SWAY WITH THE WIND, A PREQUEL NOVELLA

(DESERT OF DREAMS SERIES)

ANNE'S STORY; a standalone novella

After a tragic accident kills her parents in 1959, eleven-year-old Anne is sent to live with her grandpa on his ranch in the remote desert community of Lovejoy, a place that’s never brought her love nor joy. She struggles to adapt to her new reality where she has no place in the world, isolated in a town of dust devils, Joshua trees, and tumbleweeds, iconic of the old Westerns. She finds solace when she uncovers the magnificent beauty of the desert on the ranch.

When developers come to town seeking to build a lake and rename the community Lake Los Angeles, her grandpa sees the outsiders as just that—outsiders who are challenging his way of life. His lead ranch hand thinks it’s time to sell the homestead to encourage land development. Anne is stuck in the middle with only Steve, the ranch hand’s son on her side. 

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

All books in the Desert of Dreams Series are standalone novels with interconnected timelines and characters. Each book features a different friend's coming-of-age story. Check out the next book in the series: Reach for 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 $14.99  / Buy Direct $11.99

eBook $3.99

150 pages

Coming soon! January 31, 2026