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Behind the Scenes of Ashes Know Her Name and the Upcoming Sequel We discuss where to find the first novel Ashes Know Her Name across major booksellers like Amazon, Kindle, and Audible. We talk about the next book in the series, which features the same main characters—Ana, Kimo, and their military-trained mastiff, Koa. The first novel's suspenseful rescue scenes take place in the lava tubes under Hana, Hawaii, and readers have responded enthusiastically to the emotional and th

From Maui to Big Bear: Writing My Second Novel with New Characters and Deeper Themes I talk about writing my second novel, which contrasts the hot settings of my first book with cold environments like Big Bear, where I grew up. I discuss bringing back Anna and Kimo from Maui—characters unfamiliar with snow—and introducing a new antagonistic family. I explore how I'm delving into one character's childhood trauma, including reactive attachment disorder and a narcissistic, socio

The Ashes Know Her Name: From Academic Publishing to Fiction Born from Tragedy I discuss my debut fiction novel, The Ashes Know Her Name, marking a significant shift from my academic publishing career, since I share how the novel emerged from two devastating events: the Lahaina fires and the October 7th attacks in Israel. With family directly affected by both tragedies—including loved ones kidnapped and murdered—I explore how personal loss and community trauma inspired this w

Writing 'Ashes': Using Fiction to Explore Trauma and Grief I talk about how I wrote my novel 'Ashes' to teach people about trauma and grief through fiction rather than direct instruction. Drawing on my scholarly background in trauma and identity, I created a story about a family dealing with complex trauma from both a terrorist attack and a fire. The book has resonated deeply with readers, earning 171 five-star reviews on Goodreads, and I've recently signed with a literary ag