Stolen Things

I’ve been practicing gratitude for a while now, and on certain days, I have so damn much of it that it feels like I could drown in joy. (Other days, of course, are normal, with mosquitoes and flat tires and bad choices and rotten bananas. But today is not that kind of day.)

Today my first thriller, Stolen Things, comes out.

And all I can think is: it finally happened.

I wrote the 911 dispatcher book I’d always wanted to write. My agent, who is so smart and persistent and loyal, helped me uncover what it was meant to be. It was bought by an incredible editor who got it. Behind her, she had a team at Dutton/Penguin that has completely knocked me out with their care and savvy and excitement.

Today, this book of my heart goes out into the world.

I have to admit, I’m nervous. It’s not a sweet romance. It’s not a book about family secrets.

It’s a book about the really real stuff.

BookPage says, “the book confronts a slew of today’s issues – such as police brutality against black people, #MeToo, institutional scandal and sexual orientation- with pathos and conviction. Chapters are short, emotional bursts of energy that fuel the quest for answers. Each side is given credence and receives critique.”

I love that last line. I did try to make the book show all sides, because life is messy and confusing.

Through that all, I got to show Laurie and Jojo, a mother-daughter team that I absolutely loved writing. There’s nothing like the ferocity of a mother’s love. Luckily, daughters learn that same fierceness at their mother’s jaws.

I hope you love Jojo and Laurie as much as I do. Enjoy.

📚 Buy Links! 📚

Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay

(Also available at your local independent bookstore and at Target today! I swear to you, I’m going to go up to an associate at Target and say with a straight face, “Hi! Do you have Stolen Things?” And then I will wait for them to call security.)

I’m so grateful for so much, but today, I’m grateful for you. I hope you curl up with this book, that you can’t put it down, that you email me afterward and say that it made you cry and laugh and hope. This is for you.

Love,

Rachael