The girl behind 'The Girl in the Picture'

Alexandra Monir has been a literary lady to watch since her early twenties. In 2012, she released her debut YA novel, the time-travel romance "Timeless," (Delacorte Press/Random House). A hit with the young adult audience, Monir penned the sequel, "Timekeeper," published in 2013.

Alexandra's latest book, "The Girl in the Picture," is a classic "whodunit" murder mystery. In alternating points of view—that of suspect Nicole Morgan and that of Lana Rivera—and weaving between present-day, flashbacks, and the characters' surreal subconscious, "The Girl in the Picture," is a unique tale of teen friendship, romance, and deadly secrets.

"The Girl in the Picture"just came out on November 15th. Nonetheless, Alexandra's already made major moves for the next. Seriously. Her next book "The Final Six" has been optioned by Sony and landed her a six-figure deal with Harper Collins. Here's 5 things to know about Alexandra Monir:

1. Alexandra wrote songs before books.
"I started my career as a recording artist/songwriter, and fell into my publishing career at age twenty-three, when I came up with the idea for 'Timeless.' Writing novels quickly became my No. 1 passion, but I still sing and write music, and I recorded songs to accompany my first three novels."

2. It started with an idea about murder.
"'The Girl in the Picture,' my brand-new release, was born of my desire to write a romance I hadn't seen before—so I came up with an idea where the romantic lead is found dead in the opening pages, and the novel tells the tragic love story in reverse. At the same time, the book also takes readers into the thick of a murder investigation. It was both challenging and incredibly fun to write!"

3. Relationship milestones are reflected in her work.
"Every romantic lead I write is in some way inspired by my husband. I wrote 'Timeless,' while we were dating, its sequel after we moved in together, 'The Girl in the Picture,' while gearing up for our wedding, and so on!"

4. Her characters are with her every day.
"My first published novel was 'Timeless,' a time-travel romance that changed my life. Five years later, I'm still blown away by the continued response from readers who fell in love with Philip & Michele and their story. I still think about those characters too, and I just might revisit them one day!"

5. She's taking her talents to the silver screen.
"My upcoming novel for early 2018 is in development for film with Sony Pictures. It's a space thriller called 'The Final Six,' and I've spent the majority of this year living in this sci-fi world that I'm building in my mind!"

Follow Alexandra Monir on Twitter here.