Q&A: Jessica L. Cozzi, Author of ‘We’ve Hit Turbulence’

We chat with debut author Jessica L. Cozzi about We’ve Hit Turbulence, which is a swoony young adult rom-com, things get bumpy when a girl gets stuck on a cross-country flight with her ex—as if flying couldn’t get any worse. . . .

Hi, Jessica! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Of course! I’m a YA romance writer, former book blogger, and also a book publicist for HarperCollins. So it’s safe to say that I’ve been involved in the book world for quite some time!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

From a very early age. One of my earliest memories involving books was being upset with the ending of The Giving Tree – I thought it was way too sad! I remember taking crayons and trying to draw my own alternate ending in the back…and while I got a lecture from my parents about why we don’t deface books, I think we all saw that as the start of me realizing that I can create my own stories on my own terms someday. And eventually, I did!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day
• The one that made you want to become an author: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. That book reached deep into my soul and gripped my heart, and I wanted to write books that make people feel things, too.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. It’s a love story told from the perspectives of everyone on a college campus except the two people falling in love – there are even perspectives from the campus squirrel and park bench! It’s such a creative method of storytelling, and I found it really fascinating and fun.

Your debut novel, We’ve Hit Turbulence, is out January 13^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Sometimes, your flight seatmate sucks.

In actuality, I hope readers find it fun, light, adventurous, funny, and invigorating!

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect an adventure across O’ahu where two characters are forced to face the feelings that they’ve been trying to run from for quite some time…and hijinks will ensue! There are gorgeous views, delicious foods, and pulse-pounding experiences in store.

Where did the inspiration for We’ve Hit Turbulence come from?

My brother actually lived in Hawai’i for 5 years – going to the same school that Jack goes to in the book! So on one of the flights out there to visit him, I remember thinking how lucky I was that my seatmate for such a long journey was my sister. I wondered what kind of seatmate could’ve made things even more awkward, and before I knew it, the idea for We’ve Hit Turbulence was born!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I had so much fun writing Delia, who is Tyler and Olive’s best friend. She was originally supposed to have a much smaller role in the book, but she leapt off the page in all of her scenes and took on a life of her own, so I let myself lean into it! Every scene she’s in was such fun to write. Maybe one day she’ll get a book of her own…

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I struggled a lot with the timeline for this book! I originally wrote the book in a single timeline, and then in my own round of edits, made it dual timeline. Then, once my publisher picked up the book, they suggested condensing it back into one timeline, so I did. And then my fabulous editor suggested that we break it into a bit more of a dual-timeline, so we did that! There were a lot of shifts and changes to find the pace/timeline that worked best for the book, but through trial and error (and lots and lots of rewrites), we made it shine into a story that I’m thrilled by.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

Very strange! Being on the other side of the publishing industry after working on the publisher side for so long is surreal. It’s like getting a peek at what my authors deal with every day, and it’s been eye-opening! I got really lucky with my road to publishing – I met one of my fabulous agents, Marisa, during a pitching event for my MFA program. We clicked, and from there, it was history!

I think the best part of this experience has been straddling both sides of the industry, for sure. Knowing a lot about how the sausage gets made actually doesn’t make you less nervous to be a debut, which is something that really surprised me!

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the edits for The Rom-Com Conundrum, my sophomore book coming Fall 2027 from Delacorte Romance. It’s about a rom-com enthusiast who’s never been in love, and when she sets out to write her own romance, she meets a grumpy library page and discovers that real love is far messier and more complicated than her favorite love stories. I can’t wait for you to read it!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

There are so many! A few fellow 2026 debuts that I have at the top of my list to read this year are 72 Hours of You by Darianne Schramm, Smash or Pass by Birdie Schae, and You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker by Gwenyth Reitz. But you can check out the whole big list of debuts coming out next year at www.2026debuts.com!

Will you be picking up We’ve Hi Turbulence? Tell us in the comments below!