Kiersten Modglin is a #1 bestselling author of psychological thrillers. Her books have sold over two million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Her newest release, Wilde Women, is an atmospheric literary thriller with a touch of magic about generations of mothers and daughters.
Modglin is a member of International Thriller Writers, Novelists, Inc., and the Alliance of Independent Authors. With more than 50 books under her belt, she continues to reign in the psychological thriller genre. A binge-watching expert, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, she enjoys rainy days spent with her favorite people and evenings with her nose in a book. Modglin grew up in rural western Kentucky and later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she now lives with her family.
We spoke with the author about her path to indie publishing, how music and candles inspire her, and why she is pro-dogearing pages.
Can you share a bit about your path in independent publishing? What has been the most rewarding aspect of being an indie author?
My journey with independent publishing started back in 2016. In the beginning, I had no idea this path was even an option, and certainly not that success could come with it. My goal was always just to do what I’ve loved doing since I was a little girl: write stories that entertain me in hopes they might entertain someone else too. Being an indie author is the equivalent of about two full-time jobs on a good day. On top of the actual plotting, writing, and rounds of edits with your editing team, you’re also in charge of cover and graphic design, newsletters, marketing and advertising (two different things), maintaining your website, maintaining your social media, answering emails (so many emails), creating audiobooks and translations, merch, updating covers and blurbs with the market, updating alllllllll the retailers, expense reports, sales reports, fixing your website when there’s a glitch (there’s always a glitch), setting up signings, arranging travel to libraries and conferences, and…I’m sure there’s more that I’m forgetting.
While some of these are optional, and you can absolutely hire a team to help, being an indie author means you run the show. If something falls through the cracks, it’s on you. So, you have to love it. I guess that’s my point. You have to love it enough for all of that to be worth it, especially when success isn’t guaranteed. My favorite part of being an indie is knowing that I control my own destiny. The failures are mine, but so are the successes. I get to do what I love, and the main part of my job (the writing) always feels like play.
You have written so many hit thrillers. How do you continue generating new story ideas, and what usually sparks the beginning of a novel for you - a character, a theme, a setting, or a twist?
It really depends on the book! In the beginning, I often started and plotted my books “from the twist out” meaning I’d come up with a killer twist, and then I’d build the story and characters around what it would take to make that happen. As I get further into my career, I’m finding that to be less and less common. Often now, I build my stories about scenarios, relationships, and characters that interest me. For example, my most recent book, Wilde Women, was inspired by the idea for a plot set around a woman who had just been through a bitter, painful divorce, and was then trapped with her ex-husband during a terrible storm. I thought that would make for such an interesting dynamic, with all the conflicting emotions involved. I find that focusing on the set-ups and characters first, rather than the twists right away, really does help me to make sure my stories feel as unique as possible. So that’s my strategy for the next 50 books or so. (haha!)
What do you think makes a psychological thriller really work? What elements does it absolutely need?
For me, the perfect psychological thriller story only needs to have one thing: I have to be able to imagine myself in the character’s shoes. I love this genre for its ability to make the most ordinary scenario into something terrifying. That’s why it works so well. It’s the genre that makes you come to terms with the fact that one wrong decision, one bad friendship, one wrong turn down a dark road, one bad job…they can ruin your life. That’s why I love this genre: it could happen to me. To you. To your best friend. Your mom.
You choose a unique song and scent to set the atmosphere while you write each of your books. Why is establishing that mood so early in your process important, and how does it shape the tone, characters, and trajectory of the story?
Yes! This is something I started doing really early on in my career, without ever planning for it to become a thing. I’ve always loved writing in the dark, with just a candle and a lamp going (I guess it goes back to childhood, scribbling in notebooks way past my bedtime). I also know I can’t listen to random music when I’m writing because I’ll end up losing focus, singing along, or breaking out into a full dance party. But I don’t always love to write in silence either. Somewhere along the way, I figured out that if I could listen to just one song (or even a few songs) on repeat, it eventually becomes like white noise. I don’t really hear the song anymore, but it’s there. And, without really meaning to, I created the best hack for getting into my writing headspace.
Each book has a unique scent and sound for me, and just the first hint of the candle or the first notes of the song will immediately put me into that world. Wilde Women is probably the soundtrack I’m most proud of (and I do not say that lightly, because I love them all). It started with just three songs, but I kept finding new ones that fit the vibe of the book so well that I just kept adding. Usually, I choose the song during the plotting process so I have it ready to go when I start writing, but I found myself so immersed in the world that I added to it until I was in the last half of the book. The songs don’t always match the plot, sometimes they’re just a vibe, but this book’s songs were absolutely perfect to help me create the atmosphere involved. You can find all the songs and scents that inspire my stories on my website!
You are known for your incredible, unexpected twists. When you sit down to write a new book, how much of the plot and twist are pre-planned, and how much do you let the writing and characters lead you? Do you have a favorite twist in your own work or in another thriller you love?
I definitely know the twists before I start writing. I’m a big fan of plotting because it helps me decide if a book is worth writing. Most often, I can work out the major problems in a book during the plotting stage and then figure out how to fix them (or if I can) before I’ve invested too much time into a story. Sometimes, a great idea just doesn’t work. Sometimes, it just needs more time for me to sit with it, so I move on to something else. Now, every once in a while, a twist will come along and surprise me, or I’ll get to the end and realize there’s a much better twist I should use instead. Those are honestly my favorite moments! I love being able to surprise myself.
As far as the characters, I’m one of those writers who will tell you my characters have minds of their own. What I mean is that when I’m plotting, my characters are still these very flat pictures in my mind. I know their age, a general idea of what they look like, and maybe what they do for a living. By Chapter Sixteen, when they’re supposed to be fighting, I now know the characters very deeply. I know what they’re afraid of, their goals, their personalities. Which means, I know that he actually wouldn’t fight with her. Instead, he’d try to understand. Or maybe what I thought would be important in this scene isn’t actually as important as her confronting him about this other thing that happened. So there are times when I’m staring at an outline, begging my characters to get back on track, and they are fighting me because those paths no longer feel natural for the character I’ve created.
Oh, and as for favorite twists: my favorite twist in my books is probably the one in Do Not Open. And my favorite twist of someone else’s is the twist in Our House by Louise Candlish! I read that book years ago and still think about it to this day.
Your books typically navigate ordinary people in extraordinary danger, domestic settings turning sinister, and secrets unraveling in relationships or families. What draws you to these themes, and why do you think they resonate so strongly?
I think, for me, it goes back to this idea that I can relate to these characters and the choices they make. I can really dig deep and force myself to go there, imagining how I would feel if this happened to me or someone I love. It’s really fun for me to take really ordinary situations like vacations, job interviews, writing retreats, and honeymoons and show how one wrong turn can really turn them into nightmares. They resonate so much because it feels real. What would happen if you had taken that road instead of this one? Why isn’t your mother answering your calls on Tuesday afternoons anymore? Why do you keep seeing that one car outside your office building? What if you answered that one email? They don’t always have to be these high stakes, bomb ticking down, race against time scenarios for them to feel impactful and horrifying. Sometimes it really is just about making something ordinary like a class reunion into a terrifying situation (more than it already is anyway).
Immerse yourself in a world shaped by
mothers, daughters, and the echoes
of the past with Wilde Women
You are super engaged with your readers and fans, deemed the KMod Squad. What do you love about connecting with your audience, and how do they shape what you write next?
My readers are the absolute coolest, most genuine people. I’m so incredibly lucky to know them and to get to take them on adventures with me within the pages of my worlds. Something I’ve been really passionate about from the beginning of my career is cultivating a community within my readership—getting to know them, listening to them, chatting with them, giving them behind-the-scenes info, etc. Some of my readers have been with me since around Book 4, which is incredible at 51 books into a career. We’ve watched each other's kids growing up, we’ve celebrated successes and mourned losses together.
All my life, I’ve dreamed of telling stories and having even just one person out there care about them, so to have this huge group of readers who are not only reading my books, but excited to go on whatever journey I decide to take them on over and over again?! Little Kiersten would think that is the coolest thing (and Big Kiersten still does). I’m so grateful for the readers, old and new, in my corner and along for the ride, and I’m always trying to find new ones to surprise, delight, and thank them for being here with me. Throughout the years, they’ve given me ideas for plot twists, settings, helped me come up with new ways to torment someone (on paper, of course), helped pick titles, appeared as characters in my stories, helped me decide on taking a huge leap into another subgenre, pushed me to turn two standalones into two separate series, and so much more. I wouldn’t have any of this without them, and I’m forever grateful for them.
What are you working on now, and can you tease anything about your next project?
I just finished the first draft of Book 53, so that one’s still Top Secret, but Book 52 is officially finished, edited, and currently being recorded for audio. It will be announced in early 2026, and released shortly after. As for hints? Hmm…let’s see. I’ll say this: We’re going dark academia, KMod Squad, and we’re on a revenge tour like you’ve never seen.
What is your favorite genre to read? Are you drawn to material similar to your own work or something totally different?
I read EVERYTHING. Romance, thrillers, book club fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, craft books for writing, fantasy, horror, and everything in between. I find that range so important to my creativity and to keeping my ideas fresh. I really look for unique plot ideas no matter the genre.
If you could give future indie authors a piece of advice, what would it be?
My advice for indies is to a) get in this for the right reasons and know your goals from the beginning and b) if you want to be indie forever, then hold onto every right you have. The more you grow, the more opportunities you’ll have to sign away this right and that. What I’ve learned throughout my career is that no one will ever care about you, your career, and your stories as much as you do. My biggest regrets come from handing over rights early on because FOMO told me I was doing things wrong or failing if my path looked different from other authors I admire. All of our paths are unique, and that’s how it’s supposed to be! Your only competition is yourself.
What I’ve learned throughout my career is that no one will ever care about you, your career, and your stories as much as you do.
What’s an unpopular opinion you have?
Oooh, this one’s controversial: I believe it’s okay to dogear pages. I know, I know, get the pitchforks. My books (that I own—I’d never do this to someone else’s, of course) are well-loved and lived in. They’re pieces of my life. I love going back to the books I’ve owned since I was a teenager and seeing where I stopped reading for the night, seeing the pages I returned to over and over, the ones I curled the corners of as I was reading, the little notes left myself or the things I underlined. The older I get, the more I appreciate glimpses back at who I used to be.
