Danny Bennet was adopted, but other than being raised by her two dads, her childhood was as mundane as her friends'. That is, until she learned that her biological parents had passed on the power to enter people's dreams and affect their waking lives. Before Danny has time to start processing this, she becomes the target of a dangerous group bent on stealing her power. They'll resort to anything, even kill, to get it. Love. Lies. Magic. Deceit. Fighting for her life.


"When I started writing CEREUS (Savant 2017) I intended for it to be in the style of my favorite genre, young adult magical fiction. However, as time passed, I found threads of more serious issues appearing in the work," says Roux. "Foremost, the haunting issue of addiction bound the tapestry of Danny's new found world. The story reveals how easily one can become addicted and how that addiction usually begets destruction if kept a secret or ignored and left to spiral off on its own. Also, the age-old struggle between good and evil and how power corrupts formed a myriad of other points that inspired deeper thought. These issues not only help anchor the story, but also make the characters come alive," Roux explains. "They felt so real sometimes I found myself wondering over coffee if Danny had had another bad dream the night before -- one of which I, the author, wasn't yet aware. Then I would wonder what Nick and Mike were doing, and I would hope for something to happen between Alisa and Jeremy which would finally lead Danny to see who each character really is!"


Despite these threads of darker issues, CEREUS (Savant 2017) is, overall, a light, fun read, focusing on Danny and her discovery of the truth surrounding her dreams; the mystery of Mikki, the little boy whose existence and death nobody but Danny acknowledges; the love triangle between Mike, Nick and Danny; and lastly, the secrets surrounding the legend of the magical plant, the Night Cereus.


"I've always enjoyed writing, but creating Danny's world took writing to a whole new level for me," Roux says. "The magical things Danny is able to do; the things that she still doesn't even know she can do! I'm sitting here rubbing my hands, because I can't wait for readers to pick up this book and become as engrossed in Danny's world as I am."


Yes, Danny was hoping for a memorable senior year, but will she survive long enough to graduate? There's only one way to find out…