Tempest

The only memory Veronique has of her mother is from a dream. In it, they’re surrounded by flames as her mother holds her close. Veronique has never understood the dream — her parents died in Hurricane Katrina, a tempest of water and wind, not fire.

For sixteen years, Veronique lives a quiet life on her grandmother’s farm, but when MawMaw falls ill, Veronique’s life changes. She moves to New Orleans where she lives with an aunt and cousins she never knew she had. She quickly falls into new experiences with school, friends, and even love. But Veronique has a secret — she has the power to control the wind.

As her new life grows and her secret is slowly revealed, Veronique learns that her fate is bigger and more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. As she races to uncover what MawMaw was trying to protect her from, Veronique discovers friendship and romance, superpowers and setbacks, mystery and adventure. Tempest is a heart-stirring journey that asks big questions about family, identity and destiny as a young woman redefines the forces that define her and battles to make her life her own.

Step Into Veronique’s World

Have you ever heard the saying: “Tell me where you’ve been and I’ll tell you who are”? What they don’t tell you is that it’s hard to untangle the mysteries of your life before all the truths are revealed. Veronique’s story is a journey through places where she must uncover mysteries to discover who she is. Take a sneak peek at the places that teach her who she is.

Aerial view of a rural countryside landscape with rolling green fields divided by stone fences. A small farmhouse with weathered rooftops and surrounding outbuildings sits at the edge of the property, connected by a winding dirt road. The soft, diffused lighting gives the scene a peaceful, nostalgic atmosphere.

Photo by Annie Spratt

Home

Veronique loves wide open spaces and seas made of trees. The closeness of her grandmother means the world to her. But one secret separates her from her cherished home and changes her life forever.

Photo by Gustav Gullstrand

Forest

The forest may be nothing but darkness and the thickness of trees to you, but to Veronique, it’s a world of safety, freedom and fun. But one choice, pushes her out of her place of safety into a strange new world.

A classic New Orleans-style house with a red wooden door framed by tall, teal shutters. The door has a small brass mail slot and a lace-curtained window, with an arched transom above featuring a decorative metal star. The light blue exterior and intricate white trim add to the historic charm of the building.

Photo by Gower Brown

Auntie Eve's House

Veronique never dreamed she could find a space of belonging in an unknown place. Her new home becomes a place where a new constellation of family is born. But even though her new home is full of love, it is also full of risk.

A well-organized bookshelf in a bookstore, filled with colorful books arranged neatly. Some books are displayed with their covers facing outward, including one with the name ‘Thomas Mann’ visible. The shelves stretch into the distance, creating a sense of depth, with warm lighting enhancing the cozy and inviting atmosphere of the store.

Photo by Marcos S. Nascimento

The Bookstore

Veronique is surprised to find clues about her powers in the maze of books and family at the bookstore. When she surrenders, she learns new skills. But the people who show her new possibilities also have secrets of their own.

A large warehouse with tall metal shelves stacked with pallets of boxed goods wrapped in plastic. The industrial setting is illuminated by overhead fluorescent lights, highlighting the organized storage system. The perspective emphasizes the height and scale of the shelving units, creating a sense of depth.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP

The Warehouse

Veronique finds answers in place of fear and truth in a space of confusion. But terror brings her to a deeper understanding of herself.

**Read Tempest to follow Veronique’s journey and discover her true power.**

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Cover art by Charles Chaisson

Praise for Tempest

“Bursting with so much love and power and beauty! Tempest is a magnificent novel that will convince any reader that they have the strength to weather all of life’s storms.”

—Sam J. Miller, Nebula-Award-winning author of The Art of Starving

“Reading Tempest is like getting swept into a storm — its textures, its rhythms, and its sounds swirl around you and shift the world into different shapes when you least expect it. Veronique’s struggles for belonging, for self-understanding and for her own power make this magical read a can’t miss.”

—Alaya Dawn Johnson, Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Library of Broken Worlds