I’m excited to share a small milestone in my author journey: a press release about my books and the story behind them has just been published on PRLog.
You can read it here:
Seeing my story written out like that is a little surreal, because the path that led to publishing my books wasn’t exactly a straight one.
A Writer Long Before I Was an Author
For most of my life, I’ve been a writer.
I wrote for school publications growing up and contributed to local newspapers over the years. Writing has always been something that came naturally to me. But actually publishing books felt like something I might do someday—something that stayed on the “maybe one day” list for a long time.
Then life shifted my perspective.
Over a relatively short period of time, my family went through a number of difficult experiences. We said goodbye to a foster child who had lived in our home for three years, something that was incredibly hard for our whole family. Not long after that, my mother and father-in-law both passed away.
Those losses changed how I looked at time, opportunities, and the things we leave behind.
At some point during that season, my mindset became very simple: it was now or never.
Turning Real Experiences Into Books
That shift is what finally led me to publish my books.
Each one grew out of real experiences and conversations happening in my own life.
Adulting 101 was inspired when my 23-year-old cousin moved in with us after the death of his father. It quickly became clear that many of the everyday life skills people need—managing money, handling responsibilities, solving common problems—had never really been explained to him.
My experience as a foster parent reinforced that realization. I saw firsthand how many young people enter adulthood without the practical skills they need. That became the foundation for the book.
In Case I Die came from a very different place. It was written during a season of grief, but it also explores something people don’t talk about enough: how humor sometimes becomes part of surviving loss. At one point, my husband, cousin, and I jokingly referred to ourselves as the “Dead Parents Society.” It sounds dark, but sometimes laughter is one of the ways people keep moving forward.
Making Waves grew out of the final stages of my own therapy journey. It focuses on something many people struggle with—learning to set boundaries and stop shrinking themselves to keep others comfortable.
Books That Feel Like Conversations
One thing readers often tell me is that my books don’t feel like textbooks.
That’s intentional.
I wanted them to feel more like conversations with a friend—someone who has been through some of the same things and is sharing what they’ve learned along the way.
Why Sharing the Story Matters
Publishing the press release felt like another step in sharing that journey.
My hope has always been that these books help people feel less alone in whatever they’re navigating—whether that’s learning how to handle adult responsibilities, working through grief, or figuring out how to set healthier boundaries in their lives.
If you’d like to read the full press release, you can find it here:
And as always, thank you to everyone who has supported this journey. Writing may start as a solitary process, but the encouragement from readers, friends, and community makes all the difference.