Content Warnings

My Policy

I’ve been publishing for twenty years and there have been a lot of changes in that time, from the evolution of language to the debate on content notes. Rather than edit all my files, I’ll be linking to this page and updating it regularly. This page is a work in progress. With some older books I haven’t reread for several years, I might not recall every specific trigger, and if I’ve missed something, I apologize. I am doing my best.

My position on CW/CNs is that I will make a reasonable effort to note major elements that commonly, negatively impact a person with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In essence, I do not want you to have a three-day PTSD flashback episode because you read a book of mine about domestic violence without being prepared. I try to note page time (or if something serious is off page but significant).

What I do not do is warn for:

• nebulous concepts such as “sadness”
• the mere existence of illness or disability
• tropes or plot tags
• consensual sex scenes
• coarse language
• drug and alcohol use that is not part of addiction
• every minor thing someone on the planet might not like–my concern is for those with actual trauma and who are in recovery

I also also tend to assume basic media literacy and that it’s expected my murder mysteries will tend to include murder; my horror will include scenes designed to illicit fear; I write for adults so there will potentially be coarse language, sex scenes, etc.

With my own use of seeking out content notes, I find there is a point where they become useless for me without any context. I do offer some context with these. Your miles may vary.

Please note that violence (including sometimes sexual violence and sometimes child abuse) and murder, gore, death and grief, and anxiety/depression/suicide ideation and other mental health issues are common in my books. Parents die, kids die–everyone but the pets can die. If you have a specific PTSD trigger, please feel free to email me and ask what books might be okay for you to read.

What you will not find here is disclosure of any of my personal experiences with any subjects in my books. I support readers seeking out “Own Voices” books but I will not answer any questions about what particular representations I identify with or my own trauma or medical history that “qualifies” me to write what I do. If this is a problem, I wish readers better luck elsewhere.

Livi Talbot Series Summary

This is an action/adventure series that involves a lot of violence (including gun violence), sometimes between people and sometimes between people and mythological creatures. Violence against women and sexual assault is an ongoing subject matter (the main character is a rape survivor). Mental health and the breakdown of unhealthy coping mechanisms for anxiety and depression are a common theme.

Livi Talbot Individual Books

Demons of Oblivion Series Summary

This is a classic urban fantasy series with a lot of on-page violence including gun violence, explosions, and physical fights. Domestic violence and sexual assault (mostly off page but on page recollection and discussion) come up in various books. Mental health episodes involving depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation come up in various books.

Demons of Oblivion Individual Books

River Wolfe Series Summary

This is my only series that brings up animal death (wild animals, specifically wolves). There is high school bullying and mental health episodes involving suicide ideation.

River Wolfe Individual Books

Elis O’Connor Series Summary

Elis is a serial killer of abusive men so this series frequently addresses sexism, misogyny, and harassment. There is a lot of on-page violence, usually involving magic so it’s more over the top (this is, in essence, a power fantasy). The loss of Elis’s mother and her grief is an ongoing subject matter.

Elis O’Connor Individual Books

Waverly Jones Mysteries Series Summary

This series grapples with contemporary issues such as police brutality, violence against women, sexual violence, and murder. The books border on thriller; they are not cozy mysteries and depictions opt for gritty, realistic, and often graphic. The main character has a host of mental health issues and will, at times, have thoughts involving suicidal ideation and disassociation. The main series mystery involves a killer who dismembers his victims so please approach these with the assumption that it’s going to come up a lot in varying levels of detail; I’m not listing here every single mention.

Waverly Jones Mysteries Individual Books

Standalone Books

Themes in standalone books vary, but in general you’ll find similar elements to the rest of my books. These are all horror and/or thrillers–they are designed to be tense, scary, and cathartic, and deal with dark/heavy scenes with traumatized characters; I do not do cozy.