Stephanie Mack is the author of the new novel Twenty Something Else. She hosts the podcast Underline That, and she lives in Orange County, California.
Q: What inspired you to write Twenty Something Else, and how did you create your character Sutton?
A: Twenty Something Else was born at the intersection of two things: my own approaching 40th birthday and my lifelong love for It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ve always been fascinated by the ripple effect of our choices—how one yes or no can shape decades and impact thousands.
As I stood on the brink of 40, I found myself reflecting not with regret, but with curiosity. Who was the 21-year-old version of me? What parts of her are still alive and well? What parts have evolved?
Sutton began as a bit of an extension-of-self character—same stage of life, similar questions, similar passions. But very quickly she took on her own heartbeat. I gave her my curiosity, my love for beauty and the arts, and my deep loyalty to family. But I gave her ample space to wrestle differently, to respond differently, to grow in ways uniquely her own.
She is familiar to me—especially after so much precious time together—but she is not me. That distinction was important.
Q: What do you see as the relationship between your novel and the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life?
A: At its core, It’s a Wonderful Life asks one profound question: What would the world look like if you had never existed?
Twenty Something Else asks a sister question: What would your life look like if you had chosen differently—perhaps never existing in certain ways, yet fully flourishing in others?
Both stories explore the sacred weight of ordinary decisions. George Bailey sees how his kindness and quiet faithfulness shaped an entire town. Sutton sees how her “small” choices—love, marriage, motherhood, sacrifice, ambition—shaped her own becoming, created whole humans, and changed other lives.
I didn’t want to recreate the film or even mirror it. I wanted to honor its spirit. The reminder that our lives matter. That our unseen choices matter. That kindness, obedience, courage, and even detours ripple further than we’ll ever fully know.
Q: The author Bethany Turner called the book a “one-of-a-kind gem that sparkles with wit and wisdom that feels uniquely millennial but will undoubtedly appeal to readers of all ages.” What do you think of that assessment?
A: First of all, I adore Bethany and all her books, so I might frame that quote!
Secondly, I do think this story carries a distinctly millennial lens—the nostalgia, the outfits, the “did I do this right?” internal dialogue, the weight of social media comparison, the balancing act between ambition and presence. But I also believe the deeper themes—identity, marriage, second acts, gratitude, grief, faith—are timeless.
We may move through the world and process it differently than our mothers did. We may question and experience things our grandmothers didn’t. But women across generations have always wrestled with who they are becoming—and how to weigh and balance the elusive all. If this book feels millennial in tone but universal in heart, that’s the highest compliment.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I hope readers walk away with gratitude instead of regret—with a total exhale and full belief that they’re really something else.
I hope they feel permission to look back on their 20s—or 30s, or 50s—not to rewrite them, but to understand them. I hope every reader sees that the woman she is today didn’t happen by accident. She was formed through brave choices, hard seasons, faithful obedience, laughter, heartbreak, and love.
Most of all, I hope readers close the book thinking: My life counts. My story matters. And what’s ahead is still unfolding. Forty is just the beginning. I feel that deeply.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m continuing to write fictional stories centered on women navigating modern life with honesty, humor, and hope. I’m currently developing my next novel—my first truly “summer” book! It’s another emotionally layered story exploring identity, love, and reinvention in a Southern California setting.
I’m also deeply invested in my podcast, Underline That, where I have the joy of interviewing authors and thinkers about craft, calling, courage, and so much more. I love exploring “the things worth underlining”—anything we pause to highlight, literally or metaphorically. I’m honored by the weekly conversations I have with women who blow me away. Storytelling is truly my passion, and it takes many forms.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: That I’m 40 now—and I love it! The milestone didn’t feel like a closing door. It felt like an invitation. To clarity. To deeper friendships. To creative boldness. To saying no to what no longer fits and yes to what matters most.
If there’s one thing I learned while writing Twenty Something Else, it’s that we don’t have to fear the next decade. We get to steward it. We get to celebrate it! What a gift. Turns out it really is a wonderful life.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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