It's finally here

After years of writing, rewriting, searching for publishers, more rewriting, and several rounds of editing, my debut novel is finally here.

Only Ever One Choice is out in the world!

It feels like it's been a long time coming, mostly because Mikaila's journey, in some ways, has mirrored my own. It's a deeply personal story, and I hope it can come to mean as much to readers as it has to me. It's helped me come to terms with and accept a number of great, big things, as well as the smaller, inconsequential ones. I never thought I had everything figured out, but even I was blindsided by the person it turns out I was always going to become. I'm quite sure I'm not the only one.

And so the dedication for the novel reads: "For those who figure it out a little later in life. It is sometimes embarrassing and maybe mortifying, but it is always, always worth it."

I've always believed that everything happens exactly when it's supposed to, exactly how it's meant to. Sharing these stories, good and bad and ugly and perfect and just barely enough is so, so important, and I count myself lucky and privileged that I get to be a part of documenting our community's lives and experiences.

So, if you do find yourself here, and you find yourself reading this novel, thank you in advance. I like to draw comfort knowing it was always meant to happen this way.

Best,

Ilham