Debut: Lithium & Let's Plays

August 6th

I’m so excited to share that my debut novel will be re-released on August 6th. I went through quite the journey with this story.

I began this story in college while learning to cope with bipolar disorder myself. Writing about Tess was a very cathartic outlet for me. It helped me process my own experiences. I had fun involving video games, as they served as an escape for me, just as they did for Tess.

I was in the creative writing club at my college, and after a long-form critique session, I was encouraged to finish this story. I wrote most of the book while quarantined due to COVID, and it sat untouched in my Google Drive folder for a long time afterward.

A couple of manic episodes later, I transferred to an online college and worked full-time as a waitress. I finally had the money to invest in getting the story out on paper. However, between work and school, I was unable to give the book the attention or edits I had hoped for. I was unhappy with the end product, didn't try to market it, and decided to stop writing.

Four years later, I found my way back to writing again. Now that I have earned my bachelor's degree, I have reclaimed my free time outside of work. I've started to get involved in writing communities through TikTok, the Orlando County Library System, Discord, and Instagram. I was encouraged not to give up on this story. I decided to pull the original version, make the edits I've always wanted, and publish a version I could be proud of.

It will be available through my personal shop, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble starting August 6th, and there are plenty of reviews on Goodreads already. I will provide the blurb and cover below.

Tess wants nothing more than to return to college, but after her first manic episode, with psychosis, she must take a medical leave from school to recover and understand her bipolar diagnosis. When everything feels outside of her control, she finds solace in a popular competitive video game.

Online, she meets Cade, and they begin to find success competing together for money. Tess loves having a teammate who doesn’t know about all her baggage. Over time, their chemistry starts to reach a new level. After qualifying for an in-person tournament, Tess realizes that it may be impossible to keep these two parts of her life separate, and Cade might not be everything she made him out to be.