From Headlines to Plot Twists: Jennifer van der Kleut on The Better Mother (E211)
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Jennifer van der Kleut (née McBride). Jennifer is an award-winning former journalist of both print and digital publications, including the D.C. affiliate of ABC7 News. A graduate of San Jose State University, she spent most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to the Norther Virginia suburbs of D.C., where she currently lives with her husband and two sons. When she is not writing, she loves going to the beach with her family, going to concerts with her girlfriends, and getting lost in the pages of a book. We are here today to discuss her debut psychological thriller, The Better Mother.
Episode Highlights:
How journalism trained her to write with clarity, focus, and purpose
The shift from reporting facts to creating fictional worlds
Why she’s drawn to writing from a villain’s perspective
What she loved most about writing The Better Mother
How understanding “why” drives both journalism and fiction
Connect with Jennifer:
Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
Dream Harbor book series by Laurie Gilmore
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
This is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
Book Flight
The Last Celebrity by Madeleine Henry
Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!
