I’m a Gen-Xer!
I ‘came of age’ in the 80s. A thoroughly dual-edged sword of existence. Party central, bright colors and fake smiles of white teeth without selfies! Supposedly, the better of the decade. But it was also a time of sheer chaos with the cold war, Satanic Panic and serial killers.
My new project is a Young Adult Thriller set in the summer of 1985. The main character is a flawed and self-destructive eighteen-year-old, and she is on a spiral of partying, drugs, and alcohol. This book is not for the feint of heart, but that directive is so very subjective.
I present to you:
Studded Leather on a Jaded Heart
A vivid, gripping coming-of-age thriller that plunges readers straight into the chaotic, glam-lit soul of a California summer in 1985. It follows Brynn, a restless eighteen-year-old caught between the thrills of rebellion heavy metal, endless partying, drugs, and a passionate but toxic romance with Drew. Around her are the creeping dangers of the real world. Serial killers and Satanic Panic dominate the news, and everyday predators lurk in the shadows.
What starts as a carefree night of raising hell with her best friend Shawna, gradually darkens into a nightmare of bad choices, near-misses with violence, and a traumatic descent that finally forces Brynn to confront her self-destructive spiral.
This is a compelling, heartfelt novel about surviving your own worst impulses in a world full of real monsters. It’s dark without being hopeless, nostalgic without being sentimental, and Brynn’s transformation from lost girl to young woman finding her footing leaves you rooting for her long after the last page.
(Not quite Brynn, but pretty close!)
