Hollow: The One Who Remains [Update]

I’ve been deep in marketing mode for my upcoming book, Hollow: The One Who Remains, which is set to release at the end of May—most likely on my birthday. This book is the second in The Barrenmire Lights standalone collection, and it’s one that’s been particularly close to my heart. Though, I believe each of these books will get better and better as I write and release them.

The story follows two best friends whose bond was unbreakable, a love that was meant to last, until a tragic accident took him away. But he’s still here, lingering in the spaces that they shared through the years. Is there a way to bring him back? Or is love, even in death, meant to remain unfinished?

This book is haunting, emotional, and a tragic romance with HEA. If you’ve been following me on Instagram or Tiktok, you’ve probably seen a few teasers already. There’s plenty more to come as we get closer to release day.

This book is heavy on grief and loss, just as the first book released in The Barrenmire Lights, Love: The One Who Leaves. Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. It doesn’t wait for anniversaries or significant dates; it just exists, quietly in the background. A few months ago, I found myself thinking about my best friend, as I do every day, but something about that day made the memories heavier. A song played—one about asking for forgiveness after losing a friend—and it brought everything back: the guilt, the regret, the ache of knowing I'd never see him again.

He was always there for me, the kind of friend who never wavered, never stopped caring, even when life pulled us in different directions. But when I had the chance to be there for him, I wasn’t. I made excuses. I let fear and avoidance keep me from reconnecting. And then, one day, I got the call that he was gone.

I didn’t feel like I had the right to grieve him, as if I'd obviously given up on our friendship. But I hadn't. I always thought about him, but I was in a terrible spot in my life at the time. So, I went to the wake, to the funeral, and to an event held in his honor, but each time, I felt like an outsider, like I had lost my place in his story, because I hadn’t been there when it mattered most. Even now, years later, the weight of that regret hasn’t lifted. I don’t know if it ever will. I hope, somehow, that he knew how much I loved him, even when I didn’t say it enough.

The memorial piece I wrote for him can be found here.

Current Reads

I’m still trailing through Fighting for Evie by Taylor Delvaux, and even though I still have mixed feelings about the writing style, I’m fully invested in the MMCs. The sporadic pacing and uneven scene depth can be a little frustrating—some moments feel like they need more while others drag—but that hasn’t stopped me from coming back to it.

What keeps me hooked, as always mentioned, are the MMCs. Gunnar and Pierce are just perfect. Pierce’s brooding intensity and Gunnar’s deep connection with Evie still get me. And then there’s Beck, the absolute sweetheart of the group, who balances them out. Even with its predictable plot and some writing quirks that don’t quite work for me, the character dynamics are what make this book worth sticking with.

I’m determined to finish Filthy Rich Santas by Eva Ashwood this week. Even though the holiday season is very much over, I’ve never been one to limit my holiday spirit to just December. I’ve definitely had my fair share of Christmas music and hot chocolate in the middle of summer. So really, finishing this book now feels perfectly on-brand for me.

Reading Recommendations

I recently picked up the 100th-anniversary edition of The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald complete with the original cover.  Something about Fitzgerald’s exploration of wealth, obsession, and the illusion of the American Dream resonated with me, even back in high school as required reading. His prose is stunning, the characters flawed, and the themes timeless. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading this one again. If you’ve never given Gatsby a chance or want to experience it outside of a classroom setting, I highly recommend it. Some books lose their magic when over-analyzed, but this one? I think not.