I’m going to take you back to a day I’d rather forget—my birthday from hell. I wrote a blog post about it, and honestly, I was a mess of emotions, crying as I typed. But that moment, that raw, unfiltered pain, is the core reason why Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring exists.

I come from what people often call a “broken home,” but to me, it feels more like a shattered one. I don’t remember my parents being together at all. My childhood memories revolve around my grandmother, who was the anchor in my chaotic world. My parents separated shortly after I was born, so my understanding of them came from old photographs and my grandma’s kind words about them. She never spoke ill of them, and from her, I learned the essence of unconditional love and parenting.

When I moved to the U.S. to live with my dad and stepmom, I felt the same anxiety that Isla, the protagonist in Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring, experiences. The story of Isla meeting her stepmom mirrors my own journey, stepping into an airplane in the Dominican Republic and landing in a land with tall buildings (New York). Unfamiliar people greeted me at the airport. People I didn’t know at all, but I had only seen them in pictures and heard their voices through phone calls. I was petrified of what this new life would be like. So when readers comment on the emotions they felt while reading Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring, I smile. They are sharing with nine-year-old me what I felt so many years ago.

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In Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring, which started as my thesis project, I poured my heart into capturing the raw, emotional turmoil that Isla faces as a stepchild. This book let me unpack the complicated dance of emotions that come with being in a blended family—something I know all too well. Isla’s story is a lens through which I explored the push and pull between stepmothers and stepchildren, where love, resentment, and hope intertwine in the most unexpected ways.

Writing this story was like holding up a mirror to my own life. As both a stepchild and a stepmother, I’ve been on both sides of the fence, feeling the anxiety, confusion, and hope that comes with trying to fit into someone else’s world. I wanted to make Isla’s journey real, to show how messy and beautiful these relationships can be. Her story dives into the heart of what it means to belong, to forgive, and to find your place, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against you.

Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring isn’t just a book—it’s a heartfelt invitation. An invitation to those who’ve been there, to those who are still figuring it out, and to anyone who wants to understand the complex web of stepfamily dynamics. My hope is that by reading Isla’s story, you’ll find a piece of your own journey reflected back at you and maybe, just maybe, come away with a bit more empathy and understanding for the intricate dance that is family.

Ready to plunge into Isla’s world? Grab your copy, and let’s navigate these complex bonds together. I promise it’s a journey worth taking.