So here's the scoop. I was born in Oakland and can’t seem to stay away from the Bay Area for long—despite all the reasons to leave, including earthquakes—because of all the reasons to stay, like the heartrending blue of the sky.

My mother is from Mexico and moved to Berkeley at 15. My father was born in Los Angeles and served in the U.S. Army Airborne, jumping out of airplanes behind enemy lines. So when people ask if writing is hard, I say, "Not really," because no one’s actively shooting at me while I’m at my laptop.

I earned degrees in English & American Literature and Creative Writing at Stanford and studied British theatre and history in England.

My family has always had dogs in our lives—including many amazing German Shorthaired Pointers. Dogs and cats turn houses into homes and live forever in our hearts. I’m a messy gardener and cycle through a variety of obsessive interests. My mind fixates on things until it burns itself out.

What do people say about my novels? Often, “I don’t know what kind of book this is.” My writing has been analyzed in doctoral theses, presented at conferences, and taught in universities and high schools. Pretty cool for someone who believes humor isn’t taken seriously enough as craft and art.

Along the way, I wrote The She-Hulk Diaries for Marvel, making a soft landing in the Marvel canon. I'm not saying I'm an OG geek, but my best friend and I went to science fiction conventions when they were still held in sad hotel basements. We were usually the only girls there, but the guys were thrilled to talk books, and we met famous authors.

A college friend once said, “People who don’t think you’re funny don’t think you’re funny at all. But the people who do, think you’re hilarious.” That pretty much sums it up.