Tawni O’Dell is the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of six novels including Back Roads which was an Oprah Winfrey Book Club selection and a film released in 2018 with a screenplay adapted by Tawni. Her first play, When It Happens to You, received rave reviews during its off-Broadway run in 2019. Based on a personal tragedy, Tawni not only wrote the theatrical memoir but performed in it, as well. She wrote and co-produced the audio drama, Rewrites, and is one of the writers and co-creator of Closing the Distance, a popular podcast of pandemic-themed monologues performed by stars including Kathleen Turner, Jason Alexander, Tony Danza, and Kelli O’Hara. She’s the mother of two, a native of western Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Northwestern University.