What is your process like? Do you outline, create character bios, write linearly? That I was able to string together 80,000 words in a way that made people (other than people I'm related to) laugh and cry and want to recommend 'On Grace' to their friends! What's the most surprising thing you learned while writing 'On Grace'? I fictionalized the reality of the world immediately around me and that became the novel. When I finally decided to go for it, I decided to 'write what I know.' I had recently turned 40 when I started writing 'On Grace' and I and/or my friends were going through a lot of what Grace goes through. I had always wanted to write a book but never knew what to write it about. What inspired you to write to write it, and where do you get your ideas?

It's about confronting your struggles, learning from them, and coming out better on the other side than you were before. Specifically, the novel is about a woman turning 40 who is struggling with her marriage, her life choices, and her sense of self, but really, that relates to women of all ages. 'On Grace' is an authentic portrayal of the challenges women face when they go through transitions in their lives. Please tell us about your novel 'On Grace.' Recently, the busy wife and mom of three boys shared with Books, Ink the background of her book, a peek inside her writing life, what comes next, and her intriguing alternate career choices. In April, she celebrated the release of her debut novel 'On Grace.' The California native built a life from her passion, heading east for college to study Communications and English and then writing for magazines, Internet companies, nonprofit organizations, and advertising and public relations agencies. Local author Susie Orman Schnall discovered the joy of word play as a child, filling blank journal pages with love poems dedicated to lost loves.

On Grace by Susie Orman Schnall