The Ones Who Walk With Me

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again:

This is not a solo journey.

Yes, the writing often happens in silence. In stolen hours. In notebooks and notes apps and long, stretched moments between everyday life. But the truth is—I’m never really alone in this.

Because you’re here.

And that? That changes everything.

Whether you’ve been with me since the very first word of Moons and Shadows or just found your way into this story, you’re not just a reader. You’re part of the world that’s growing around it. Every message you send, every comment you leave, every moment you pause to share your thoughts—that all matters.

In this indie publishing life, it’s not a massive marketing team or a preloaded algorithm pushing the story forward. It’s you. It’s us. The community. The connection. The conversations we have around what this story stirs in you—what it stirs in me.

Your reviews? They ripple.

Your reflections? They anchor.

Your belief in this world? It builds it, day by day.

You might not always see the impact you’re making. But I do.

So here’s what I want you to know:

You’re not just along for the ride. You’re shaping the road with me.

The shadows, the starlight, the tangled love and slow-burning truths—these threads are woven tighter every time you engage. Every time you speak the names of these characters aloud. Every time you say, “I see them. I see you.”

That’s the kind of quintessence no marketing campaign could ever replicate.

So thank you—for walking with me. For standing in the quiet before the story begins. For leaning in when the words falter and cheering when they rise.

We’re not done yet on the 4th of July. We are JUST getting started! And I’m so grateful you’re here for what’s next.

With heart,

M.D.