The most important thing to me as I wrote No Gouda Without You was to have a main character who was a cancer survivor. I was tired of reading and watching stories where women died of breast cancer. What about the seventy percent of women who have breast cancer, go through treatment, and then pick up the pieces of their lives and go on? Where are their stories?

So I wrote about Nicole who’s a breast cancer survivor who is afraid to take risks, and I gave her hope and a happily ever after. Life can be hard for all of us. I want to do what I can to make people feel cozy and hopeful.

Often at an author event, I meet people who say they’ve always wanted to write a book. I tell each person: You should write it! Someone out there can’t wait to read your book.