Writing Ava meant tackling some difficult topics, but one of my favorite parts was researching chicken reproduction! I already knew a lot about chicken embryology from my years as a research scientist — my med school classmate even called me a “chickenologist.”

What I didn’t know were backyard chickens — how to raise them, why they have a certain color, and what triggers them to lay eggs. That was the fun discovery, and it inspired some important plot points. It also gave me a whole new appreciation for how amazing eggs really are.

I hope readers enjoy discovering these details in Ava.