My Happy Place is a 36,000-word, contemporary, middle grade novel. It addresses the struggles of mental illness, abandonment, and forgiveness. 
 
Thirteen-year-old Mika Larson knows something is wrong with her mother, but she doesn’t ask questions until a public episode changes everything. When Mom is hospitalized with schizophrenia, Mika is forced to live with her estranged father, a man whom she hasn't seen in two years.
 
At school, classmates bully her, and her best friend turns away. Mika finds escape in drumming while secretly watching a private school band practice. An unexpected friendship with a drummer named Des helps her prepare for a life-changing audition and gives her hope when everything else feels uncertain.
 
As Mika learns the truth about her mother’s illness, she must face loss, forgiveness, and her own strength. In the end, Mika discovers that healing doesn’t mean things go back to the way they were—it means finding the courage to move forward.
 
5.5 x 8.5 | Paperback | 192 pages