The story of The Averlinn Guard—and my journey to becoming a writer—began in December of 2006. I had always enjoyed writing stories in school, but I never thought about pursuing it as a career until one night, a few days after Christmas, when I had a dream. It was an unusually vivid dream that stuck with me throughout the next day, and I felt compelled to write it down. Before I knew it, a story was forming in my mind and Joseph and Dienna were born.

After a few weeks, the manuscript got pushed aside, but I never forgot about it and would tinker with it from time to time. Finally, in 2016, I was inspired to return to it in earnest. I had a new vision for the characters and a little more life experience, and the story finally came together. I finished the first draft in 2020. (Although much of my original dream did not make it in to the final version of the story, part of it is preserved as a dream that Dienna has.)

I had been working as a receptionist and accounts payable coordinator at a senior living facility since 2002. In 2021, I realized that it was time to take the leap, so I left my job and devoted a year to editing and learning to navigate the world of self-publishing. The Averlinn Guard was finally published in June of 2022.

I have been a Christian most of my life, and my faith has carried me through the writing and publishing process. I decided years ago to leave this project in God’s hands, and I am excited to see where He will take it.

I am grateful to my family and friends for their amazing support and to anyone who is willing to give this book a chance. Thank you for reading!