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Donna M. Zadunajsky started out writing children’s books before she wrote and published her first novel, Broken Promises, in June 2012. She since has written several more novels and her first novella, HELP ME! Book 1 in the series, which is about teen suicide and bullying.
Her third novel Family Secrets, “Secrets and Second Chances”, which is the first in a series she is writing, was given a publishing contract through California Times Publishing.
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Tell No One
by Donna M. Zadunajsky
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Mia Barnes rubbed her fingers across the scars on her wrists. No matter how hard she tried, she would never forget what happened to her. The night her whole life changed. The night he took everything from her.
Judith Barnes couldn’t shake the vivid memories of that night. The night she found her daughter near death. Since that day, all she wanted was to know why. Why her daughter thought her life wasn’t worth living.
A story of family, love, and grief. How far will a mother go to find out the truth? How far will a daughter go to hide it? What happens when the truth comes out?
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Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born in Warren, Ohio but raised in Bristolville, Ohio
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
With my daughter doing whatever she wanted and most likely browse some bookstores.
Who is your hero and why?
My hero has always been my dad. I have looked up to him since I was little. He has always amazed me by his strength and the way he had always taken care of us. He’s generous and kindhearted and can never say no to anyone even if he has a lot on his plate. He has always been a hard worker.
What are you passionate about these days?
I am passionate about my writing. I want to learn and write well, so my readers will continue to read my novels.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I go for walks if the weather is good and I love, love to read. You will always find me with a book in my bag.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Kind, caring, trustworthy, devoted, and hardworking.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I wrote my first novel in 2012, though it has always been a dream of mine since I was a teenager. My face always stuck in a Stephen King book.
Do you have a favorite movie?
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
THAT NIGHT but would love a series done with my Craven Falls series. THE DEAD GIRL UNDER THE BLEACHERS, BURIED SECRETS, and THE BODY IN THE ROAD.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Stitch
What inspired you to write this book?
The character Mia was in my novel THAT NIGHT and I wasn’t thinking at the time to further her story until the very end of writing THAT NIGHT. She just kept playing in my head to tell her story.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m working on a new adult novel. This one is focused on domestic violence.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Tell No One?
Mia had something happen to her and she felt that suicide was the way out. Before she considered suicide, she had a great life and a loving boyfriend who adored her. Judith, the mother, has always spent her time working instead of making her family a priority. She also had past trauma from her father that still haunts her.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
I love the name Mia and as for the mother, Judith seemed to fit because of her past and career. Trevor is the boyfriend. I wanted to have some unique names along with some original names.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
The original name for the title was Sea-Blue Eyes, but when I was looking for a book cover the title just didn’t work for me anymore and that’s when I came up with Tell No One. Which definitely fit the plot of the story.
Who designed your book covers?
Warrendesign
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I actually had changed a lot in the book because I had been away from writing the book that the plot and characters changed and I feel that the book it so much better than when I was first writing the novel.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
From my imagination.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
My characters always hijack my story and make it into their own.
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
Stephen King, Robyn Harding, Nicholas Sparks, Heather Gudenkauf, Lisa Scottoline, Liane Moriarty, B.A. Paris, Mary Kubica, Shari Lapena, Ruth Ware, Stephen King.
What book do you think everyone should read?
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since 2005
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
Most of them come when I am writing.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
Mystery/suspense, Thrillers
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise?
Silence, because I can’t think and focus if there is a lot of noise around me.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
One book, sometimes when I’m writing a book another idea for a different book will come to me, which happened when I wrote the novel THE DEAD GIRL UNDER THE BLEACHERS. The second book came to me, even though I wasn’t going to make it a series. It turned into a 3-book series. The Carven Falls series
Pen, typewriter or computer?
Computer
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
I love to make up stories and loved to read growing up. Yes I still enjoy writing so it was the right decision for me.
What are you currently reading?
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I write more of original stories.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I wish I would have focused more in school and pursued writing at a younger age.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
If I have the time, usually a year.
The floorboards creaked and moaned as I climbed the stairs to the second floor. Stopping at the top, I glanced at the two closed doors to my left: the furthest being Mia’s bedroom. My son Ethan had left for college two weeks ago. I didn’t hear anything but the storm outside, which meant that no one was home but me.
Once in my bedroom, I closed the door and walked into the bathroom. The hot steaming shower caressed my body, relaxing my muscles. The stress of the day went washing down the drain. It felt good to be home.
Minutes later, dressed in comfy clothes, I left the bedroom. I stood at the top of the stairs, staring down the hall at Mia’s bedroom door again. I wasn’t sure what was bothering me. Positive that no one was home, but something stirred inside me. My motherly instincts setting in, making me feel like something was wrong.
I positioned my foot on the first step and stopped. A soft banging came from down the hall near Mia’s bedroom. I had told Scott several times that the pipes were making noises and needed to be looked at. I grabbed the banister, turned, and made my way down the hall toward Mia’s bedroom, flicking on the hall lights as I went.
Placing my ear against the door, I listened. Mia didn’t like it when I came into her room unannounced. A fight I grudgingly lost multiple times. I hated fighting with her, so I agreed to give her some space. Some independence.
Being a mother was hard, especially these days when disciplining your child was frowned upon. Not that I ever hit my children.
There it was again but not as subtle as before.
“Mia,” I whispered, tapping a knuckle against the door. “Are you home?”
Nothing.
Thunder boomed, rattling the windows all around me.
I jumped at the sharp crack of lightning, then the lights went out, leaving me in darkness.
“Shit!” I blinked several times, waiting for my eyes to adjust. My cell phone. Where was my phone? Patting my pockets, I felt the hard case. I pulled the phone out and tapped the flashlight icon. Light illuminated.
Placing my hand on the doorknob, I turned, and found it locked. I stretched my arm above my head, sliding my fingers along the frame until I felt the key. It was something Scott and I agreed to do for emergencies if we needed to get inside the room. Just in case the kids forgot that they had locked the door before falling asleep. Even though as their parents we had protested against the door being locked in the first place. I was once a teenager too and wanted nothing more than my space from my parents. But still, we frowned upon the door being locked. Though, if Scott were the one knocking, Mia wouldn’t hesitate to let her dad inside.
I hesitated, gripping the key in my hand. Once I opened the door there was no turning back. I wasn’t in the mood to fight with Mia which we seemed to do constantly since we had gotten back from our family trip to the Bahamas. I tried to get her to talk to me several times when we were on vacation and after we arrived back home, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Wouldn’t even let me in her room. I thought maybe her, and Trevor had broken up, and she just wanted to hide in her room with her heartache. But that thought defused when he came to pick her up to go to the mall that next day.
The key slipped from my shaky hand and onto the floor. Kneeling, I grasped the key between my fingers and placed it into the lock. I closed my eyes and swallowed, waiting for the click as I turned the key to the right. “You’re not doing anything wrong,” I whispered to myself. “You’re just checking to see if she’s home, oh and to check the pipes for leakage.”
The hinges squeaked, echoing through the upstairs hall as I pushed the door open. My eyes drifted around the room, landing on the pink duvet I had bought her when she was seven which lay across the bed with a dark pink throw on the end. The pillows on her bed were upright and fluffed. Mia was good at making her bed and keeping her room clean compared to Ethan, my mind noted.
My eyes scanned the room, focusing on the desk in the corner which sat vacant. Mia wasn’t here. I moved around the room, stopping by the window overlooking the street below. The clouds moved quickly by, and the rain ceased, leaving the ground saturated and the streets flooded. A burst of light shot across the sky, making me jump again. I let out a small laugh, allowing my shoulders to sink beneath my T-shirt. “It’s just the storm, Judith. Chill out.” Truth was, I hated everything about storms. I feared the darkness, especially when the power went out. Consequently, due to my childhood.
Using the flashlight to guide my way, I moved toward the closet and peeked inside. My hand automatically went for the light switch, forgetting for a second that the electricity had gone out.
I scanned the closet. Stuffed teddy bears lined the shelf along the ceiling. Shoes laid in a heap near the back corner and clothes hung haphazardly off the hangers. My OCD taking charge, I stepped inside and began straightening her clothes. Neat and tidy just the way I liked it.
Plop, plop.
My ears perked. The sound came from the other side of the wall. Or in the wall. Could it be the pipes? Were they leaking? “Just great,” I muttered. “Where was Scott when I needed him?” I was always making things out to be more than they were; something my husband constantly expressed to me.
I walked out of the closet and stood outside the closed bathroom door. Like before, I placed my hand on the knob. Was Mia home after all? I didn’t hear the shower running. No sound of Mia moving around on the other side of the door, recalling that she usually played music when she took a bath or a shower.
My stomach twisted into a knot, dreading a fight with Mia for intruding on her privacy. Call it mother’s intuition, but something didn’t feel right.
I turned the knob, finding it unlocked, and pushed the door open.
My legs buckled and I dropped to my knees onto the tiled floor.
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