Tahereh Mafi on her next book, 'A Very Large Expanse of Sea,' about a Muslim American teen after 9/11

Tahereh Mafi has entered a new phase. The 30-year-old writer of the bestselling young adult fantasy series "Shatter Me" is branching out with her next novel, "A Very Large Expanse of Sea," which will be published by Harper Collins in October. Set in post-9/11 America, "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" follows the story of hijab-wearing Muslim teen Shirin and is based on Mafi's own experiences.

The novel tackles bigotry and Islamophobia; it's also an interracial love story. "It's about being a teenage girl in this complicated world who happens to be Muslim," Mafi said. "All she really wants is to be a break dancer, and she wants to have a normal life."

Mafi's subject matter isn't the only part of her work that's evolving; she also became a mother last year. "Having a kid has made me more efficient than I have ever been before