In the shadow of the Utah Mesas, a medical student is about to discover that some corporations don’t just bury their skeletons—they process them. Alice Zenith moved to Utah to escape a tragic past in New York, seeking a quiet life and a fresh start at the Bare Bones corporation. But when her roommate disappears after a night out with a mysterious stranger, Alice’s quiet life shatters. Thrust into a reality that rivals her worst nightmares, Alice finds her only ally is her antagonist: Nash. He is a grouchy, brooding ancient creature... and the only one willing to give her the answers she needs. ...Or is he? Time isn't on her side. Armed with nothing but magical stones and ash, Alice is forced to stitch up the ancient paranormal creatures that the locals are too terrified to discuss. Will Alice listen to the warnings and run? Or will she lose her heart before then? Bones: The Awakening is a steep gateway to a world of old gods, dark monsters and original North American lore. These characters asked to be written. I obliged. I didn't write a story about a "vampire prince falling in love with a human girl". I got tired of the typical, "fluffy" stories in fiction today. Even as a young author I was obsessed with character development. So, I wrote the human experience: I wrote thriller, gritty realiity, and nightmares based on folklore and culture. I wrote slow burns and psychological trauma.Alice's journey is a true hero arc, akin to the ones of old. Its not soft. It's not gentle. This is not your sweet romance story. My mom says it's "bad" enough to give her nightmares, my only question is: will you stay the course? Or will you run? I tapped into the raw reality of my own life and experiences for this fever dream. This is Book 1 of a 4 book journey that spans centuries, beliefs and cultures. This is only just the beginning. Ready to see whats inside? Buckle up. J. R. Stokoe grew up on a farm in the Empire State. She spent her childhood walking barefoot through the forests, beneath the shivering cottonwoods, picking arrowheads from the overturned neighboring farm fields, hunting for deer sheds, and writing stories. She brings her lived-in experiences of nature and the world to her writing including scents of dirt, snow, and blood because it's there in her daily life; the minute details of her own reality brought to paper. Additionally, she channels her lifetime of training horses and high energy dogs to detail the wild "creature-ness" of her monsters, and an understanding of psychology to the trauma.  Red Smith once said about writing stories:  You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins, and bleed . For J. R. this has been the experience. Anything worth doing is worth enduring the pain for. Anything worth reading is worth pushing through the darkest parts. And, any life worth living is worth the messy human reality of growth and pain.