Dallas London’s brother drowned off the coast of Maui, and she might be losing her mind. At least, that was her first thought when she started hearing the voices. As her hallucinations worsen, she’s left wondering if she would have been better off as the one who sunk into the Pacific abyss.

    Now back home in San Francisco after looking for her brother’s body, Dallas learns someone else has gone missing, triggering her in a big way. She hallucinates a monster during her therapy appointment. And again in the bathroom of her favorite bar. And, oh yeah, she thought she heard a weird voice in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment this morning, but it was probably nothing. Because monsters aren’t real. Deny, deny, deny becomes her mantra until her imaginary monster actually tries to kill her.

    Enter: Death. The grim reaper. The Soul Collector. That Death. In the form of a snarky, sexy woman, Death presents Dallas with a proposition: find out who is stealing the souls of the drowned, in exchange for protection from the demon hunting Dallas. Desperate, she accepts Death’s offer. The cost includes a quick trip to Hell—no big deal since she has been in hell since her brother died. But it will also force her to face her grief, which is enough to make her wish she’d been the one to sink into the Pacific.

    Treading Water came in first place in the Horror category of the 2024 PNWA Unpublished Novel Contest. Ready to dive in? Read chapter one.

    Below is a running playlist that gets me in the mood to work on this book.

    Lyana has just escaped from the king’s dungeons with her panther-like familiar, Kess. But Kess took an arrow during their prison break. With their lives tied to each other, they now both only have hours to live. The escape, the murders Lyana had been forced to commit while captive, it may have all been for nothing.
    Dying and hunted by the king’s men, Lyana is desperate. Until she meets a mage who happens to be an adept healer. Reluctant, she allows the mage to help. After saving the lives of both Lyana and Kess, the mage tells Lyana that her sister is actually alive and traveling to a temple housing incredibly strong ancient magic. Lyana’s plans to stay on the run quickly change. She has to find and protect her sister. During her search, Lyana comes across several rebellious allies who view her escape from the king as a symbol of revolution—a role she doesn’t want or need. With the misguided hopes of Lyana eventually leading them to some sort of insurgency, the rebels join her on her quest. But when they arrive at the temple, Lyana learns that no one in her life is to be trusted—especially her own family.

    The Silvestrian is book one in a planned trilogy. Clawing for a sneak peak? Read chapter one.

    Below is a running playlist that gets me in the mood to work on this book.