Women’s Fiction
Date Published: April 14, 2026
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Cece Belle is a high-functioning neurodivergent. She’s also a big believer in destiny, but when her soulmate Robby dumps her mid-flight to Israel, she instantly regrets ever telling him she’s on the spectrum.
Not one to dwell in misery, Cece sips some chamomile hibiscus tea to set herself straight. And with meditation and spirituality on her side, she looks to what’s next. Yet another blow hits when she is kicked out of her rabbinical studies program for “strange behavior.”
Then, she meets Joel. With his quirky demeanor and ability to say all the right things, he gives Cece the desire to begin a new relationship. There’s only one main obstacle: Cece loves living in Los Angeles, and Joel is a diehard New Yorker.
She marries him anyway, despite misgivings that extend beyond their geography. After all, this is her carefully drawn plan—marriage, then kids, then happily ever after. Sometimes though, the best-laid plans are better left in dreamland where they can’t go awry.
Cece in Wonder Land is a twisty journey down a rabbit hole of unexpected anxieties, disappointments, and more questions than answers. But where there is hope, there is life, and maybe Cece can hang on for the next bit of wonder bound to come her way.
Interview with Bonnie S. Priever
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
Since my book is in the ‘autofiction’ genre, every place that I’ve mentioned in my books are real, true places that I’ve lived, loved, and breathed into my very being. For example, I’ve walked through the ancient, mystical walkways in Sefat Israel and admired many a signature blue door. I’ve experienced the Catskills resorts at their heyday, and did research on the hotels that once stood shining in upstate New York. As for L.A, my hometown, my entire book is an homage to this fair city, that I love, the place I call home.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
The strangest thing I guess, that I researched is if pouring ice cold water on an ex’s head is considered impulsive behavior or justice/revenge.
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
I tend to delve into places I already know, but as for science, I had to research various types of therapeutic styles, i.e cognitive behavioral & emotional freedom technique (tapping)& Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), to better explore and write about each of the therapist’s techniques, that Cece and Joel experienced. I also researched the intricacies of living life, albeit high functioning, on the autism spectrum.
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
I would have to say, that since covid(so, fairly recently), I’ve learned and grown so much from various writers’ coaches, writing groups, and webinars. They’ve all been such a big influence and inspiration to me; also each one of them was so encouraging and supportive of my writing a book, and considered it ‘a huge accomplishment and a big deal!’ I’d have to also give thanks to my high school AP English teacher, Mr. George Schoenman of Fairfax High, for instilling in me a lifelong passion for reading great pieces of literature (and also best sellers); and honing my writing skills in preparation for college, career, and life overall.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
This is my first book, which I intended at first to be a memoir (non fiction) but then switched over to a novel in the auto fiction genre. I’m open to exploring writing a self help guide to neurodivergents like myself, or possibly a book (with many photographs) depicting the eclectic styles and fashions I see daily on the streets of Los Angeles. All kinds of possibilities whirling in my busy mind!
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
Yes, see above answer
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
I think I enjoy writing about complicated, multidimensional human characters, people with flaws that readers will probably connect and resonate with.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Bonnie S. Priever majored in communications studies at UCLA before moving to Philadelphia. There, she attended the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which prepared her for an assistant directorship at the Israel Levin Senior Adult Center in Venice, California.
As a way to process emotions and stay connected to her spirituality, Bonnie started writing about her experiences. In 2023, Newsweek published her personal essay about the challenges of aging. Currently, she combines her passion for writing and her love for live theater as a reviewer for CurtainUp, an online theater magazine.
Bonnie loves to travel but always looks forward to coming home to LA. She has one grown son and a backlog of great ideas. Based on a true story, Cece in Wonder Land is her first novel.
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