From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this book.
Writing this has been a journey of ups and downs, love and hate, and complete frustration. I went through so many moments of doubt, and guilt. I have had so many fears about this book, and how people will interpret it.
Am I exposing abusive relationships, or am I romanticising them?
Is my portrayal of mental illness helpful or harmful to my readers?
Am I writing this because I want to, or because I have to?
I don't know the answers to these questions and countless more that arose on this journey, but I do know one thing. Writing this book has challenged me in ways that my writing never has, and I hope that reading it you were challenged in some way too.
You can interpret Black Rose however you want, but I want you to carry one thing with you as you finish this story, archive it, and move on with your life.
If you need it, ask for help, because you have the power to do so.
Though Black Rose is dramatised and fictional, it is more real than you think. If you recognise any problematic signs of abuse, mental illness, or poor body image, please seek out help. Even if you're not sure its a big deal, if there is something going on that you could use some extra help with, seek it out. As humans, we can often put things off, and look to ourselves when we have problems, and when we can't solve it ourselves, it spirals into an even bigger problem.
If you need help, find it.
Someone's always there for you.
Once again, thank you for reading this book, and for reaching the end. There is a sequel in the works, so follow my profile for updates on that, and on my next project, Stealing Stars.
Thank you,
Alex
YOU ARE READING
Black Rose
Mystery / Thriller"You are my rose. You will do as I say, when I say it." "And what if I don't?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper in between sobs. When he responded, he didn't stutter or pause. His voice was low, his words barely a hiss. But somehow, I knew he wasn...
