Behind the Thrillers with Freida McFadden

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Things are going to

get weird. It's your fave villain, Kale Lowry.
And you're listening to Barely Famous. What you guys don't see behind the scenes is that internally, I'm freaking the fuck out.
I'm so fucking nervous. I'm so nervous.
I thought that maybe something would come up and she would cancel. And then I just go through this anxiety again.
But let's welcome Frida McFadden into the Barely Famous podcast.

Thank you, Frida, for coming on Barely Famous podcast. I'm so excited to have you.

Thank you. I'm so excited to be here.

I have to tell my listeners a funny little story. You're familiar with it.
So I emailed

I'm going to go be here. I have to tell my listeners a funny little story.
You're familiar with it. So I emailed Frida when after I read, I think one or two of your books, the first two that I ever read.
And I emailed Frida and I was like, hey, if you want to collab on a book, like I'm, I'm totally down. And Frida emailed back and she's like, I don't, I don't do well with collabs, but like, thank you.
And I thought that was so funny and honest. And I literally remember telling my hairstylist, cause she's the one that got me into your books.
I said, I was just honored that you even said no to me. Like that was fine.
And I was completely okay with it because I was like, so many people will just ghost you and not answer. Oh, that's terrible.
I was cracking up. I mean, I was excited, but, you know, there are still people that I know from, like, middle school who are mad at me over, like, group projects.
They were like, she is so bossy, I'm sure. They're talking about it in therapy.
Like, I'm like, I know myself at this point. So I'm like, yeah, I don't do collaboration.
Well, I'm very bossy. But no, that's completely fine.
I was just like, you miss 100% of shots that you don't take. So I had to because my my hairstylist, I had read, I believe it was the house made first.
And then she was like, just so consistent about asking me, was I reading Never Lie yet? And so I was, I was like, finally, let me read it. And so I think that's when I emailed you.
Well, I was just excited to get the email. I mean, I have to tell you, like, I knew you were talking about my books.
And I was so excited because like, you're the first, like, celebrity, whoever like mentioned, not that there've been a lot in general, but you're the first one. I was like, Oh my God, somebody famous is talking about my books.
And I was like, Oh my God, I was so excited. So I will never forget that.
It was so cool. I will remember that until the end of time.
So you have a new book coming out. Well, when this interview airs, this book, The Boyfriend will have been out.
So The Boyfriend came out October 1st and I got an art copy of it and was able to read it. I rated it five stars on Good Read.
I'm obsessed with this book, first of all. So can you tell us a little bit about how you came up with this story? Definitely.
So, you know, I think, like, it was initially inspired by my mom because when I was a kid, my parents got divorced when I was, like, three years old. So, like, my earliest memories of, like, ages three through nine are, like, my mom dating, but old school dating.
Like what it was like, like in the 80s, obviously dating myself. Like you had to like put personal ads like in the newspaper.
Like there was not even like Craigslist. It was just like the newspaper and there were these dances.
And, you know, we were alone together. So I heard about all of it, even though I was like, you know, seven.
So I think it just like stuck in my head as like something that's sort of like the dating game in New York city as just like this kind of fascinating thing. And it was a little scary.
Like, I think I didn't even know how scared to be of my mom doing this when I was like a little kid. But, um, and you know, now as an adult, dating myself and my friends dating, and I just like, I just find it really interesting.
And the other thing I just want to mention is like, I think there was like an angstiness in my head then because my younger daughter is really into this singer named Melanie Martinez. And she like plays this great and I love her too.
She plays this very kind of angsty, you know, songs about like relationships and like crazy relationships. And she's wonderful.
And I think that was just like playing in my head all the time so it kind of inspired me to like her vibe so that was one of the biggest questions that I had gotten on social media when I said that we were doing this interview people were like does she ever pull inspo from her real life experiences or people so that's actually really cool that this this one specifically was inspired by like just real life experiences. So much of it is inspired by real life stuff.
Like my, especially my younger daughter inspires a lot of characters. She was

actually reading The Inmate recently and she was like laughing. She's like, I said that.

She's like, you took that from a conversation we had. And I was like, yes, I did.
That's probably so cool for her that she gets to, you know, she gets to see herself or like pieces of you guys, you know, in the books that she's reading. So that's really cool that you let her read the books that you write.
That's awesome. Yeah.
I mean, she, I think, I think my books are pretty, I mean, they have moments that are a little bit less PG 13, but I think it's okay. You know, I don't curse a lot.
There's no TV sex scenes. I, I, I kind of, cause I know my parents will read it.
So that's always in my head. So I make sure that they're, you know, something that I'm not embarrassed that anyone in my family will read it because they will.
So, yeah, I actually just let my son, he's 14 and I let him read one of your books for the first time. And he picked that for our book club next month.
So yeah, yeah, he, he loved it. And so I thought that was really cool.
I do like that they're really, you know, for everybody. The books are for everyone.
Yeah, I love that when like, you know, a middle school age kid will message me and they're like, I loved your book. And that always warms my heart.
I'm like, young people reading. Yes, that's actually what I actually said to, I just recently said that to one of my friends.
I said, I really wanted, I got back into reading. I wasn't really a super reader as a kid.
And then I, a couple of years ago, I just was like, let me start reading on planes because I actually have quiet time and I don't have kids when I'm traveling for work. And so I got back into reading and I said that to one of my girlfriends.
they said, you know, I just want my kids to not see me on the phone all the time and to see me with a book.

Like if they're going to see me doing anything, let it be with a book. And so even my toddler, he'll pick up books and like, just kind of page through them, which I think is cool because I'm like, okay, now I know that this is setting a good example.
Exactly. I love that you talk about like books so much in your social media, because everybody's talking about everything but books.
Book talk, obviously they are. But like, you know, books are like, you know, kids don't read books anymore.
There's too many other things. Like when I was a kid, you know, I read because there was nothing else.
Like what can you do? The only other thing is you go outside and play. I didn't want to do that.
So, you know, there were an option, but like the kids have so many options. I love when people on social media are promoting books.
I think that's so amazing that you do that. Well, thank you.
I actually, I love that I don't scroll as much because I'm always reading. And if I can't read, I listen.
So that's been a really, that's been a huge game changer because even my kids will be in the car and be like, mom, is your book done? And I just laugh because I'm like, they know, like they don't even realize that listening, reading, just flipping through books, that's, they're all really, really good habits. And so that's, I want to promote that more, you know, as I further myself in motherhood and my reading journey.
So, um, if someone is new to your books, can someone start with the boyfriend? Definitely. I mean, all my books are standalone.
Um, there's no book I'm going to say, well, no, there are, no, I would say like, if you have a child, they probably shouldn't start with like the teacher. Like I prefer that that's the one book like I said to my kids don't read that yet when you're 18 but I think any of them are good places to start I'm really proud of the boyfriend so if someone started there I'd be thrilled oh for sure I hope that anyone that's listening to this that's new to their reading journey or new to Frida, definitely pick up The Boyfriend.
I already promoted it all over my socials because it's so good. And for all the listeners who have not heard of The Boyfriend or they're about to go order it, what can they expect from this novel? It's about it's sort of a typical dating novel in some ways in that it's a woman who's, you know, on a dating scene, she's in her 30s.
And one of her close friends is killed by a guy she was dating that she met on a dating app. So and then she starts dating a new guy and some things about him are a little sus.
That's my kids would say. So and I think what's a little different is you get a different perspective from a long time ago of a teenage boy and some very dark things that happened to him.
And they're sort of interwoven and it all comes together. So I'm obsessed with the character development in this book and you have nicknames like slug and there's, you know, some eating bugs in here and also ant farms, like just very quirky characteristics.
And I absolutely love that. So where do you come up with those things? So going back to my daughter again, so she's very into bugs.
We actually have right now in our house two praying mantises their names are fettuccine and alfredo we have a jumping spider named smurf fat we have a roly-poly farm they are not all named so she's very very very into bugs and she actually was wanted an ant farm and i remember saying to her like my husband was like supporting this he's like oh this will be good we should get her an ant farm and she's i'm like they're gonna get out and he's like you won't get out i'm like they'll definitely get out there's no way they're not getting out there's like an argument about this so a lot of that was kind of inspired by her love of bugs. She actually wants to be an entomologist.
I don't know if that will carry into adulthood, but. I mean, that's really cool.
How many kids, no kids I know know what that is, but I learned about it in this book. Exactly.
I love that. I love that your daughter's teaching your readers about these things, because that's really cool, though, for I just can't get over that, like being able to incorporate parts of your really like your personal life into these books.
So what did you always want to be an author? Am I an author? I'm still not sure. Yeah, no, no, no, no.
I, you know, it was like, for me, it was just like, it didn't seem, I know it's a real career, but like, it seemed like not a realistic career. It's sort of like being an actor or something.
It's something where to be successful at it, like as a career, you have to be very lucky. I think a lot of people who write books, you know, they don't make a living off of it.
You have to do other things. So like, I'm a very practical person.
I'm just like, I like to write and I did it constantly when I was a kid, but I like didn't think of it as like, this is something I'll do as a career. Like it was never something that even occurred to me, honestly.
So I just, I knew I wanted to be a physician. I was like that kid, five years old, I want to be a doctor, you know, and then I did it.
That's so cool though. So at what point in, you know, maybe your adult life or young adult life, did you realize, okay, I'm gonna, you decided you were going to publish your first book? Well, I was always writing.
Like I never really stopped like medical school, residency, maybe a little less. But, you know, like whenever I had time, I was always writing.
And I did actually send books to publishers because, or agents. Like I tried to get an agent.
I actually got an agent when I was 22 and I was so excited. I was like, this is it.
This is it. And then they, they sent it around to publishers for a year and nothing.
So I was like, I guess that wasn't it. But you know, I, I tried, got a lot of rejections and then self-publishing became a thing.
And I was like, Oh, I'll just do that. And, you know, at the time I had a blog I used to write in.
It's now gone. But, you know, I had an audience.
So I was like, okay, audience, I wrote a book. Buy my book.
And, you know, people did. And I sold, I think, 500 copies.
And I was like, this is great. I've lived my dream of publishing a book.
Yeah. And that was going to be it.
And then it just, then I got another idea. I was like, oh, I'll write another book.
And then I just kept getting ideas. And I was kind of like, I managed to publish one a year.
And then I cut back a little on my job.

And my kids got a little older.

You actually have time when they get older again. And I was publishing a little more frequently.
And then it just, yeah, it really just took off all of a sudden. And I didn't mean it to.
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for details. So is it more of like a passion project for you because you're, were you self-publishing all that time? Yeah, up until The House Feed was actually my first book that was not self-published.
Wow. Okay.
So what book came directly before? I think, I think I've, I own every single book that you've ever written all the way back to, I think the, is the first one baby city? No, my first one is the devil wears scraps. Okay.
I have that one. I'm looking at it right now.
So I do have, I have them in alphabetical order, not publishing. Um, okay.
So you, you were, you've been writing thriller or suspense novels since the beginning of time. So the devil wears scrubs is not suspense.
That is because, so I was, I started out writing like women's fiction, but I always loved reading suspense thrillers. And at the point where I was like reading a lot of them, was like i could do this and then i and then i started doing it and i i would say my first like i had some kind of medical-y thrillers so i had um suicide med which i recently republished as dead med which is it's sort of a funny story but um, um, just a little segue on this.
Uh, you can't say the word, I think I can say it here, suicide. You can't say it on, on Facebook.
So, um, the book, every time anyone mentioned the book, like the post would get deleted or it would get warnings. So I had to republish it as dead med, which I have both.
I have suicide med and dead med. I just, that's probably my most recent one is the dead med, but you also, um, edit it, edit it, edit it.
I can't even say the word edited it. I edited it.
Yeah. There was, um, a plot point in the original and the original and it was my first thriller.
The plot point was embarrassingly bad. Like I wrote, it was, I'm not even gonna say it was, it was so stupid.
Like I don't, I was, I wrote the first draft of it when I was 26, I think, ish, 25, 26.

So 25, you know, your brain is like not entirely myelinated.

The process is, you know, almost done, but you know, you're 25.

And so I edited it when I published it.

I was a little older, but I didn't see a way to take that part out.

It was just bad.

And it was embarrassing me. Anytime anybody would be like, I read this book, Suicide Med.
That was weird. I'm sorry.
And, you know, people, you know, I couldn't just say backlist, who cares, you know, because people were reading it, like a lot of people were reading it. And I finally, you know, I told told my agent christina i was like i really want to redo this book and she's like oh you know it's that important and i said this is what happens in it and she's like oh yeah you should definitely redo that right now should i just say what it is go Yeah.
Like a character has an eye on his butt. So, yeah, like you could see why I didn't want that in a book anymore.
So, yeah. So I said to my agent, yeah, a character has a butt eye.
And she's like, yeah.

You should fix that.

But to be fair, you're a physician.

So I feel like.

Some people are like, yeah, this is realistic.

This could happen.

I'm a doctor.

Maybe she's seen this happen.

No, I have not seen this happen.

You've never seen that.

Okay.

So now we've clarified that you've never actually seen it, but it is, it is,

it could happen. Sure.

Could happen.

So anyway, I took it down off

you know, Amazon. I

like, you know, I unpublished

it. I got the

audio book down. But the thing with

like the paperbacks is Amazon has

to like sell out their stock.

So I couldn't just like

say to Amazon like

Thank you. audiobook down but the thing with like the paperbacks is amazon has to like sell out their stock so i couldn't just like say to amazon like throw all of the copies out like they wouldn't do that like so like i took it down and people noticed that oh my god she unpublished this book i have to get a copy so like this book about the bud eye that I'm embarrassed for anyone to read suddenly it's like number one on Amazon beating like Anthony Fauci's book I'm just like oh my god and people are like oh you must have planned this I was like I did not plan this this is humiliating.
Stop. And finally they sold out of copies.

But I... not plan this.
This is humiliating. And finally they sold out of copies, but I, I did not plan this.
I mean, I kind of love it just for conversational purposes. You'll always have this story to tell.
And also I did, I read a post, I believe it was by you on your Facebook fan group that basically was like, please don't read this. And so I won't read it.
Thank you. Specifically for that post.
You heard what happened. Yeah.
So I will read Dead Med, but I won't read Suicide Med for you. I think it's much better.
I'm a much better plotter than I was back when I So, but that speaks to your growth, right? Like as a writer and with all of your plot twists and things like that. I mean, I know, I guess your newer works versus suicide med, but I, I'm always think that I'm on it.
Like, I, I think I have it down to what's going to happen next. And then every single time I'm wrong.
So how do you, one, how do you come up with the plot twist? And two, how do you teach yourself and learn from, you know, every book experience in writing the plot twist? I think, you know, what I realized recently is it's not, the twist is important and I don't know how I come up with them. It's just my brain.
If I wasn't a doctor, I probably would have become a mathematician because I was on the math team. I love puzzles.
So this is like a puzzle in reverse for me. I'm not a puzzle.
So I think that's why I'm good at the twist. But I've realized recently, like, it's not even so much what the twist is, but the red herrings.
Like, if there's another twist that people think it's going to be, that's actually even more important than the twist that it actually is. Like, it's like when you're, they say, like, when you're on trial.
Like, if you're on trial for murder, like, you not only want to convince the jury that you didn't do it, you want to give them another theory, like an alternate person who could have done it. And if they believe that, oh, this other person probably did it, they're not going to think you did it.
So that's kind of what it's like. Like you're giving them an alternate theory.
And then I see lot on Facebook, people will be reading my books and they're like, I figured it out. I'm on the 10th page.
I know. So I try to, you know, to do that, to make people think they figured it out, but it's actually, you know, the, the alternate theory for court.
Did you ever think about becoming a lawyer for that reason? Since

you're kind of able to give people another theory as, you know what I mean? Yeah. I mean, I think, I think I'm not outgoing enough to be a lawyer.
Like all the lawyers I know, like they're very, like they love performing and I'm not like that. I'm, I, I'm a little, I'm more of an introvert, actually, like, writer, you know?

Yeah.

So I don't think I could perform in a courtroom. I think it'd be terrible.
I mean, I don't know. I'm having a good time here.
We've laughed a lot. So I don't know.
So when you were, I'm not sure where you stand in your career as a physician, if you are still a practicing physician, but, um, you know, either way, how did you find the time to write while you are, while you are a physician? Because I would imagine that being a physician demands a lot of hours and time. And I'm sure you take some work home with you.
And as you've mentioned, you have a husband and kids. So what was that like? Were there deadlines? Were you ever stressed with, you know, writing and being a physician and a mom and a wife? Definitely.
Like I, um, you know, at first, you know, when I was self-publishing and I was doing one book a year, it was fine. It was like a hobby.
It was just like something to do, you know, like in my spare time, the little spare time I had. Um, and then I cut back my physician work.
Um, and at the point that I had a publisher, like I started working with source books and we were publishing a little bit more frequently and it was becoming more of a career. It started to feel like I'm doing two careers.
Plus I've got two kids. And I was like, I can't do all this.
Like it was last summer, I believe when I was trying to make it work. Cause I didn't want to stop being a doctor.
I love being a doctor. And I was just like, I can't, I need to keep doing this, but I need to keep writing.
Cause I love that too. And I just couldn't choose.
And I think it was last summer when I was trying to write and things kept getting in the way and I had no time. And I was like, almost having panic attacks.
Like, how am I going to get this done? How am I going to get this done? And I finally like begged, um, a retired coworker to cover me for a week so I could just finish something I was working on. And he came and I got caught up and I'm like, I did it.
I did it. And then a week later, I was like completely behind again and stressed.
And I was just like, no, I didn't do it. I can't do it.
And I realized I have to make a decision. I have to decide, am I going to do the writing thing or am I going to do the doctor thing? And the writing thing is like, I love being a doctor,

but the writing thing is like my passion. And it's one of those things like,

you know, if I let this opportunity go, like it might never come back to me.

Like I'll always have my medical license. I can go back to that.

But I felt like I had to see through this writing thing. And I still do work as a doctor.
I come in on weekends and, you know, they need people then. And I also like cover vacations and I do some teaching with the residents.
So like, I do still keep my hands in it. I keep my skills up so that, you know, 10 years from now, maybe things are not going so well in the writing world.
I'll go back to being a doctor again. So, um, but I just couldn't do it all, especially with my kids still at home.
Like for sure. I mean, kids in any profession is, I mean, just that balance, that work-life balance I think is, is tough, but I think it's kind of cool that you still get to keep your hands in being a physician and keeping your, your skills up because it's almost like your careers flipped places.
So you didn't really give one up completely for the other, but you know, where being a physician took precedence before, and then writing was your, your passion project on the side. Now they've kind of flipped.
So I think that, I mean, you're doing an incredible job balancing everything. So I think that's awesome.
When you got, when you're writing, do you kind of go into your writing process with an idea already sort of formed? Or do you sit down and maybe you have nothing and you come up with it just when you start writing? Yeah, that's the whole plotter versus pantser. Pantser means like come up with it by the seat of your pants.
Like I do think that needs explanation if you've never heard it before. So yeah, I am definitely a plotter.
You know, with the twist, like if you're coming up with a puzzle and you need to know like how it ends, like you can't, you can't come up with that. Like, like you you're sort of you're going to write yourself into a corner if you do that i have to know where it's going other so i could set it up and have it like come to this final conclusion and i'm not somebody who writes out every little scene like a little notebook with all the scenes but i do know what the twist is going.
I know where the major characters are. I know what the general plot arc is going to be.
And I spend months, like, planning it out in my head and thinking about it and all the characters. And my other thing that I do is I tell my husband the plot.
And he will say to me, like, that sucks. He doesn't give me ideas he he has a he has a math phd so he's very analytical too and so like he'll poke holes in it he's like well no one would really do that or like that's ridiculous that's a terrible twist and like so and then i'll say like well do you have any have any ideas? He's like, no, you're the writer.
So, yeah. So, but, you know, if he says it's cool, then I'm like, okay, I can, I can run with this.
Like, that's really what I'm looking for. I'm like the thumbs up or the thumbs down.
So, um, I, I make sure I get that thumbs up before I start writing. You and your husband seem to be debunking the theory that if you're good at math and sciences, you're not the best writer.
Because I feel like if your husband has a PhD in math and you're a doctor and would have been, you know, in the math field, this goes against everything we're taught in school. So I just need the younger listeners of this podcast and younger free-to-readers to keep an open mind.
Because just because you're good at math doesn't mean you can't write and vice versa. That is true.
I love that. I'm actually relearning calculus right now because my teenager is taking calculus and I'm like, I need to like bone up on it.
Yeah. And I'm like having so much fun.
I'm like going through the problem. I'm like, I love this.
Well, your next character, there's the inspiration for your next book and your next character. She or he can be math and a writer.
You know what I mean? Yeah. I keep telling my husband, he and I should write not a whole book, but maybe like a novella together because a full book, I think we kill each other.
Like as telling you, I can't collapse. But he said, you know, you would have to basically tell me exactly what to write.
Like, so he's willing to be bossed around. I mean, fair.
Fair. He's like, if you could, like, tell me every scene and, like, he's like, maybe I'll do it.
I mean, I would definitely buy it. I think that would be fantastic.
I think people are very invested, too, in who you are outside of writing. I've seen so many theories about who you are, your identity.
And I actually read a theory this morning that AI actually writes your books. Have you seen that? Oh, all the, I mean, that is like, it's funny you say that because I, that is like the theory with every author that like, every author really, they're like, yeah, they're probably AI.
I've seen it a ton. And me and other authors, I don't want to mention anyone by name, but I saw a couple authors getting really upset over it.
And I'm not upset. I mean, I think, I don't know.
It's almost a compliment.

They're like, this is so, this seems like the perfection of a machine.

I don't know.

No, I agree. When I read that, it was funny.
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If you actually like use chat GPT and like, like see what it comes up with though, like it would never like have something like as dark as a murder. Like it's so like gentle, like it would be like, and he killed her, but then he felt really bad and he turned himself in.
Like it couldn't like AI is like, they're being very careful to keep it from getting evil. I think they're programming it.
Yeah. Compassion or something.
So it's like super nice. They want to keep it nice for so that they can continue using AI, I think.
So I have read rumors and I've heard rumors that several of your books have been picked up for TV or and or movie adaptations. One, can you confirm or deny this? And two, if so, are you allowed to say which ones? I'm allowed to say some.
Yeah. So the house made, I can't give all the details, but that was picked up by Hidden Pictures slash Lionsgate.
And we have a script. So that's very exciting.
I don't know if I'm allowed to say any more. But that one I'm very excited about.

And the co-worker was picked up by Sony.

And a script is in the works.

And they have two really amazing script writers working on it.

And that, I think they're going for a TV show.

Okay.

And then Never Lie was picked up by Netflix and 21 laps with Sean Levy.

So it's like the Wolverine Deadpool.

Yeah, yeah.

I was like, oh, my God, I saw that article.

And I had just seen the movie, too, which I loved.

I'm like a massive, like, you know, Marvel fan. Yeah, yeah.
I, Oh my God, I didn't even know. I'm like clueless about everything.
And I was like, so proud of that article. I was like sending it to everyone like Deadpool is making my movie.
That's what it was, right, Deadpool's making my movie that was my I love that though that's so exciting so will you get a hand in any of the casting probably not like people are asking me they're like can I be in your movie I mean I don't have any way to make that happen um I'm you'm, you know, I'm just excited to see who they cast. So for sure, I definitely don't think I'm going to get much say in it, but that's okay.
I mean, I have, I have a couple ideas for Millie's character. Um, we talk about this a lot in book club.
When we read a book, the first question I ask is who we would cast for characters if something got picked up. And I also just want to say that I absolutely love Dawn Shift.
Like we are big, big co-worker fans in my book club. In order to be initiated into book club, you have to read the co-worker.
And we refer to each other as turtles because we just love it. And I saw your post.
So you did a post in your Facebook group talking about how, you know, you see sort of like the negative comments or feedback that you get on the books. And I think one of the lines said that you were like, I get it, that the turtles were overkill.
I personally don't agree. I loved it.
I loved on ship and I love the turtles. I did not think it was overkill.
I'm glad to hear that. You know, you never know.
Like I, I gave this to a beta reader before publication and she actually said more turtles. She's like, add more turtles.
Like nobody prior to publication was like, this could be too many turtles. Like that was never hinted at.
Like, that's the weird thing about publication. Like what you hear, like prior to the ARC advanced copies going out is totally different from what you hear when the advanced copies go out.
And that's totally different from what you hear when everybody gets it. So like the turtle thing that I kind of heard pretty like, there are other things that, like, I didn't realize, you know, like, were issues until, like, the book was to the masses.
And at that point, you really can't change anything. So self-publishing, you can change a lot, like, when it's in advanced copies.
But I'm glad that, like, I didn't know about that because, you know,

like, I think people, it's hard.

I wanted Dawn to be a certain kind of person,

and I think if I cut back on the turtles, it would have hurt her character in my head.

I agree. I love Dawn.

In my opinion, I didn't see anything wrong,

anything else wrong with the, I didn't think anything was wrong with the book to begin with. And if anything, it added to her quirkiness.
I mean, that's what I said about the boyfriend. I loved the nickname and the quirks with the bugs.
And, and, you know, I just loved all of that. I think that it's, it sets it apart from other thrillers and suspense novels that we read, you know? So if you're a suspense girly or guy and you read suspense novels, that's something that's missing from other books that we read, in my opinion.
I have my own personal question about The Housemaid is Watching. So in The Housemaid is Watching, there's a line that you wrote in the book that said something along the lines of the third book in a series is never the best yeah can we please talk about that so yeah like i'm not gonna lie and say that book was easy for me to read and like i really wanted to write it i'm sorry easy for me to write it really really wanted to write And it wasn't like about money or anything.
I just felt like there was more to the story. Like, and my readers wanted it so much.
And I was just like, I really want to give it this end. I had an idea and I was like, I love this idea.
But, you know, sometimes you're writing a book and it's flowing and you're like, and the words are like just like flying onto the page. And it wasn't happening with this one.
And part of it was just that was the summer that I was struggling just between careers. But I was just I was struggling a lot with the book.
And I was scared because I wanted it to be great. Like I wanted so badly for people to love it.
I didn't want it to just be like, oh, she just did this as a money grab. I wanted so badly for people to be like, this is the ending we were hoping for.
I wanted, you know, I really wanted that. So like, but you know, I was not connecting as much and I had that problem with the first two books too.
So I wasn't a hundred percent worried about it yet, but I put in that line just because it almost like took the pressure off of me. I felt like, you know what? Like, you know, it doesn't have to be the most amazing thing that's ever been written ever.
You know, like there are going to be people who don't love it as much as the first two. Like I've read series where I love the first two and didn't like the third one.
And I was like, and that's okay if people don't like it as much as the first two, like just write the book you want to write, tell the story you want to tell, and it's okay. And it's sort of like, it almost like freed me up after writing that line to just be like, okay, like I don't have to put so much pressure on myself.
This is going to be okay. And it absolutely was okay.
And I, I love that for one. I mean, just even talking about it on the podcast, I feel like humanizes you.
And so for anybody who didn't maybe love it or or or maybe didn't love it as much as they like

the first two i think this will give them some context and understand that i mean you're an author but you're human too right and so you wanted to write it like you said and you want the readers wanted it so you did your best i loved it i feel like it put a little bit of you in the book and so that's really good like if my if my daughter ever reads it she's just gonna be or the praying mantis in the back, right?

Oh my gosh. I didn't even think about that.
You're right. The praying mantis.
I know a lot about it. And she did once interrupt us to tell us that the praying mantis was molting.
So. That's so funny.
I know. I love that.
Yeah. Now I'm blushing.
So if, um, you, you were having, you were going through some stuff at the time when you were writing that, but, and, and maybe didn't connect the way that you wanted to, do you have a most favorite book out of all of the ones that you've written or a couple favorites? I mean, I love The Boyfriend was an easy one to write. I really enjoyed that one.
The Inmate is another one that like I really connected with. I was like super excited to write it.
And I was just, you know, rereading it when we re-released it. And I was like, oh, I love this book.
You know, that's another of my favorites. Okay.
And do you have a favorite character from any of the books? You know, I always, I don't want to say because then, like, if I say, you know, I love this guy, you'll know if he's good or bad. So.
Okay. Okay.
No spoilers. Fair.
I actually, if I ever had another child, I love the name Miller and Millie like those two are so good and Millie for a girl I just love that so much and I have a feeling that we're going to see a huge surge in Millie and Enzo as names in the coming years so cool like I was just you know watching um friends with my one of my favorite shows, I saw an old episode.

And I remember like when Rachel named her baby Emma, like every child has named Emma for a while. And just to be part of anybody naming their child something because of me, like, oh my God, that's just like so cool.
So cool. So cool.
No, I totally agree. So in terms of reading reviews, good reads, just, you know, knowing the feedback that you get from your readers, how do you deal with the negative feedback, if any, and does it affect you in your personal life? I think, you know, obviously good reviews are great.
I love good reviews, but I feel like I learn a lot from bad reviews. Like I read, especially the early ones, I just want to know.

I want to grow as a writer.

I want to know too many turtles or, you know, whatever.

Like, I want to know what I did.

And I definitely learn from them.

And, like, so they're important to me.

Like, of course, I wish every review is, like, amazing.

But, and sometimes they're entertaining. So, Like, of course, I wish every review is like amazing, but sometimes they're entertaining.
So like, here's an aside. So I recently published, I don't know if you saw it, like a satirical novella.
I bought it. It's called The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie.
So it's basically like 150 pages of me making fun of myself so you know in general you know well good review bad reviews are hard to hear I felt like in this case because the whole thing was just meant to be like a joke like I actually was really amused by some of the bad reviews I thought they were really funny and I actually um because they're like

making fun of me, making fun of myself. It's like very meta somehow.
So, so actually if you'll indulge me, so, um, I actually, I, I wrote down some of them, um, some of the bad reviews of the novellas. So I was recently discovered um if you watch jimmy kimmel he has this thing where celebrities read mean tweets about themselves have you ever seen this oh yeah i've seen these and they're so so funny and i watched them and i'm like jealous because i'm like i want to read mean mean stuff about myself.
So I wrote down some of the, some of these reviews and I'd like if it's okay to do a dramatic reading. Absolutely.
Absolutely. We love this.
Okay. So I'm not an actor like they are.
So I'll just do my best. Okay.
I had no idea what a satirical novel was going into this. And it's safe to say, now that I do know, that I absolutely cannot stand this kind of novel.
Literally the worst. Not funny at all.
Just bad. No.
Just no. this is the dumbest book i have ever read in my life i don't know if this was all a joke was only like 150 pages and was weird the entire way through this attempt at humor was shitty and the twists were useless note to self don't read another one of ms mcfadden's the twists were useless.
Note to sell. Don't read another one of Ms.
McFadden's securical novels. So stupid.
LOL. Still thinking about how stupid this was.
This one's just like an eye roll. It's just like an eye roll emoji.
That was like the whole fair it's fair um I didn't find it funny mostly just freedom making fun of her own books which is what I do too I have never read a satirical novel before and now I understand why I mean that was my dramatic reading I mean I loved it I feel, that was my dramatic reading. I mean, I loved it.
I feel like that should be the clip in and of itself is, is you reading those. But I just, what do people think when they're reading, when they're writing these reviews? I would love to know.
I mean, I thought these were kind of funny, but. They were.
They were funny. I just, I don't.
Especially. I was just like, yeah, that could sum it up like i can imagine like if my husband were to review that book that would be this he'd be like this is so dumb or what what did he say to you oh that's a that's a terrible idea yeah this is so stupid lol i mean but at least you're getting some entertainment out of the reviews.
Yeah. Like I can only, you know, if you can't laugh at yourself, like that, you know, especially as a writer, like, you know, if you're like, you know, if you're like, some people think of a brain surgeon, not a brain surgeon.
But like, if you go to a brain surgeon and they're like, ha, I'm so bad at this. Like, that's not good.
You don't want that.

But I never go to a surgeon that says that.

Right. But like an author, you could just, you know, you can say, okay,

you know, some people like it. Some people don't.
I'm not, you know,

who's an amazing, I'm not Shakespeare. Not, you know,

see somebody objectively amazing. Like I'm, you know, some people like it, some people don't.
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There was a, I don't remember the name of it. It was like the couple across the street in the, I don't remember.
It was like a satire. It was like that Kristen Bell.
It was like a Netflix. I didn't see it.
I think I saw the ads for it, but yeah. The couple, the window, woman watching.
I think it was a spoof of the woman in the window or something like that. Yes.
And I didn't know what satire was before that. And I, I fall for it every time.
Like even on Tik TOK, there's accounts that are specifically satire and I fall for it every single time. And sometimes it takes people.
But that's what it, it's entertaining if nothing else. And then I call myself out later and be like, I didn't even realize that was satire.
I didn't realize that was rage bait. And you know what? It's all entertainment.
So yeah, I was just telling you what it is. Like I, I don't take anything very seriously.
I feel like, you know, in life you got to laugh at yourself. You got to laugh at things and you know, that's otherwise you just go crazy.
So do you think you'll write another satirical novella? I feel like I got it out of my system. But, you know, who knows? But I'm not I'm not planning any.
It was sort of a one time thing. I think I got all my books in there.
I kind of said what I needed to say. So it's not on the agenda.
Okay, that's fair. Do you have any sequels or other interconnected books happening or in the works? Probably not.
I just feel like, you know, sometimes I love the characters and I want to, like, continue them. But I feel like just the presence of a sequel with a thriller is sort of like a spoiler so like if I were writing romance sure I could you know bang out the sequels but like just like a character from the first book being in the second one is a spoiler so I don't know how to do it in a way that doesn't spoil the first book.
So I'm mostly focusing on standalone now. I don't know if I'll ever do another series.
I don't want to say never, but it's definitely not a thought in my head right now. So when I finished Ward D, at the, I believe it was Ward D, at the end it starts, it shows you like a passage from the inmate.
Yeah. I believe I wasn't paying attention.
I don't know what I was doing, but I was like, Oh my God, there's a sequel. And I thought that it was a sequel.
It's not a sequel. So I realized, so my, my hairstylist also friend, she was like, kill that is not.
Cause I texted her. I was like, did you see the sequel? And sequel and she was like not a sequel i need you to go back and like reread what you just sent me because that's absolutely not a sequel and i was cracking up because i clearly wasn't paying attention but um that's i get what you're saying yeah that makes sense what's funny is like you know other people have been fooled by that like i just want to say like somebody once like sent me an email and they thought that that extra chapter was part of the book.

And they were like I don't understand that last chapter had to do with everything else like you kind of ruined it with that last chapter and like that's a different book but yeah pay attention because if anyone is listening to this and you get to the end and there is a passage for, you know, what's next. Probably not a sequel.

Pay attention because if anyone is listening to this and you get to the end and there is a passage for, you know, what's next, probably not a sequel. Pay attention.
At that point, you just send them a link to the book itself and be like, here you go. Like maybe this won't be on your stand.
That's so funny. So if there's anything that you could say to your readers or future readers that maybe haven't started any of your books yet, what would it, what would it be? What would you say? I guess I would just say, like, to my readers who are already reading my books, I want to say thank you, because, you know, like, my readers are, like, incredible.
Like, they're so supportive and nice. I have this reader Facebook group, and people are so nice.
Like, sometimes I'm reading it I'm just crying. I'm like, you guys are so nice.
And to people who haven't read my books, I just want to say, just have fun. These books are supposed to be fun.
They're not supposed to be. It's not war and peace.
It's supposed to be a good time. I always look at it as a fun ride.
You don't have to read into it deeply. Just have fun with it.
And if you're not having fun, then maybe I'm not for you. And that's okay.
No, I absolutely love these books. They brought me out.
They bring me out of reading slumps, got me really right back into reading. And if anyone needs a recommendation, come to me.
I'm your girl. I will send you all the recommendations free to books.
I own, I think every single one. But for those who may be interested in starting their journey as an author, do you have any advice as far as self-publishing or how to get started? Yeah.
I mean, I have a lot of real life friends who are like starting out as authors and I mean my main advice is just do it just do it you know like don't sit on it don't you know like you learn by doing my first thriller had a butt eye on it okay so like whatever is in your book. It's not as bad as that.
I mean, it can't be where else could the eye be? So, you know, just do it. Cause you'll learn from it.
You'll learn. Don't put up that eyes in your book or other things.
You'll learn other things too, but you know, and I I also recommend this book called Save the Cat Writes a Novel. And it's an excellent book about how to plot a novel.
And I've learned a lot about plotting over the years. Like I used to think that like a book was just a bunch of things that happen and there doesn't have to be any cohesion, but you know, like there does need to be a plot.
So a book like that will really teach you about the plot arc. So I recommend that to everyone.
It's very helpful. Like I could tell like when I, my friends who like, after they read it, their plots get so much tighter.
So I highly recommend that. So, but yeah, just, just do it.
Like self-publishing is. And, you know, you're only going to learn from experience.
For sure. I would agree with that.
Oh, and really quickly, someone else also asked if you have a favorite book or a favorite author yourself. I have so many.
Recently, I've actually been binging Stephen King audiobooks. Oh.
And he's a favorite of mine when I was younger. And I'm, like, listening, and I've discovered audiobooks recently and love them.
And I'm listening to The Institute now, and I'm just, like, it's so good. And the narrator is so good.
And like, I'm just like, looking forward to doing things that I can like put them, you know, my earphones in and listen. So right now, that's like, you know, my book of the moment.
Love it. I love that.
And where can people find you for anyone who is listening that wants to join your Facebook group or follow you on socials? can they find you um I so I've got a reader group on Facebook it's you could search for Frida McFans or Frida McFadden Facebook reader group something like that I'll pop up I'm on Instagram you can follow me you could also just follow me on Facebook but the group is really fun because I post there a lot and I try to read most of the posts and I do a lot of giveaways there of like signed copies. And, um, if there are signed copies for sale, like I'll announce it first in that group because they do sell out quickly.
So any, any news I'll put in that group first. So you got dibs.
So that's where I hope people go. Once people people told me about that group i immediately was like running to join the group and i love it there i've seen a lot of support just for you even if they have um criticism it's constructive i feel mostly oh yeah people are very nice and like sometimes the other mods will like if somebody says oh i didn't like this book they'll like reject the post because they don't want me to feel hurt, but I'll always let it through.
I'm like, yeah, that's like nothing. We didn't use the trash bin emoji or a poop emoji.
Like if they didn't use one of those two emojis, I consider it a nice review. See, that's so nice that you are like welcoming all types of opinions and reviews no i just want to know like like i just want to get better and know what people think so well i love that you have the boyfriend that is out now you guys can get your copy on amazon your local bookstore anywhere you guys get your books i believe most of your books are on kindle unlimited is that right yeah so most Yeah.
So most, almost all of my eBooks are on Kindle Unlimited. Yeah.
Perfect. So you can get it for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.
And then you guys can also pre-order The Crash that comes out January 2025. I already have it pre-ordered, which I'm so excited about.
We'll just have to get you an ARC though. I would be happy to read one.
I'll never turn down one of your ARCs.

That would be fantastic.

So you guys can pre-order that one on Amazon as well or wherever you guys pre-order your books.

And thank you so, so much for joining us on Barely Famous.

Thank you for having me.

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