The Unspoken

Author Notes

Author Notes for The Unspoken

1. Story Genesis: The Unspoken emerged from my deep interest in human relationships, emotional trauma, and the psychological patterns that shape our lives. I've always been fascinated by how past experiences, especially childhood traumas, influence adult relationships. This story is, at its core, an exploration of love between two people, Jordan York and Antalya Nara, who both struggle with avoidant attachment styles. Their journey to confront their fears, insecurities, and the barriers they've built around themselves forms the heart of the book.

2. Character Inspiration: Jordan and Antalya are complex characters with deep-rooted emotional challenges, yet on the surface, they seem 'perfect.' Jordan has a sharp mind and a successful background in engineering, always approaching life with logic and problem-solving skills. Antalya, a confident and capable manager, seems to effortlessly balance her career while nurturing the people and causes she cares about. Together, they're the kind of people we often admire—good looks, intelligence, successful careers, strong social skills, and an air of unshakeable confidence. They seem to have it all. But as you dig deeper, the cracks in their perfect facades start to show. Behind their polished exteriors, they carry emotional wounds that are subtly projected in the way they navigate life—the little reactions, their hesitations, their need for control or distance. These signs are so subtle that Jordan and Antalya themselves never fully realized the extent of their emotional turbulence or trauma. It's not until their paths cross that they are forced to confront the emotional baggage they've kept buried for so long. 

3. Fun fact: Both characters' names are inspired by real-world places—Jordan, from Jordan (the country), and Antalya, from a beautiful coastal city in Turkey. But here's the twist: all the places and settings in The Unspoken are fictional. I made this choice because I didn't want readers to get caught up in trying to connect the locations with real-world places. This story is all about the internal journey—how the characters navigate their emotions—so I wanted to keep the focus on that without any distractions.

4. Themes: The main theme of The Unspoken revolves around emotional vulnerability and how it can either strengthen or break relationships. The book delves into the complexities of love, trauma, and healing. It touches on issues of insecurity, avoidance, and the unspoken words that often linger in relationships. Through Jordan and Antalya's journey, I wanted to explore how two people, deeply afraid of intimacy, slowly break down the walls they've built and find solace in one another.

5. Writing Style and Approach: The book is written with a blend of emotional depth and psychological exploration. I chose to start the story with a prologue that hints at a significant event between Jordan and Antalya without fully explaining their relationship. This allows readers to dive into the mystery and piece together their history as the story unfolds, for readers to fully understand their emotional battles just from the main character's point of view. My goal was to engage readers in a slow-burning narrative where the characters' inner battles are just as important as their outer conflicts.

6. Inspirations: I drew inspiration from personal experiences, stories I've heard, and my passion for psychology. Authors like Sophie Kinsella, who blends humor and real-life struggles, influenced the lighter moments of the book. However, The Unspoken is more emotionally intense, delving deeper into the psyche of the characters.

7. On a personal note: This book is close to my heart because I think we've all had those "unspoken" moments with people we care about—when we're afraid to say what we're feeling, or when we miss the chance to connect. For me, writing The Unspoken was about exploring how love can be both simple and complicated, and how sometimes the biggest obstacles in relationships are the ones we create ourselves.

8. What you're in for: So, what can you expect from this book? Lots of emotional highs and lows, a love story that's as much about healing as it is about romance, and two characters who are fighting their demons while trying to figure each other out. Through Jordan and Antalya's journey, I want readers to see that these characters are a reflection of all of us. We all have those emotional scars, those hidden wounds that shape how we behave, sometimes without even realizing it. By exploring their struggles, I'm hoping to connect readers to the characters on a deeper level—because, in the end, their story isn't just theirs; it's part of all of us. Jordan and Antalya's connection is intense, messy, genuine, and far from perfect—but that's what makes it real. If you like stories with emotional depth, a touch of drama, and characters who feel like they could be your friends, The Unspoken is for you.