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‘Heated Rivalry' Author Rachel Reid Announces New Book Sequel
There’s a reason Freida McFadden is always adding to fans’ TBR lists.
And it’s because The Housemaid novelist often publishes multiple books a year. In fact, this year alone she’s authored the recently released Dear Debbie, with The Divorce hitting bookshelves in May. As for how McFadden—who is also a trained physician—does it, she's just quite adept at pulling a fast one.
“I write a first draft really quickly,” she explained to E! News in an exclusive interview. “I don't like to do things halfway. I'm not the kind of person who can write a few hours a day and just be done with it. I completely immerse myself, and I don't stop, ignore everything from life until I'm done.”
That robust release schedule, however, all comes down to the editing process.
“After that first draft, which usually takes a few weeks. I'll just spend forever editing,” McFadden revealed. “I could spend another year editing, but I'll be doing a few at once.”
And given that she’s juggling two careers while raising two kids with her husband, throwing an extra book project into the mix doesn’t intimidate her.
“I feel like being a mom and a doctor, I’m really used to multitasking,” she emphasized. “They'll give me edits on one book, I'll go through them, and then they'll give me one on another book. So, I feel like I'm always ready for that next project. And I'm a hard worker so I'm at my happiest when I'm working very hard.”
Hachette Books
In fact, she’d rather be navigating a busy schedule.
“When I left my hospital job, I was in a panic,” McFadden shared. “I'm like, ‘What am I going to do with myself?’ And I signed up for all these classes, and I was really worried about being bored. I am happiest when I'm doing, like, five things at once.”
But she knows her limits “When I was doing the doctor thing full time, and doing the author thing, and it was ramping up, it was too much,” the Never Lie author noted. “That was a little over what I can do." Still, she admitted, at times, "I kind of wish I were going to the hospital a little more.”
Working on multiple books at once isn’t without its challenges—namely the granular details that may overlap. But as McFadden stressed, “Sometimes it works out that there are similar plot points on two books that release in a row, and sometimes I wrote them a year apart, and it just they happen to release in that order.”
Photo by Manoli Figetakis/WireImage
At the end of the day, “I have one brain,” she noted, “and there are times when things do bleed over a little bit.”
That said, beyond the thrills, her novels tend to run the gamut plot-wise—whether it’s ex-con Millie and her venture into the Winchester home in The Housemaid or The Inmate’s nurse practitioner Brooke running into her ex at the maximum-security prison she works at. And that’s by design.
“I want to keep it fun for myself,” she said, of her transition from practicing medicine to writer. “I left my job to do this, and I don't want it to be a drag. I want it to always be fun. So, I'm trying to always do things that are a little different, step out of my comfort zone. and write things that require maybe a little more research. Each time, I just try to stretch a little further.”
Luckily, her mom, often the reader of McFadden’s first drafts, and husband are always up to help bounce around ideas.
“I often will toss things out with my husband,” she told E!. “He’s my secret weapon. If I have a seed of an idea and I'm struggling with it, I'll talk to him about it, and he'll kind of spit ball things—he'll make fun of me, usually, because he can't help himself—but I think just the act of talking it out to somebody helps so much."
Lionsgate
Being surrounded by loved ones who cheer her on as she puts pen to paper has paid off. In addition to being runaway best-sellers, her work has also taken the big screen by storm. For proof, look no further than The Housemaid—available on premium digital and premium video on demand—which has made more than $350 million since its December release in theaters.
Fans haven’t seen the last of the titular character, either, as Sydney Sweeney and Michele Morrone as well as director Paul Feig are on-board for the adaptation of McFadden’s sequel The Housemaid’s Secret. And that’s especially exciting for the novelist given how she felt about her experience on the first film.
“There are definitely authors out there who haven't been that happy with the adaptation because it's so different, or they don't capture the right atmosphere,” she admitted, “And I feel lucky, because they captured it so well.”
The Housemaid, released in theaters Dec, 19, is now available to on premium digital; and premium on demand. McFadden’s latest, The Divorce is on bookstands in May. Until then, keep reading to see more new book releases…
Grand Central Publishing
Book of Luke by Lovell Holder
Release: Dec. 2
Traitors is back and Survivor season 50 is coming, so what better time to dive into a novel set in the high stakes world of competitive reality TV? The novel follows reality TV alum-turned-stay-at-home dad Luke, an OG contestant on the show Endeavor who returns for its milestone 20th season. The book flips between the two timelines as Luke is forced to confront the tragedy that marred his first appearance on the show and the heartbreak that thrust him back into the ever-spinning web of reality TV.
Cardinal Books
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
Release: Dec. 2
Lexi has turned down from her duties as a member of the British royal family and carved out a life for herself in Australia. That is, until she learns her father and brother have died, leaving her next in line to the throne. Thrust back into a role she tried to abandon, Lexi must contend with her royal responsibilities—plus the ever-complicated family dynamics—and decided once and for all if this is the path she wishes to follow.
Scribner/Simon & Schuster
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
Release: Jan. 6
A shocking event dismantles the precarious safety Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter Bailey have been living under since the events of The Last Thing He Told Me, setting them of on an Odyssey that may restore peace to their lives—and allow Hannah’s husband Owen to finally return home.
Montlake Books
Woman Down by Colleen Hoover
Release: Jan. 13
Hoover is back with her first new novel in years, this time an expansion of her 2020 short story “Saint.” The book follows novelist Petra, who retreats from the public eye following backlash to her book’s film adaptation. Determined to set her career and life back on track, she finds her muse in a detective, leading to blurred lines and a mess that might just make her cancelation look like child’s play.
Atria Books
The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead
Release: Jan. 20
Looking for a book to scratch that Daisy Jones itch? Look no further than the Future Saints, a band reeling from the death of their manager with one last chance to make it big. Enter Theo, the record exec tasked with making this happen, setting them all on a collision course to produce a masterpiece or die trying.
Ballantine Books
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Release: Jan. 20
Almost four years after the release of her explosive memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, the iCarly alum is heating up the literary space once more, this time with her debut novel Half His Age, following a 17-year-old who embarks on an affair with her teacher.
Random House
Vigil by George Saunders
Release: Jan. 27
Prepare for a riveting journey to the other side. The Lincoln in the Bardo novelist’s latest follows a seemingly unrepentant oil tycoon as his death companion ushers his soul into its final resting place. But to get there they both must contend with the cost of the life he led, its toll on the people around him and the world at large.
Dutton Books
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
Release: Feb. 3
Natalie has a complicated dating history—as in, all her exes have ended up dead. Now, her marriage to James is on the brink of collapse and the secrets she’s long buried seem to finally be catching up with her. Not to mention the monster within desperate to come out. The Exes is such a fun, engaging read that once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put down.
Simon & Schuster
Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon
Release: Feb. 3
Decades after the death of soap star Susan Bliss, her now-adult children are still trying to reconciling her larger-than-life TV persona with the mother who died when they were just 7. The dual timeline follows Susan’s rise to fame in the ‘80s and how each of her children have contended with her absence and the legacy she left behind.
Atria Books
Adrift by Will Dean
Release: Feb. 17
Writing is not for the faint of heart, and Peggy and Drew, who live on a canal boat with their son, know that all too well. However, unable to cope with Peggy’s rising success, an unmoored Drew leads his family into isolation, deepening the divide until the cracks lead to a massive break.
37 Ink
Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson
Release: Feb. 17
The House of Eve novelist continues her reign of historical fiction must-reads, with this gripping post-WWII story following three seemingly unconnected people: Ozzie, a Black army soldier who falls in love with a German woman; Sophia, a girl growing up in the ‘60s who uncovers a secret about her past; and Ethel, who in the wake of the war is determined to provide a life for a group of mixed-race children abandoned in Germany.
Knopf
Kin by Tayari Jones
Release: Feb. 24
This moving portrait of friendship follows Vernice and Annie, two girls growing up in Jim Crow south. While they are brought together by shared circumstances—each growing up without their moms—their paths diverge as they come of age. But through the hurdles and heartbreak life throws their way, their bond never breaks.
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