As police responded to reports of multiple people shot at a downtown Atlanta food court, Joseph Grier was on the sidewalk outside, rambling to reporters about his mental health, criminal record and banking history. Police say that just a short while later, he hijacked a commuter bus, ordering the driver at gunpoint to hit the gas and sending panic through the seats.

Television news footage showed the bus barreling along for miles in rush hour traffic Tuesday afternoon, striking several vehicles. Police said officers initially responded to a report of gunfire on the bus and a possible hostage situation near downtown Atlanta but the bus took off.

During her 10 years as a flight attendant, T.J. Newman became an expert in guessing drink orders and calming unruly passengers. She drew on those experiences to write the hijack thriller Falling.