Where did this idea come from? All of that good stuff.

Yeah, I feel like people are surprised that I did a YA novel, but the truth is I've always loved YA and I always secretly wanted to write a YA novel.

And I think part of it is because on the inside, I'm sort of a teenager.

And I would like to say my inside age is age 30 and I'm an adult and a grown up, but no, I'm really a teenager on the inside.

I love it.

And not even like an 18 year old.

I feel like I'm 15 on the inside.

Like what was the inspiration for that?

I'm sorry about that as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I know exactly what you're talking about, though, because after I lost my mom, I read an Annabelle Monaghan book and she nailed grief.

And I actually sent her a message and I was just like, I'm sorry, this is so weird, but is your mom dead also? She was like, yeah, I was like, OK, I just had a feeling you were in the club because you wrote it so perfectly.

And so like I get that feeling like it's right.

Some people use it and they're just sort of like any who.

Our final question is always, what were you like as a teen?

Capital One NA, member FDIC.

[gentle music] Hello.

[laughs] Okay.

Hi, I'm Brenda Janowitz.

I have typically written women's fiction, but this is my debut young adult novel, and it's coming out this August.

It's called The Introvert's Guide to Kissing in Europe.

And it's the story of a teen who impulsively takes a gap year throughout Western Europe.