falling petal press

Melody Montgomery of Tucson, AZ used to dream of going someplace, anyplace other than the desert. Tucson was too bare, too open, to feel safe. It sat beneath the vast sky like it’d been defeated—a dirt-brown landscape that was guarded only by saguaro cactus and trampled on by the husk-like souls of people who lived in a place that was simply too hot. Mel’s dreams took her to places like Seattle and Hawaii, but never did she imagine just how far she would end up.

When her best friend Nora disappears into the folds of a cult that believes that humankind must move on into the 4th dimension or perish, Mel races to stop her and finds out along the way that there are things out there far worse than the desert heat and a few cacti. Mel unexpectedly finds herself drifting between the present and the shadows of someone she use to be.

The first book from Hollin Stafford who has received rave reviews from critically acclaimed agents and editors. She has a unique voice embodied through rich descriptions of shared human condition. In 2017 she was listed on Glimmer Train's honorable mention list and considered for the Fulton Prize from The Adirondack Review.