A Journey Back to the Page

Writing has always been my breath. For twenty years, these stories have lived in me, and I have lived in them. Through the whirlwind of raising children and the daily demands of life, writing was the constant—a quiet, essential heartbeat.

Then came the flare.

It started with my hands. My fingers swelled until I couldn't make a fist. Bumps began to grow, and a dull, constant ache made every movement a challenge. I faced a medical journey that felt like a surreal interruption of my life—biopsies, questions, and finally, a diagnosis of dermatomyositis.

For the first time in two decades, I faced a terrifying silence. I couldn't draw, I couldn't type, and I couldn't write. For a month, the stories in my head had no way to reach the page.

The silence wasn't limited to my desk; it bled into everything. As a teacher, I am used to thriving—to guiding my students and keeping the energy high. But during those weeks, I was merely surviving. I would come home after a long day in the classroom and simply collapse on my bed, the physical and emotional weight of the diagnosis leaving me utterly spent. It was the hardest time of my life.

But beneath that exhaustion, the stories were still there.

Slowly, gently, I found my way back. The healing wasn’t overnight, and it wasn't easy, but the drive to create proved stronger than the pain. I realized that if I couldn't hold onto this story, I would lose a part of myself. So, I pushed through. I reclaimed my voice, my pen, and my keyboard.

And I decided: I am not just going to keep writing—I am going to share these worlds with you.

I am so incredibly proud to announce that my debut novel, The Endless Dark, is finally on its way to you. This book is a testament to resilience, a labor of love, and a reminder that even when our bodies force us to pause, our stories are never truly silenced.

I cannot wait for you to meet the characters I’ve been living with all these years. Thank you for walking this journey with me, through the shadows and back into the light.

-Rose