a ton of violence. I don’t like writing that way, either, so it seemed like a good fit.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I’ve been writing for forever! Ever since high school, really. I always knew I wanted to go to graduate school for writing–I got my MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. So it’s just been a thing I’ve wanted to do my whole life. I used to write mostly literary fiction, then mostly flash fiction (very very short stories), but over the last five years or so my writing has skewed more toward crime fiction specifically.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on my third standalone suspense novel! As of answering this question, I have no idea what it’s about yet, but hopefully by the time this runs I’ll have a better idea of that. (Gulp.)

What are you reading now?
I’m currently plowing through Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant Series. I just finished Death in the Family, which is a fabulous locked-room-style mystery, and I’m now starting The Dead Season. These are smart, tense mysteries and I highly recommend them!

Where can we find you?
taralaskowski.com; on Twitter at @TaraLWrites and Instagram at @TaraLWrites; on my screened-in back porch reading.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
If we are talking ice cream, vanilla, hands-down

Pizza or burgers
pizza

Broccoli or squash
broccoli

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
dinner

Mountain or beach
beach

Introvert or Extrovert
introvert

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Sunscreen, water, potato chips

My bio:
Tara Laskowski is the author of One Night Gone, which won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark, Anthony, Macavity, and Lefty Awards. Her second novel, The Mother Next Door, was published in October 2021. She is also the author of two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders. Tara earned a BA from Susquehanna University and an MFA from George Mason University and currently lives in Virginia.