Sand Castles
Here’s The Tea
They said the storm passed. But what if it just changed form?
After surviving the unthinkable, Saela LaRue wakes in a body both familiar and foreign. Her return from the dead isn’t a miracle. It’s a reckoning. Something ancient stirs within her: voices not her own, power long buried, and memories that don’t belong to this life. And Zaire? The man who pulled her from the water now faces the woman she’s become and the marriage they both broke.
In the hidden island nation of Umberland, where bloodlines wield power and secrets are currency, nothing stays buried for long. As Saela and Zaire try to rebuild what shattered between them, they’re pulled deeper into a web of ancestral legacies, shadow politics, and a rising force known only as The Dominion Collective.
Guided by a man called Priest and haunted by a past that refuses to stay silent, the couple must decide what’s worth saving: the city, their history, or each other. But trust has become a dangerous luxury. And desire? It’s no longer just physical. It’s prophetic.
Because in Umberland, the dead don’t come back the same.
SAND CASTLES is a slow-burning, gothic epic about what survives the flood. A story of intimacy reclaimed, secrets that outlive silence, and love that rises not in perfection—but in the aftermath. As gifts awaken and foundations crack, one thing becomes clear:
Not all castles crumble from the outside.
Rumor Has It
This story is the second in a series called Love Like Honey. It picks up right where Saela and Zaire left off in book one (Pray You Catch Me) and whew chile did we end on a got damn doozy.
All the damn secrets start comin’ out in this book. Pandora’s box has officially been opened and now Sae and Zai need to figure out how to not only navigate their crumbling marriage but also the whole silent war happening right under their noses in Umberland.
From bloodline secrets, to mythic creatures, the spiritual realms, gifts, and powers….just get ready. That’s all I’ma say.
Where you can read it
WhatThey’re Saying
The word is in. Here’s what ya’ll have to say about Sand Castles.
A Guide To Sand Castles
How It looks
Scenes in the book To ♡
How It Sounds
Listen On Apple Music
Listen On Spotify
Who makes an appearance
The rabbit hole goes deep on this. The Inner Circle is being built. Shady ass people are being revealed. Slide through to see everyone we meet in Sand Castles.
Side Note: We’ve almost met all of the OG Founders of Umberland! And did you see Dominus?! Chills.
Where It All Goes Down
We don’t stray too far in Sand Castles. Everything continues to go down in Graymont and Umber City, but we do get to experience the hidden coalition known as The Dominion Collective. And let’s just say…the buildings they have? Dope AF.
Trigger Warnings
This story holds grown-adult feelings—grief, desire, ancestral memory, betrayal, and the raw, relentless work of coming back to yourself.
Within these pages, Sand Castles follows Saela and Zaire as they navigate not only the ruins of a fractured marriage, but the buried legacies that threaten to consume them both. Their journey touches deep emotional, physical, and spiritual terrain—often dark, occasionally violent, and always human.
While written with care, this story includes themes and imagery that may be difficult for some readers. Please take care as you read. Pause when you need. Skip what doesn’t serve you. Breathe.
This story approaches trauma, sexuality, and faith with tenderness—but it does ask you to sit with discomfort, contradiction, and the long shadow of survival. If something feels too close, you have permission to pause. To skip. To protect your peace.
You are not alone in what this story explores. Take what you need. Leave what you don’t.
Hit the drop down belowto see the list of triggers.
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Suicidal ideation / past suicide attempt (drowning implied)
Emotional abuse in marriage / manipulation / secrecy
Domestic violence / strangulation (flashback)
Non-consensual drugging (IV) / medical trauma
Sexual assault (referenced: coercion, non-consensual extraction)
Possession / spiritual body control
Child abuse / grooming / exploitation (referenced)
Memory tampering / psychological manipulation
Infidelity (past, emotional, and implied)
Graphic panic attacks / emotional dysregulation
Reproductive coercion / weaponization of lineage
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Near-death experiences / revival / ICU scenes
Supernatural violence (creatures, bloodlines, curses)
Flashbacks / PTSD symptoms / dissociation
Parental abuse / attempted murder / neglect
Mental breakdowns / spiritual disorientation
Grief, guilt, and internalized shame
Existential fear / psychospiritual overwhelm
Ritual, mysticism, soul-channeling, spiritual possession
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Sexual content (explicit, consensual, emotionally complex)
Consent, emotional labor, and vulnerability during intimacy
Drug references / alcohol abuse / coping mechanisms
Childhood trauma / abandonment wounds
Power imbalances (familial, romantic, spiritual)
Cultural erasure / forced exile / ancestral grief
Cult indoctrination / spiritual grooming
Sensory overwhelm / confinement / body horror
Dark fantasy & metaphysical uncertainty
