Rachel asked Brenda Rothert:

I really like how you address mental health and abuse in your books. You so clearly show how the characters' work through their challenges, which is often painful and feels realistic. How do you balance the humor in your stories with these difficult issues?

Brenda Rothert This is such a great compliment to receive - thank you. I think my own life experiences have influenced how I write about mental health and abuse. As much as we all wish for a world without adversity and cruelty, it's there. Mental health challenges and abuse are so pervasive, yet they still carry such stigma. Part of what I try to do in my books is to normalize these issues. If people know they aren't alone, that many others struggle with what they are struggling with, there's less shame. Before I have a character go through any challenge, I ask myself just one question - has anyone ever faced this challenge before? If the answer is yes, I'm not afraid to go there. And while these issues are heavy, I think the humor can come in with the people who are there for us no matter what. Those deep, life-changing friendships with people we can laugh or cry with, and they will still be there. If we have at least one person like that in our life, the humor is so much easier to find.

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