Ashley Wren Collins and Jordan Rockwell both graduated with a BA in English and Theater Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. While there, they never met. They were, after all, two years apart. They did, however, have a good friend in common, Matt, who talked about Jordan to Ashley and Ashley to Jordan. Jordan even saw Ashley and Matt perform together on stage, but alas, they were never formally introduced until several years later.

Matt and Jordan were in Philadelphia for a class reunion while Ashley was in Philadelphia with her boyfriend at the time for a theater reunion. Matt finally introduced Ashley and Jordan to one another at the historic 30th Street Station. Ashley only remembers being surprised that Jordan had red hair and noticing that he was loud. Jordan only remembers…not much. Damn it, Matt. We’re not in college anymore.

Several years after that, Jordan and Ashley found themselves at Matt’s wedding in St. Martin. They spent the entire weekend sipping pina coladas, cracking each other up on the beach, and poking fun at themselves and wedding and hotel guests. Jordan even developed a massive crush on the lead singer of the wedding band, to the point that when he asked Ashley to dance at the wedding reception, he made sure to call the attention of the wedding singer, point to Ashley, and declare loudly, “I am NOT with her!” Out of this and other hijinks at that wedding was born their idea for She Wrote, He Wrote: A New York Love Story.

A year later, Jordan was invited to another wedding at the same hotel in St. Martin. Though he’d just begun dating a new woman, he was hesitant to invite her as his date to a destination wedding so early in the relationship and since Ashley already knew many of the people invited to the wedding (even the wedding band was the same), he asked her if she would join him as his platonic date. There, Ashley helped Jordan realize that that woman he was dating… might just be the one. Ashley was right; Jordan married Julie three years later and he’s never looked back.

Several weeks after Wedding II in St. Martin, Ashley met Francisco, the man who would become her husband, and she, too, has never looked back.

Having come of age in New York City (Ashley) and Los Angeles (Jordan), Ashley and Jordan are intimately familiar with the ups and downs of dating in the modern world. They both are beyond grateful to have found wonderful spouses and to be happily married, and not to each other. (If you thought this story ended with them marrying each other, ew! It doesn’t, because that would be gross.)

When Ashley’s not writing, she’s acting, producing, directing, and choreographing in New York City or enjoying time with her family. When Jordan’s not writing, he’s also acting, writing and directing films in Los Angeles, as well as enjoying time with his family. They hope that they can offer hope—or at least a laugh—to all of the love-lorn singles out there still searching for the lid to their pot.

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Ashley Wren Collins is an award-winning author, director, choreographer, producer and actor. This is her fifth book. Other titles include Along Comes the Association: Beyond Folk Rock & Three-Piece Suits (Rare Bird) with Russ Giguere, The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Los Angeles (Globe Pequot), the sixth edition of The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to New York City(Globe Pequot), and Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (Routledge) with Lloyd Kaufman.

The feature film she produced, Chasing Taste, won “Best Comedy” at the Burbank and Manhattan Film Festivals and can be found on Amazon. Recent directing: the short film i only miss you when i’m breathing, starring country singer/songwriter Phil Vassar, and several shows off-Broadway in NYC. Recent choreography: Foxy Ladies/Love Boogie 70’s Explosion! in NYC and LA. Ashley is the recipient of a writing fellowship from the Edward F. Albee Foundation and an alum of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

Member: NYWIFT, SDC, SAG-AFTRA, AEA. BA, University of Pennsylvania; MFA, American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theater School at Harvard University. She is currently developing several film and theater projects and writing her next book. Ashley resides in New York City with her husband, Francisco, their daughter Leopoldina, and chihuahua. More at ashleywrencollins.com.


Jordan Rockwell is an award-winning writer, actor, producer, director, and composer. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Baltimore, he discovered his eternal love of cinema with a 70mm screening of Lawrence of Arabia. He defected to Los Angeles from the east coast to follow his passion.

Jordan loves making movies both in front of and behind the camera. He also loves the Grand Canyon and the bittersweet torture of being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. He has been known to crank-call his friends as former Governor Schwarzenegger and to cry every time he sees a screening of his favorite great film of all time, Disney/Pixar’s Up.

Jordan recently received his private pilot license. BA, University of Pennsylvania; MBA, Pepperdine University; MFA in Screenwriting, American Film Institute. He is currently developing several film projects and writing his next book. Jordan lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Julie, their children Jack and Raiya, and their labradoodles, Chewbacca and Minnie.