Q&A: Stephanie Burns, Author of ‘Far from The A-List’

We chat with author Stephanie Burns about Far From The A-List, which is a fresh, propulsive take on fame in the tabloid era of the ’00s, a former child star struggles to figure out who she is beyond the characters she’s played—on television and in relationships.

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

Thanks so much for having me! I’m a writer, bookworm, and pop culture fanatic living on the South Shore of Massachusetts with my beach-loving rescue beagle, Ollie Twist. I love stories about people making mistakes and finding their way, even when the world has other ideas, and that’s what you’ll find in my debut novel, Far from the A-List.

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

I truly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating stories. As a kid, I’d fill notebooks with what I hoped would be the next The Baby-Sitters Club or Sweet Valley High. Even when I played with dolls, I’d come up with elaborate plots, like Barbie catching Ken kissing Midge on the top deck of a cruise ship. I genuinely can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Cappy, a Fuzzy Wuzzy book about a misbehaving puppy. I wore that book to shreds.
• The one that made you want to become an author: Little Women. I didn’t want to be a March sister, I wanted to be Louisa May Alcott.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Earth to Moon by Moon Unit Zappa. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written. My favorite kind of book.

Your debut novel, Far from The A-List, is out December 9^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Child stars grow up? Unacceptable.

What can readers expect?

I like to say it’s a coming-of-age story of someone who never got a chance to come of age. The novel centers on a former child star named Michaela Turner who is struggling to find her place in a world where everyone sees her as the precocious little girl she played on TV or the twenty-something splashed across the tabloids. She wants everyone to know she’s not Daisy, the character she played at seven years old on America’s favorite sitcom, but who she is apart from that she’s having a hard time figuring out.

Where did the inspiration for Far from The A-List come from?

I love all things pop culture, but my writer brain is always thinking about what we don’t see in the headlines. We all have our favorite stars from childhood, and so often we see their narratives split into two paths: the ones who successfully continue with their careers into adulthood, and the ones mired in tragedy. But what about the ones in between? It got me thinking how hard it must be to try to live a normal life when the whole world compares you to a character scripted for you when you were seven. How does that affect someone’s development, especially when their every move can be chronicled in a tabloid? Once the character of Michaela came to me, she wouldn’t let me go.

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

Getting deep into why characters are the way they are is my favorite part of writing. Michaela holds such a special place in my heart because I lived in her brain for so long, but I also loved writing all of the people in her life who either help or hinder her road to self-discovery. Her stage mother, Caroline, who always has something up her sleeve.  Her rock star of an ex, Deacon, who broke her heart twice but still keeps drawing her into his orbit. My favorite, though, is probably her best friend, Josh, a former boy-bander who seems to be dealing with his faded fame far better than Michaela is. I want to hang out with him all the time. I understand why Michaela does, too.

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

The biggest challenge is always that there are never enough hours in the day! I get up very early and write every morning. I write on weekends, and on train rides, and when I’m eating lunch. It does mean that I have to say no to a lot of things I want to do, and I occasionally fall behind on my favorite TV shows (my younger self would be horrified!), but writing fills my soul like nothing else. I can’t not write, so the sacrifices are all worth it.

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

Long and winding! I earned my MFA in Creative Writing in 2010 and my mentors told me they were certain I’d be published. I wasn’t so certain. I never stopped writing, but I kept letting my own insecurities get in the way. I’d send out query letters, and when nothing would come of it, I’d put querying aside and think, “Maybe it’s enough if I just write for myself.” I repeated this cycle for years, and along the way, I supported other authors in every way I could, telling myself, “Maybe cheering everyone else on is enough.” One day it hit me that I was writing all these stories of people who, for a variety of reasons, were holding themselves back from living the lives they wanted, and here I was doing the same thing out of fear. I knew I owed it to myself and my stories to go all in and not give up. I eventually landed an agent who loved my writing and a publisher who loved my book. People who didn’t know me well said, “That all happened quickly!” but they didn’t see the fifteen years of work that went into it.

What’s next for you?

My next book also deals with themes of fame and identity but in a very different way. I’m excited to share more soon!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?

So many! I loved reading the latest from some auto-buy authors: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams, The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner, and Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin. I also read some incredible debuts, like The Cover Girl by Amy Rossi and Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson. My 2026 TBR is already a mile long, with The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave and Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson being the first two I’ll dive into. I’m also part of the Tall Poppy Writers, a group of amazing women authors who have written some of my favorite books of 2025 and have incredible new releases in the pipeline. Let’s just say I’m never short on good reads!

Will you be picking up Far from The A-List? Tell us in the comments below!