Tamara Hart Heiner began writing what would become her book Perilous in the seventh grade, with Jaci and her friends reflecting herself and her friends at that age, minus the kidnapping and brushes with death.
Heiner always knew there would be a sequel, although she thought the story would end there. However, after Altercation (WiDo Publishing, 2012), many readers expressed excitement for the “third book.”
WiDo Publishing™ submissions editor Allie Maldonado was also excited about the third book. “I’ve not run across another YA author who can write suspense any better than Tamara can. She’s got a real talent for plotting a story and moving it forward at breakneck speed.”
Heiner was already done with the third book when it occurred to her that she could take that ending and turn it into a fourth. She says, “The idea excites me and I look forward to exploring the possibility. For right now, I haven’t considered the series past that point. But who knows? More could happen. Or maybe it will be time for one of the other characters to have a book of their own.”
Heiner, the mother of four young children, feels her greatest challenge as a writer “is not getting so involved in my characters’ world that I ignore the real world. I enjoy being in their lives and heads so much that it is tempting to spend all my time there, creating, imagining, and writing.”
She continues, “It gives me extreme pleasure to be able to explore another world, other lives. When I write a story and create a character, I feel as if I’ve literally created another being. But it’s not me who breathes life into them; it’s my readers. So having other people experience my world and characters is my greatest joy.”
Heiner’s next project is the sequel to her self-published book, Inevitable, as well as a Brazilian cookbook, and a series of middle grade short stories. Like all writers, she has a number of old manuscripts set aside. She plans to revive these and see where they can fit.
Allie Maldonado has this to say about the author, “Tamara’s book Perilous was one of WiDo’s first releases. It’s been a consistent seller with excellent reviews. Tamara is not only a very talented writer, she has excellent marketing skills along with the emotional stamina required to go the distance with her career. We feel very fortunate to be associated with her, and we are thrilled to be publishing the third book in her Perilous series.”
Tamara Hart Heiner lives in Arkansas with her husband, four kids, a cat, a guinea pig, and several fish. She would love to add a macaw and a sugar glider to the family collection. She’s the author of the young adult suspense series, Perilous, as well as Inevitable and a nonfiction book about the Joplin tornado, Tornado Warning. She’s also a freelance editor.