Shanora Williams is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author known for her versatile voice, diverse characters, and high-stakes love stories. Whether grounded in reality or set in a magical world, her books explore connection, chaos, and the kind of love that lingers long after the last page. When she isn’t writing, she’s deep in family life, binging her favorite shows and books, working out, or getting cozy with a Nintendo Switch in hand. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and three sons.

Tell us about your new book.

Whispers of the Lake is about Rose, an investigative journalist, who discovers her ex-best friend Eve has gone missing in a small North Carolina mountain town. This book explores difficult emotions for Rose as she searches for the former friend who betrayed her in the worst of ways. On one hand, she doesn’t want to care that Eve is missing, on the other, she has a soft heart and is very curious about what happened to her, so much so that she decides to investigate the matter personally. This town has secrets though, and they don’t want Rose leaving with any of them…

What drew you to the thriller genre originally?

I’ve always been a big fan of thrillers. Ever since I was younger, I always flocked to anything with suspense, whether it was in books, movies, or TV shows. I love the element of mystery and trying to figure out what is really going on. I love it even more when there’s a psychological angle and the twist is stuck in my mind for weeks.

What made me want to write in the thriller genre is the lack of diversity and representation of Black characters. I wanted a story where, for once, the character had the same or similar skin tone as me.

What’s a recent thriller you loved?

Not So Perfect Strangers by L.S. Stratton

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Who is a fellow author you’d want with you if there was a murderer on the loose?

Hmm. Probably S.A. Cosby. He writes scheming murderers very well.

What’s the thing that scares you the most?

My children being abducted/kidnapped/killed. Dark, but true. The thought of it literally makes my eyes water.

What’s your favorite slasher movie of all time?

Definitely the Freddie Krueger movies. The man was creepy, but he was also lowkey funny. What makes it worse is that he’s in your mind, a place you can’t escape.

Which of your characters would you be most afraid to meet in real life?

Definitely Dominic from my novel The Bitter Truth. He was too good at pretending to be a good person.

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Have you ever scared yourself writing a scene?

I have with just one book, but it’s from a new story that I’m still working on so I can’t say much.

What’s creepier to you: an anonymous note, a neighbor who knows too much, or a familiar voice on the other end of the phone?

An anonymous note for sure. Especially if it shows up at your house or on your car while you’re running errands.

What’s your favorite “thriller trope” to write or read?

Revenge has to be my favorite, especially if the character 100% deserves it. Karma can be beautiful.

Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams

Amid a crumbling marriage and a job promotion hanging in the balance, Rose Howard’s estranged best friend, Eve Castillo, goes missing from the North Carolina cottage she was reviewing for her travel blog. Rose ventures to the small town of Sage Hill to investigate Eve’s disappearance and uncovers shocking truths about the town and the friend she once knew.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble