Let’s skip the part where I try to sound perfectly polished—because this story isn’t about perfection. It’s about pain. It’s about shame. And it’s about the quiet, raw courage of living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a chronic skin disease that no one talks about and even fewer understand.
I live with it. And for years, I said nothing. Then I wrote a blog. Became an advocate. Now I am writing books about it.
Book 1: Not Like The Others (YA) – Talia, a 14-year-old girl, hides her first HS symptoms behind hoodies and fake smiles. She’s scared of her body, scared of doctors, and terrified of being seen as “gross.”
Book 2: Not Like The Others: But Unapologetically Me (New Adult) – Amari, a college athlete, finally gets a diagnosis. She takes control of her health but still wrestles with stigma, romance, and redefining strength.
Book 3: Not Like The Others: But Hiding It Well (Adult Women’s Fiction) – Elena, a corporate professional in her 30s, has severe HS. She’s built her life around hiding—until someone kind forces her to confront what it’s costing her.
Book 4: Not Like The Others: And Struggling to Accept (Contemporary Male POV) – Rowan, a nursing student, has visible HS on his head and legs. He wants to help others—but isn’t sure how to help himself.
These characters aren’t loosely inspired—they are fragments of me, and of countless people living with HS who’ve never seen their pain reflected in fiction. This isn’t a “look how brave we are” narrative—it’s messy, funny, vulnerable, and deeply honest.
While each book can be read independently, collectively they explore the impact of a skin disease on one's identity.
Fans of Girl in Pieces, The Fault in Our Stars, or Everything, Everything will connect with the emotional intimacy, while readers of Kristin Hannah or Laurie Halse Anderson will recognize the thematic depth.
