STATE LINE Towing INC

09/26/2026

Amazing!!!! Years of dreaming, years of becoming.
Ant then, one quiet moment, the story once carried within was finally resting in the hands. Absolutely beautiful 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟❤️

I HELD MY BOOK IN MY HANDS 📖

It has been a while since I shared a proper behind-the-scenes update, and quite a lot has happened.

But one moment stands above everything else.

I held my book in my hands for the first time.

After years of writing, rewriting, editing, and imagining what this story might one day become, the first physical proof of Shade From A Wilted Tree arrived.

I reviewed the proofs, turning pages I had read countless times on a screen.

But this time, they were inside a book.

My book.

The feeling was surreal.

There are still things being finalized, but we have come a long way since my last update.

The manuscript and final edits are complete.

The print and eBook interiors are finished.

Advance copies are making their way to early readers.

The physical proofs have been reviewed.

A professional editorial review is underway.

And behind the scenes, everything continues to come together as we move toward December.

But for the first time, I don't have to imagine what it will feel like to hold this story in my hands.

I know. ❤️

Sometimes, the things we carry in our imagination really can become things we hold in our hands.

Shade From A Wilted Tree
Epic Fantasy Romance | Slow Burn
Coming December 2026

09/05/2026

What a beautiful piece!!🤝
Soooo much wisdom woven into these words. Absolutely love it!❤️❤️✌️

What makes a great leader? 👑

Crowns, armies, and the power to command are familiar images in epic fantasy.

But they are symbols of authority, not necessarily signs of great leadership.

Leadership begins with responsibility. It is found in the choices made when there is no easy answer, in the willingness to listen, and in understanding that every decision may carry consequences for people who had no part in making it.

That belief guided how I wrote the leaders in Shade From A Wilted Tree.

I did not want them to be perfect or invincible. I wanted them to be people shaped by law, tradition, and expectation. People who must listen beyond the voices closest to power and wrestle with the difficult question of what they owe those who depend on them.

Because sometimes, the greatest test of leadership is not whether someone has the strength to hold power.

It is whether they understand what power asks of them.

Shade From A Wilted Tree
An Epic Fantasy Romance
Coming December 2026

In Banti’kadei, every choice carries weight ⚖️

08/29/2026

Some stories are written.
Others are prayed into existence, patiently nurtured until they bloom. “Shade from a wilted tree “ OMG!!!
Could this be another Harry Potter masterpiece? Can’t wait 👍👍🙏

SHADE FROM A WILTED TREE 🍂

There it is.

The title of my debut epic fantasy romance.

I have been showing it to you all along.

Since the day I created this page, a wilted tree has stretched across the top of it beside these words.

“Even a wilted tree can sprout and give shade.”

The message behind those words did not begin with this book.

It began with my mother.

Her prayer to me was, “If you sit under a wilted tree, it will sprout and give you shade.”

It was a reminder that even when something appears diminished, battered, or past its season, life can return.

Years later, that prayer found its way into the world I was creating and eventually gave this book its name.

But inside Banti’kadei, those words carry another meaning.

That part I am keeping for now. I want you to discover it for yourself.

After years of keeping this title close, it feels wonderful to finally share it with you.

Shade From A Wilted Tree
An Epic Fantasy Romance
Coming December 2026

The Ancestors are watching 👁️

08/22/2026

I’m intrigued already. Banti’kadei feels like a world I can’t wait to get lost in. Absolutely beautiful!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟❤️

08/15/2026

Some worlds entertain you. Others awaken something within you. This one feels like a journey waiting to be lived—rich with culture, soul, and stories that deserve to be heard. 👍👍❤️

The World I Chose to Build

Last week, I shared what kind of book I've been writing. An epic fantasy romance.

This week, I want to reveal the world.

A world inspired by precolonial Africa.
More specifically, precolonial West Africa.

I've consumed romance, fantasy, and epic fantasy stories for years, but when it comes to fantasy, I probably watch even more than I read. I've happily lost myself in worlds inspired by historic Europe, China, Korea, India, America, and beyond.

And as I shared last week, language has never been a barrier. If the story pulls me in, I'll happily follow the subtitles.

I've loved being transported into those worlds.

At its heart, the story I'm telling is deeply human.

Love. Duty. Ambition. Sacrifice. Family. Power. Belonging.

I could lift that story and place it in almost any imagined world, and its emotional heart would remain the same.

I saw an incredible opportunity to draw from the richness of precolonial West African life, something many readers rarely get to experience this way.

That choice was intentional.

There is grandeur in this world. Kings and queens. Warriors. Palaces. Power. Conflict. Kingdoms.

But there is also the beauty of everyday life.

The homes people built.

The crops they grew.

The trades and crafts that sustained communities.

The cloth they wove and wore.

The food simmering in clay pots over open fires.

The markets where people gathered.

The music that accompanied celebrations.

The courtyards and town squares that shaped communal life.

The systems of leadership and traditions that ordered society.

The spiritual beliefs and ancestral customs passed from one generation to the next.

And simply, people living.

Falling in love. Raising families. Working. Celebrating. Disagreeing. Dreaming. Building communities and creating beautiful things.

One of the most rewarding parts of creating this world has been watching other people enter it with me.

Members of my editorial team, from Australia to Canada to Texas, came to the story from very different places and backgrounds. Yet I watched them become immersed, care about its people, and want to know more.

That reminded me of something I've experienced countless times myself through stories.

We don't have to come from a world to become lost in it.
A compelling story can carry us across geography, history, and culture.

I didn't build this world for you to observe from a distance. I built it for you to step inside.

To walk its paths. Enter its compounds. Hear its sounds. Experience its traditions. Lose yourself in the lives unfolding there.

And when you finally step out, I hope you'll find yourself wanting to go right back in.

Soon, the gates will open.

Stay close. The drums are getting louder. 🪘

07/25/2026

Beautifully said. Growth comes from being willing to learn, improve, and never settle. Wishing you great success with your book!🙏🙏🙏❤️

Another journey before the book

Story 17 | Good Was Never Enough

After two years of working with my writing coach, Lauren, she said something I hadn't expected.

"I think you're ready."

Not because the manuscript was finished.

Because she believed I had reached the point where someone needed to experience the story from beginning to end.

I sent the manuscript back to Renita, the developmental editor who had first told me, "You need a good coach."

Renita could hardly believe what she was reading.

"Who are you?" she asked.

She had read my earliest draft.

This wasn't the same writer.

Although epic fantasy romance wasn't her preferred genre, she found herself completely immersed in the story.

"Is this what I've been missing?" she asked.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I want more."

Those words meant a great deal to me.

But they weren't the end.

She still found places where the story could be stronger.

So I kept working.

When I felt the manuscript was ready again, I submitted it for beta reading through a publishing house in Canada.

Their feedback encouraged me in a different way.

They described the story as emotionally mature and praised the restraint with which it unfolded. Rather than relying on spectacle or constant explanation, they felt the story trusted readers to discover its emotional depth for themselves.

It was another reminder that the years of learning had changed not just my writing, but the way I told a story.

Even then, I wasn't finished.

I wanted to know how much further the manuscript could go.

So I sought another developmental editor.

Madeline in Australia loved the story's power dynamics, traditions, and the quiet growth of the romance. She also challenged me to take the manuscript further.

I made those changes.

Then came line editing.

Anna in Australia pointed out the heart of the story.

It was a love story, woven through kingdoms, traditions, and political conflict. That was what made it timeless.

From that point on, every revision became an effort to let that heart shine more clearly. She helped me refine the language until every sentence carried more weight.

Now, after countless revisions, developmental edits, beta reads, line edits, and copy edits, the manuscript is entering its final stage.

Proofreading. The final review to catch the smallest remaining errors before publication.

Looking back now, I understand this.

Every publishing professional who read my manuscript found something they admired.

Each also found something that could be improved.

Those two things were never in conflict.

One reminded me I was growing.

The other revealed my blind spots.

I've learned that excellence isn't about proving we've arrived.

It's about having the patience to trust the process, the discipline to keep doing the work, and the humility to embrace constructive feedback.

Have you ever sensed there was still room to grow, even after others praised your work? What kept you going until you knew you had given it your best?

If this resonates, feel free to share this post or tell your own story. Someone else may need that reminder today.

10/26/2021

Looking for a dedicated Cdl A driver with experience in driving manual or automatic tractor trailers. Job is mostly local work with occasional otr. $0.70-$0.80 CPM. Must be flexible and able to pass a background check. Please respond with a cellphone number where you can be reached. Thank you and be safe