Before her debut novel reaches bookstore shelves, Tiffany Ezuma will be at Vroman’s Bookstore tonight to talk about writing it.
Ezuma, a Los Angeles-based screenwriter whose television credits include TNT’s “Snowpiercer,” will discuss and sign “Major Gift: An 831 Stories Romance” in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Allison Raskin at the Pasadena bookstore on Monday evening — the night before the novel officially ships. Both writers trained as screenwriters at the University of Southern California before crossing into fiction.
“Major Gift,” published by 831 Stories and distributed by Simon & Schuster, follows Ndidi Davis, a tech mogul’s widow who channels her grief and $2.1 billion fortune into launching a charitable foundation, according to the publisher. Her plans are complicated by Geoffrey Campbell, an ambitious journalist assigned to profile her philanthropic pursuit. The trade paperback is priced at $14.99.
The pairing of Ezuma and Raskin brings two screenwriting-trained voices into conversation about the craft of romance. Ezuma holds a BA in political science and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MFA in screenwriting from USC. Raskin, who holds a BFA in screenwriting from USC and a master’s in psychology from Pepperdine University, is the author of “Save the Date,” published by Canary Street Press in April 2025. She is also a screenwriter who has developed television projects with FX, Netflix, and 20th Century Television, and co-hosts the podcast “Just Between Us.”
Author Tia Williams, a New York Times bestselling novelist, called the book a fresh take on the genre in an advance endorsement provided by the publisher. Author Christine Riccio described the novel as an exploration of grief and self-worth in a separate publisher-provided blurb.
831 Stories, the publisher behind “Major Gift,” was co-founded by Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo and focuses on novella-length romances. NPR profiled the company in September 2025, and Publishers Weekly reported on its distinctive marketing approach, which the co-founders have described as treating book releases like album launches.
The Vroman’s event is the first stop on a multi-city tour that continues to New York and Washington, D.C. later in May, according to the 831 Stories events page.
The event is free and runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. RSVP is required and can be completed through the 831 Stories website at 831stories.com. For more information, call (626) 449-5320.
Vroman’s, founded in 1894, is Southern California’s oldest and largest independent bookstore and hosts more than 400 free community events each year. The book doesn’t officially ship until Tuesday.
