Lynne Constantine is an Edgar Award–nominated and Silver Falchion Award–winning, New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels and nine short stories who writes under the pen name Liv Constantine. She is the co-author of the global bestseller The Last Mrs. Parrish, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that is now in post-production as a Netflix feature film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jennifer Lopez. Constantine’s novels have sold millions of copies worldwide, have been translated into twenty-nine languages, and are available in thirty-four countries. Several of her books have been adapted for television. She also writes the Jack Logan conspiracy series under the pen name L. C. Shaw and is currently developing projects for film and television as a screenwriter. She holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Promise Me Never is August 18!
I can’t tell you how excited I was to crack open another Liv Constantine thriller. In your latest, you take readers behind the publishing curtain as your characters, many of whom work in the industry, navigate writers’ conferences, business meetings, and book tours. This is obviously a space you know very well, but what made you decide to set this particular story in the world of publishing?
The yearning to achieve dreams that can feel impossibly out of reach was the inspiration for the story. Before I became a published author, I spent years honing my craft, querying agents, collecting rejections, and fielding questions about why I didn’t simply give up. What often feels like an impossible aspiration became the thing I couldn’t imagine living without.
While the novel is set in the publishing world, it’s really about the pursuit of a dream and the obstacles people face when passion collides with closed doors. I also wanted to explore the idea that the life we long for most may not turn out to be exactly what we imagined and that getting what we wish for can come with consequences of its own.
You’re known for your killer twists, but also your storytelling prowess, particularly when it comes to juggling multiple points of view. Promise Me Never is told through the perspectives of bestselling horror novelist Bennett Bryson, aspiring author Savannah, and Bennett’s former wife Poppy, and the way you wield these to withhold information and slowly reveal hidden truths creates a terrific amount of suspense. How do you determine which secrets to expose to the reader and when? Walk us through your plotting process?
I always begin with character and motivation. From there, the plot develops and evolves, often in ways that surprise me. My process has changed with every book, but I still write organically, discovering my characters as I go.
Promise Me Never changed significantly in the second and third drafts, including the structure and even the big reveal itself. It’s in those later drafts that I go back and plant clues and remove anything that tips my hand too early. For me, suspense is about balance: giving readers enough information to keep them engaged while holding back just enough to keep them turning pages.
I’m curious about your thematic vision for this novel, which explores issues like power, female autonomy, and danger within. At what point in the writing process do themes typically emerge for you, and how much did you lean into them with this particular story?
The themes also emerge from character and often surprise me. With this novel I wanted to explore the darker side of fame and ambition: what success can cost a person and what someone might do to protect it once they have it. Obsession and trauma also became important themes as the story developed.
The characters in Promise Me Never are possibly the most flawed people I’ve written so far. They’re messy, driven by wounds and desires they don’t fully understand themselves, but they know what they want and pursue it relentlessly. That tension between longing, ambition, and self-deception fascinated me as I wrote the book.
The setup, sexy moments, and masterful psychological manipulation in this novel reminded me of top-notch ‘90s and 2000s domestic thrillers like Sleeping with the Enemy and What Lies Beneath. Were you inspired by any previous literary or cinematic works?
The story of Bluebeard was a major inspiration. The idea of a forbidden room, a curious wife, and the possibility of something terrible being hidden within was irresistible to me. I was equally intrigued by the idea of a husband with secrets he’d do anything to protect. Rebecca was also an inspiration in terms of a woman moving into a home where the ghost of his ex-wife haunts her.
We’re all about the thrills here at Thriller Thursday. What has thrilled you lately?
My son recently got engaged. And I’m thrilled to welcome the loveliest and kindest woman into our family.
What are you reading?
Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser.
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