June 2026 Meeting: The Art of Writing & Marketing Suspense (& Much More) by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Yes, I Do Think You Should Write a Suspense Novel

Why it’s harder than many think, and why writing (or just reading!) genre fiction can teach you important craft lessons

Thrillers and mysteries are strong sellers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean crime fiction is an easy genre to crash. As the author of literary and historical novels who successfully broke into the world of psychological suspense five years ago and became a Barnes & Noble “Our Monthly Pick” author in the process, I’ll discuss some myths and facts about the writing, revision, and marketing of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. I’ll also touch on horror, an adjacent category that is currently hotter than it’s been in decades.

Let’s say you’re not planning to write crime fiction, only read it. I’ll address how paying attention to crime and horror as a reader can teach important craft lessons that apply to all forms of writing, even literary novels and memoirs.

Born in Chicago and now a resident of Vancouver Island, Canada, Andromeda Romano-Lax worked as a freelance journalist and travel writer before turning to fiction. Her first novel, The Spanish Bow, was translated into eleven languages and chosen as a New York Times Editors’ Choice, BookSense pick, and one of Library Journal’s Best Books of the Year. Her next four novels, The Detour, Behave (an Indie Next Pick), Plum Rains (winner of the Sunburst Award), and Annie and the Wolves (A Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction Book of the Year) reflect her diverse interest in the arts, history, science, and technology, as well as her love of travel and her time spent living abroad.

Starting with The Deepest Lake (a Barnes & Noble Monthly Pick and Amazon Book of the Month) and continuing with her next novel, What Boys Learn (January 2026), Andromeda has swerved into the world of suspense fiction, although she continues to write historical and speculative fiction as well.