Every Shadow Lifted began when my own loneliness was just as crushing as Kiara's isolation in Caverna. Growing up without friends or a place I felt I belonged, I starting writing not only to process my own tumultuous feelings, but to give hope to others as well. I know I'm never truly alone and neither is anybody else.
ESL is full of redemption arcs, found family, a sweet slow burn, and prose that will sweep you away with wonder and imagination.

Kiara has grown up in an underground kingdom where the citizens have believed one imprisoning lie for generations—there is no such thing as the outside world. But Kiara will not except this. Never mind being the princess of this cavernous prison; she is determined to prove there is more to life than shadows.

She stumbles upon a letter from her mother who she thought was lost forever and learns she’s alive somewhere on the surface. All at once, her suspicions become a stark reality.

On her search for light, she encounters both horrors and wonders, creating an unlikely connection with an orphan boy with secrets to tell when she catches him mining gems despite the strict rules prohibiting such activities.

Up against her own fears, self-doubt, and darkness itself, she soon finds out some of the hardest fights never leave the battlefield of one’s own heart. Can she bring herself to trust or even hope long enough to fight her way out of the darkness? Or will her own chains around her soul keep her locked down?

Launched into the adventure of her life, she set out to find her mom, but first she has to find herself.

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A rumored war lies just beyond the boarders of the village and anyone who ventures into the forest between Py’aoka and Tykaraijre ends up meeting a brutal end.
Aaron calls together regular meetings to discuss the fate of the village. But with so little knowledge, they’re stumbling in the dark. He has doubts that the killings have anything to do with his brother and feels a pull to reach out to his estranged twin.
A familiar face might have the information they desperately seek. But distrust and prejudice built over years doesn’t disappear over night.
Kiara will protect the safety and sense of home she’s found in Py’aoka at all costs, but the looming war isn’t the only thing on her mind. Eleanor has taken up residence in the same infirmary room that Kiara felt so stuck in during her illness. Every one is telling her to give her mother a chance, but what can she even say to her?
Her feelings for Hadyn feel more complicated than ever.
And a reoccurring nightmare keeps imparting her with an unexplainable dread and urgency for Caverna.
As Py’aoka prepares for war, Kiara fights her own battles inside. She’s tired of all the pain, but even more tired of running from it. She knows she has to let go of what’s comfortable, but can she get over the terror to change?
One thing is certain, her restless soul will never find its shore until every chain is broken and every prisoner is set free.

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Kiara: The reluctant Princess of Caverna. The capricious, feisty teen. Our protagonist. Our girl. What more is there to say? Kiara is fire in all ways, sometimes easily snuffed out like a single candle, sometimes a powerful force of nature just like a raging wildfire.

Hadyn: This precious boy...

If you don't love him, I advise you get your head checked. But seriously, he's loyal, sensitive, and sweet. And He's Kiara's best friend. Hurt him and I'll send Jasper after you. Where Kiara is fire and all things wild, Hadyn is stone and steady stability.

Every Shadow Lifted has a wide cast that just keeps growing as the adventure continues. Fond family tropes run strong through the series.

The map of the Underground Kingdom of Caverna. Down the King's Corridor resides The Palace where our reluctance princess, Kiara lives. And all the way on the other end of the city Terminal Avenue festers in its poverty. The twisted tunnels of the Forbiddens lurk in as much mystery as the great doors of the Aperture of the Void. More enigmatic still is rumor of the Styx and the question if it even exists at all.

Best Friends to lovers is my favorite romance trope. For me a slow-burn is the only way to go. Bring back yearning, y'all. Kiara and Hadyn's relationship is built slowly with trust and shared experiences. It is a sweet, no-spice romance spanning the entire series.

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