Fire Cleanses Everything but Memories

There’s a moment, right after finishing a book, that feels a little like stepping out of a dream.

Memories of an Ash Covered Sky is no longer just a work-in-progress—it’s real. The final edits are landing. The layout is nearly done. The cover? I can’t wait to show you. (Soon. I promise.) And with the release date locked for April 30, everything’s beginning to feel real.

If you read my last post, you know this one’s personal. Set against the backdrop of the 2020 Almeda Fire in Southern Oregon, it’s not a disaster story—it’s a story about what’s left behind.

What remains after the flames go out?

This novel follows Sky, a young woman navigating grief, guilt, and the slow burn of healing. At its core, it’s about the tension between her and her father, a retired fire chief haunted by the past and unsure how to reconnect with the daughter he’s never quite understood. Their relationship isn’t easy—but it’s real. Quiet, messy, unresolved, but full of love beneath the surface.

That’s the kind of story I wanted to tell.

And, if I’m being honest, that’s also the story I needed to tell.

The Almeda Fire gave me something I didn’t expect: a chance to reflect in my own way about my own life. About the distance that can grow between people—even those we love. About what it feels like to be estranged from family, to sit with the ache of not knowing exactly why, or how things unraveled. About the questions that sit heavy on your chest in the quiet moments: Should I go back? Can I go back? What will I find if I do?

Those are the questions Sky wrestles with. And in writing her journey, I found myself staring down my own.

I didn’t set out to write a book about a fire. I set out to write about what it means to start over when everything familiar has been turned to ash—when your hometown no longer looks like home, when memories are all that’s left of the places and people you loved.

And, like always, I wrote as a pantser. No roadmap. Just a spark and a lot of trust that the characters would find their way through.

Some days, I wasn’t sure they would. But they did. And the story they told—about resilience, regret, and quiet redemption—feels like one I was meant to write.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more about Sky, her father, and some of the other characters who surprised me along the way. I’ll reveal the cover (which honestly might be my favorite yet), share a few sneak peeks, and talk more about what it means to root fiction in real-life events that still feel so close to the surface.

If you’re not already on my mailing list, this is the time to jump in. You’ll get first looks, early excerpts, and a chance to be part of this story’s release in a deeper way.

Thanks, truly, for coming along on this ride. I’m proud of this book. I hope it lands in your hands and stays with you.

Because sometimes, the stories we need most are the ones that rise from the ashes.

– Mike