The Creepshow

Wanda Julienne was the perfect employee. Until she had a baby. Wanda, a thirtysomething single mother, would love to spend more time with her newborn daughter, and maybe even rekindle the flame she once had with her baby's father. Instead, she's stuck fighting discrimination and harassment at her horrid job. After maternity leave, Wanda returns to her fund manager position and finds her world turned upside down. Suddenly, everything she does seems wrong-at least in the eyes of management. Add in a dose of sexual harassment, and Wanda, who can't afford to lose her job, is trapped. At home, the situation isn't much brighter. Wanda struggles to balance her baby's needs and her tough work schedule. Her best friend, Galina, and the ex-boyfriend Wanda never thought would return, Max, offer support, but the attention only suffocates her. Wanda turns her back and isolates herself, submerged in a downward spiral, until Galina suggests a way out-but the exit won't be without drastic consequences. A novel of the glass ceiling: one working mother's story of fighting workplace bullying and sexism so that she finally has time for her baby-and a chance at love. Fans of Biglaw by Lindsay Cameron and Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg will enjoy the empowerment and triumph in this novel. Interview with the Author What was your inspiration to write The Creepshow? I was inspired by the current situation women face in the workplace. I feel that I've experienced discrimination in the past, and most women I've spoken with say they've also experienced it at some point or another in their careers. In so many fields and on so many levels, women fight to earn the same salaries and opportunities as male counterparts. And the situation becomes particularly complicated for many women once they have children. It sounds almost like a true story! But it's fictional, right? Now that's a compliment! I strive to make my characters and their situations believable. This is indeed a work of fiction, but the protagonist, Wanda, is going through something many women today face, which makes the book seem pretty realistic! One of my favorite nonfiction books about women in the workplace and in leadership roles is Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook. Some of the themes are heavy. Can you describe some of the lighter aspects of the book as well? Wanda rekindles a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who also is the father of her baby. Throughout the book she struggles with the usual concerns of someone in a new relationship. There is also a strong theme of friendship as Wanda seeks comfort with her best friend. What do you hope readers will take away from this novel? I hope they will take away strength to fight when faced with any sort of injustice, and hope, always hope. If you like reading about strong female protagonists who do all they can to fight unfair working circumstances, you'll enjoy The Creepshow. Thanks for reading!