Wild Hearts

Author's Note

Hello, if you are reading this, thank you, and you are awesome, even if you don't decide this particular story is for you. Go, don't feel ashamed. Just find another story and be happy. Books are a wonderful thing; they inspire us, carry us to new realities and realms of possibility. Some are entirely fantastical, and those I love to read/write, yet others ground us in the world we face today, though no less throw in a fantastical element. In short, they elevate the monotony of everyday actions and push us into a story that feels entirely magical.

Think The Fault in Our Stars, where a simple romance story is anything but. Two teens dealing with cancer fall in love in an unconventional manner, bond over a fictional story and travel to Amsterdam. Not a lot 'happens', if we think sprawling adventures with a lot of action and excitement, yet at the same time, so much occurs, and it is because of these characters, how they bring us into their world and show us what makes being human... being alive, special.

Anyway, rambling aside, I'm sure you want to know about this book. I have been experimenting with the romance/teen fiction genre for a while, trying to find that right story. Though I have enjoyed my previous attempts, I wanted to attempt something new with this story. I can't exactly say what that is. You shall have to read and discover what that secret is for yourself. What I can promise is a cast of curious, offbeat characters. Something about each of them is a little off - they are not whole, even if some might appear that way on the surface. And I feel this is true for a lot of us, if not all. We present a mask to those around us, and sometimes that mask is cracked and chipped and it is hard to remove. Aiden and Ryder each have their own masks, their own fears and quirks and peculiarities, and I hope that they intrigue you enough to want to keep reading.

Aiden is neurodivergent, something I have done research on but there is always more to learn and ultimately, stories by neurodivergent people should always be championed and I can only try to make a compelling, complex character who shines a little more light on this world and shows that he is beautiful and incredible regardless of the extraordinary way his brain works. Every neurodivergent person is different but there are also more relatable aspects. I hope Aiden is done justice and if there are areas that fall short, let me know. I share a lot of symptoms with Aiden and perhaps I am an undiagnosed case but regardless, it made tapping into certain aspects of him very relatable. Ultimately, this is a story with its own twists and narrative to tell but I don't think I'd ever traditionally publish this one. Leave that to those actually going through what Aiden is—their voices should be at the forefront. This is a story that only plays out the way it does because of Aiden's unique mind. The incredible imagination and way of viewing the world allows for a different perspective, but please go out and read more stories by #ownvoices people in the neurodivergent sphere. I can bring myself into Aiden, my own quirks and such, so please be aware of the differences there. I just want him to be a character you care deeply about and hopefully understand more of what this world is like.

OK, so you now know to expect the unexpected, the broken (not that Aiden's neurodivergent tendencies make him 'broken'), the real, yet as I said at the start, there's also a little magic in there that propels the ordinary into the extraordinary. Herein lies a world of dark edges, with an aura of mystery and characters on the edge. I can promise fans of my previous stories that this will be unlike anything you have ever read from me before. This is an exciting time, and I hope I can do my characters, and the story justice.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer:

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Though some names are taken from real locations, the city depicted in this story is fictitious. Further, this book contains some mild language and a scene of a distressing nature. This is not meant to be an adult book though I do not shy away from putting my characters into some uncomfortable positions.

Update October 7 2019:

This book has gone through another draft since it was first published. This means you might come across some comments that reference things in the older draft and be a little confused. Ryder and Aiden kiss once or twice in the first draft. Now, with years more life experience, I've matured their relationship A LOT. They kiss more than a few times, it's safe to say.

The changes also include new dialogue, new scenes, revamped dialogue and lots of plot hole fixes, improved grammar, phrasing. All the editing details to vastly improve a rough first draft. A rough first draft that got 73k reads, and I'll always be grateful for that. This story has resonated with so many, especially me. I'm so happy with the changes and I hope new and returning readers are as well.