Dear Reader,

In the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, which I like to browse through from time to time, the word mayhem is defined as “needless or willful damage or violence.” When I first thought of Jake Kramer, I saw him as a boy whose life was filled with mayhem.

From the time Jake was born, he was destined to do something great. Unfortunately, that glory was overshadowed by pain and rage toward everyone he deemed responsible for his lot in life. In the end, Jake must choose between anger and love. And he must decide which one will define his destiny.

Jake’s experience is like so many students today who are bullied at school. You constantly hear tragic stories of teenagers who endure the verbal, emotional and physical trauma of bullying. I thought it was important to touch on this subject, since it is becoming all too common. Maybe if more of us talked about it, we might be able to do something about it.

Writing Mayhem was an emotional journey that I knew I would have to tackle once I began writing the first pages of Manifest. I’m so glad that Jake has good friends like Krystal, Sasha, Lindsey and now Twan. He’s one of my favorite Mystyx, so I’m glad to share Jake’s story with you.

Dream big,

Artist