water runs red — 

#1 AMAZON BESTSELLER IN CONTEMPORARY POETRY & WOMEN’S POETRY

In a world of tyrant rulers and the misunderstood witches who oppose them, this fantastical narrative poetry collection explores ruined friendships, self-discovery, and the ever raging battle between good and evil. 

With the rise in “Instagram poetry,” I set out to create my own poetry collection. Inspired by Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, I wanted to craft a collection that was more than just words. Instead I wanted a book that was multi-media, one that featured photographs and doodles and little journalling embellishments. Fresh out of college, I began to piece together my debut poetry collection, Water Runs Red.

I set out to tell a very personal story, one of friendship and betrayal and heartache. So many contemporary writers focus on romantic love, but as someone with an asexual identity, I’m much more focused on platonic relationships. This book tells the stories of numerous friend break-ups. It leans into themes such as sexuality, grief, longing, identity, and even activism. Although I spent a long time writing this book, I spent much more time crafting the design elements. As this is self-published, every part of this book (except for the handwriting on the front cover and the author photo on the back) was created by myself. I included photos taken by me, my family, and my closest friends, and I designed the inside to mimic a journal or a scrapbook. I documented the entire process in a full-length documentary on my YouTube channel.

This book now lives as an archive of where I once was. Even though I stand by a lot of what I wrote, I recognize now that it was the act of writing that was therapeutic, not the words themselves. It is a piece of myself that I have since buried and am no longer hurt by.

praise for water runs red

“a new poet explodes into the scene with
a dark, fantastical, & all-too-relatable voice.
you will consider this your new friendship breakup soundtrack.” 

— Amanda Lovelace, Author of the princess saves herself in this one

“riveting, thought-provoking, and elegant,
water runs red will tug at your heartstrings
and mend your soul in one fell swoop.”

— Sasha Alsberg, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of Zenith: The Androma Saga


“a powerful debut from a promising young author.
relatable, intricate, and nothing short of magical.”

— Sophia Elaine Hanson, Author of hummingbird

“This collection was gorgeous in every way - the words, the themes, the visuals.
I sat down to start it and didn't get up till I had finished.”

— Christine Riccio, NYT Bestselling Author of Again, but Better

work in progress —

COMING SOON

Aurora “Roar” Duncan is obsessed with Lola Crane. Yes, the famous, bisexual popstar. Even though Roar has been a fan of Lola for years, she still hasn't thanked her in person; it's only because of Lola that Roar figured out she was asexual. So, when Lola finally reveals that she's going on tour for her latest album, Roar does everything in her power to get tickets in hopes of talking to her after the show — even if that means quitting her summer internship and planning a cross-country road-trip with her best friend. As Roar's chances of meeting Lola dwindle, she begins to question just how much she's willing to sacrifice in order to live her wildest dreams. But how far is too far? And when is she supposed to grow up?

Art by Bev Johnson