Author interview: Jennifer van der Kleut on The Better Mother, Nancy Drew, and writing thrillers with real stakes

From childhood Nancy Drew notebooks to a debut thriller that asks hard questions about motherhood, loyalty, and what we owe one another, Jennifer van der Kleut’s path to publication has always been rooted in curiosity and emotional stakes. Her first novel, The Better Mother, released February 10, 2026, and introduces readers to a protagonist at her lowest point—then dares her to fight her way back. In this interview, van der Kleut talks about the books and writers who shaped her, why community matters on and off the page, the rituals that keep her grounded at the keyboard, and how remembering what’s truly at stake drives every story she tells.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: As a child, my number-one favorite mystery series was Nancy Drew. I wanted to be Nancy Drew. So much so, that I got a blank notebook, and as I read each book, I took notes of the clues and suspects in the story as though I were the detective myself, and tried to come to my own conclusion before the culprit was revealed.

The character of Nancy Drew made me want to grow up and write about female protagonists who defied the odds, were independent, and took matters into their own hands. At first glance, the main character of Savannah in The Better Mother may not seem this way because we meet her at a rather low point in her life, but I hope I’ve written her a character arc that shows how she grows stronger and more confident by the end.

I also appreciated how Nancy’s best friends Bess and George were always there for her, and how she leaned on them for support. Leaning on others shouldn’t be viewed as a weakness—it’s a big strength in my (figurative and literal) book. We weren’t meant to get through this thing called Life alone, and any girl (or guy for that matter) who has friends and loved ones they can trust and lean on for support is a very lucky person, and I believe it only makes them stronger. When someone else believes in you, that is the biggest confidence boost there is, sometimes.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
A: As I mentioned above, the Nancy Drew books (written by Carolyn Keene) were my earliest influence. Later in my 20s, it was Carol Goodman (and still is). I love how she weaves interesting facts about history and folklore into her mysteries, and how atmospheric her writing is. Some of her books are traditional mystery/suspense and some of them weave a bit of fantasy and magical realism into them, which I love. She’s had such a long and successful career that I really admire. Other present-day thriller/mystery authors I love are Kaira Rouda, Alice Feeney, and Robyn Harding. I also love the contemporary/women’s fiction of Elin Hildebrand—she really knows how to create rich characters and craft a story arc that keeps you turning the pages.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice another writer has given you about storytelling?
A: To remember the stakes. It’s all about the stakes. Just having a conflict isn’t enough—what’s at stake? Never start writing until you identify that, and make sure it’s clear in your query letters as well if you are planning to submit to literary agents or publishers. The stakes give readers the biggest reason to keep reading—they give them a reason to care about the characters and what happens to them. Without it, the story is missing a crucial element.

Q: When do you feel most “in the zone” with your writing?
A: Definitely early-ish morning, not long after my boys leave for school. With a cup of coffee, and a quiet house, that’s when I get the most done. Only problem is, I can lose so many hours that sometimes it’s mid-afternoon the next time I look up, and school is about to get out, and I’m still sitting in my pajamas at my laptop, and the day has passed me by!

Q: Do you find inspiration in other art forms? And how does it shape your work?
A: I am hugely influenced by music and songwriters. As a former singer/songwriter myself, I am incredibly moved by the emotion and imagery people can put into their lyrics. Sometimes it helps you identify and express a feeling that you could never quite put your finger on before, and that’s powerful. It helps us to get to know our true selves in a way few things can. Other times it’s how the beat of the music makes me feel, allowing me to sink into my thoughts or my emotions and let them take over. And nothing can soothe the soul like a good song can.

Q: Do you have your own circle of writer friends? If so, what authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
A: In the early days, I joined a lot of online chats with other writers, on Facebook or X/Twitter. We cheered each other on and offered to swap critiques of our writing, and I loved that. The author/writing community is like no other—you may never even meet in person, but they care, and they can be so generous with their time and their tips and advice. Once I signed with my literary agent, I was thrilled to learn that her clients made their own Discord server and now we all chat every day. We commiserate about being on sub or about editing our works-in-progress, and her other thriller writer clients and I often beta-read for each other, which is invaluable, because they are talented writers in their own right, and no one knows better than them how important honest feedback is—you can be nice but still be brutally honest with someone, and I believe that’s the only way our writing will improve.

Q: What’s your go-to snack or drink while writing?
A: Coffee, of course! And my favorite snack is Skinny Pop popcorn (although I don’t often eat while writing—gets the keyboard very greasy!).

Q: Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into writer mode?
A: This will sound silly, but I love to put on the Netflix “crackling fireplace” show in the background while writing, on a constant loop. It makes me feel like a serious writer in a large English manor house plugging away on my latest tome. It’s the perfect background noise!

Q: What’s the most rewarding feedback you’ve ever received from a reader?
A: When a reader says they can’t wait to read what I write next. That is the biggest compliment I could ever hope to receive—that they want to stick with me and read more from me in the future. Brings me to tears every time!

Q: Have you ever had to cut a scene or a character you loved? How did you handle it?
A: All. The. Time. It may be strange since I’m a former journalist, but I can be incredibly long-winded. Character development and backstory are my favorite parts of writing a novel, so I can get incredibly detailed—too detailed. But a valuable piece of writing advice I’ve heard said by both screenwriter Jordan Peele and novelist Lucy Foley is, just go with it. Write anything and everything that comes to mind if it helps you get to know your characters and what drives them and motivates them and makes them who they are. You can always go back and edit or cut the fat later. And Lucy Foley said once that she never deletes the stuff she cuts from a manuscript—she saves it in a separate file. And when it came time for a screenwriter to start adapting her best-selling novel The Midnight Feast, she actually turned all that extra material over to him and it aided him in writing the script for the upcoming adaptation. So it wasn’t wasted! I love that.

Q: How do you define success as an author?
A: Doing well enough to keep going. My debut novel may not hit the best-seller lists, but if enough people are reading it and liking it that I get to write more novels in the future, that will be a big success to me. My husband has also helped me focus on the positive reviews and ignore the negative ones—who cares if you get a bunch of negative reviews, as long as there are plenty of positive ones too? I don’t like every book out there, so naturally other people won’t either. But I will be happy that there are readers out there who like my work, and I’m always so honored when they choose to share that sentiment with me and let me know they liked it.

Q: What’s your favorite underappreciated novel?
A: I have a few….Carol Goodman’s Blythewood trilogy, about students with magical powers in the early 20th century, fighting back against a great evil that most of the world isn’t aware exists. Jennifer Donnelly’s historical fiction trilogy The Tea Rose—some of the most incredible writing and plotting I’ve ever read. And maybe it’s not necessarily “underappreciated,” but one of my favorite novels ever is The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, It’s just incredible, and everyone needs to read it.

Q: What’s a surprising or unusual skill that you have that may make it into your writing one day?
A: I worked for several years as a wine club manager at a Northern Virginia winery called The Winery at Bull Run. I learned so much about wine—I’m dying to write a novel that either centers on wine, or takes place in a winery!

Q: What projects are you working on in the present?
A: I have just turned in my option book, another thriller, to my publisher Crooked Lane Books. So I’m waiting to hear if they like it and want to publish it. It’s about a celebrity journalist who gets caught up in a big scandal that leaves one person dead, and is tentatively titled Even If It Kills Me. Fingers crossed! I achieved my goal of finishing that book before The Better Mother’s release day, so I can take a little break from writing and just enjoy my launch time. Of course, I’m also playing around with the outline for a third thriller novel already! But I’m taking my time with it.

Q: What’s a new genre or style that you’d like to experiment with in the future?
A: I’d love to try book club fiction, especially with a romance slant. I already have the idea for one, but I’ve set it aside for now while I build my reputation as a thriller/suspense writer.

Author Bio

Jennifer van der Kleut (née McBride) is an award-winning former journalist of both print and digital publications, including the D.C. affiliate of ABC7 News. A graduate of San Jose State University, she spent most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of D.C., where she currently lives with her husband and two sons. When she’s not writing, she loves going to the beach with her family, going to concerts with her girlfriends, and getting lost in the pages of a book.

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