1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE VANISHING KIND
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Intrepid wildlife biologist Alex Carter encounters anti-immigrant vigilantes, rugged terrain, and threatening intruders in search of a sleek, powerful, and furtive animal—the jaguar.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I wanted to address jaguar conservation in this novel. Because jaguars once roamed throughout New Mexico, I chose that setting, as I’ve done species presence studies there, putting up remote cameras and bioacoustic recorders in the hopes of detecting them. Having spent time there, I wanted to use that experience to really bring the setting to life – the scents, the feel of the air, the sound of bird song.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely. Like me, Alex Carter is dedicated to preserving endangered species and loves to spend time outdoors in the wild.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Determined, resourceful, dedicated.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I knew that jaguars were endangered here in the U.S., but in writing this novel, I learned about the myriad causes of their decline and what we can do to restore them to their historical habitat. Jaguars have been mercilessly hunted to near extinction in the U.S., and their plight is further complicated by habitat fragmentation and development. Though they are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), little has been done to aid in their restoration. Critical jaguar habitat was designated in New Mexico and Arizona under the ESA, but the acres in New Mexico were stripped away after people complained.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I definitely edit as I draft. I will write a scene on my portable word processor (an Alphasmart) and then when I upload it to my computer, I’ll edit that scene. I often write while I’m out camping, sometimes at night in the dark, so it’s helpful to clean up the text the following day.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
My favorite dishes are vegetarian, such as pad see ew (sweet Thai noodles) with tofu.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
Most often, I’m writing novels while camping out in the field. So my writing space frequently changes. I might be sitting on a lichen-covered boulder, writing in my folding chair back at camp, or even writing while tucked into my sleeping bag if it’s really cold. My initial drafts are always written on my portable word-processor. When it comes time to revise and polish the draft, I’ll set up my laptop, again either back at camp or if I’m home, on my art table. I paint and keep a nature journal, so that’s a shared space with my writing.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Robert McCammon is an amazingly talented author. I absolutely love his books. He has such a gift for bringing all the senses and emotions to a story. You feel like you’re there in the setting with the characters. I have laughed, wept, and been so swept up in his novels that I’ve lost track of time.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
When I was little, my parents found me a copy of Notes from a Naturalist’s Sketchbook by artist Clare Walker Leslie. At the time, I’d already been keeping a nature journal, and it inspired me to see that someone was using her artistic skills to document the natural world around her. I was hooked! And Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is a book that I would love if everyone read, addressing how we are living on this planet and how we can change our frame of mind to live more in harmony with the creatures we share this planet with.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I had been submitting my short fiction and novels for a few years, but not having any luck with agents or editors actually asking to read it. I was getting rejected at the query stage. Then at a writer conference, I met a very kind and helpful writer who was writing Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels. I loved the show and asked her how she got into writing novels for it. She very kindly gave me the name of her editor, whom I queried. She accepted my pitch, and I got the greenlight to write what became my first published novel, Night Terrors. After that, I wrote a second Buffy novel, Portal Through Time, and with those credits under my belt, soon after, my first original novel, Voracious, was accepted and published by Penguin. It all felt like a surreal dream – I couldn’t believe that I was finally writing for a living and was absolutely overjoyed.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read a lot of historical mysteries and science thrillers. I love a high octane plot full of action, discovery, and adventure.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Nightbreed, a film written and directed by Clive Barker about a society of creatures who live hidden away from the destructive, human world.
15--What is your favorite season?
I absolutely adore autumn. What a magical time! And breaking out the watercolors to capture all that magnificent color in my sketchbooks is wonderful.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I usually go hiking, bird watching, and play games with friends.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Only Murders in The Building is hilarious, suspenseful and really well written and acted.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Thai food is my favorite! It has so many delicious vegetarian dishes.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I love to hike, paint, and compose electronica music.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I just finished writing the fifth book in the Alex Carter series, which is about hawksbill sea turtles and is set in Hawaii.
Alex Carter #4
From highly acclaimed author Alice Henderson comes the eagerly anticipated and electrifying fourth book in the Alex Carter series, in which the wildlife biologist encounters anti-immigrant vigilantes, rugged terrain, and threatening intruders in search of a sleek, powerful, and furtive animal—the jaguar.
When wildlife biologist Alex Carter is tasked with locating jaguars on a vast desert preserve in New Mexico, she is ecstatic. While jaguars once roamed throughout the Southwest, they are now endangered, with only a handful remaining, and Alex hopes some of the sleek and elusive creatures have found their way to the protected sanctuary.
Meanwhile, an archaeological team is excavating the gravesite of a sixteenth-century Spanish conquistador on a neighboring piece of land. Curious about the dig, Alex meets the team and, while learning about their discoveries, she encounters a dangerous group of anti-immigrant vigilantes roaming the area, threatening the archaeology team, demanding they leave. And when the militants learn of Alex’s mission, they become bent on stopping her. Because jaguars are federally endangered, the vigilantes worry that if Alex finds them, concessions will be made so that wildlife can cross the border wall. And they want no one crossing it…
And then there are the strange holes that keep appearing on the preserve—Who is digging them, and what are they looking for?
As tensions mount, Alex soon finds herself in a fight for her life against those who would prevent her from restoring jaguars to their historical habitat.
Suspense [William Morrow, On Sale: March 4, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780063223059 / eISBN: 9780063223073]
Alice Henderson’s love of wild places inspired her new thriller series, which begins with A Solitude of Wolverines, as well as her novel Voracious, which takes place in Glacier National Park.
Alice is a dedicated wildlife researcher. Using a variety of methods including bioacoustic studies, she undertakes wildlife surveys to determine what species are present on lands that have been set aside for conservation. There she ensures there are no signs of poaching and devises ways to improve habitat. Using geographic information systems (GIS), she also designs wildlife corridors and builds habitat suitability models and species distribution models. She has surveyed for the presence of grizzlies, wolves, spotted owls, wolverines, jaguars, endangered bats, and more.
She has also written media tie-in novels, including official novels for the TV shows Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While working at LucasArts, she wrote material for several Star Wars video games.
She was selected to attend Launchpad, a NASA-funded writing workshop aimed at bringing accurate science to fiction. She holds an interdisciplinary master’s degree.
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