Yesssss! Thank you, WI friends!

Just when I think I can't get more disgusted.

I'm Stephanie. PIECES OF A GIRL is my story and it's more relevant to these times than ever. It's about surviving relationship abuse and substance abuse. It's about surviving and fighting patriarchy and toxic masculinity. And doing it by finding your people and your voice. Thanks for reading it.

But this morning I woke up buoyed by my belief that our stories matter. Our stories threaten them. This is why they are trying to ban and erase words like... "women," "mental health," and "community." Well, unfortunately for them, words are my favorite weapon and I won't be putting them down now.

I'll be honest that it's hard for me to celebrate anything right now. In the past week or so, I've been swept under by a wave of despair brought on by all that has been going on nationally and globally, by fighting as Rebecca Solnit puts it so perfectly this "stupid coup."

And there aren't enough thanks in the world for my editor, Andrew Karre, for believing in my story, seeing what I really wanted to tell, helping me find all the important pieces of me in the process and reclaim my love of creativity.