When Dr. Ivelisse Rodriguez debuted her short story collection, Love War Stories, it quickly became a 2019 PEN/Faulkner finalist and a 2018 Foreword Reviews INDIES finalist. Her collection of short stories bring a cultural richness and elegant approach to discussing heartache, violence, and the hard choices women are often faced with as they find their place in society while trying to hold true to cultural traditions. We also discuss how she overcame her fear of writing to become an accomplished writer. Plus, the many contradictions in our ideas about love.  In this episode:  Realizing that anything can happen and to always keep pushing towards your dreams Why valuing yourself is key to healthy relationships Problematic heterosexuality and self-actualization Why it’s important for women to reconsider the idea that marriage is an accomplishment  Listener Perks:  Libro.fm - Purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite local bookstore. Choose from more than 150,000 audiobooks, including New York Times bestsellers and recommendations from booksellers around the country. Use Code: SheDid at checkout to get a 2-month audiobook membership for the price of one month!  Need a library card? Register for an eCard today and immediately access hundreds of eMedia resources including eBooks, audiobooks, music, movies, and more at DenverLibrary.org Win FREE Books - Go to www.Thatswhatshedidpodcast.com to enter to win FREE books from our featured authors. Follow Ivelisse: www.ivelisserodriguez.com   Twitter: @IvelissWrites     IG: @aracien11 Follow The Show:  Contact the Show: ThatsWhatSheDidPodcast@gmail.com IG: @That'sWhatSheDidPodcast FB: That'sWhatSheDidPodcast Website: That'sWhatSheDidPodcast.com