So Marit Unsanctioned comes out tomorrow. And I’ve done almost nary a thing to promote it. Is this what it’s like when parents have a fifth child? Is it a bundle of excitement that you just don’t talk about because there’s already so much going on?

It’s past time to show Marit Unsanctioned some love. I am, after all, her mother. Told from four shifting points of view, I found I enjoyed slipping into each character’s brain for a bit, only to slip back out again and follow up with a new character for the next chapter. Readers ask, “How did you know which character’s POV to tell a chapter from?” My answer is always the same. Figure out which character knows the least or will be most confused by what’s happening in a scene, and that’s the viewpoint I will pick every time. Maybe this makes me evil, but it’s fun to toy with my characters in this way…

And I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the array of main characters in this book. Kirkus Reviews had plenty to say, too. “Having the point of view alternate among Marit, Torin, Greyson, and Mylene is an effective storytelling technique as they all offer very distinct perspectives.”

Me: Why, thank you for noticing, Kirkus! That’s exactly what I was trying to do. I’m delighted to hear it was appreciated.

So what is Marit Unsanctioned about at its heart? When I first start writing any novel, I tend to focus solely on the main character and their desires. What are their wants and needs? How will their life change and evolve in some way that brings them on a journey of self-realization? This, perhaps, is why I gravitate to writing in the young adult age category. Teens are notorious for hyper-fixating on one desire, then discovering that what they want isn’t what they need at all as they evolve into their true young adult selves.

Midway through any book, I’m always stunned to find that I end up featuring larger societal issues and that my characters have a way of bringing awareness of an injustice to the surface. Huh. I didn’t know I was planning to write about inequity and the right to be human and autonomous, but apparently, I was. (If that’s not appropriate for the 2024 election season, I don’t know what is…)

And that’s what Marit Unsanctioned is truly about. A ragtag group of teens who have nothing in common on the surface end up becoming fierce friends, caught in their shared convictions of what’s right and wrong, and how their actions can make a difference not only in their own lives, but in the lives of those around them, too.

Plus, there’s magic, adventure, danger, teen angst, and maybe a snippet or two of first love along the way. The highlights from Kirkus?

“Storms’ well-paced narrative feels considerably shorter than the 325 pages it fills. Winning characters and a well-constructed backdrop make for a riveting journey to a satisfying resolution. Character growth is at the forefront of this engrossing tale of discovery.” — Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus said I wrote an engrossing tale of discovery. Pardon me while I shout it from the rooftops… I might have to hike a mountain to scream it into the aether because if you know Kirkus, you know praise doesn’t come lightly.

So. Kirkus says “Get it!” and I concur. You should definitely, definitely get it. Come celebrate my fifth book baby with me and show Marit the love she deserves.