THE LOBBY

People have always decided who I am faster than they should. I expected that to fade with age. It didn’t. Adults just do it with more confidence. They assign motive based on appearance, draw conclusions without evidence, and warn each other about a version of me they invented. I used to correct it. Now I don’t. Letting assumptions stand tells me more than defending myself ever did.

The Dark Beneath — Unmasking Evil Vacancy doesn’t mean empty. It means someone left without taking everything with them. In the world of The Dark Beneath, this roadside motel doesn’t trap people or chase them. It doesn’t need to. The beds remember weight, pressure, the moment a body realizes it isn’t leaving the way it arrived. Checkout is offered. Completion is not.

People love hiding behind “good intentions” when their behavior causes damage. But intent doesn’t erase impact — and meaning well doesn’t make a pattern harmless. This lesson breaks down why “I didn’t mean it like that” is the most popular alibi, how sincerity keeps accountability delayed, and why adults are responsible for outcomes, not just motives. If someone keeps hurting you politely, the problem isn’t misunderstanding. It’s permission.

Stories are easy to tell. They adapt, soften, and explain just enough to sound believable. Patterns don’t do that. They repeat quietly, without concern for how they’re received. Over time, they reveal what stories try to smooth over — the habits, behaviors, and consistencies that don’t change no matter how the explanation does. When I write crime, it’s those repetitions I trust most. Not because they’re dramatic, but because they persist.

The autopsy was routine until someone noticed the reflection. Not a staff member. Not equipment. A man’s face, faintly visible in the stainless steel beside the body. At first it was dismissed as distortion—until the same face appeared in another case, and another, each tied to brutal, rage-filled murders where the killer was never found. The bodies stopped moving. The photos didn’t. And whoever was responsible never seemed to leave the room.

Charm wins early. Consistency tells the truth. Anyone can show up strong once, say the right things, and create intensity that feels meaningful. But performances fade. Patterns don’t. This lesson breaks down why charm is easy, why consistency is rare, and how to stop mistaking effort spikes for commitment. Because confusion isn’t chemistry — it’s information you’ve been ignoring.

Case files are built on what can be recorded — dates, times, locations, statements that hold their shape. But real moments don’t always cooperate. There’s a space between what gets written down and what actually happens in a room. Pauses. Avoided answers. Shifts in tone after the recorder stops. Those moments aren’t evidence. They don’t belong in reports. And yet, they’re often the ones that stay with you long after a case is considered closed.

In a small East Texas town, the obituary page was never about surprises—it was about confirmation. That’s why people noticed when a familiar name appeared too early, written with the kind of detail only someone who knew the ending could manage. The paper called it an error. Then it happened again. And again. Soon, the page stopped announcing deaths and started scheduling them.

Join the Find & Color the Suspect Challenge from Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni: The Coloring Book! Hidden suspects appear on select pages—spot them, color them, and upload your finished artwork in the comments. The first 10 readers to find and share all hidden suspects will win a free audiobook and have their pages featured on the author’s website. Dive into suspense, secrets, and eerie East Texas landscapes in this interactive coloring experience.

Every January, people act like the calendar hit a reset button. New year. New you. Clean slate. That’s cute — and wildly untrue. Time doesn’t erase patterns. Champagne doesn’t fix habits. And January doesn’t magically change decisions you’ve been avoiding for years. Fresh starts feel productive because they require hope, not action. But real change doesn’t come from a new year — it comes from new decisions. This lesson breaks down why “fresh starts” fail and what actually cre