At that point, I had finished book eight, and I was focusing on my other series, “The Lying Game.” But I really missed the “Pretty Little Liars” girls. When the show started to do well, we began to talk about additional new books, and I got excited. So I started thinking about what I’d need to do to make that work.

Halfway through the second book, the publisher asked if I wanted to do more. I want to reassure them that nobody is perfect and that we’re all struggling with stuff.ĭid you ever think the series would go on for so many books?Īt first, it was only going to be four books. I get a lot of letters from readers, telling me they relate to the characters, and that means a lot to me. There’s also an overarching theme of bullying in the novels, which wasn’t in the news so much when I started “Pretty Little Liars” in 2006, but is very prominent now. Emily has sexuality issues, and her family is unsupportive. In addition to her trouble with her father, Hanna has an eating disorder. Your characters all have issues, which makes them seem more real.įrom the beginning of the series, I didn’t want to create characters who were perfect. But I like writing about mean girls because they stir things up. It’s both interesting to write about her and sometimes awful. My favorite character to write about, though, might be Ali she really makes the story go. Spencer is an uptight, type-A personality, and Hanna cares a lot what people think and is heartbroken by her dad. I love all of them because they represent the way I was at their age. The girls on the show remind me of the characters I write about, so whatever changes the producers want to make, I’m fine with it because they respect the spirit of the books. There are other changes: For instance, I had Mona die, but I think it’s cool that on the show she lived. On the show, the four main characters are much better friends in the books, they’re more apart, they keep secrets from each other.

Are you happy with the changes that have been made? The TV show of “Pretty Little Liars” is different than the books. Sophie asked the questions, and I took the notes. We caught up with the author by phone from suburban Philadelphia, where she was raised and continues to live. So when Shepard recently published “Crushed” - the 13th book in the series about four high school girls (Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily) and their ongoing battles with a dangerous antagonist known as A - Sophie jumped at the chance to talk with her. She follows it all, tracking differences in how the stories unfold, discussing it with her friends. My 14-year-old daughter, Sophie, loves “Pretty Little Liars.” Both the novels by Sara Shepard and the ABC Family show that’s based on them.

Pretty little liars books in order