Sometimes, healing requires courage you didn’t know you had.

After a tragic accident claims her parents in 1959, eleven-year-old Anne is sent to live with her grandfather on his remote desert ranch in Lovejoy—a town that has never brought her love or joy. Isolated among Joshua trees, dust devils, and endless skies, she struggles to find her place in a world that suddenly feels empty. Her grandfather is a man of few words, hardened by years of ranch life, and the desert itself seems as unforgiving as her grief.

When outsiders arrive with plans to transform the town into Lake Los Angeles—a man-made lake, a new name, and promises of prosperity—Anne’s grandfather sees them as a threat. To others, they bring hope. 

Anne searches for peace while her heart searches for love. Caught between the pain of the past and an uncertain future, she finds an unexpected ally in Steve, the ranch hand’s son—the only one who seems to understand what it means to feel out of place. 

Can Anne find peace amidst the winds of change, and will love find her along the way?

Sway with the Wind is the prequel novella to the Desert of Dreams Series—standalone stories of friends in a small desert town (1980s–’90s) discovering resilience, courage, and hope.

Content Warning: Books in the Desert of Dreams Series address many sensitive but important topics which may include bullying and peer pressure; troubled sibling relationships; struggling friendships and romantic relationships; religion; racism and classism; historical events of the late 1980s and 1990s; death; neglect and abuse (physical, emotional, and/or sexual); trauma (generational and situational); drugs, alcohol, and sex; teen pregnancy; abortion; and mental illness including depression, suicidal ideation, PTSD, and anxiety.

Discounted Pricing:

Paperback Retail Price $10.99  / Buy Direct $8.25

eBook $2.99 (Kindle and Kindle Unlimited)

152 pages

Paperback coming soon! April 2026