July 12, 2025 • 9 mins
This a murder-mystery set on the picturesque beaches of Martha’s Vineyard bursting with suspense and twists at every page turn. BLOOD IN THE WATER centers on twelve-year-old Kalayni, a spunky girl from Brooklyn, who is sent to Martha’s Vineyard to stay with an affluent Black couple and their granddaughters after what she believes is her father’s wrongful incarceration. Soon after arriving, a shocking death of a local teen rocks the island…did he drown, was it a vicious shark attack, or worse, murder? As Kalayni dives further into the investigation, she begins to learn more about the Black history of the island while slowly unpacking the deep-rooted secrets that threaten the dynamics of the island and Kalayni’s life forever. Inspired by her connection and love for Martha’s Vineyard, Tiffany D. Jackson has crafted a loveable and authentic character in Kalayni who tweens will relate to through her emotional relationship with her imprisoned father, her struggles to fit in, and her dedication to helping those around her. Full of heart, laughs, and a mystery that will have you guessing to the very end, Tiffany D. Jackson has done it again, created an unputdownable story for middle readers. With each heart-pounding turn, BLOOD IN THE WATER is set to be a summer blockbuster hit!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Tiffany. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Good?
Speaker 1 (00:03):
How are you absolutely fantastic? Oh my god? The places
that you take us with your writing, and this time
around we're going to Martha's vineyard.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I love the way that you're able to give us
all a ticket and then we go for a ride.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I love that analogy. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
How is it that you can place your mind in
that before we get it? What do you do as
a discipline or a mental exercise to be able to
put focus on the paragraphs that you create.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Out side of just being a method author. I try
to be as detailed as possible, but not too much.
You know, I don't want to spend twenty pages describing
a tree, but I want you to steal that tree
as well.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Oh my god, I can relate with that because I've
been that person that has taken three pages to describe
that dang tree. Making the decision to write for the
younger readers, Now, I see that's the thing about it.
How are you you keeping their attention when I can't
hold their attention for twenty five seconds?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You know what, I've realized that kids really like thrillers. Yep,
kids really like the scary they want to be in it.
They want to feel like they are in the middle
of it, because they always want to feel like I'm
surviving something because at the same time they are surviving
childhood in a way, they're surviving feeling like parents don't understand,
et cetera. So they want to know what that feels like,
(01:28):
and so they are sort of leaning towards the thriller
and horror novels. So I realized, you know, when I
was writing a bunch of YA novels, I would see
younger kids in the crowd. I wanted to really like
write a book that spills more to them and then
not be too scary.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
But you know what, though, I'm starting to meet a
lot of adults in their middle age and older reading
your books, and so it's almost like the YA books
are their safe place and escape as well.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Oh well. I My theory behind that is, especially when
we were younger, we didn't have a lot of books
like this. We didn't have a lot of specific middle
grade and young adult books that really spoke to some
of the things that we were going through, and so
oftentimes I feel like the amount of adults that reminded
content let read my books are really just reparenting their
inner child. They're kind of going back and answering the
(02:21):
questions that they never got answers to. So I think
that's one of the reasons why some of the adults
are drawn to these types of books is because I'm
like answering questions that they probably have that we're too
afraid to ask.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Isn't it also because you What I feel in reading
your words is I always feel that you're giving me
permission to explore.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Well, absolutely, you have to explore, and I think that's
something that we didn't really have the permission to do.
But also one of the things that I try to
do is make sure I put every single fact as
an issue on a table and letting you make the decision.
I hate to spuan feed lessons. I've rather you kind
of see results and what happens if you do or
(03:02):
don't do something. Well.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
To me, you've you've mastered the art of a writing cliffhanger.
I mean you you you take us places you don't
mean it's like, Okay, I'll read one more page and
you end up going ten more.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
That's definitely our foruma. I feel like I adopted from
like roscience from reading all of his books when I
was younger. I remember him saying how I interviewed that
every track or he tried to end a clickhanger, and
I realized that, Oh my god, do I just steal
this holeman flag? Like I guess I kind of do.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Please do not move. There's more with Tiffany D. Jackson
coming up next. Hey, thanks for coming back to my
conversation with author Tiffany D. Jackson. The book we're talking
about is Blood in the Water, and I want listeners,
especially those in the Carolinas, to understand that this book
also includes sharks. And the reason why bring that up
is because we've got that huge shark off our shore
right now that everybody's been talking about, and it's like, ah,
(03:56):
here we go, a great shark story, right, Oh gosh.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I didn't really know much about sharks, being you know,
from Brooklyn, New York, and they do have beaches in
New York, but it wasn't something that like specifically happens
a lot. But it wasn't until I started to go
to Marc's vineyard that I would hear about sharks in
the water, and specifically in marcus vineyard because that made
people know this, But Marcus Vineyard was a place where
they shot the movie Jazz and Jaws actually just turned
(04:25):
fifty years old. The cast two weeks ago, actually fifty
year old. But there's a lot of people who still
live in the island that rememble working on the movie.
There's displays in the movie, and there's specifically this bridge
that's called the Jaws Bridge that was a very prominent
bridge in the movie that people actually jump off all
(04:45):
into the water. It's it's like a tradition that everyone does.
It's a very low bridge. It's not like high up
in the air, but it's low enough that when you
jump into the water, it's still it's a way. And
so that bridge is actually in the book. It's actually
where the in the book takes place.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It's so funny when when when you say it that way,
because I mean, all the way through the book, I
kept hearing in my head dunt dunk, dunt dump, And
now that you just said that, I just I just
wanted to do it again. Now I have to tell
you that my wife and I have had many discussions
about her name. I say it's Kilanie. She says, I
am wrong. Am I right, You're right? Why because that why?
(05:26):
That why is what is what she said? Now that's
not right. Kilanie doesn't have a y in it, But
I mean I love the way that that you you
captured my attention just with a name.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well you know a little from fact there. Klania was
actually on a short list of names from my daughter
when I was pregnant. I was actually I was pregnant
when I was writing this book, and so Klanie was
one of those names. I was like a Robby nice.
But we ended on a whole different name and name
that made the most sense to us, which is Bicklin.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So so do you right in a way of thinking,
have a binge watching TV show? And the reason why
is because there is a continuation to all of your
stories that you keep everything is forward motion.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Because I do think that when you get into when
you're writing, it's very much like you're in a car
and you're in a detonation. You're driving towards a destination,
and so everything should be propelling that car forward in
a sense. And so that's always been like my somewhat
goal is to make sure that you're always that you
(06:31):
will always have the you know, Pale to the metal,
as they used to say, and you're driving towards the destination.
You may be swerving, you may like sat a couple
of places to get gap, but you're always ultimately going
towards the destination, which is the end of the story.
And I think that's why I would hate to I
guess thrillers are more, you know, the idea of getting
(06:53):
a car driving versus sometimes you know, some stories are
people just walking and no, I want you to be
in a sports car when you're reading my book.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
There's a side of my heart after, you know, sharing
conversations with you and reading your words. And I wanted
to talk about this before. But do you write so
that others will write? You inspire people to pick up
their own instruments and let their imaginations grow.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Absolutely, especially kids I was. I was definitely a kid
who always wanted to write. I always wanted to be
an author, but I had never met an author. I
was surrounded by people who thought that, you know, authors
were broke, starving artists. So I, you know, it sort
of deterret and you know, I was sort of pushed
away from that dream. And that's one of the other
(07:39):
reasons why I want to write. I want. I want
to be able to show other people that you can
still you know, lead to actually write your own story,
to write your tree.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I guess see. That's the very reason why I created
View from the Writing Instrument on iHeartRadio, and because I
know that there is somebody sitting at home on the
slow or in their bedroom that has written for years
and it's underneath their bed or in the attic, and
it's like, come on, make the jump.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yes, And it's a scary jump, you know, it's like
jumping off of it's like jumping off that job for it.
It can feel very scary, but very like thrilling at
the end of it, because then you get into the
water and you're like, oh, I was meant to be here.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So what is your actual emotion when you finish a book?
Because when I do, the first thing I do is
I put my hands over my face and I just
sit there and I just say, I'm so grateful, thank
you so much for giving me this book, thank you
so much.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Lately it's been like, oh God, I'm released. Sometimes oh
sometimes deadlines can really go. Deadlines are deadlines, and they
can be very exhausting and tense and stressful and it's
you know, now being a mom is definitely different. Writing
(08:55):
before you have all the time in the world, and
now it's like I have very like you know, find out,
but it's still amazing to do. Like I'm still always
so like in shock. When I do it, it's like
I really did, like right down on all those words.
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Where can people go to find out more about you, Tiffany?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
So they can visit on my website writ in BK
that's w ri pe I NDK dot com. It's also
right in BK on Instagram and threads and on Facebook.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Wow. Please come back to this show anytime in the future.
You know that door is always going to be open
for you.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Will you be brilliant today?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Okay, all right, thank you
Good morning, Tiffany. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Good?
Speaker 1 (00:03):
How are you absolutely fantastic? Oh my god? The places
that you take us with your writing, and this time
around we're going to Martha's vineyard.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I love the way that you're able to give us
all a ticket and then we go for a ride.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I love that analogy. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
How is it that you can place your mind in
that before we get it? What do you do as
a discipline or a mental exercise to be able to
put focus on the paragraphs that you create.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Out side of just being a method author. I try
to be as detailed as possible, but not too much.
You know, I don't want to spend twenty pages describing
a tree, but I want you to steal that tree
as well.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Oh my god, I can relate with that because I've
been that person that has taken three pages to describe
that dang tree. Making the decision to write for the
younger readers, Now, I see that's the thing about it.
How are you you keeping their attention when I can't
hold their attention for twenty five seconds?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
You know what, I've realized that kids really like thrillers. Yep,
kids really like the scary they want to be in it.
They want to feel like they are in the middle
of it, because they always want to feel like I'm
surviving something because at the same time they are surviving
childhood in a way, they're surviving feeling like parents don't understand,
et cetera. So they want to know what that feels like,
(01:28):
and so they are sort of leaning towards the thriller
and horror novels. So I realized, you know, when I
was writing a bunch of YA novels, I would see
younger kids in the crowd. I wanted to really like
write a book that spills more to them and then
not be too scary.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
But you know what, though, I'm starting to meet a
lot of adults in their middle age and older reading
your books, and so it's almost like the YA books
are their safe place and escape as well.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Oh well. I My theory behind that is, especially when
we were younger, we didn't have a lot of books
like this. We didn't have a lot of specific middle
grade and young adult books that really spoke to some
of the things that we were going through, and so
oftentimes I feel like the amount of adults that reminded
content let read my books are really just reparenting their
inner child. They're kind of going back and answering the
(02:21):
questions that they never got answers to. So I think
that's one of the reasons why some of the adults
are drawn to these types of books is because I'm
like answering questions that they probably have that we're too
afraid to ask.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Isn't it also because you What I feel in reading
your words is I always feel that you're giving me
permission to explore.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Well, absolutely, you have to explore, and I think that's
something that we didn't really have the permission to do.
But also one of the things that I try to
do is make sure I put every single fact as
an issue on a table and letting you make the decision.
I hate to spuan feed lessons. I've rather you kind
of see results and what happens if you do or
(03:02):
don't do something. Well.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
To me, you've you've mastered the art of a writing cliffhanger.
I mean you you you take us places you don't
mean it's like, Okay, I'll read one more page and
you end up going ten more.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
That's definitely our foruma. I feel like I adopted from
like roscience from reading all of his books when I
was younger. I remember him saying how I interviewed that
every track or he tried to end a clickhanger, and
I realized that, Oh my god, do I just steal
this holeman flag? Like I guess I kind of do.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Please do not move. There's more with Tiffany D. Jackson
coming up next. Hey, thanks for coming back to my
conversation with author Tiffany D. Jackson. The book we're talking
about is Blood in the Water, and I want listeners,
especially those in the Carolinas, to understand that this book
also includes sharks. And the reason why bring that up
is because we've got that huge shark off our shore
right now that everybody's been talking about, and it's like, ah,
(03:56):
here we go, a great shark story, right, Oh gosh.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I didn't really know much about sharks, being you know,
from Brooklyn, New York, and they do have beaches in
New York, but it wasn't something that like specifically happens
a lot. But it wasn't until I started to go
to Marc's vineyard that I would hear about sharks in
the water, and specifically in marcus vineyard because that made
people know this, But Marcus Vineyard was a place where
they shot the movie Jazz and Jaws actually just turned
(04:25):
fifty years old. The cast two weeks ago, actually fifty
year old. But there's a lot of people who still
live in the island that rememble working on the movie.
There's displays in the movie, and there's specifically this bridge
that's called the Jaws Bridge that was a very prominent
bridge in the movie that people actually jump off all
(04:45):
into the water. It's it's like a tradition that everyone does.
It's a very low bridge. It's not like high up
in the air, but it's low enough that when you
jump into the water, it's still it's a way. And
so that bridge is actually in the book. It's actually
where the in the book takes place.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It's so funny when when when you say it that way,
because I mean, all the way through the book, I
kept hearing in my head dunt dunk, dunt dump, And
now that you just said that, I just I just
wanted to do it again. Now I have to tell
you that my wife and I have had many discussions
about her name. I say it's Kilanie. She says, I
am wrong. Am I right, You're right? Why because that why?
(05:26):
That why is what is what she said? Now that's
not right. Kilanie doesn't have a y in it, But
I mean I love the way that that you you
captured my attention just with a name.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well you know a little from fact there. Klania was
actually on a short list of names from my daughter
when I was pregnant. I was actually I was pregnant
when I was writing this book, and so Klanie was
one of those names. I was like a Robby nice.
But we ended on a whole different name and name
that made the most sense to us, which is Bicklin.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So so do you right in a way of thinking,
have a binge watching TV show? And the reason why
is because there is a continuation to all of your
stories that you keep everything is forward motion.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Because I do think that when you get into when
you're writing, it's very much like you're in a car
and you're in a detonation. You're driving towards a destination,
and so everything should be propelling that car forward in
a sense. And so that's always been like my somewhat
goal is to make sure that you're always that you
(06:31):
will always have the you know, Pale to the metal,
as they used to say, and you're driving towards the destination.
You may be swerving, you may like sat a couple
of places to get gap, but you're always ultimately going
towards the destination, which is the end of the story.
And I think that's why I would hate to I
guess thrillers are more, you know, the idea of getting
(06:53):
a car driving versus sometimes you know, some stories are
people just walking and no, I want you to be
in a sports car when you're reading my book.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
There's a side of my heart after, you know, sharing
conversations with you and reading your words. And I wanted
to talk about this before. But do you write so
that others will write? You inspire people to pick up
their own instruments and let their imaginations grow.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Absolutely, especially kids I was. I was definitely a kid
who always wanted to write. I always wanted to be
an author, but I had never met an author. I
was surrounded by people who thought that, you know, authors
were broke, starving artists. So I, you know, it sort
of deterret and you know, I was sort of pushed
away from that dream. And that's one of the other
(07:39):
reasons why I want to write. I want. I want
to be able to show other people that you can
still you know, lead to actually write your own story,
to write your tree.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I guess see. That's the very reason why I created
View from the Writing Instrument on iHeartRadio, and because I
know that there is somebody sitting at home on the
slow or in their bedroom that has written for years
and it's underneath their bed or in the attic, and
it's like, come on, make the jump.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yes, And it's a scary jump, you know, it's like
jumping off of it's like jumping off that job for it.
It can feel very scary, but very like thrilling at
the end of it, because then you get into the
water and you're like, oh, I was meant to be here.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
So what is your actual emotion when you finish a book?
Because when I do, the first thing I do is
I put my hands over my face and I just
sit there and I just say, I'm so grateful, thank
you so much for giving me this book, thank you
so much.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Lately it's been like, oh God, I'm released. Sometimes oh
sometimes deadlines can really go. Deadlines are deadlines, and they
can be very exhausting and tense and stressful and it's
you know, now being a mom is definitely different. Writing
(08:55):
before you have all the time in the world, and
now it's like I have very like you know, find out,
but it's still amazing to do. Like I'm still always
so like in shock. When I do it, it's like
I really did, like right down on all those words.
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Where can people go to find out more about you, Tiffany?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
So they can visit on my website writ in BK
that's w ri pe I NDK dot com. It's also
right in BK on Instagram and threads and on Facebook.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Wow. Please come back to this show anytime in the future.
You know that door is always going to be open
for you.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Will you be brilliant today?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Okay, all right, thank you
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