The Precipice People, book one in The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy is officially out today!
In an increasingly techno-fascist world, ten citizens must answer for themselves the question of when to say goodbye to a dying way of life. A few answer the question quickly; most won’t face it until it’s too late. But when society is on the brink of collapse, everyone must confront it eventually.
If you love tense, near-future dystopian fiction about survival, awakening sovereignty, and what happens when the precipice you’re standing on finally gives way—or if you just need an outlet to channel your righteous anger at the world—then The Precipice People is for you.
The Precipice People is the first book in a trilogy, and you won’t have to wait long for books 2 and 3. They’ll be here in November and January.
Hardcovers are coming soon. Join my newsletter if you want to be notified when that happens. (In the meantime, you’ll get a bunch of other goodies, too.)
Thank you so much for reading and for supporting this launch. If you pick up a copy, I’d love to hear your thoughts—drop a review on your favorite site or leave a comment below and let me know how you’re liking the first stage of The Epoch Rite of Passage! ❤️
In the first half of 2026, I was spending a lot of time thinking about the massive transition we all seem to be navigating.
If you feel like the world you loved is vanishing and turning into something you do not want—that no one wants—leaving you to navigate a landscape that no longer makes sense—you are not alone. You are not crazy. You are simply in the middle of a transition.
We all are.
But…
Why is this happening?
How do we get through it?
How will it end?
I felt compelled to explore these questions
It seemed to me that people felt powerless in part because they couldn’t imagine change—both what it might look like when it was done or how to get there. So I put some characters into our world and propelled them toward a cliff to find out what would happen if we don’t change—and what’s possible if we do.
The characters aren’t just trying to survive a financial and societal collapse. That’s the first step, sure, but not the only one. The next steps are even harder:
How do they reclaim their sovereignty in a world that has convinced them they don’t have any?
How do they maintain their sovereignty and their humanity when it’s time to rebuild and the old “poisoned bricks” of control are the only tools they’ve ever known?
Finding a Path Forward
At some point it occurred to me that, in a very real sense, we are all living in the second-ish of three stages in a massive, collective Rite of Passage.
So when I started to write the trilogy, I broke the characters’ journey down into three stages—the stages of a rite of passage—to help me map their journey toward freedom:
Stage 1: Separation — The terrifying moment of realizing the system isn’t “broken”—it’s functioning exactly as it was designed, and to survive it you have to detach.
Stage 2: Liminality — The space between worlds, where you are free from the old system consciously but your body still has to live with in it and your subconscious is still reacting to its fearmongering and its “official” truths.
Stage 3: Incorporation — The act of co-creating a new order based on love, freedom, and individual sovereignty, rather than by fear, violence, and control.
It is Possible…
There are 3 mindset shifts that help—and might just be necessary—to get through each stage of a rite-of-passage transition: from the terrifying Separation of the old world, through the anxious uncertainty of the Liminal space, to the scary and satisfying moments of Reincorporation. A mere three shifts can help us get through the first two stages so that by the time we’re in the Reincorporation stage, we’re not just surviving but helping to create the new beginning.
Because it’s never just about surviving. It’s about thriving. It’s about freedom and personal sovereignty. I wanted to prove to myself that sovereignty can emerge in impactful ways when things look the most bleak and survival and conformity are no longer enough.
I wanted to capture that precise moment when someone finally stops looking for permission, stops playing by the “official” rules, and realizes that they have been free all along—and that they can act on that freedom even now.
The Result is The Epoch Rite of Passage
The Epoch Rite of Passage trilogy is for readers who wish 1984 could have ended another way. It was inspired by ICE in Minnesota and by a comment I read that was made to Disney after Jimmy Kimmel was suspended. It said, “Didn’t you watch Andor? It’s your own show!” It occurred to me that maybe, for some people, when a story’s world is too far removed from the real world, the themes don’t always hit home as strongly as they could. So the trilogy is set in the real world—today’s real world—as much as possible.
Also important to me was ending the trilogy in a better place than it started without having to resort to violence. Too many dystopian stories end violently, which I’ve always found disheartening. It took me three books to move the “High States,” a fictional country that looks a lot like the early 2026 United States, from a growing fascist state into something more free, but I did eventually get the characters there.
Corbin’s boss is acting weird. His friend Annie insists there’s a conspiracy afoot. And his mentor, Carl, has one piece of advice: Don’t eat the cake.
The Stakeholders—the entities that even Management fears—are gathering in the City for a summit. Corbin’s boss gives him one simple assignment: Just go watch.
But nothing is ever simple in the City.
He’s impressed Upper Management and befriended a UFO, but surviving the entity that built the City? Corbin’s pretty sure that wasn’t covered in training…
The must-read third installment of the fun low-fantasy mystery series CORBIN KOHL IN HELL proves that a good attitude (and a Lucky shirt) might be all it takes to get along in the world… even when you’re in Hell.
Is it just me, or did I already post this? Something feels… off today. GLITCHING THE MATRIX is out now.
It started with an odd happening in the bathroom…
Have you ever experienced something unexplainable, something so off you didn’t think anyone would believe you?
Most people continue about their business. Karen doesn’t.
I am so thrilled to announce that my latest release, GLITCHING THE MATRIX is officially out in the world today!
What is it about?
A suburban soccer mom who experiences a series of small, unexplainable events some call glitches in the matrix.
Most people just brush these things off. Karen sets out to make reality glitch on purpose. She decides to stop just looking and start poking.
But when you try to make reality glitch on purpose, you have to be prepared for what looks back.
Why I wrote this
I take inspiration from the world’s unexplained but still undeniable phenomena. I’ve experienced a fair share of glitches and synchronicities and have always been fascinated by why they happen and what they mean. This book is for anyone who has ever felt that the world is a little bit stranger than it seems–and that there’s a reason for that.
GLITCHING THE MATRIX is a mind-bending thriller of metaphysical and supernatural suspense about questioning reality and seizing control.
Are you ready?
Where to find it
You can grab your copy right now at the links below:
Tell me: Have you ever experienced a “glitch in the matrix” that you just couldn’t explain?
To celebrate the release, I’ll be sharing a personal ‘glitch’ story of my own over on my Substack today—come read it and share yours! I’ll be hanging out in the comments all day!
P.S. If this post appeared in your feed twice… maybe it wasn’t an accident.
Have you ever experienced something unexplainable, something so off you didn’t think anyone would believe you?
Most people continue about their business. Karen doesn’t.
I am so thrilled to announce my latest release: GLITCHING THE MATRIX is officially out in the world today!
What is it about?
A suburban soccer mom who experiences a series of small, unexplainable events some call glitches in the matrix.
Some people brush these happenings off. Karen sets out to make reality glitch on purpose. She decides to stop just looking and start poking.
But when you try to make reality glitch on purpose, you have to be prepared for what looks back.
Why I wrote this
I take inspiration from the world’s unexplained but still undeniable phenomena. I’ve experienced a fair share of glitches and synchronicities and have always been fascinated by why they happen and what they mean. This book is for anyone who has ever felt that the world is a little bit stranger than it seems–and that there’s a reason for that.
GLITCHING THE MATRIX is a mind-bending thriller of metaphysical and supernatural suspense about questioning reality and seizing control.
Are you ready?
Where to find it
You can grab your copy right now at the links below:
Tell me: Have you ever experienced a “glitch in the matrix” that you just couldn’t explain?
To celebrate the release, I’ll be sharing a personal ‘glitch’ story of my own over on my Substack today—come read it and share yours! I’ll be hanging out in the comments all day!
Corbin Kohl must outsmart Management when his boss threatens his friends amid a City-wide UFO sighting.
It was so much fun to write.
Here’s the full jacket blurb:
UFO SIGHTING IN HELL. Seriously.
Corbin Kohl thought he figured out the City. He acclimated to the heat. Made the fiery Pit his hangout spot. He even found the bright side of his unpaid gig with Management.
But the City just got weirder.
There’s a UFO hovering in the sky. It looks harmless to Corbin, but it’s got Management in a tizzy. They’re secretive about it as usual. But his next assignment seems connected.
And—wait—did his boss just threaten his friends?!
Corbin Kohl is back in CORBIN KOHL BAITED IN HELL!
