❓How did the story begin?
 
I didn’t deliberately come up with it. It all started with a single beautiful, heartbreaking scene that simply appeared in my mind — a kiss against a wall.
 
I could see it so vividly, as if I were watching it with my own eyes.
 
There were two men, worn down by life, yet deeply and fiercely in love with each other. At that moment, I found myself asking, “Who are they? What happened to them?”
 
It was an ordinary rainy day in late October. I went to a coffee shop, even though I wasn’t meeting anyone. I sat down, ordered a strong coffee (even though I absolutely hate coffee), opened the Notes app on my phone…
 
And that was the moment Rick returned to Dumpfield.
 
It was 2019.
 
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❓How did I create the characters?
 
I didn’t deliberately create Aaron and Rick either. I simply saw them—and they intrigued me. I wanted to understand who they were, so I began getting to know them, little by little: their habits, their personalities, the way they reacted to the world around them.
 
At first, it was difficult because I knew almost nothing about them. I simply wrote down what they did and what was happening around them, and I found myself just as eager as any reader to discover their story. But the more I wrote, the more attached I became to them, and the more I understood everything they had been through.
 
I can’t say I know them completely. I’ve always thought of them as real people with lives of their own. Even now, after the story is finished (at least in my draft), they still manage to surprise me—and I love that.
 
Sometimes I completely disagreed with them. You have no idea how many times their decisions drove me crazy. Rick, especially, tested my patience more times than I can count. Honestly… I’ve never met anyone so stubborn and so willing to sacrifice himself for the people he loves.
 
And every time Aaron retreated behind his walls again, desperately trying to protect himself from his own feelings… I was the first one sitting there, practically yelling, “For the love of God, just kiss him already!” 😅
 
But they wouldn’t.
 
They have their own personalities, their own reasons, and their own thoughts. They only do what they would genuinely do. I can’t force them to act out of character, because the moment I do, they stop feeling like real people—with their emotions, fears, flaws, and mistakes—and become nothing more than puppets.
 
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❓About me and my writing journey
 
I’m 28 years old. Just like many of you, I have a full-time job, and I spend almost all of my free time working on this book. Sometimes… even the time that isn’t exactly free. 😅
 
I studied film directing, which is probably why this story never came to me as words on a page. It came to me as scenes. I could literally see them in my head as if I were watching a movie.
 
When I was a teenager, I also loved painting and drawing. I mostly painted portraits of my favorite actors. I don’t draw anymore, but I suppose my love for visual storytelling never really went away.
 
I’m incredibly grateful to my husband. He took on most of our everyday responsibilities so I could have at least a little time to work on the novel. Without his support, I honestly don’t think I could have done it.
 
And here’s a little fun fact: he’s the one who built the website where you can read the book. He’s also the one who uploads every new chapter and translates them into English. ❤️🥹
 
Sometimes there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, and honestly… it makes me want to cry. Because I’m the one managing all of my social media, replying to your messages, creating content here and on Instagram, running my Wattpad, answering DMs, editing the book, learning new AI tools and figuring out how to use them… and that’s still not everything. At this point, I don’t even know what weekends feel like anymore. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had time that was just for me. 🫠
 
This is my very first novel. Before it, I had absolutely no experience with creative writing. Maybe that’s why I care so deeply about these characters. At this point, they feel almost like family to me.
 
I’m actually glad this story took me so many years to write. During that time, I experienced a great deal, grew as a person, and gained perspectives that found their way into the novel.
 
For example, the core of the investigation—and the story of the bodies found in the lake—didn’t come purely from my imagination. Years ago, I had to leave the city where I was living because life took an unexpected turn, and everything had to change. One summer, the body of a young woman was discovered in a nearby lake. That story stayed with me for years and eventually became one of the starting points for The Three Maples Lake Girls Case.
 
Many of my own life experiences also found their way into Rick and Aaron’s relationship—especially in Arcs Five, Six, and Seven. But I’ll let you discover those moments for yourselves. 😅
 
The place where I live looks incredibly similar to Dumpfield in autumn and winter.
 
In fact, my husband and I are hoping to visit a breathtaking lake very soon… assuming I manage to survive my own deadlines first. 🫠 Maybe I’ll even film a little vlog for all of you.
 
If you’d like, I can share little behind-the-scenes moments like this every now and then. Would you enjoy that? 👀❤️
 
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❓How do I create the videos?
 
Everything starts with a scene from the book. I turn it into a storyboard first, and then I bring those frames to life.
 
On average, a single video takes anywhere from 7 hours to several days, depending on the complexity of the scene, the editing, and the idea itself.
 
For example, the latest video about Rick’s fantasies (which, by the way, is a very important and emotionally heavy scene in the novel) took me three full days to create.
 
❓Do you make the videos yourself?
 
Yes—every single part of them.
 
The voice acting, editing, storyboard generation, music selection, color grading, synchronization… I do it all myself.
 
❓How do you make the scenes feel so realistic?
 
Honestly, I don’t think there’s any secret to it. 😅
 
Behind every video are dozens of hours spent generating images, editing, and trying over and over again to capture the exact emotion the characters are feeling in that specific moment.
 
Sometimes I’ll spend several hours on a single shot. If the look in someone’s eyes isn’t loving enough, if the voice doesn’t carry the right tenderness, if the touch feels wrong, or if the lighting or atmosphere isn’t quite right… I start over.
 
I only keep a shot when it makes me feel exactly what I felt while writing that scene.
 
That’s how every single video is made.
 
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❓Will the book be available as an eBook or in print?
 
Most likely, yes.
 
Once I’ve finished publishing the novel, I’ll definitely start working on that. But for now, it’s still a little too early to talk about it.
 
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❓Tell us about Dumpfield.
 
Dumpfield is a fictional town located in the northwestern part of Montana, USA.
 
It has a population of around 40,000 people, but despite that, it’s actually quite large in terms of area. There are busy, densely populated neighborhoods, as well as quiet outskirts, vast forests, a lake, and countless places waiting to be explored.
 
I’ll definitely share a full guide to the town once the novel is complete. For now, though, many of those locations are spoilers in their own right, so I have to be careful about what I reveal. 🙂
 
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❓What’s your favorite book?
 
Honestly, my all-time favorite books are Perfume by Patrick Süskind and Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup.
 
I know they’re completely different from what I write—and probably not what most of you usually read—but I know both of those books almost by heart.
 
And of course, I’m absolutely in love with Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I’ve reread it several times and enjoyed every single one of them. ❤️🥹
 
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❓I’ve received so many questions about the story, Rick and Aaron’s relationship, and the kisses…
 
I think I’ll leave all questions about the plot, Rick and Aaron’s relationship, their kisses, and the other romantic moments unanswered for now. 😅❤️
 
I really want you to experience their journey alongside them, one step at a time.
 
But I can tell you one thing: yes, there will be chapters from Aaron’s point of view.
 
The novel is roughly divided like this:
 
•                   Rick — 45%
•                   Aaron — 40%
•                   Billy — 10%
•                   Katie — 5%
 
As for jealousy, love, first kisses… and everything else…
 
I’ll let you discover those for yourselves. 😌❤️
 
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❓Why do new chapters only come out once a week?
 
Unfortunately, I can’t publish them more often.
 
I’m creating this book entirely on my own, and I simply don’t have enough time to do everything any faster. I truly wish I could release chapters more frequently, but for now, this is the best I can do.
 
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❓Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
 
Just write.
 
Don’t worry about whether you’re “good enough” or whether you think you know how to write.
 
You do.
 

Your story deserves to be told. It deserves to be seen by the world. Don’t let fear convince you otherwise. ❤️