He Loved Her. He Loved Her… Not.

He loved her. He loved her not. He loved her… he loved her…

…not?

You can tell a lot about someone by what they try to hide. Have you ever noticed the way their knuckles turn white when they’re angry, even as they suppress it with laughter?

Or the way they kiss a cheek in public or squeeze someone’s arm, as if their touch is saying what their words won’t?

There’s so much to notice in what people choose not to say. But no matter how hard they try to hide it, their mannerisms speak for them.

That’s why my characters are just as layered as the real-life people who inspired them.

Let’s be clear—this is factional: fact + fiction.

No one person or situation inspired this novel. Some of it simply came from observing what others attempt to hide. But can’t.

That’s what being a writer often feels like—watching the nuances, piecing together the unsaid, and building a world in my head long before it ever hits the page. I sat in the world of my novel for nine months, in fact. Like a baby being brewed in the womb, it finally came out—layered, complex, and full of truths I’d been quietly observing.

Terrified yet?

This is why I call this era of my life the plot twist era. I’ve grown and been reborn into the strongest version of myself thus far. For those who knew me last year, fast forward to new me—the version you weren’t expecting and probably a book you weren’t expecting either.

This is not a western, and this is not a novel you cuddle up with at night for Colt’s adventures.

This novel will tug at your emotional awareness, your depth of understanding, and will wrench your heart into pieces, leaving you questioning the duality of what love actually is.

Is it love? Is it obsession? Is it surface-level infatuation?

In 2025, you’ll know. Prepare yourself for some of the best writing I’ve ever put to a page—peeling back the layers of people who seem poised, perfected, charismatic, and even veiled to the unknowing observer.

But for those who look closely, like a detective at a crime scene, you’ll see the cracks—the layers that people try to flood with faulty water in the hopes nobody dives beneath the surface.

You’ve met the characters briefly: Liam, Ivy, Walter, and Sam.

Now, you’ll go into their cracks, seeing how I layered their personalities and what drives them to the brink. Are they guilty? Innocent? Shamed? Humiliated?

Take their words versus how their minds whir behind the scenes, begging the reader to question their actions—and me as a writer building up to the arc for their demise or redemption.

Each of their lines claims one truth, but their body language, thoughts, and mannerisms tell us a different story. It’s a narrative within a narrative.

The reader should be slipping between the layers of their words and actions, questioning not just their motivations but their ability to be emotionally aware. It dives into the idea that each of us has layers we don’t always realize, even as we navigate conflict and relationships.

It’s not necessarily what the characters are saying but how the reader can become immersed in the character, driving the novel forward while truly fleshing out human nature.

Walter: “No, I’m not,” Walter admitted, the thought of Ivy’s skin against his own and her laugh permeating his conscious.
Liam: “What um… what well…” Liam faltered, his green eyes trailing her thighs as she took a deep breath. He suddenly found his charisma and gently stepped toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Sam: “I think that this is a moot conversation,” Sam stepped back from Liam in slight fear.
Ivy: “I don’t want you to look at me like that,” Ivy turned to finally face him, tears streaking her cheeks.

All of these short excerpts reveal how nuanced characters can make the reader believe them… until they don’t. That’s why writing is so cathartic – I crafted each character to bring the reader to a particular belief and then unravel that belief layer by layer – for better or for worse. I let the reader choose what kind of integrity each character holds.

Let’s get real—there is a murder, and it’s a mystery. But the real story lies in the undercurrent of why the characters did it, how their relationships intertwine, and how each one of our choices deeply impacts others.

It’s the narrative that flows throughout human existence—are we able to impact someone’s life for better or worse? And can love actually save us? Or destroy us?

In 2025, you’ll decide.