This order will come with a DRM-free epub file.

Publication date: August 12 2025. An 8” x 5” novella.

Every decade or so, vast quantities and varieties of wildflowers bloom all at once in Death Valley. But unbeknownst to the wider world, these super blooms are powered by a woman’s life. Mar Ramse lost her mother to Death Valley as a teenager and would give anything to break her family’s curse, but now the desert whispers its call to her. However, she still has a single ace up her sleeve: neither she nor her brother will ever have children. Is it enough for the desert to release its grip on her family? 

Cover illustration by K. Rose Meyer. Cover design by dave ring.

PRAISE

"Death Valley Blooms expertly toes the line between hopelessness and tenderness, between the horrors of what is to come and the small joys of today. Centering familial relationships, this novella explores everything we pass down: curses, love, and everything in between."

—A.D. Sui, author of The Dragonfly Gambit

"Death Valley Blooms is a breathtaking, atmospheric novella that explores hard-hitting topics such as gendered inheritance, mourning, and sacrifice with an impressively light touch. S.M. Mack's writing is full of humor and sobriety, which held my attention from start to finish. If you enjoy stories that bridge meditative, slice-of-life scenes with fast-paced action, this book will not disappoint."

— Liza Wemakor, author of Loving Safoa

"This is a gorgeous novella from an important new talent—sharp, lyrical, and deeply honest about family relationships. Read S.M. Mack now, before everyone else discovers her work."

—Theodora Goss, author of The Thorn and the Blossom