When I first sat down to write When Feelings Lie, I didn’t do it with the intention of starting a series. I didn’t imagine reviews, rankings, or charts. I simply wanted to tell the kind of story I always wished I could read.

I’ve always believed that some of the strongest relationships we’ll ever have aren’t the romantic ones, but the ones that bind us to our families. In particular, the bond between siblings — that strange mix of unconditional love, frustration, sacrifice, and loyalty — has always fascinated me. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s the kind of love you don’t choose, but that shapes you forever.

Most YA novels I came across at the time focused heavily on romance or high school drama. Fun, sure, but I longed for something more emotional, more grounded — something that reflected the bittersweet struggles of growing up when family isn’t always whole or perfect. That’s where Zara and Corinne came from.

Zara embodies determination — a girl who wants to chase her dreams, but who feels the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Corinne, on the other hand, represents the search for identity, for a place in the world when everything feels uncertain. Together, they became the heart of When Feelings Lie — two sisters who fight, falter, forgive, and above all, refuse to let go of each other.

This book is more than a YA coming-of-age story. It’s a reflection of what I believe most of us experience in silence: the push and pull of growing up, the desire for independence clashing with the longing for connection, and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.

Writing it was a deeply personal journey, but it also opened my eyes to something universal: no matter how messy life gets, the ties that truly matter — family, love, sacrifice — have the power to hold us together.

And that’s why When Feelings Lie exists. It’s not just a story I wanted to write; it’s a story I needed to share.