Wisteria Drive – The Second Chapter

Sirens taught me a lot about what it takes to self-publish. As I mentioned in a previous post, I intend to publish a second novel this year. So far, I’m on schedule, and I’m excited to share some insights into this new project with you all.

Unlike Sirens — which was a sci-fi story that dipped its toes into romance at times — this second novel leans more toward the thriller genre with a domestic, contemporary setting.

A Trip to Wisteria Drive

Wisteria Drive is the working title for my next novel, aptly named after the setting of the story. In this book, Wisteria Drive is a stretch of road that is gated to grant the family who lives there all the privacy and perceived safety they could ever want. The gated Floridian cul de sac is occupied by five large mansions, each standing as the home for a cluster of the Montgomery family. Amy Montgomery’s family is the last of the family to move onto Wisteria Drive, and she soon realizes that while the surrounding gate keeps threats on the outside from getting in, the true danger might already be inside…

Wisteria Drive Synopsis

Below is the synopsis I sent to my editor for this project. It might not become the book blurb, but it reflects many of the conflicts and themes you can look forward to!

Somehow, the sun is always able to find its way through the windows of the five mansions on Wisteria Drive. The family who lives on this gated strip of road are exactly who you would picture inhabiting its vast, palace-like homes. The Montgomery brothers are family-oriented and know exactly what they want from life. Their wives, on the other hand, have had the privilege of marrying into the Montgomery wealth after the four brothers pursued them with calculated specificity. Shortly after marriage, the Montgomery families always find their way to settling down on Wisteria Drive.

Amy Montgomery resisted the prospect of moving there for as long as she could. It took patience and years of persuasion from her husband, David, to finally convince her to make the move.

During her first few weeks on Wisteria Drive, Amy basks in the golden Floridian sunlight, and she revels in the sight of her beloved son, Ryder, as he splashes in their new pool. Over time, however, everything on Wisteria Drive turns sour, like rotting fruit, wilting until consuming this opulence becomes poison. Wisteria Drive has many luxuries, and Amy will learn to hate them all.

Wisteria Drive can be best described as a thriller or book club fiction. With its beachy, domestic backdrop, it can be most closely compared to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty or Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

Not Much Longer Now…

I am incredibly excited to share this novel with you all. It was the third full-length book I ever put together, and I have been coming back to it for years. Since I finished its first draft around 2021, it has evolved and continues to change with edits. It will be a little longer before Wisteria Drive is ready to be presented to the world, but by the end of 2024, I anticipate everyone will be able to check out this book about family, wealth, and betrayal.