Q. how did you come to write My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life?

A. I got the idea for My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life after stopping by my daughter’s school on an unexpectedly warm day, the kind of day that starts with a chill but turns into a scorcher. I walked into the cafeteria where Maddy was eating lunch with her friends. I held up her favorite pink shorts and said, “I thought you might be hot, so I brought you these.” Maddy responded by giving me the look. I’m sure many parents are familiar with the look. It’s the “what are you doing to me” look. It’s the “I can’t believe you’re embarrassing me like this” look. She said, “I’m okay. I don’t need the shorts.” But her look said, “Mom, tell me you’re not really standing there in front of my friends holding up a pair of pink shorts.” I took the shorts home, sat down at my computer and started writing a story about a well-intentioned mother who is a terrible embarrassment to her daughter.