I wrote The Scavengers and the Stray during one of many dark periods in my life. The thing about being an author is that you have to read your own book dozens of times before you hit publish. I needed something that felt like hanging out with friends and had a happy ending. Joy is difficult to come by these days, and I needed joy. The characters that grace the pages are diverse, and their strong personalities clash at times, but they are loyal to each other. Whether they fight or storm off, their dedication never wavers. And that feels like home. It's what I cling to on the rough days when getting out of bed is just as much of a mental chore as a physical one.

The Scavengers and the Stray is escapist. It asks the reader to forget this world for a few hours and enter one of adventure and exploration. I hope that it gives readers a break and a scrappy group of friends to cheer for, especially queer readers. Like everything I write, no one is 100% straight. Assume bisexual or pansexual at all times, unless told otherwise—my default setting in the upsetting real world.

If you need a safe escape and want to delve into a science fiction world that lets you put up your feet and enjoy the ride, then this might be the book for you. Inside these pages, you'll find heaps of found family vibes, a minor sapphic romance plotline, mechs battling like it's WWE, animal AI companions, and space pirates, to name a few.

Here's the back cover description to give you a little taste.

Two centuries after humanity’s banishment to the stars, Sierra and her ragtag crew have carved out a hardscrabble living salvaging long-dead spaceships, their eyes set on the prize of joining the prestigious mech battle circuit and securing their fortunes.

During a routine salvage run, Sierra and her crew stumble upon an AI companion brimming with corporate secrets worth killing for.

Now caught in the crossfire of a deadly blackmail scheme, Sierra must work with her almost-but-not-quite-ex-girlfriend who is at the center of this treacherous web. Forced to make uneasy alliances with the unscrupulous pirates from her past, Sierra and her chosen family must uncover the truth behind a devious plot that threatens not only their livelihoods, but their lives.

Firefly meets A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in this space opera featuring found families and queer characters.