The Dare We Shared

The Dare We Shared

In 2025, I dared myself to step out of my comfort zone. Write a book and self-publish it – take the risk on myself. I’d never really stuck with a hobby before, but writing became so much more to me. In practice, it became my truth, but writing a book with my best friend, Ellie Belmont, became my dare.

Maybe all artists who create something at some point feel this way. Here I am, creating something for myself, with my best friend for a stranger’s consumption, and (hopefully) for their enjoyment. 

Publishing has been a little taxing on this dream, but I was lucky enough to have Ellie on this endeavor with me. We’ve known each other for nineteen years, and after writing a book together, we’re still great friends! Spending numerous late nights on the phone after working my day job turned out to be well worth the cost. Writing was the outlet and escape I needed to feel most like myself. And hour after hour, word by word, our story meandered, found its footing, was rewritten, edited, and eventually became what it is today. We were both invested in giving our book the care and chunks of our hearts it demanded. And having someone to share the passion and vision with, as well as the struggles and pain, was invaluable.

Ellie and I celebrated and lamented together. And throughout the process, we dared to immerse ourselves in building and developing a writing practice that worked for us. The result was releasing our debut novel, Camp Love out into the world last summer. 

‍Camp Love takes place at Camp Starlight, a summer camp for adults. We wanted to give readers a place full of joy that encouraged curiosity and brought out those feelings of nostalgia, found family, and fun. The characters don’t play truth or dare in this book, but social games like this are definitely happening behind the scenes in this camp atmosphere. 

Our main male character, Jamie, starts off as an overworked lawyer who never takes time for himself, a sentiment many of us can relate to. Stressed out by everyday life, the need to go recharge at a place like Camp Starlight is an appealing one. 

But just as Jamie starts to relax, he's faced with a challenge he never saw coming: how do you unwind after running into your ex-girlfriend, Autumn, who’s also the camp counselor? The feelings Jamie once had for her reignite as they reconnect as adults.Together, they must decide if it is worth taking the dare and choosing each other, or if the feelings they’re harboring are just the result of camp love.

This all started on a drive where Ellie and I realized we had a similar spark, and an idea was born. As I think back to that conversation, how connecting with friends can reveal what you want to learn and what your truths are. Maybe in those connections, you’ll think of what’s worth daring yourself for. This one definitely paid off.

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