While inspired by the whirlwind romances in Hallmark movies, Racquel Henry knows all too well that life doesn’t always feel like a fairytale. But an unexpected diagnosis (and 92 rejections) couldn’t stop her from becoming a published author.

Racquel Henry and I were supposed to meet at Lineage Coffee, where we would’ve walked across mint green floors and ordered an iced matcha and lemon cake before sitting in two black iron chairs at a small round light-wood table, us talking a little louder whenever metal eviscerated whole coffee beans.