The Story Behind The Ifs

Ugh! I’m behind on my posts this week because I had to take my computer into the shop to get fixed. It’s been trying to update since last August without success. After trying to fix it myself and not having any luck, I sent it to a professional. Apparently, they’ve been struggling too. Hopefully the issue gets resolved soon.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you the story behind The Ifs, my middle grade fantasy novel. Currently, there are three in the series (The Ifs, The Ifs Return, and Undead Ifs), and the first book will soon be available as an audiobook. 

I started writing this series about 6 years ago. I wanted my boys to have a story they could call their own where they got to be the heroes. I knew they were going to be middle grade books, and I wanted them to be filled with action and adventure, along with a little danger.

At the time, my boys were much younger than their counterparts in the book, and I had a lot of fun imagining how they would behave when they were finally that age. I guessed some of their traits correctly, but I was off the mark on others. But it’s not a big deal. These are fiction stories, so I used my imagination.

I think the best part about writing these stories was how the boys reacted when I read them to them. I think they were able to imagine exactly what was happening and put themselves in the characters’ shoes. There was a relationship there that they might not feel with other stories—which totally makes sense if the story is about them!

My oldest enjoys these stories so much he shared them with his classmates. He asked one night if he could take The Ifs to school, and I told him sure. The next day, he told me that the kids had the choice of three books for the teacher to read out loud, and they picked The Ifs.

At parent-teacher conferences, the teacher told me that my oldest would often interject side notes into the story—behind the scenes stuff—while she read. She said he really enjoyed having insider knowledge, and it kept the other students interested.

It makes me swell with pride to know that my boys are proud of these books. I put a lot of work and love into them, and I’m glad they enjoy reading them and having others read them. That’s the true goal of an author: to impact the reader.

For Your Reading and Listening Pleasure

My boys have 2.5 days left of school, and they are chomping at the bit to be done! Summer is upon us, and so is the time for summer reading adventures.

For your middle grade reader, Undead Ifs is now available in paperback. You can also find it for Kindle.

Landon and Broden have been successful in defeating Gage twice. With him safely trapped in the hourglass and locked away, they can go on with their lives without a care in the world.

And the first thing they are going to do is enjoy a banquet with Slade and his Ifs where the brothers are the guests of honor. Now that the If village and the brothers are safe, a whole day full of food, fun, friends, and flying on hawks is just what they need to move on from the battles.

The boys discover more than good times hanging out with the Ifs, however. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that something sinister is buried just beneath the surface of celebration and fun. Something is in the trees, hiding in the shadows, something that may or may not be undead.

Could Gage be behind whatever evil lurks in the woods? Or is this a new danger? Join Landon and Broden in their new adventure to discover what wicked thing threatens their world.

Undead Ifs is the third book in The Ifs series. If you’re looking for the other two, they can be found here.

While not available quite yet, The Ifs (the first book in the series) will soon be available as an audiobook. Here’s a little teaser to get you excited about its release.



I hope you all have an amazing summer filled with fun. I also hope you find some downtime to curl up with a good book.

New Book Release: Undead Ifs

Undead Ifs is now available on Kindle. It is the third book in The Ifs series, and it is a special request from my boys.

Book 3 in The Ifs series

Landon and Broden have been successful in defeating Gage twice. With him safely trapped in the hourglass and locked away, they can go on with their lives without a care in the world.

And the first thing they are going to do is enjoy a banquet with Slade and his Ifs where the brothers are the guests of honor. Now that the If village and the brothers are safe, a whole day full of food, fun, friends, and flying on hawks is just what they need to move on from the battles.

The boys discover more than good times hanging out with the Ifs, however. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that something sinister is buried just beneath the surface of celebration and fun. Something is in the trees, hiding in the shadows, something that may or may not be undead.

Could Gage be behind whatever evil lurks in the woods? Or is this a new danger? Join Landon and Broden in their new adventure to discover what wicked thing threatens their world.
My boys are 11 and 9, and they are huge zombie fans, but most zombie movies are still too scary for them to watch. They wanted something with the undead that wouldn’t keep them up for weeks and made them the heroes, so I wrote this story for them.

In celebration, the first two ebooks in the series—The Ifs and The Ifs Return—are free through Sunday. Now is the time to catch up on the series and get ready for a whole new adventure!

I’m also looking for reviewers, so if anyone is interested, drop me a line!