Where the Valley Lies preptober 2026

the elevator pitch

When a seventeen-year-old Thana Angelique Vale suddenly inherited her missing grandmother's estate, she had accidentally discovered hidden cache of documents belonging to her late aunt. And what would be a harmless skimming of files turned into a full-blown investigation of decades-old tragedy, exposing the lies and buried motives behind her family's supposedly peaceful, loving reputation. But the closer she gets to the hidden truth, the more dangerous her grandmother's disappearance becomes.

in one sentence. Upon inheriting her missing grandmother's estate, Thana uncovered evidences of a decades-old crime that may explain her late aunt's tragic end and her grandmother's disappearance.

three things I know

What I know:

• The truth of the Vale family tragedy is darker than what was made out in public.
• The past will be revealed through conflicting accounts and fragments of evidence that will be discovered by Thana.
• The people that Thana cherishes may possibly be part of that mystery, intentional or not.

What I don't know:

• What really happened during the original tragedy, and who is the real perpetrator behind that incident?
• What happened to Evelyn and why did she disappeared? Does it have something to do with her aunt's death?
• How far will Thana go in order to uncover the truth, and what will it cost her to discover it?

the promise

I want this story to make the readers feel confused and suspicious of what's happening, much like the uncertainty that the protagonist will feel as she navigate around every discovery and every contradiction hidden in plain sights while uncovering the buried truth about her family tragedy, her aunt's death, and her grandmother's disappearance.

CHALLENGE | a locked door; an unwanted inheritance; a lie told at dinner; a secret; a story within a story.