‘It Ends With Us’ Author Colleen Hoover Hasnt Let Fame Change Her (Exclusive) [Video]

Colleen Hoover’s books have been staples on bestseller lists, airport newsstand shelves and in beach bags for years, and her 2016 smash hit It Ends With Us will hit theaters Aug. 9 as a film she co-executive-produced with stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (who also directed it).

But despite her stratospheric rise to fame, the author, 44, is still a self-professed introvert who’d rather wear press-on nails than sit through a salon appointment. She drives an unassuming black SUV so she can remain under the radar while going about her day-to-day business in her small Texas town (her previous car, a purple electric Porsche, made her feel too “self-conscious”), and she has a special place in her heart for the Texas chain Whataburger.

For more on Colleen Hoover, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

“Life honestly feels very much the same as when I was making $9 …