My Dead Boyfriend – 1st Anniversary – Life In Cartoon Motion

I can’t believe it’s been a year since the release of my first novel with Digital Fabulists Publishing.

After the absolute shitstorm that surrounded the release of my debut, The Phoenix Chronicles: Awakening, I honestly never thought I’d write fiction again.

It broke me—creatively, emotionally, and damn near completely.

That was in 2007.

I first conceived My Dead Boyfriend in 2020, shortly after the death of a dear friend. That loss stirred up a flood of memories and daydreams that often felt like glimpses into a parallel universe—one where grief and imagination blurred together. Writing became a quiet escape from the noise, the fear, and the heavy fog of depression that hung over those early days of the global pandemic. But, beyond a few scattered entries in a dream journal, I never imagined anything more would come of it.

Then, through a friend to whom I will always be eternally grateful, I discovered the Japanese boy band Travis Japan, and something shifted. Their energy, their joy, and the sheer optimism in their music pulled me out of that creative darkness. For the first time in years, I felt inspired to build something new—to give shape to those fragments of emotion and turn them into an actual story.

The novel follows Max and TJ, two men with the perfect plan for forever. After Max lands his dream job in Bangkok, TJ is supposed to join him for their long-awaited happily ever after. But when TJ dies in a tragic accident, their future is shattered—until fate intervenes in the form of a mysterious engagement ring.

When Max slips it on, he discovers the ring holds an ancient and powerful magic—one that allows him to see and touch TJ’s spirit, and for TJ to once again interact with the world of the living.

As they navigate this fragile, otherworldly second chance, Max and TJ uncover a secret war between angelic Celestials and demonic Sub-Terrestrials—both desperate to claim the ring’s power. With help from a ragtag band of supernatural allies—including a shape-shifting fox, a young werewolf, and an immortal pop idol—they must fight to protect not only their love, but the wonder that still exists in their world.

While crafting the story, songs like ｢LEVEL UP｣, ｢Candy Kiss｣, and ｢Seasons of Gold｣ were on constant repeat. Their music became the heartbeat of My Dead Boyfriend—so integral to its creation that I ultimately dedicated the novel to them.

Originally, the book was scheduled for release on October 31, 2024, but earlier this week I discovered something wild: my publisher had actually released it a few days early—on October 28.

As fate would have it, that date marks the anniversary of Travis Japan’s official debut. It couldn’t have been more fitting. The group had helped my story come to life.

Now, as I dive into drafting the sequel—and fresh off completing the first book in my second series with Digital Fabulists, My Super Fiancé—I’m still jamming out to the Unique Tigers. Their music hasn’t just been a soundtrack; it’s become the creative fuel that keeps my worlds spinning, one beat, one story, one dancing day dream after another.