Rebecca Yarros on How Her New Book ‘Variation’ Saved Her (Exclusive) [Video]

Rebecca Yarros has a new contemporary romance coming out, and writing it all but saved her life.

The Colorado-based author, 43, has written 25 books, but after her dragon-riding romantasy Fourth Wing rocketed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list in 2023, selling more than 2 million copies, and sparking hashtags that racked up over a billion views on TikTok, Yarros’ star rose with it. That attracted a ravenous online community, which brought adoring fans and harsh critics to her doorstep, sometimes literally. 

“Social media is very much like a hall of mirrors, and when you stare too long, it distorts who you think you are,” Yarros says, echoing what she told her kids when the online firestorm began. “Mostly it’s just remembering that real life is what happens inside my house and not in my phone.”

In a conversation with PEOPLE for this week’s print …