Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially uploaded all the necessary files onto Amazon for the publication of Where Arrows Fall. The official launch date is Friday, February 3. This was the most difficult book for me to write, largely due to various life events going on while I was writing this book.

I’m going to be a bit vulnerable and share the process of writing this book.

The rough draft was easy. Unfortunately, I finished it just a few weeks before the original 2020 lockdowns happened. I had just quit my job so I could attend a college in Oklahoma (the one I graduated from last May) and church moved online. I didn’t have much to do, especially since you’re supposed to let your book rest for a bit before you start editing the rough draft. I was isolated and alone. My mental health began to decline, and I lost motivation for most of my hobbies, including writing. Eventually, my parents put me in touch with a therapist, who diagnosed me with moderate depression. In August of that year, I met my biological mother for the first time, and I needed more therapy to help me process the emotions that arose from that.

In 2021, things started getting back to normal. Church was back to normal, and my college classes were in person again. I started substitute teaching at my sister’s school. I began editing Where Arrows Fall, slowly but surely. That fall was my senior year of college, and I decided to live on campus. Around the same time, my grandmother’s health began to fail. I didn’t have any friends on campus, and the isolation worsened my depression. I was exposed to the ‘Vid (you know what I’m talking about) a handful of times and was forced to self-isolate, which nearly drove me insane. (I also learned during this time period that Lukas should be FAR more dysfunctional than I wrote him to be.)

On Christmas Eve of 2021, my grandmother was hospitalized. January came. I started therapy. I survived the ‘Vid. I learned how to knit socks. And then, on January 30, my grandmother passed away. I missed a couple of classes to attend her funeral in Missouri, then got back into school and therapy. I got a little bit better. I graduated college with a 4.0 GPA, moved back in with my parents, and started looking for a job and a place to live. God opened some doors, and in August, I moved into my current place and started my current job. I also stepped down from volunteering on my church’s worship team, a position I’ve held since I was sixteen.

My first two books came easily. They were fun to write. And yet, finishing them was bittersweet. I remember the day I got my first author copies of Where the Clouds Catch Fire. I took a picture of myself holding the book, and I smiled for the camera, but I felt empty inside. “It’s over,” I was thinking. “Now what?” But Where Arrows Fall was different. Writing this book was a battle. When I finally finished re-reading Where Arrows Fall for one last type-o scan, I felt a sense of victory. I did it. I fought and I won. And I’m excited to share what I have with you.

If you’ve been following my blog for the past few weeks, you’ve read the first chapter. On February 3-6, the eBook will be available for FREE. Yes, you read that right. I fought tooth and nail to write this book while battling mental health issues and major life changes just so you can read it for free. All I ask is that, if you like the book, you review it. Five stars is preferable, but four is okay, too. Just be honest and tell the world what you think!

Thank you all for your support, dear readers. My next step is to get some book signings organized, and I’ll let you know when those are happening, so stay tuned!