Then I started writing about it actually happening to someone. When I created Paige and her situation, she instantly began to grow and take on a great deal of what I was going through at that time, and then she grew on her own, along with the others in the book. 

If you could pick a song to encapsulate the mood of your book what would it be and why:

I've actually thought about this, as my books tend to play out in my head like movies, complete with music.

There are three parts to the book, and Paige is in such a different place in her life in each. So, Part I would be Green Day’s She, because it is all about a woman trapped inside her own life and being driven mad by it. Part II would be Adele’s Don’t You Remember. She sings heart-wrenchingly about being left by someone, and (this is my take on the lyrics) how she probably deserved it. That song brings tears to my eyes. Part III would be Des’ree’s You Gotta Be. That song feels to me like standing up tall and trying to be many things, growing wiser, and letting love lead the way.

Can you recommend three books that mean the most to you:

I can’t say they mean the most, because I have read and been affected by too many books over the years to choose just three, so I will list three of my favorites, for the writing, the stories, and the fact that they all kept me up half the night reading.

Mary Karr’s Lit, Melissa Bank’s The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing, and Ann Patchett’s Truth and Beauty.

What do you want readers to walk away with after reading your book:

I hope that they will see Paige’s journey as a reminder to not waste your life, and that we all need to care for each other no matter what mistakes people make. Humans are very flawed. It’s never too late to start again and get it right.

What’s on the horizon for Gaelen VanDenbergh:

I have several books in the works that I need to finish! This book’s sequel, Running in Circles will be out this summer.

I am originally from the Philadelphia area. I went to boarding school in Maine, college in Boston, NYC, then back to Philadelphia, where I have been ever since. I have been writing since I could hold a pencil. Creative writing major in College, I have been working on novels over the years, but haven’t finished anything until now. Like Mitt Romney has binders full of women, I have binders full of unfinished novels. Resides in Philadelphia with husband, 7yr old daughter, a cat, several fish and a one-eyed dog. Running Against Traffic is my first novel.