Reese Witherspoon's debut novel has been in the works for two years

It was announced Wednesday that Reese Witherspoon is writing her debut novel, and now she's shedding some light on her journey to becoming a published author.

The star is writing a suspense novel with bestselling author and TV creator Harlan Coben, based on his original idea. Saturday, at his media company Hello Sunshine's Shine Away event, Witherspoon said The Hollywood journalist that she had “sat on that news story for two years.”

“I had the idea two years ago and then I turned to Harlan Coben probably eight months ago and thought, 'Am I crazy?' He said, 'This is a really good idea, Reese,' so I knew I was on to something,” she explained. “Then we started brainstorming together and it all started to grow and become a really fun opportunity to create together. I have always loved his writing; I can't believe he actually agreed to do this with me, and we are having so much fun.

Coben is known for his crime novels including Fool me once, Stay close, The stranger AND The Innocent, all of which he has adapted into series for Netflix. Witherspoon said they are currently in the research phase and have written a bit about the character.

“It brings a lot of thriller elements, obviously. He is an incredibly skilled writer. I've been working on characters for 33 years, so I know this character inside and out and the world he lives in, so it's really fun to collaborate,” the star added. “He comes up with crazy twists and turns and I'm like, 'Where do I 'did you make it up? Is this how your mind works?'”

The book is scheduled for release in the fall of 2025 with a film adaptation reportedly also in development, as Witherspoon says of bringing it to TV: “I hope so, we'll see. I have to write it down first.”

Although this is her debut novel, Witherspoon is already heavily involved in the literary world. The actress and producer founded Hello Sunshine, which aims to put women at the center of every story across all platforms, in 2016 and launched the successful Reese's Book Club. Some of the books selected for the club have become bestsellers, and Witherspoon has he has brought several to the screen, including Daisy Jones and the six, Small fires everywhere AND The last thing he said to me.

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