Girlfriend support is such an important theme in your books. How do you keep up with your “squad,” and what do you most like to do when you get together?

I’m lucky enough to have several “squads” in my life and I cherish each of them. I consider my sister and cousins as my very first squad. We called ourselves “The Golden Girls” because we found gold paint in a shed at my grandparents’ and decided to build ourselves a clubhouse and paint it. I learned the true meaning of sisterhood back then, and I’ve carried those lessons into other friendships throughout my life.

Another of my squads was formed almost twenty years ago, when I stumbled upon an online bulletin board for one of my favorite authors. Although we were brought together through books, those women have become an integral part of every facet of my life. I’ve been there for weddings, the birth of their children, and sadly, the passing of one from breast cancer. Through it all we’ve remained an extremely close bunch.

The squad I rely on the most these days is my close-knit group of writer friends. In addition to our private Facebook group where we offer encouragement and the occasional dose of tough love, we also get together for a writer’s retreat every year at a beach house in Destin, Florida. With a job as isolated as writing, it’s important to have friends you can call on who understand what you’re going through.

What would be the project you’d focus on, in the same way Samiah developed her app and Taylor her studying?

If I had time to focus on a project of my own, it would be starting a travel agency that focuses on all things Disney! I love helping people put together the perfect Disney vacation, either at the parks or on a Disney cruise ship. To spend all day curating these magical experiences would be a dream come true.

In what ways are you and Taylor alike?

To be honest, I originally thought I had nothing in common with Taylor. She’s fifteen years younger than I am, a fitness guru, and while I do have a positive outlook on life, it’s nothing compared to Taylor’s tendency to look on the bright side. However, during the course of writing The Dating Playbook, I discovered that I have so much more in common with Taylor than I ever imagined. Taylor’s drive and determination reminded me of my early days as a writer. Becoming a published author wasn’t seen as the most practical career path. Like Taylor, I experienced my share of rejection, but I didn’t allow it to deter me from following my dream.

Why was it important for you to write a character with a learning disorder? What kind of research did you do for Taylor?