The Creation Story of Rae Andino

Since I was little, there was always this version of me in my head that could tackle any problem I dealt with. She always said the right things, she was lovable and kind, stomach-achingly hilarious, and most importantly, she was unbreakable. She could punch my abuser right in their stupid face. She could fly around the world and force world leaders to do the right thing. She could project her consciousness in the mind of every single human being and tell them all that life is only worth living if it’s lived with compassion, empathy, and love. She could piece our broken world back together, and do so looking super fucking cool.

She was everything I couldn't be for myself.

And a few days after receiving my iPad, I had finally given her a name, Rae Andino, and a purpose:

To give a voice to the issues I've struggled with all of my life, to find friendships that are grounding and real, and to fall in love with someone who is worthy of her.

She gives me hope, and I hope she can spread that feeling to every one of my readers, and maybe a small part of our broken world will begin to heal.

The idea that in an infinite universe, with multiverses of every single kind, shape, and inhabitants, that means that Rae Andino exists. Nyx Darling exists. They’re out there somewhere living a life, living multiple lives, together, and when they are apart, they spend their days searching for each other. That’s the kind of life I choose to live in, filled with promise and possability.

I also like to think that there is a version of Rae Andino who can see through the multiverse as mine can, and somehow found me. She found my life, a simple human life, and began writing about it as I have hers. And this, inspired the idea for the fourth book in the series, a novella about a girl named Emma Hesse, written by the author Rae Andino.

“I will love you in this life, and every other.”