I’ve been drawn to reading and writing for as long as I can remember. As a child, I found joy in storytelling, and in high school, one of my poems was even published, which gave me a glimpse of what was possible. Throughout my life, I’ve relied on my writing skills in various professional roles, but the dream of crafting my own stories always stayed with me.

This book came together over the course of two to three months, from writing the first draft to completing the edits. Once I started, the story flowed quickly—it was as if the characters had been waiting for their turn to be heard.

The foundation for this story has been in my heart and mind for more than a decade. These characters and their journey stayed with me, evolving over the years, until I finally reached a point where I knew I had to bring their story to life.

For me, the biggest challenge was shutting out external distractions to truly focus on the story. It required letting go of outside influences and trusting myself to dive deeply into the world I was creating.