the way forward: volume 1

The small town he couldn’t wait to leave is calling him home...

Dax Ellis returns to Colton, Mississippi, a changed man. He traveled the world, earned a fortune,
and made a lifetime of memories, but now he longs to put down roots. Time hasn’t been kind to
his hometown, and Dax wants to help--if only he can convince everyone he’s not the same
petulant boy he used to be. Especially the one woman who has every reason not to trust him.

Librarian Callie Colton cherished summers with her grandparents, in the town her ancestors
helped build, in spite of the boy who called her names. Now that Colton is her home, life is quiet
until Dax returns...and, along with him, threatening letters on her doorstep. He may still have the
power to hurt her, but she’s not the same scared little girl she used to be.

But as the danger escalates, Dax will have to face his past to find a way forward for the
relationship they were cheated of once before.

Eliana West, the recipient of the 2022 Nancy Pearl Award for genre fiction, is committed to embracing diversity in her writing. That means she doesn’t limit herself to a single genre. Instead, Eliana welcomes every story that comes her way with open arms. She aims to create characters that reflect the diversity of her community, with a range of social backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. Eliana loves to weave in historical elements whenever she can. She believes everyone deserves a happy ending.

From small towns to close-knit communities, Eliana West loves stories that bring people from different backgrounds together through the common language of unconditional love and acceptance. Eliana is a passionate advocate for diversity within the writing community. She is the founder of Writers for Diversity and teaches classes and workshops, encouraging writers to create diverse characters and worlds with an empathetic approach.

When Eliana isn’t plotting her characters’ happy endings, she can be found embarking on adventures with her husband, traversing winding country roads in their beloved vintage Volkswagen Westfalia, affectionately named Bianca. Whether it’s traveling abroad or exploring locally, Eliana and her husband are always willing to get lost and see where the adventure takes them.

Eliana loves connecting with readers through her website: www.elianawest.com.