Tell us about The Herd.

The Herd is a thriller set in an exclusive all-female coworking space in Manhattan that’s upended when Eleanor, its enigmatic founder, mysteriously disappears the night of a major announcement. It’s told from the alternating perspective of two of Eleanor’s closest friends, who are also sisters: pragmatic, competent Hana, who met Eleanor in college and now heads up PR for the Herd, and Katie, a blunt, quick-witted journalist who secretly hopes she’s found her next book subject in Eleanor. The two narrators have very different worldviews, but they both have ambition in spades—not to mention their own agendas. The Herd is dark, twisty, and fast-paced, and it explores some topics I find fascinating: commercial feminism, ambition, and the pressures of being a woman in the world.

How are you nesting during this time? 

I'm holed up in a studio apartment with my cat, Mona, so I'm trying not to do too much baking—if I make a batch of cookies, I'm the only one around to eat them all (and they won't last long)! I think of nesting as baking, cleaning, or doing home improvement projects, and I'm not really doing any of the above. Instead I'm working hard on Book 3, trying to virtually promote The Herd, and watching a lot of random TV!

Do you have a bird story or favorite feathered friend?

My apartment overlooks a courtyard, and Mona's favorite activity is watching birds swoop by from the windows. Lately we've been sitting on the balcony together while I have my coffee in the morning and listening to the birds sing. It's nice to remember that spring has sprung, even if we're not outside enjoying it!

What is your most memorable reading experience?

When I was in college, my winter break started about a week before most schools', so I had a few days to kill. I'd never read a single Harry Potter book, so I decided to read the whole series from start to finish. I plowed through the series in four days, staying up late into the night and starting the next book the second I finished one. It was such a magical experience, living in that world for a few uninterrupted days.

What makes you most excited about The Herd?

It's been sparking some interesting discussions about the sky-high expectations we have for ambitious, successful women. Women aren't allowed to screw up the way men are, and the book explores what happens when those perfect facades begin to crack. Hopefully it gets people of all genders thinking about internalized misogyny and the ways society tries like hell to keep women down.

To tweet or not to tweet?

I've been tweeting up a storm for over a decade! I like Twitter—it's a fun way to connect with the writing community. And especially during quarantine, I know I can tweet if I need support and I'll get an outpouring of kindness back. I'm at @andibartz!

What books do you have in your bag right now?

I'm super excited about Pretty Things by Janelle Brown, Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier, and Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar—all smart, well-written thrillers with complex female characters.

Can you tell us your favorite rejection story?

When my agent first went out on submission with my first novel, The Lost Night, we got a lot of noes: The market for psychological suspense with unreliable female narrators is a crowded one, and many editors were nervous the book, as it was, might not stand out. But two editors had revise-and-resubmit requests, meaning they expressed their concerns and I went to town tearing my novel apart yet again and taking it to the next level. It was terrifying—I was fully aware that, after all that work, they could still pass. But the new version really was smarter and snappier, and thankfully, my current editor made an offer shortly after we resubmitted the revise. By the time The Lost Night hit stands, it had two starred reviews, and Mila Kunis had snapped up the TV rights. Plus, I'm working with the same editor for my second, third, and fourth books!

What literary journals do you love?

I enjoy Lapham's Quarterly, the Kenyon Review, 3Elements Literary Review, and n+1, to name a few!

What shakes your tail feathers?

I just got super into the podcast The Dream—the first season investigates the world of multi-level marketing schemes, and the second season is all about the cult of wellness. I've been listening as I go for walks in a nearby industrial park—the only spot in my Brooklyn neighborhood where I can stay six feet away from people!

What advice do you have for fledgling writers?

Just write! It sounds obvious, but it’s the step we so often get stuck on. Set aside even twenty minutes a day to write, and over time it'll start to add up. Know that the first draft will be terrible, and don't let that stop you from pushing through. (You can’t edit a blank page!) Sit down and write, and know that Future You can figure out the long process of revising, perfecting, and finding a path to publication.

What other eggs do you have in your basket right now?

A first draft of my third book is due to my editor at the end of the month. It’s another twisty thriller with a female friendship at its center. It's tentatively called The Visitors, and it follows two globe-trotting best friends whose relationship is stretched to the limit after they kill a backpacker in self-defense during their travels…and things only go downhill from there. If all goes according to plan, it'll come out in Spring 2021!