Wendy Walker
Author Interview - Wendy Walker
Author of Blade
A chilling psychological thriller set in the world of competitive figure skating, and drawn from my personal experience training at an Olympic facility as a young teenager.
Ana Robbins was an Olympic star in the making—until tragedy forced her to leave that world behind. At the age of sixteen, she gave up her dream and never looked back. Fourteen years later, she’s a successful defense attorney, revered for her work with minors. But when her former coach turns up dead, Ana lands right back where it all began, and abruptly ended: The Palace, a world-renowned skating facility nestled high in the mountains of Colorado.
Ana returns to The Palace to defend the young skater accused of the brutal crime—Grace Montgomery. Despite her claims of innocence, all evidence points squarely at Grace’s guilt, and she’s days away from facing charges of first-degree murder.
But Ana’s investigation dredges up childhood memories of her own, triggering the fear that permeates this place where she once lived and trained far from home as an “orphan.” With a blizzard raging outside, and time running out for Grace, Ana is determined to uncover the truth—even if it means exposing her own secrets that she buried here long ago.
Author Interview - Wendy Walker
Author I draw inspiration from:
I don't have just one author, but there have been books that have inspired me. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. - of course. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold. Girl A, by Abigail Dean. Notes on an Execution, by Danya, Kukafka.
Author Interview - Wendy Walker | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On the beach; by a fire
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Amber Patterson from The Last Mrs. Parrish, by Liv Constantine. She would tell me the most entertaining stories, none of them true.
Author Interview - Wendy Walker | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
There was no defining moment. The thought trickled in every time I read a great book that I thought I had the experiences to write. At first, these were legal thrillers. Later, after I became a family law attorney immersed in psychological dysfunction, I was immiediatley drawn to that genre.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I usually want a print book when I'm outside, or sitting still at home, and I prefer a hardcover. If I'm on an airplane, or hotel, I love having books on my ipad. More and more, I love audiobooks because I will listen while I drive, walk, work out, make dinner, fold laundry. Pretty much anything that requires my physical attention - but not my ears and mind!
The last book I read:
The Wedding People by Alison Espach - I listened to this on audio and could not stop listening. I had it on all day long. It was the kind of book you don't want to end because the characters start to feel like your own friends. This is hard to find with a dark thriller, so I really love when I can find something different for me.
Author Interview - Wendy Walker | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I actually still begin each new book with pencil and paper, writing down characters, drawing lines between them to mark connections. I visualize the basic plot before I start to outline. Then I am on the computer, making a list of disclosures that have to be made for the plot to work, then an outline which puts the disclosures into chapters, and finally the draft itself.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Cassie Maddox from the series by Tana French. She's smart, loyal, and endlessly interesting given her childhood and the cases she's worked.
Author Interview - Wendy Walker | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
A psychotherapist. Sometimes I think I missed my calling! I love psychology and piecing together the events from the past with present day problems. I was able to experience some of this as a family lawyer, and all of my books have elements connecting past and present.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
1960s and 70s. Give me bell bottoms over skinny jeans any day of the week!
Place I’d most like to travel:
I would love to go back to Iceland where I traveled in 2022 for a book festival. I found the landscape captivating and the people warm and interesting. It's a gorgeous country!
My signature drink:
Dark rum, neat. I used to be a Cosmo girl, but I like to keep things simple these days.
Favorite artist:
I don't really have a favorite artist. Just like books, it depends on the piece, the song, the poem. I am always drawn to older musicians, like Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton, and even Bruce Springsteen. But play me a song, show me a painting, and I'll let you know!
Number one on my bucket list:
Taking a year off to travel, visit friends who don't live nearby, read, think, do nothing if I feel like it. I have never done anything like that. BUT - I have a lot of great projects on the horizon, so that will have to wait!
Anything else you'd like to add:
Blade was drawn heavily from my personal experiences as a young teenager training for competitive skating. It was the hardest book I've ever written! My website and social media platforms have a lot of information, old photos, videos, and the like about that time in my life. I hope anyone reading Blade, or interested in my journey, will take a look!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/wendywalkerauthor/
https://www.tiktok.com/@wendywalkerbooks
https://www.facebook.com/WendyWalkerAuthor
About Wendy Walker:
Wendy Walker
Wendy Walker is the USA Today bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. Her work has been translated into over twenty-three foreign languages and has been optioned for television and film. She is a former attorney and investment banker, and as a teenager, she trained for competitive figure skating. Her next thriller, BLADE, will be published by Thomas & Mercer in January 2026. Visit www.wendywalkerbooks.com.
