Phoenix Rising, Lemuria Down

Cody Redman was supposed to be set for life. As the childhood star of his own viral YouTube channel, fame and fortune should have been a given. Instead, he's broke, directionless, and living off takeout while partying with his equally aimless friends. Turns out, having your identity shaped by the internet at age 15 doesn't exactly pave the way for a stable adulthood.

And neither did having parents who took the money and ran.

When his family's bad decisions come back to haunt him, Cody is forced to hit pause on the one bright spot in his life-a new romance-and disappear to Lemuria Down, a man-made island built for reinvention. There, he can either keep running from the past or finally face the pain of the past that he's been burying for years.

Told with wit and charm, this satirical coming of age story explores the disorienting legacy of childhood fame, the weight of hidden truths, and the quiet resilience it takes to move on.

Rod Drought is the author of five poetry collections that span the first half of his life in a small New York town to his later years in Arizona. Drought is a brother, father, grandfather, and decent friend. The author's work can be found at droughtsthirst.com. Phoenix Rising, Lemuria Down is his first novel.