Central Iowa author Tracey Garvis Graves joins the podcast for today's episode. Graves new book, The Girl He Used to Know, hits library shelves and bookstores everywhere on April 2. Graves is best well-known for her debut novel, On the Island. She initially self-published that book, and it eventually became a New York Times bestseller.

Graves talks about the amazing journey On the Island took, one that landed her a full-time book deal. "I couldn't really wrap my brain around it," Graves says of the fact that she shared a bestsellers list on Amazon with books in The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey series.

Her new book, The Girl He Used to Know, prominently features a character on the autism spectrum. Graves says she did a lot of work to make sure she was authentic in her dialogue and the actions of that character, Annika. "I read up to six nonfiction books about Asperger’s and being on the spectrum," she says. "Then I read a lot of blog posts and internet articles about what the spouses of people who are on the spectrum" love about their significant others and enjoy about their relationships.