1. How did you come up with the idea for The Last Thing She Ever Did?
I saw a news story about a young man who accidentally backed over his two-year-old in the family’s driveway.
2. Did you do any research on The Last Thing She Ever Did? If so, how long did you spend researching before starting the novel?
No real research on this one. Some require a lot of research. This one came to me in a flash. I set the book in Bend, Oregon, because my family has vacationed here many times in the summer. I love the idea of something sinister taking place in a beautiful location.
3. How did you select the names of your characters in The Last Thing She Ever Did?
That’s a hard one. I actually look for names that are appropriate to the ages of the people I am writing about. Sometimes I’ll look on the internet to see what name was popular in a given year – the age of my characters.
4. What is your writing process like for The Last Thing She Ever Did?
My process is always the same. I write in weekend sprints. I map out a schedule of weekends that I’ll need to get the book done. I’ll track my word count and push myself to the max to get it done.
5. How many hours a day do you write?
On the weekends, ten hours a day. During the week, a little rewriting here and there in the evenings.
6. If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Maybe work at a restaurant. Or in retail. I like people.
7. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
You can write fiction. Just do it.
8. How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time writer?
For most of my career, I’ve always had a full-time job. That’s why I do my novel writing on the weekends.
9. You mentioned from your website that you wrote a novella. Could you share with us what the name is and a little detail about it?
It is called The Bone Box and it’s part of my Waterman Stark series. It’s about a forensic pathologist trying to solve a crime for which her family member was convicted.
10. What is your favorite childhood book?
That’s a tough one. I loved Island of the Blue Dolphins, A Wrinkle in Time, and when I was a teenager anything by Stephen King.
11. If (or rather when) your novel becomes a film/TV adaptation, would you be willing to write the screenplay for it?
Not really. It isn’t that I haven’t thought about it. I’ll leave that up to the pros.
12. In co-writing your nonfiction books with Rebecca Morris, could you explain your experience working with another person versus working alone? What were the pro and con in working with a partner on a project?
Rebecca is fun to work with and our collaboration has been very successful. There’s a give and take that works for us. I know some others who have teamed up have had a hard time. It’s great to have two people working a case because there are so many details and the work can be lonely and time consuming. Rebecca and I are working on another project, but I’m also writing a new true crime by myself.
13. Silly-Game question: From The Last Thing She Ever Did, could you please leaf through the pages and point at a random place. What is the full sentence? And what is the page number of this random sentence?
Page 99: He’d have to ditch the body somewhere.
14. What has been your experience writing a YA novels like the Vengeance series?
Nothing was more fun than writing for the young adult audience. The best readers EVER! I was able tour Hong Kong, go to the Philippines and the UK (twice!) to talk about my books.
15. Last question, which of your novels would you like to see made into a film/TV adaptation?
My heart belongs to Starvation Heights (which is still in development after 20 years) and THE LAST THING SHE EVER DID…a movie if there ever was one!
I want to just give my thanks to Mr. Gregg Olsen for being so awesome to take his time to answer my question. I really hope that his novels gets to be made into a feature film. I know they would be a success especially thrillers like The Last Thing She Ever Did. For the time being I hope you guys get your hand on the novel. I know you won't regret reading this one. Thanks for visiting my blog and taking your time to read about this amazing author. Take care and have a great day. Also, happy read for those who are going to read The Last Thing She Ever Did.