I signed with my publisher, Ylva Publishing, in April of 2021 and my first book is slated to come out in October 2022. That’s 18 months of waiting! When I signed, it felt like absolutely forever, but now, only a few months out, I feel like it’s racing toward me.

Can I tell you a little about the book? Better yet, how do you feel about a cover reveal? Let me show it to you:

I think it’s beautiful and captures the vibe of the book really nicely. The team at Ylva were so kind to work with me on that. The blurb for the book says:

“Stella Carter was once a successful criminal prosecutor in Los Angeles until the tragic death of her police officer husband. Grief stricken, she quits her job and hides herself away until her niece reunites her with her former colleague, Captain Elizabeth Murphy. While she and the beautiful Captain Murphy had never quite managed to be friends in the office, Stella finds herself depending on Elizabeth more and more to help her through this difficult time. But Stella finds she can’t be friends with Elizabeth and keep pretending that she’s not attracted to her, too.”

For those of you familiar with the fanfic, I think the story will be recognizable and familiar, but have enough changes to see Stella and Elizabeth become their own characters. I’m really excited about the book and the story. I’ve lived inside of it for several years now and the idea of sharing it with you all in a new, refined, professional format is both daunting and thrilling.

I have a habit of posting a little snippet of song lyrics when I post a fanfic, but of course that’s much more complicated and expensive when publishing. I still wanted that format to ring true for my long time readers who are familiar with my style, so instead of lyrics, I wrote a little verse and that’s where the title comes from.

honey in the marrow,
buzzing at the bone
if the grief cannot consume you, dig the stinger out
this grief is not your home

The book is largely and most comprehensively about grief, but it’s not depressing or sad. Personally, I think it’s kind of funny! And like all good romance, it’s a love story first. It’s also a survival story and a story about family. I really hope you like it.

It’s set to come out in October. I’ll let you know about pre-order and where you can get it when we get a little closer. But you can already add it to your wishlist on the Ylva website.