Author Interview: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Thank you so much for being here Hank. It was such a pleasure getting to know more about you and all that goes on behind the scenes when it comes to your writing world! 

You’ve had not just one, but two incredible careers: Emmy-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author. How did the shift from TV to fiction come about?

It’s a great moment in my life! One day, sitting at my desk at Channel 7 working on an investigative story, I simply had a good idea for a novel. That’s the only way to explain it — I was convinced and certain of it. I was 55, incredibly, and went home and said to my husband:  “I’m going to write a mystery!” And he was quite baffled, but he said “Great honey, um, do you know how to write a book?”  And then I burst out laughing. I said how hard can it be?  I soon learned how hard it could be, but I was obsessed, and nothing was going to stop me from writing it. And that turned out to be Prime Time, my first novel, which won the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery, and that was the beginning of my writing career!

Let’s talk about your latest book, All This Could Be Yours, out on Sept 9 2025. What inspired the story, and what themes does it explore?

Yes, exactly! It’s book 16, and is already in second printing, and it’s an instant USA Today bestseller. It’s the story of a wife and mom who follows her dreams to become an author — and has a surprise blockbuster bestseller. But her glamorous nationwide book tour turns into a terrifying and deadly cross-country cat and mouse chase, with the author running for her life. What inspired the story was my own book tour — the joys and the delights, as well as the high stakes, the exhaustion, and the nonstop stress. But in addition to that, the struggle for an author to balance their professional responsibilities as a writer and a public personality with their responsibilities to their families and to themselves. It also explores the vulnerability of authors on the road — how everyone we meet essentially is a stranger who knows more about us than we do about them. It also explores guilt and regret and motherhood, and how far someone would go to keep a secret. I’ve been told All This Could Be Yours is a “careful what you wish for” thriller, and I love that description.

Your thrillers have earned critical acclaim, major awards, and a loyal fan base. What drew you to the mystery/suspense genre in particular?

That’s so interesting, because I have always read mysteries, from the time I was immersed in Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Age mysteries, and it just never crossed my mind to write any other genre. I love a puzzle, I love a smart propulsive page-turning story, and I love to escape into a book, and have it end with a twist—and with triumph and justice. That is crime fiction to me!  

Many of our readers are women 40+ thinking about their next act. What advice would you give to someone considering a major life or career reinvention later in life?

Be brave! I got my first job in broadcasting by being brave, by applying for a job for which I had no experience — and still managed to get hired. At this age, we are supposed to be older and wiser — but I’m not sure that’s true. I think we become more fearful and more tentative, possibly because we know of all the obstacles that may be in our way. So don’t forget to be brave! Tessa Callaway in All This Could Be Yours is the perfect example! She took a chance, just like I did at the beginning of my career — and she found her calling. I am the poster child for following your dreams in midlife. What are you waiting for? I hate to think people wake up one morning with regret that they didn’t go for it.

You’ve interviewed many, gone undercover, and exposed political corruption—and now you build suspense in your books. Are there any surprising overlaps between journalism and writing fiction?

There are certainly overlaps, but I don’t think they’re surprising — I think it’s all about storytelling. Whether it’s investigative reporting or crime fiction, you have a character you care about with a high stakes problem that needs to be solved, you track down clues and follow leads, you want the good guys to win and the bad guys to get what’s coming to them, and in the end you want some justice and you want to change the world a little bit. A story has a beginning, middle and an end, and a story is entertaining and enlightening and new and irresistible. Isn’t it interesting how similar the two processes are?  

Your novels often center on smart, determined characters uncovering truth. How important is it for you to write characters who reflect both strength and vulnerability?

Oh absolutely, and thank you. Yes, I want my main character to be relatable and wise, to be doing the best they can, and to be unselfish and kind. But that does not protect you from danger, does it? We can be the nicest people in the world, but we are not the only people in the world. The point of writing a mystery is that something happens, right? And when something frightening or threatening or sinister happens to a good person, that is the most interesting thing — because we root for them to succeed. 

With so many accolades—five Agatha Awards, the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and more—what achievement are you most proud of at this point in your writing career?

Oh my goodness, thank you! The achievement I am happiest with is every time I have a good idea. Or when something in my book works. Or when I feel satisfied with what I’ve written. It’s such an incremental process, I have learned to celebrate everything!

What’s your typical writing day like?

There is no typical day, for better or for worse. I’m juggling a lot of book world things — my interview shows like The Back Room and Crime Time on A Mighty Blaze, and I am on book tour with my newest thriller, and I do a lot of seminars and teaching, both online and in real life. In my writing months, when I’m focused on the book, I try to write at least 1,000 words a day, and I keep track of that. It’s a juggle to hold an entire book in your head, so the more connected I can be with the book the better. No matter what, I make sure I open my manuscript every day, just to pay a visit, but I am not happy until I do my thousand words. 

When you’re not chasing a story or writing one, how do you recharge? Any favorite rituals, hobbies, or guilty pleasures?

I just burst out laughing. No. I am very unsuccessful with hobbies and if anything was a pleasure to me, movies or reading or being in the garden or watching the stars, I would not feel guilty about it at all. 

What has the response been like from women readers? Have any stories or messages from fans particularly stuck with you?

Oh, people love Tessa Callaway! The idea that someone could follow their dreams, and persevere, and learn to balance career and family. People are also very responsive, and it makes me so happy, to my second career. I think talking to me gives them proof that sometimes it’s glorious to take a chance and go after what you want. And I have heard that from many readers. My books are about empowerment, you know? That a smart strong woman has the rug pulled out from under her, and has to get her power back. That’s why I love when people say they adored the ending — because what happens to Tessa is exactly what should have happened.

What’s next for you? Can you give us a little teaser of what readers can expect from your next book or project?

I’m working on book 17 right now and it’s almost done! We still don’t have a title, but it’s about a mysterious deadly plane crash, a missing influencer, an adorable 11-year-old girl, and a writer who searches for happy endings. We shall see what happens!