A Hilarious New Book from Flint Hills Publishing

“This book is so funny, sharp, and sweet, I’m angry I didn’t write it myself.”

 -Mike Reiss, Emmy-winning writer, producer, and show runner of The Simpsons

In this hilarious new book from Flint Hills Publishing, Dear Erma Bombeck in Heaven – What the Hell?!,  author Jillian Van Hefty (2022 winner of the Erma Bombeck Humorist in Residence Program) imagines what it would be like to write directly to Bombeck today. The result? A series of laugh-out-loud letters that chronicle the surreal landscape of modern life.

Because let’s be honest—what would Erma say about Botox? About Brazilian butt lifts? About toddlers with personal brands and dogs with daycare schedules?

Van Hefty doesn’t just ask the question—she answers it, brilliantly.

Jillian Van Hefty, was a featured speaker at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, 2026.

With Bombeck’s spirit hovering somewhere between heaven and a perfectly organized junk drawer, the book skewers everything from gender-reveal parties to the relentless grip of smartphones. But beneath the humor lies something deeper: a longing for perspective, for sanity, and for the kind of humor that brings us back to ourselves.

And you know who else agrees with us? Erma Bombeck’s sons! …

“Often times I wonder what my mom would have written about if she were still alive today. Jillian Van Hefty’s book answered that question. Observant and wickedly funny, she takes on aging, plastic surgery, trendy diets, and trendy parents. Anyone can hold a mirror up and show us who we are, but not many have the gift to make us laugh at it.”

-- Matthew Bombeck

“I really enjoyed this book, and am convinced my mom would be, or is, laughing as well. Dear Erma Bombeck in Heaven, What the Hell?! will help keep her legacy alive and, most important, people laughing at themselves and life in general.”

-- Andy Bombeck

Treat yourself to a copy today! You can buy the book here and wherever books are sold.