Love runs deep. Secrets run deeper.
Welcome to Ravina Springs, North Carolina—a town where a little peace goes a long way, especially when a murderer is on the loose. Garden of Little Peace is a serialized romantic suspense novel with a touch of paranormal romance. Set in a Southern small town where the past never stays buried, it’s a story of love, danger, betrayal, and secrets worth killing for.
How/What I Write
Garden of Little Peace (and my standalone short pieces) focus on the small, important, moments in our lives and the real things that makes us feel seen. Why can one relationship seem perfect but still not feel right? Why can another be all wrong on paper but be exactly what we need?
The romance tends to be sensual and warm, focused on emotional connection and romantic intimacy. The hot physical stuff is mostly left to your imagination, primarily because I find the breathless moments leading up to that far more interesting.
Why subscribe?
Fans of romantic thrillers, Southern Gothic mysteries, and small-town dramas will feel right at home. If you enjoy the moody, gothic feel of Jane Eyre and Rebecca, you’ll find a similar atmosphere here. Chapters end on sharp cliffhangers that pull you forward.
By subscribing, you’ll:
Never miss a chapter (every installment arrives in your email).
Please check your spam folder the Wednesday after subscribing to make sure you’re not missing installments!
Be part of a community of romantic suspense readers who love unraveling clues and theories.
Support an independent serialized novel blending romantic suspense, thriller elements, murder mystery, and paranormal twists.
Subscribing gives you full access to the publication archives and will send every new chapter straight to your inbox.
Romantic Suspense, Small-Town Secrets
What you’ll find inside:
Weekly serialized chapters (starting August 2025) delivered straight to your inbox.
Romantic suspense that mixes slow-burn attraction with high-stakes danger.
Small-town secrets that refuse to stay hidden.
Characters carrying lies(and sometimes a murder weapon.)
Couples who spark under pressure and risk everything for love.
Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.
About Me:
I ran an independent bookstore in Wake County, North Carolina for more than a decade. The bell on the door was a gift from a lovely customer. The children’s corner had a bulletin board for parenting advice and local events.
I learned how to place orders that wouldn’t bankrupt us, how to stack chairs after an author talk without pinching a finger, and how to get through lean March sales days when bracket fever beat book fever across the Carolinas.
More important, I learned readers. I watched what they reached for when they were in love, and what they needed when life had gone sideways. I matched paperbacks to people the way a good cook matches herbs to soup. It was a daily lesson in attention, patience, and the quiet ways stories take care of us.
After the shop, I spent seven years as a B2B writer. I worked with smart teams and impossible timelines. I wrote long guides, web pages, landing pages, and curated the small connective tissue that held campaigns together. I liked proving the work with real numbers.
But in November 2024 my company made deep layoffs and I was let go with the rest of the marketing team. Since then I’ve applied to almost a thousand roles. I’ve had a few interviews but no offers. Former colleagues tell the same story.
It’s a hard market, and that sentence covers a lot of ground.
In August 2025 I pulled out a nearly twenty-year-old draft of a novel and began serializing it here on Substack. The first goal was to feel useful again. I wanted to finish something and contribute to the world I love.
The second goal was practical. If this brings in even a little income, my husband can breathe easier while he carries us on a nonprofit salary that’s more heart than paycheck.
So here I am, chapter by chapter, doing the work that keeps me steady. I am editing/rewriting the book I once tucked into a blue binder and shelved for later.
It turns out ‘later’ is now, and I am grateful for your company while I get it down.
If you enjoy reading Garden of Little Peace, please consider supporting the work in one of three ways:
Subscribe yearly or monthly.
Buy me a coffee when a particular scene grabs you.
Help me find other people who will enjoy the work.
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