It’s been almost one year since I placed my very first book into the hands of readers and released a piece of my heart into a world I could never have imagined reaching.
And as I look back upon everything this journey has brought into my life, I find myself humbled by all of you.
You see, this story began long before The Cord Between Two Queens was ever written.
It began as a childhood dream. Writing became the place where I could lay down what my heart could no longer hold. A refuge for the words I could not speak. A way to give shape to sorrow, to breathe through loss, and to discover that even from the deepest wounds, something beautiful might still take root.
I never imagined that what began as a means of surviving would one day become a reason to celebrate living.
And somehow, the dream I once laid to rest returned to me tenfold.
It came in the form of friendships forged across distances. As a community bound not by blood or circumstance, but by the extraordinary power of stories.
It’s a reminder sometimes that the light we seek is born from the very darkness we once feared would consume us. And that is where you became part of my story.
Yes, I call you my friends.
Whether you have read my book, purchased a copy, spoken its name to another reader, shared a post, written a review, offered encouragement, or simply welcomed these letters into your inbox, please know that every gesture has meant more than words can express.
Some of you I have had the privilege of meeting.
Others I know only through messages, kind words, and the quiet kindness of your presence.
And some of you I may never meet at all.
Yet across every distance, you have reminded me that belonging is not always found in the places we inhabit, but sometimes in the hearts we reach.
For that, my gratitude is immeasurable.
And to the dear friends who work alongside me, celebrate life's joys with me, travel distant lands with me, navigate the sacred and often difficult journey of parenthood with me, train beside me on jiu-jitsu mats, share writing circles with me, and stand beside me at book signings…
You have witnessed the chapters of my life that will never appear in a novel.
The weariness. The uncertainty. The quiet struggles. The days when the weight of everything feels greater than the strength I have left to carry it.
And still, you remain. You offer laughter when the days grow heavy. You offer strength when mine begins to falter. You remind me of the person I was before this journey began, and the person I am still becoming.
There would be no story without the extraordinary people who have become part of mine.
This first year has not been without its trials. There have been unforeseen obstacles, difficult lessons, moments of doubt, and seasons when the road ahead seemed obscured.
But if I were given the choice to walk this path again, knowing all that it would ask of me, I would choose it without hesitation. The fear of revealing something so sacred to the world could never outweigh the sorrow of leaving it forever unspoken.
And now, as one chapter of this journey draws toward its close, another is already unfolding.
The Cord Between Two Bloods is entering its final stages, and soon, we will return to the X-Wielder Realm, where Eradena and Malachi's fates continue to intertwine beneath the weight of ancient secrets, impossible choices, and a destiny not yet fulfilled.
But there is another secret I wish to share.
Even as Book 2 approaches its completion, the next book has already begun to take shape.
There are still voices waiting to be heard. There are still kingdoms waiting to rise. There are still stories within this realm that have yet to find their way into the light.
And I intend to follow them wherever they lead.
