Greetings all! Exile, Book One of The Dark Mirror Trilogy releases in 2 weeks, and today I'd like to share Chapter 1 with you for free! 

Don't forget that you can also get Darkness, the prequel short story, for free at BookFunnel. 

Enjoy!

Chapter 1
“Kuiper Station,” Addison said.

The words altered the gravity in the room. Her reflection stared back at her from the blackened glass of the office wall: pale, sharp-eyed, and too young to already be tired in ways rest, sleep, and meditation could never fix.

It was six o’clock on a Friday evening, the worst possible time to end a career. Outside the tinted windows of the Space Authority headquarters, Houston glowed in fractured bands of gold and steel. The mid-spring sun hammered against the slitted, built-in blinds, bleeding through in thin, surgical lines of light that cut across the dark-paneled office. Inside, the enhanced climate system exhaled recycled cold air with mechanical indifference, raising gooseflesh on Addison’s arms despite the heat shimmering outside. She sat stiffly in one of the Authority’s ergonomic chairs across from the man who had once convinced her that science still mattered.

Zane Cleabold looked down at his desk, tapping his old college ring against the polished wood. The sound was soft but relentless, a nervous metronome counting down the seconds until this stopped being a conversation and became an executed decision.

“I’m sorry, Addison, but it’s for the best,” he said.

A harsh laugh escaped her before she could stop it. She brushed a strand of silky dark-brown hair out of her face, the motion sharp, almost defensive. “Why does everybody think they know what’s best for me?” Her voice echoed faintly off the walls, dampened by sound-absorbing panels hidden behind the wood. “I can decide for myself, and I don’t see how my research will do any better at Kuiper Station than it will at main headquarters.”  She leaned forward. “Unless the executive branch has a special interest in keeping it away from Earth.”

Zane finally looked up. Sunlight framed him from behind, outlining his shoulders in a false halo as he folded his hands on the desk. “You’re interested in spatial distortions, and Kuiper Station is becoming the front line of that research. Out there, you’ll have faster access to raw data, clearer sensor arrays, and none of the signal lag you fight every day from Earth.” His voice was measured, diplomatic. Too rehearsed. “It would allow you to figure out what happened to the object more efficiently than you ever could from an Earth-based observatory,” he continued.

Addison narrowed her blue eyes. “A discovery that vanished in the heliopause, and was publicly discredited within forty-eight hours.”

Zane leaned back in his chair, the leather sighing beneath the weight of his medium frame. “I did all I could, but you broke the news too soon. You should have done more verification before publishing.”

Her chair scraped faintly as she straightened, pulling herself as tall as her five-foot-two frame would allow. “I should have researched it more?” Her voice trembled not with fear, but with something closer to rage. “You were eager enough to put your name on that paper when we discovered the radio wave had linguistic structure.” She jabbed a finger toward the desk. “Now it’s disappeared, and suddenly you want distance.”

“It’s been six months since we detected anything,” Zane said quietly. “You have to face the facts.  It’s gone.” He sighed. “Whatever it was isn’t what we thought.”

“Nothing went wrong,” Addison shot back. “Something unexpected happened, and instead of supporting me, everyone turned on me.”

“It’s a failure,” Zane said.

She leaned back, crossing her arms. “Doesn’t fail mean ‘first attempt at learning’?”

Silence stretched between them, thick as a vacuum.

“It’s there,” she continued. “I know it is. Something is happening in the heliopause. You and the rest of the Space Authority are too eager to pretend otherwise.” She leaned forward again. “Are you hiding something, or are you scared?”

“Scared of what?” Zane stood, pacing toward the window. “What we thought was an alien structure turned out to be nothing more than a rogue Kuiper Belt object. A rock. An anomaly.”

“Anomalies don’t just vanish. Some sign or trace is always left.”

“They do when the data is flawed.”

She sank back into her chair, disbelief tightening her chest. “This isn’t like you, Zane. What’s really happening? Are you under pressure from above?”

“No,” he snapped, then softened his tone. “You’re protecting your research. I understand that, but I can’t help you anymore.”

The words landed harder than any accusation. Addison paled. “What happened to ‘our research.’”

Zane ceased his pacing and stared out of the window. “Some theories are right. Some are wrong. This one is wrong. Let it go.” He gestured toward the polluted sky and the dying planet below. “There’s plenty out there—an infinite universe. You aren’t done; you just need to expand your focus. There’s more than just this. Look elsewhere, and I’m sure you’ll find something equally fascinating and groundbreaking.”

“Look elsewhere?” Addison asked quietly. “Casually throw away fifteen years of work, undone by a viral smear campaign? That’s how you mentor me now?”

“You don’t need a mentor anymore, Addison. You can stand on your own.” Zane paused. “Besides, you know that smear campaign was Space Solutions. They undermine our work for profit. Astronomers are easy targets. We’ve seen it so many times that it’s become cliché.”

“And I just became another cliché to the Space Authority,” she muttered. “It may seem trite to you, but it’s a betrayal to me. I didn’t realize that I was disposable.”

He turned back to her. “The best minds don’t stay Earthside anymore. The infrastructure is collapsing. Up there—on the stations and the colonies—it’s stable.”

“Because robots run it,” she said.

“Because AI is building the future instead of trying to save a dead world.”

She almost smiled. Almost. “When were you planning to tell me you’re moving headquarters to Europa?”

Zane froze.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, the screen casting cold light across the room as a synthetic anchor recited the headlines in a polished metallic voice.

“Dr. Zane Cleabold, newly appointed Head of Interstellar Astronomy, announced yesterday thatthe  Space Authority's main headquarters are moving to Europa with the full support of the World Government, in six weeks. This is the latest in a string of relocations due to the government mandate to move interstellar research off Earth to more appropriate interstellar facilities so planetary resources can be directed to the ‘New Eden’ project that will restore the Earth to its intended integrity.”

Zane looked away, carefully taking a seat at his desk.

“It broke an hour ago,” Addison said. “You probably should have fired me this morning.”

“It’s not a termination, it’s a contract transfer,” he insisted.

She stood so fast her chair toppled backward. Her phone slipped from her fingers, striking the plush carpet with a dull thud as she slammed her palms against the desk. “Space Solutions bought an engineering firm that they plan to farm out across the solar system, with the head engineer being transferred to Kuiper Station this morning,” she said. “And now I’m reassigned to a station where very place that discredited me is establishing a major interest. Why would they do that? Why would they target me specifically, and then swipe up my contract as soon as they invest in research on Kuiper Station?”

Zane looked up at her. “You don’t understand. There are bigger forces—”

“You leaked the data,” she said. “You buried the truth. You sacrificed me.”

The room felt smaller now, the walls closing in.

“You were my mentor,” she said, her voice breaking. “Now you’re nothing more than a technocratic politician.”

Zane sagged back into his chair. “Earth is done with us,” he said quietly. “They don’t want saving.”

Addison crossed her arms. “Congratulations, Zane. You made it to the top of the Space Authority, and you’ve sacrificed everything to do it. I hope it’s worth it.”

She turned, each step echoing down the hall beyond the sealed door.

​The future waited beyond Earth’s gravity well, and she would reach it alone.

Hi all, it’s good to be back. My husband’s surgery went well, and he’s on the mend and returning to life. It’s been a rough journey, but we know that this is a necessary path to a brighter future that will allow both of us to enjoy the blessings that lie ahead in life. I’d especially like to thank our family, friends, and church family who generously looked after us with prayers, calls, and meals during the past weeks of this healing journey.

You’ve probably seen me sharing some various posts online in regard to my upcoming release. I hope you’ve enjoyed the character profiles dropping on Instagram and TikTok this week to get to know the five protagonists: Addison, Emerie, Jemina, Landon, and Kylan. Next week I’ll drop scenes from the book to give you more inside looks of what’s coming to prepare you to delve into this brand-new world. Or worlds? Stay tuned. The Dark Mirror Trilogy is going to open up space and reality in new and different ways. If you liked Interstellar, Arrival, or The Expanse, then you’ll want to add this to your TBR list.

One thing about modern science fiction is that you better bring the science to back up the fiction. Today, I’d like to talk about some research and scientific concepts I refer to in Exile, Book One of The Dark Mirror Trilogy, to give you greater context into the story.

Heliopause. Exile opens with Addison’s loss of an object she’s tracking in the heliopause. This is the outermost region of the solar system. The heliosphere is a bubble-like structure surrounding the solar system, and the heliopause is the theoretical boundary where the Sun’s solar wind is stopped by the interstellar medium – the outer wall of the solar system. The Voyager 1 probe crossed the heliopause in August 2012, and the Voyager 2 probe crossed it in November 2018. 

Astronomical Units (A.U.) The location of the object Addison and Emerie are tracking, as well as other distances on Kuiper Station, are measured in Astronomical Units, or A.U. This is the average distance of the Earth from the sun. It’s defined as 92,955,807.3 miles

Kuiper Belt. This is where Kuiper Station is located, where our protagonists go after their exile from Earth. Much like the asteroid belt, this is an area in the outer solar system located 30AU – 50 AU from the sun, extending from the orbit of Neptune.

String Theory. Many of the discoveries our team makes resolves around string theory. This brings together Einstein’s general theory of relativity with quantum mechanics by proposing that all particles are one-dimensional strings that describes the nature of the universe. The vibration of these strings determines the properties of all particles and forces – basically, our reality.

Higgs Boson. This is a complex concept, so here’s a simple overview: this is the fundamental subatomic particle associates with the Higgs field, which permeates the universe and gives mass to other.  It was discovered by physicist Peter Higgs at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, in 2012. It’s also referred to as the “God particle.” This concept is mentioned a couple of times but don’t worry, they don’t delve too deeply into it.

You don’t have to be a physicist or an engineer to understand and enjoy this book. The scientific concepts are integrated into the plot in a way that makes is clear and interesting to readers (I hope you’ll enjoy learning a few things while reading it, as I did in writing it). And never fear, because with five characters there’s plenty of interpersonal drama with this cast of characters! The action isn’t just in the space around. It’s in the space between as well.

You can pre-order Exile at a discount in ebook, paperback, and hardback now. I can’t format the audio book format until the release date, so I have a reminder set to get on that bright and early so you Audible fans can get it at the pre-release and first week discount as well.  If you want something to sink into this universe now, you can get Darkness: A Dark Mirror Prequel Story, for free through BookFunnel. (Amazonwouldn’t do price matching for this one, so it’s $0.99 there). 

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!

​Resources: 
The Heliopause: Everything You Need To Know Guide - The Planets
Voyager and the heliopause: Exploring where… | The Planetary Society
String Theory Explained: A Basic Guide to String Theory - 2026 - MasterClass
Astronomical unit (AU, or au) | Definition, Conversion, & Facts | Britannica
Kuiper Belt
String Theory Explained: A Basic Guide to String Theory - 2026 - MasterClass
Science Made Simple: What is the Higgs Boson (God Particle)?

The nose knows, and this time of year it’s leading us right to the pharmacy for some relief! Today’s entry is a video blog with practical tips on dealing with seasonal allergies. Check out the video for some natural and over-the-counter remedies to help you breathe easier while the world comes alive with a covering of pollen. All of these items are available at CVS and Walgreens, or you can shop for them on Amazon at the links below:
Natural Remedies

• NeilMed Sinus Rinse. Important note: always use distilled water for a sinus rinse! You can also use regular table salt without iodine added.
• Sambucus Black Elderberry.
• Bigelow Lemon Ginger Herbal Tea (caffeine free).

 
Antihistamines. Note that these are non-drowsy formulas, so take them in the morning. Also, if you’re on antacids, take the antacids 2 hours after the antihistamines, as taking them together can cause dizzy spells.

• Fluticasone Propionate (generic Flonase)  - this is ok to use at night.
• Loratadine (generic Claritin)
• Fexofenadine Hydrochloride (generic Allegra)
• Cetirizine Hydrochloride (generic Zyrtec)

Expectorant. Note that this will keep you awake! Directions say take it twice a day, but don’t take it at night. Also, don’t take this with decongestants.

• Guaifenesin (generic Mucinex).

Additional Tips. 

• HEPA Air Filters. These are an investment, but it’s worth it! A nice addition to your home HVAC system filters.
• Vicks VapoRub. This old-fashioned remedy has no modern equal.
• Close windows and use Air Conditioning. This filters out a lot of allergens. 
• Use an N95 mask when outdoors to block allergens. 

Please note that this is not intended as authoritative, official medical instruction. A lot of this advice was given to me by doctors for my specific sinus and allergy issues, and I pass them along in hopes that they will provide you relief. I do encourage you to consult with our own doctor about handling your individual issues and needs appropriately.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great week!

​Bye!

Well, look at this. The girl who is a terrible artist just upgraded to Canva Pro so I can make videos like this one, and I’m actually enjoying it. It just goes to show that what Granddaddy told me all of those decades ago is right: “never say never or the Lord will make you do it to show who the boss is.” In this case, the Lord made it possible courtesy of AI.

How about that?

Life is strange, and that’s a cornerstone theme of The Dark Mirror Trilogy. In fact, it was this very theme of the unexpected twists and turns of life and learning things you never thought you’d have to know that led me to start writing Exile last year. I’ve found myself facing many things that expanded my knowledge in amazing ways, with AI being a large part of it in the past year. I took a whole new approach to writing and developing this trilogy, and as a result I not only am publishing it faster, but I’m taking an active role in reader outreach and publicity – and discovering that I enjoy it!

It’s a pleasant surprise. Who ever thought I could generate a video on Canva on the couch from my iPad after a workout? Who knew the powerful ways that ChatGPT can help me edit and proofread my novel in a fraction of the time – and no costs – to prepare it for publication faster. Who knew how all of this AI and videos could help expand my social media outreach? Who knew I could do my own book covers? And trust me when I say that I never thought I’d do book trailers, but I did the one for Exile and I think I’ve found a new thing for myself – being my own Professional Assistant! Best of all, I’ve learned a valuable lesson this past year that changed my whole attitude about book marketing: it’s not about selling books. It’s about building a supportive community between writer and reader. It’s fun to do these videos, and to actually talk to my readers. And if I’m having a serious introvert day, I’ll just shut up.

Seriously, this writing project was not only a fun world to live in, but it’s led to amazing discoveries that have thrilled me, and I hope that the joy of discovering new skills, abilities, and expansion of life resonates with you when Exile, Book One of The Dark Mirror Trilogy, releases on May 5.  You can preorder it now and I’ll get the AudioBook version released on May 5 (it has to be live to do that), but in the meantime I have a gift for you. It’s a free prequel short story titled “Darkness.” This take place before Exile and gives you an idea of what to expect in the reality that unfolds in that series. Click on the title to dive into this world.  I’m also still welcoming ARC Readers for Exile. You can email me at sherrithewriter@yahoo.com if you’re interested in joining my ARC team, and I’ll send you the BookFunnel link for a free copy in exchange for a review on Amazon when the book goes live.

That’s all today. You take care, and have a great week!

​Bye!

I recently gave the talk in the YouTube Video on the main page about my writing journey, and somebody came up to me afterward and said “I’ll never read your books because I don’t care for sci-fi, but I enjoyed the talk.”

“That’s ok!” I told her. “Reading my books isn’t a requirement to be part of the Broken Reality community. You can still follow my social media to help and encourage others. Sci-fi isn’t for everyone, but the message is!”

I meant it, too. Broken Reality is more than books, it’s a place for middle age women who are seeking new adventures and reaching for greater purpose in mid-life, and beyond. It's for us outcasts to embrace our power and unleash it on the world because, as this article says, the outcasts are the truly powerful ones. We’re Generation X, folks and I don’t think we’re forgotten. They act like it, but the truth is that they’re intimidated by our boldness and independence. Classic gaslighting, but we have plenty of experience with that. We may be a small generation, but we’re mighty. We’ve never been bound by conformity to mediocrity, and it’s funny that the world thinks we will be now.

The opinions don’t matter because we’ve learned not to take them personally. Opinions are subjective, and we understand that different things speak to different people. It’s a big world out there, and that’s ok. It’s good that there’s variety to reach out to all places, from the niche to the mainstream. In fact, I often say that “mainstream” is mediocrity because it’s the lowest common denominator that impresses the most and offends the least. It’s also why it isn’t stable, but authenticity is. You can’t be shaken by what’s popular or pressured into conformity when you know your soul, and how to connect with others who share that vision. 

It takes vision to be bold enough to step out against a world that wants to keep us in a box. We aren’t impressionable anymore, and yearn to break free and create something real. It’s part of our nature. Every human being shares creative and redeeming power in this world, and it takes boldness to name it, claim it, and tear down the walls of those who are burned by the light of others.

Let them burn. Your job is to shine brightly, and to tear down the walls you’re trapped behind. Life feels confining because you’re growing, and that’s good because you’re supposed to grow! The nature of the universe is evolution, and that applies at all levels. Cells mutate so life can grow into this expansive space that keeps spreading further and further. Take up that space!

They say “when one door closes, another opens.” I say tear down the walls, and if it’s a load-bearing wall, we’ll make like Samson and take it down. Sometimes reconstruction is the best way to build something more sustainable.
From grunge to retirement, Gen X is still ignoring the norms because we aren’t mediocre. We were born knowing the world is broken, and have learned that it doesn't want to be fixed. Why try? Our effort is better spent on bettering ourselves, and we know that true power comes from within.  We’ve upped our standards, and the world trying to gaslight, trap, and silence us as “irrelevant” know the truth:

Up yours.

Grab a sledgehammer if you’re with me. It’s time to tear it down.

That’s all today! Take care, and have a great week.

​Bye!