What’s it about?

When Stars Disappear is a magically-infused story about Beatrice Carter (42) and her messy journey to reclaim not only her lost memories, but herself, after awaking from a mysterious coma. Set against the backdrop of a charming fictional city in upstate NY, Bea discovers she is the proud owner of the cozy bookshop and bakery in the Canal District. Despite a budding romance with local artist Taylor Graves, and reconnection with other important people in her life, everything takes a dark turn when Bea befriends Vivian Sterling, owner of the art gallery across the street from her shop.

Can Bea survive the collision of her past and present lives, or will everything collapse and burn around her like that damn almond souffle?

Who is it for?

Although I think a lot of people will love it, this one is especially for:

• Adults who enjoy cozy-ish reads with higher stakes

• Members of marginalized communities who want to see themselves as the main characters (as fully-flawed human beings instead of as inspiration porn or cliches)

• People who like morally gray protagonists and antagonists who make you recoil every time they're on the page

• The girls, gays, and theys who love a bit of magic in their queer stories.

Themes

Bea’s story is a later-in-life coming of age where a magical mishap forces her to face the truth of who she really is. Thematic questions to consider:

• Memory: Do we make our memories, or do they make us? How much do our memories influence our identity and actions? Are we the same person if all our memories are gone?

• Justice & Accountability: Are we responsible for our actions, even if we don’t remember them? When are natural consequences enough, and when are legal ones required? What is justice, and what is our responsibility when it comes to reporting crimes?

• Grief & Loss: How does grief impact our lives going forward? How are we influenced by loss? Does it fundamentally change us in some way?

• Family Dynamics: How does our family of origin impact who we become? What happens when we don’t feel understood or accepted by our family? Can strained relationships be healed later in life?

• Power: What are the ethical responsibilities when we possess power of any kind? Is morality attached to the pursuit or use of power?

While I do my best not to include anything graphic on page, there are topics introduced, mentioned, or explored, which may cause some readers distress. As always, take care of yourself first. If any of these is a triggering topic for you, skip this story.

• Death of a Loved One—Bea is grieving the loss of her grandmother, Gigi, and Taylor is grieving the loss of her best friend, Dante. Bea’s father also dies off page in the earlier timeline.

• Memory loss—Not only does Bea deal with amnesia throughout the story, but scenes from her past life include interactions with Gigi, who has dementia.

• Mind Control—Though Vivian often uses her “mindwork” gift to manipulate people and override their autonomy, Bea does this as well. The coercive nature of these interactions may be distressing for some readers

• Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation—Nothing is shown explicitly on page, but there is a scene where Bea contemplates self-harm earlier in life. Also, Dante’s death is ruled a suicide.