My First Blog Post: Monsteress Read-Along (to help choose art pieces)

Well… here we are. My very first blog post.

I’ve gone back and forth for a while now about whether to start this, wondering what the “right” first post should be. Something polished? Something informative? Something that perfectly represents me as an author?

Instead, you’re getting something a little chaotic—but very me.

I’ve had this idea sitting in the back of my mind, and I’ve decided to just go for it: I’m going to reread my own book, Monsteress.

But there’s another reason I’m doing this, one I’m especially excited about.

As we reread Monsteress together, I want your help choosing something really special: the scenes I’ll be commissioning as art pieces.

There are so many moments in this story that could be brought to life visually. The quiet ones, the intense ones, the ones that linger long after you’ve finished the chapter. And instead of choosing those scenes on my own, I want to see which ones stand out to you.

Which moments made you pause?

Which scenes did you picture so clearly that it felt like a movie?

Which lines stuck with you?

As we go, I’ll be asking for your input, your opinions, your favorites. And those will help guide which scenes I bring to artists to turn into actual artwork.

So in a way, this reread isn’t just about revisiting the past—it’s about creating something new from it.

Something we build together.

It’s been almost three years since Monsteress was released. Three years since I last experienced the story the way readers did. And if I’m being honest, that feels surreal. I’ve grown, my writing has evolved, my life has changed… and yet that book is still out there, living on people’s shelves, in their minds, and in their hearts.

So I started wondering: What would it feel like to go back? To read it again, not as the writer who was deep in the trenches of creating it, but as someone a little more removed.

Exciting? Probably.

Nerve-wracking? Definitely.

A little terrifying? Absolutely.

And then I thought… why do it alone?

So here’s the plan: I’m inviting you to reread Monsteress with me.

Whether you’ve already read it or you’re completely new to the story, this is your chance to experience it (or revisit it) alongside me. I’ll be sharing the first three chapters so you can get a feel for the story and decide whether you want to continue.

No pressure. No expectations. Just an open invitation.

All you really need is whatever kind of reader you are.

• If you love physical books, grab your printed or physical copy, your tabs, your highlighters—go all in. Mark it up, react to it, question it.

• If you prefer digital, that works just as well. Read on your phone, your tablet, your e-reader—highlight, bookmark, or just scroll along.

And if you’re new to annotating? So am I. Seriously.

This is something I’ve always wanted to do but never fully committed to, so we’ll be figuring it out together. No pressure to be aesthetic or perfect; just honest reactions, messy tabs, random thoughts in the margins. That’s kind of the point.

There’s no “right” way to do this.

The idea is simple: we read together. We react together. We revisit this story in real time.

And on my end, I’ll be sharing my thoughts as I go—behind-the-scenes feelings, things I notice now that I didn’t before, moments that still hit (or maybe hit differently). You’ll probably get a mix of nostalgia, secondhand embarrassment, pride, and “why did I write it like that?” honesty. Because that’s the reality of going back to something you created years ago—you’re not the same person anymore. But that’s also what makes it meaningful.

This book was written during a specific time in my life. It holds a version of me that doesn’t exist in quite the same way anymore. And instead of cringing away from that, I want to sit with it. Appreciate it. Re-experience it. And maybe, just maybe, fall in love with parts of it all over again.

If this sounds like something you’d want to be part of, I’d genuinely love to have you along for the ride.

Grab the first three chapters here

And if you’re willing to share this so more people can join in, that would mean the world to me. The more readers, the more perspectives, the more fun this becomes.

Now, let’s make this interactive.

I need your help deciding something important before we really get started: What should our reading pace be?

Do we go for something steady, like 3 chapters a day?

Or a bit more flexible, like 10 chapters a week?

Or do you have a completely different suggestion?

For reference, Monsteress sits at 53 chapters and about 87k words. So, it’s not a tiny read, but it’s definitely manageable depending on how we pace it. I want this to feel fun, not overwhelming. Something you can look forward to, not fall behind on.

So tell me—what pace feels right to you?

What should our reading pace be?

• 3 chapters a day
• 10 chapters a week
• I'll leave my suggestion in the comments

Again, I have no idea where this will go. This might turn into something really special… or it might just be a slightly unhinged author rereading her own work on the internet.

Either way, I’m doing it.

Welcome to my first blog post—and to the beginning of this reread journey. 🖤