The first book in a series inspired by Arrowverse, Gotham, and Agents of Shield. Susan Johnson used to be Height City’s protector. When she died, her daughter, Alice, was left alone in a city filled with secrets and sin. Plagued by nightmares, Alice navigates her way through grief, friendship, and understanding her powers. For two years, she has been going through the motions. She wants to disappear. Would anyone care if she did? Her father is too wrapped up in his own misery to notice hers. Her best friend is oblivious to the truth and moving forward with her life. One day, Alice takes her camera and heads to her favorite diner. There, she meets Casey, a girl with a checkered past and a violent present. She’s the Crime Queen’s champion. Worlds collide and lives change as the two become friends and Alice starts questioning her future. Will she choose to follow in her mother’s footsteps or will she leave Height City to erupt in flames? Follow Alice, Casey, and their friends as they try to survive high school, mean girls, secrets, relationships, murder, fire, friendship, and their parents in this first installment of The Masks series. "If Quentin Tarantino directed a season of Saved by the Bell (with superheroes)" - Instagram Reviewer "Good book, I'm curious to see where the series goes." I loved Casey. Definitely worth a read." - Goodreads Reviewer "Payton Balog created a group of very diverse characters that I enjoyed following. I liked how the book split off and had multiple POVs for the multiple main characters so you could get a glimpse of each of their individual lives until it all came together and they started webbing into each other's lives...." - Goodreads Reviewer. Full review on Goodreads. "Fans of Riverdale and Marvel Universe, you're not going to want to miss this book! The Masks combines the gritty town and complex relationships of the hit TV series with the superpowers of the legendary comic books and movies franchise. The Masks: Our Origins is dark, yet hopeful, and I believe you'll be enthralled until the very last word..." - Goodreads Reviewer. Full review on Goodreads. Payton Balog is an indie author who loves to write stories with found family vibes, romance, adventure, fun banter and emotional storylines. When she's not writing, she's often thinking about her characters. And she's a survivor of chronic kidney disease. She adores cats, journals, books, and french fries.