Today is September 22, 2026 and an amazing day, and it has been many years in the making: my novel We’re Screwed is on its way into the world. The journey began in a quiet hotel room in Bogota, Colombia, after I had finished teaching for the day and was waiting for my husband to finish his class so we could go to dinner. I had just read my first Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich, and it was funny enough to wake something up in me. In my heart, I had always wanted to be a comedian; people like Bill Maher, Dave Chappelle, and Iliza Shlesinger made it look so effortless. So, I thought, “I’ll write a novel. How hard can that be?”
I now know that is the most comedic line I have ever written. If you are a writer, you are probably chuckling, and I think I can hear you. While I was teaching, I wrote during the summer breaks. Then, in 2009, I started a dress business, designing and importing dresses, and I pushed the novel aside. The dress business gave me material for another book, so all you fashionistas should stay tuned. I gathered notes and ideas, paced, moved, and found every excuse to delay the work. Then COVID came, and I wrote. I did not know exactly what I was doing, so I took a yearlong online writing course and found companions: other writers who were learning, struggling, and asking the same questions.
When I finished the manuscript, I went to a pitch conference in New York with more confidence than experience. Two agents asked for the full manuscript, and I sent it to them in. One responded, and another stayed in touch online, but the answer was still rejection. They were full, thoughtful rejections with suggestions, and I learned that not every writer receives that kind of response. I kept going through more drafts, more developmental edits, and more writing conferences. If you have never been, go to the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference; the classes and attendees are extraordinary. After another round of pitches, four agents asked for the first fifty pages, and once again I felt hopeful, even as the waiting continued.
More editing followed, and then I found a remarkable editor who helped me realize my dream. He took my words and helped them dance across the page. Now We’re Screwed is happening, and publication day is TODAY. I hope you will join me and see what persistence and tenacity can create. My characters, Roni and Liz, show how two women who love one another can move mountains against the backdrop of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Through them, you can see the city’s culture, feel the gritty intensity of a storm-ravaged place fighting its way forward, and even imagine its unforgettable smells.
Join me in celebrating the reality of a long-held dream: We’re Screwed.
