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Burgeoning Romance
Terra Lux centers around a family swept up in the evacuation of their planet, forced into servitude, and struggling to find solace in a brutal existence. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I really wanted to explore what was next for our trio, and I wanted to reunite them with a character from an earlier book, Soren. Soren is a potential future love interest for Sev, and we see their relationship develop over the course of this book and the next. I was really interested in exploring how this family would stay together if they lost their home…how they would struggle and triumph in an alien environment.
What is the most rewarding aspect of writing a trilogy for young adult readers?
Meeting and connecting with readers, whether in person or on social media. The best thing about a YA audience is the scope of it. You really do connect with a wide variety of people and age groups, and it’s very rewarding.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Loss, resilience, and triumph over tragedy. I wanted to explore a slow-burning, burgeoning romance, too, and I got to tease that a little with Sev and Soren.
Are you currently working on a new series? What can we look forward to seeing from you next?
I’m actually working on a continuation of this universe, with books four and five coming at a later date. It’s more of an intimate, character-driven exploration of the world I’ve created for them.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Linktree | Website | Amazon
Sev has lost her home before. She’s learned how to survive,how to fight, how to run. But when war sweeps across Dobani, there’s nowhere left to go—only forward.As the world crumbles, Sev clings to the people she loves most.
Through storm and silence, danger and displacement, she must forge a new path in a galaxy that keeps trying to break her. But Sev is done running. This time, she’s ready to decide who she wants to become.
The final book in the Terra trilogy is a story of survival, resilience, and found family—where even in the darkest times, a light remains.
Storm of Arranon
Storm of Arranon is a young adult science fantasy novel that follows Erynn Yager, a gifted cadet on the world of Korin who keeps seeing strange visions and crackling blue static at her fingertips. When a visiting general from the sister world Arranon arrives, Erynn discovers she has a hidden heritage, a deeper connection to Arranon, and a role in a growing war against a ruthless alien force. The story moves from flight simulators and bar nights on base, to forested mountains, sentient plant-creatures, and desperate battles in the sky and in space, as Erynn figures out who she really is and what kind of power she is willing to use.
I really liked Erynn as a main character. She is competent and prickly and brave, but she also doubts herself, resents the secrets around her, and gets scared at exactly the moments a real person would. Her powers are messy and physical: static crawling over her skin, bright colors in her vision, that sweet, spicy smell that shows up when the Anim blath are near. Those details gave her magic a grounded, sensory feel that made the “fantasy” part of the science fantasy really work for me. I also enjoyed her relationships, especially the tension between her loyalty to the family that raised her and the pull toward Arranon and Jaer. Nothing about those choices feels simple, even when the plot is in full “save the worlds” mode.
On the craft side, the book leans into its genre mix of space opera and epic fantasy. You get dogfights in Interceptors and alien warships, then you are in ancient forests with warrior orders and old prophecies. The glossary at the front hints at how much invented language and fauna you are about to meet, and there were moments where I had to pause and remember which creature or curse word was which. Still, the author usually anchors new terms in action, so I picked things up as I went. The pacing starts a bit slow while we are in classes and at Coeunn’s bar, then it keeps tightening, with battles, escapes, and moral choices stacking on top of each other. The villains are a little theatrical at times, but Birk in particular is unsettling in a way that fits the darker edges of the story.
I came away feeling like I had spent time in a full world, not just a backdrop for laser fights and magic blasts. I think the book is most interested in cost: what it means for a young woman to be told that she is the one who has to stand between her people and destruction, and what she has to give up to do it. There is romance, but it stays secondary to Erynn’s growth and the larger conflict. If you like young adult science fantasy that blends starships with ancient powers, if you enjoy following a capable but conflicted heroine through both cockpit maneuvers and mystical trials, this is a solid and engaging read.
Pages: 334 | ASIN : B00BMX8JA2
Terra Lux
Terra Lux, by Jessahme Wren, follows a tight-knit little family on Dobani right as life starts to crack. Pearla is pregnant and running her shop during the Festival of Light, Phoenix is doing his best “steady dad” thing, and Sev is trying to act grown while still feeling like a kid in all the worst ways. Then the mood flips fast. Soldiers show up, a curfew settles over town, checkpoints pop up, and normal routines turn into fear math. The family gets swept into an “evacuation” to Kedros, a place Dobani used to treat like a dump, and the story slides into camp life, forced work, and separation. Sev reconnects with Soren in Kedros, a doctor she knows from earlier, and that reunion becomes a lifeline in a brutal place.
The writing leans hard into touch and sound and small routines. Fried bread. Moonlight. A hand on a belly. Then it pivots into boot grit, broken glass, and that awful sense of being watched. That contrast worked for me. It made the danger hit harder. The point of view shifts also helped. I stayed close to each character’s fear. I also felt the love in the gaps. Phoenix, in particular, got me. He has this gentle, stubborn warmth. It is corny in the best way. A few scenes run long, and some beats repeat. Panic, regroup, panic again. I kept turning pages because I quickly came to care about the characters. To me, that matters more than perfect pacing.
The ideas landed with weight, not with lectures. The book looks straight at what power does to regular people. It shows how fast a safe town can turn into a trap. It also shows how kindness stays alive in ugly places. A ration shared. A quiet favor. A small “I see you” moment in the middle of the mess. The found family thread is the real engine. Sev, Phoenix, and Pearla feel earned. Soren adds a softer kind of strength. He listens. He holds a line without acting like a hero poster. I loved the light motif too. Festival lanterns at the start. Kedros twilight in the middle. Then warm sun at the farmhouse after the storm. It reads like a promise. Darkness is real. Light still shows up. It is worth noting that I did wish a bit for sharper edges on the “system” side. More texture. More messy motives.
I recommend Terra Lux for readers who want character-first science fiction with a lot of heart. It fits people who like survival stories with tenderness, not nonstop grit. It also fits anyone who likes found family, gentle romance energy, and healing after harm. Expect stress and fear, plus moments that feel cozy and hopeful in the same breath. I would hand it to book clubs, too. Plenty to talk about. Power, home, loyalty, and what “safe” even means after everything changes.
ASIN : B0GDQZD128
Mortal Vengeance
Mortal Vengeance, by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha, is a young adult supernatural thriller that follows a tight-knit but deeply troubled group of teens whose attempt to get revenge on a cruel teacher spirals into something far darker than any of them imagined. What starts as a grim school drama quickly escalates into a chain of betrayals, fear, and ultimately the appearance of a mythic, reaper-like being that shatters their lives. The book blends coming-of-age turmoil with horror and psychological suspense, and the shift from everyday cruelty to supernatural violence comes through sharp and sudden.
I was pulled into the heat and pressure of those classrooms and courtyards. The writing often leans intense, almost cinematic, with scenes described in a way that makes the emotions feel oversized, raw, and volatile. I caught myself thinking, these kids are carrying way more weight than they know how to hold. Marcos’s explosive anger, Mario’s guilt and fragility, Alex’s manipulative charm and insecurities, Melissa’s heartbreak, Enrique’s need to please everyone… every character is drawn with a kind of heightened emotional color. Sometimes it felt melodramatic, but in a way that matched the story’s pulse. The author’s choice to push sensations and metaphors to their limits gives the book a feverish energy, like the world is always one bad decision away from breaking.
What surprised me most was how quickly the story shifts from grounded teen conflict to something mythic and terrifying. One moment we’re dealing with bullying and revenge in a school hallway, and the next we’re staring down the Grim Cojuelo on a moonlit pier. That jump could have felt jarring, but for me, it worked because the emotional stakes were already running so high. The supernatural element feels like an extension of everything boiling inside these characters. Still, I found myself wishing for a few quieter beats where the emotions had room to breathe. When everything is dialed up, it can be hard to sit with the subtler moments. But there’s something gripping about how unafraid the author is to dive into intensity, whether it’s love, jealousy, fear, or guilt.
Mortal Vengeance is a story about how small cruelties grow into big consequences, and how revenge rarely lands where you expect. If you like young adult stories that mix school drama with supernatural horror, and you don’t mind a narrative that swings for big emotions instead of quiet restraint, this will be the perfect book for you. It’s a dramatic, dark, and sometimes chaotic ride, but it is delightfully entertaining.
Pages: 306 | ASIN : B0FDT6JYSQ
Understanding Grief and Giving Hope
Ghost Brother follows two brothers in the aftermath of a car crash that kills one and leaves the other to pick up the pieces of his life. What is it that draws you to write Young Adult fiction?
I love the YA genre. As a former high school English teacher and the mother of four sons, I have noticed that this age group doesn’t receive the same attention as young children. Reading is essential for all ages, but keeping readers interested and engaged during their teens is critical. I feel that more emphasis and attention need to be placed on junior high and high school students regarding their literary options. There needs to be encouragement from all of us for them to read books of their choice, where they can see themselves in the stories and read for enjoyment.
How were you able to capture the thoughts and feelings of Carlos, the twin who watches his brother move on without him?
When I lost my sister, it was so hard for me to understand and deal with the fact that she was gone. I would talk to my mom about messages I felt were from her. My mom was also feeling the same way. What I realized was that there were so many coincidences that made it clear that her spirit was still with us. I would talk to my mom about the story I had started working on about siblings. I found myself wanting more information and reading anything I could about losing someone. It brought me comfort. When my mom suddenly passed away, I felt I had to publish my book so that it would help others understand their grief of losing a loved one and give them hope that there is more beyond this life.
Can fans look forward to more books from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Reading and writing are my passions. I have many stories waiting to be shared with readers. I’m currently working on a manuscript that focuses on Selena, the girl that Cris falls in love with, in Ghost Brother. She is a strong, intelligent, and interesting female character. I wanted her to have a more active role, but didn’t want to take away from the brothers. I intend to tell her story from her perspective. She is gifted and can see and hear things others can’t. She was able to communicate with Carlos, the dead brother. Selena was misunderstood because she could do things others did not understand. She is now the main character in my new manuscript. I hope to complete her story later this year and will then start submitting in the hopes of getting it published
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Webite
Bodega Botanica Tales: Carmen
Bodega Botanica Tales: Carmen is a magical-realism coming-of-age story that follows Carmen, a girl growing up in the rough edges of Silk City, where money is tight, danger feels ordinary, and a mysterious bodega might hold both miracles and curses. The book opens with Carmen navigating period poverty, unreliable adults, and shifting friendships, and soon pulls her into a world where a mystical figure named Chankla, glowing bracelets, and even chupacabras become intertwined with her very real struggles at home. The story carries her from childhood fear and survival into adulthood, where old wounds return and demand to be understood before she can move forward.
The writing is simple but charged. Carmen’s voice has this raw honesty that makes even small moments feel heavy in your hands. I kept noticing how carefully the author, Maria Rodriguez Bross, lets the magical elements slip in. They shimmer at the edges, like something you might catch from the corner of your eye. And because the emotional world is so grounded, the magic feels earned. The author doesn’t cushion anything either. Period poverty, family instability, and violence aren’t treated like plot devices but like daily realities Carmen has to navigate long before she should have to.
What I liked most was how the story keeps circling back to the same question: what does protection really look like, and who gets to have it? Carmen is just a kid trying to hold herself together, and sometimes she breaks in ways that feel relatable. I found myself frustrated with her, then proud of her, then worried for her, sometimes all in the span of a page. And when the book moves into the adult timeline, the consequences of what she lived through land with real weight. The magic expands, but it doesn’t erase anything. Instead, it forces her to face what she ran from. Some scenes feel almost dreamlike, others feel like they’re scraping the inside of your ribs, but they all build toward a truth Carmen has been avoiding for years.
The book blends mystical folklore with the grit of urban life in a way that feels cohesive, not gimmicky. And though it has fantasy woven through it, the heart of the story is emotional realism: trauma, friendship, shame, longing, and the slow work of claiming your own story. I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy magical realism that’s rooted in real-world hardship, especially stories centering Latina girls and women finding power in places that once hurt them. If you like books where supernatural elements highlight emotional truth rather than distract from it, this one will definitely stay with you.
Pages: 146 | ASIN : B0G1RF7QGV
The Dreamer (The Black Stone Cycle Book 1)
The Dreamer follows Ash Bennett, a teenager drifting through space with her parents until her life is split open by terrifying visions, mysterious strangers, and an attack that shatters everything she knows. The story blends sci-fi adventure with a deep emotional undercurrent as Ash realizes she may be connected to powers and histories she never understood. The tension builds fast. The quiet opening on the family ship gives way to vivid danger on Phobos, then to loss, rescue, and a strange new path that forces her to decide who she is meant to be. It feels like the start of a much bigger saga.
When I first settled into the book, I expected a familiar space-opera vibe, but the writing surprised me. Scenes snap together in quick bursts. The images are sharp and sometimes dreamy, and they made me feel like I was walking through Ash’s memories and fears rather than just reading about them. I liked that the story never waited around. It pushed forward with a kind of breathless energy, and even the quieter moments carried this low buzz of anxiety that kept me hooked. I found myself caring about Ash morwe quickly than I expected. Her mix of sarcasm, loneliness, and curiosity felt honest. I appreciated that her voice didn’t get swallowed by the big world around her.
As the story unfolded, I felt a tug in two directions. On one hand, I loved the ideas: the fractured past between humans and other species, the mystery around her abilities, and the sense that Ash is tied to something ancient and powerful. On the other hand, the worldbuilding sometimes hit me like a sudden gust. New terms and cultures arrived fast, and I occasionally had to pause to catch up. Still, I liked the rawness of it. The author took risks with emotion, especially when Ash witnesses what happens to her parents. That whole sequence hit harder than I expected. It left me feeling unsettled in a good way. I could feel the shock in my chest as she tried to understand what she’d seen.
By the time I reached the later chapters, I realized I was rooting not just for Ash but for the strange little group forming around her. The mix of loss, found family, and growing danger pulled me in. I liked that the book didn’t wrap things up neatly. It left questions hanging in the air, teasing a bigger truth waiting on the other side. I enjoy stories that don’t talk down to me, and this one trusted me to sit with the unknown.
I walked away feeling both satisfied and eager for the next piece of the story. I’d recommend The Dreamer to readers who enjoy character-driven sci-fi, especially those who love fast pacing and emotional stakes. It’s a good fit for teens and adults who want a world that feels lived-in and messy, with a heroine who is still figuring herself out. If you like stories that blend danger, heartache, and a spark of wonder, this one is worth your time.
Pages: 328 | ASIN : B0G32FG96C
Ghost Brother
Ghost Brother is a young adult novel that opens with twin brothers, Cris and Carlos, heading to a school dance in South Texas, only for a violent storm, a pair of bullies, and a disastrous crash to shatter their lives. Carlos dies instantly. Cris survives. What follows is a story told in both of their voices, one alive and drowning in guilt, the other watching as a ghost who can see everything but cannot be heard. The book blends grief, memory, and mystery as the brothers struggle, separately and together, to face what happened and what it means for their family.
Reading it felt like sitting with someone who is trying to talk through the hardest moment of their life, stopping and starting, sometimes whispering, sometimes spilling over. The writing is simple and direct, which fits the teen voices. I liked that the author didn’t rush past the emotional fog after the accident. Cris moves through the world as though he’s wrapped in wet cotton, and Carlos drifts with this strange mix of clarity and longing. Their alternating chapters make the tragedy feel bigger and messier because you’re seeing it from both sides of the veil. Some scenes hit with sharp force, like the mother collapsing when she hears the news or Carlos watching her cry and being unable to touch her. Others move slowly, the way real grief does, circling the same memories again and again.
I was also drawn to the author’s choices around culture and community. The book is rooted in Mexican American traditions, beliefs, and rhythms that shape how the characters mourn and how they make sense of death. There’s a spiritual layer here that never feels like decoration. Carlos isn’t just a ghost for plot convenience. His presence echoes the stories their grandmother told, the prayers their mother whispers, the sense that the dead stay close. The supernatural moments glide in quietly, almost like a breeze shifting the curtains. At other times, they feel heavier, especially when Carlos tries to warn his family that the sheriff may twist the truth about the accident. The blend of realism and the supernatural makes the book feel like a hybrid of contemporary fiction and ghost story, but always grounded in teen experience.
By the end, I felt like I’d spent time with a family trying to hold itself together. The story doesn’t pretend grief is tidy or that answers neatly appear. It sits in the uncertainty, in the fear that justice may not come easily, and in the hope that love still stretches across impossible distances. If you like young adult fiction that honestly explores loss and adds cultural depth and a touch of the supernatural, this book is for you. It’s especially suited for readers who appreciate emotional stories that explore family bonds, healing, and the invisible threads that connect us even after death.
Pages: 182 | ASIN : B0CZPLPB7P
