Even as we age, we never lose the drama, but I wanted my girls to understand that people always have something going on, and we can learn to handle whatever drama comes our way.
Gerilyn Bass Greenberg – 20 October 2026
Mona is living the dream . . . until, at thirty-eight, her busy stay-at-home-mom life is upended. Her grandmother moves into assisted living, her teenager, Grace, doesn’t need her anymore, her charity work kicks her to the curb, and none of her friends are showing up for her.
Suddenly, Mona has no purpose—unless you count stress-eating. But she’s the only one struggling. Shy Grace—ignoring her mother’s dreams for her to join the “it kids” in drama club—is off finding her voice (and a new band) at Bubby’s retirement home and making friends. Even Bubby’s too busy fending off resident mean girls and finding romance to pay Mona much mind. Then, on top of it all, Mona’s twenty-year high school reunion goes viral for all the wrong reasons, leaving her convinced she’s wasted her life. But when tragedy strikes, she is forced to face the truth: The only person who can make you feel small is you—and sometimes you have to lose everything you thought defined you to find what truly matters.
Heartfelt, funny, and refreshingly honest, Drama Drama Drama is a celebration of second acts, self-worth, and learning to skip the drama and live your own life.
About the book
What is the book about?
Three generations of women, each going through parallel struggles of fitting in, belonging, and self-worth. Mona is a stay-at-home mom whose life is disrupted when her daughter starts high school, and her grandmother moves to assisted living. Grace is a shy teen, making new friends and finding her way in a band. Esther is changing her life at this stage in her life by moving away from all she knows. Each has trials and tribulations but needs to realize that everyone has their “stuff” and they need to learn how to deal with it and the girl drama that goes with it.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing this book (in secret!) 11 years ago. My kids were in high school and college. I was a stay-at-home mom with increasing time on my hands.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took me five years to write. I’d only write when my husband was out of town, and my kids were in school. I felt that this was for me (not to mention my insecurities that I had no business giving this a shot), which made me keep it under wraps.
Where did you get the idea from?
I wanted to write a book where I could show my kids that there was drama all around, not just targeted at them. Even as we age, we never lose the drama, but I wanted my girls to understand that people always have something going on, and we can learn to handle whatever drama comes our way.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I definitely struggled with the idea that I was capable of writing a book! As a whole, the process of writing was more of a struggle than the actual story itself.
What came easily?
The character of Esther came more easily, even though she is older than I am and I haven’t experienced that time in my life. It was fun using my imagination.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The characters are entirely fictitious, however, there are traits that I’ve borrowed from different people. The saying is “write what you know” and I probably did that. The character of Esther was based somewhat on my grandmother. She always told it like it was!
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I loved reading The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. It was a book that any age could read, without profanities or sex. I wanted to write in that vein. I also liked The One in a Million Boy, by Monica Wood. It had multigenerational characters where everything was wrapped up in the end. More recently, I liked Marianne Cronin’s The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot and Eddie Winston is Looking for Love. Again, multigenerational characters with an uplifting story.
Do you have a target reader?
This is definitely a woman’s story, meant for women. Plus, I wanted to write a story that women of all ages could relate to. That’s why there is a teenage character, a middle-aged one, and a woman later in life.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My process was no process. I’d go to a coffee shop or to my kitchen when no one was home and write a chapter. I would think that a character was absent for a bit and it was time to continue their story.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I maybe had a general outline, but nothing specific. I probably would’ve written faster and more concisely if I plotted everything out in advance.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Definitely edited as I went. I would read and redo a section before the whole thing was finished. I wanted to make it seem right before I continued.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I find music to be distracting. I included a bunch of music in my story, but if I listened as I wrote, I’d want to listen to the music instead!
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did submit to agents. Some ignored me, others sent nice rejections. The fact that I had no author presence made me believe that perhaps it was due to that and not my work.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I went with She Writes Press, an indie publisher. They had interest in my work, which was exciting. I had no idea about how any of the book publishing process worked, so I was happy to go with them.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
SWP handled that. I think it looks great!
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have a publicist, Corrine Larriviere at Books Forward. If you’re able to handle this process without someone’s help, that’s great, but I had no idea that this was such an enterprise.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I’m thankful that SWP was interested in my story. Without any experience or knowledge about the industry, I think having someone in my corner is essential. I don’t know what it’s like to publish traditionally or self-publish, but I’d totally recommend having help like an indie publisher. This is a wild ride!
About You
Where did you grow up?
Outside of Chicago.
Where do you live now?
Still outside of Chicago!
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m thrilled to have interest in this story.
What are you working on now?
I have several ideas, but right now I’m enjoying the hype around this book. Stay tuned!
End of Interview:
For more from Gerilyn Bass Greenberg visit her website.
Get you copy of Drama Drama Drama from Amazon US.
