Local author pens second book in dystopian trilogy
Mason conceived the idea for the trilogy during brainstorming sessions but then placed it in her Dropbox for a length of time. When Dropbox terms and conditions were updated, Mason was notified she had something stored away.
She found her trilogy, “The Forged,” and was reminded of the possibilities it contained. She said she has rewritten the first book two or three times since that initial iteration.
Mason grew up in Boise, Idaho. After graduating high school, she moved to McMinnville to attend Linfield College (now university). Even though she spent most of her time as a child journaling, Mason studied international business. She said she wanted to travel abroad and eventually toured France and England.
Mason, currently the community engagement manager at the News-Register and a yoga instructor on the side, works on her books in her free time.
She chose dystopian fiction because she enjoys reading the genre, and it’s a topic anyone of any age can relate to, she said. She feels it’s something young people can say, “I can see this happening in my group”; and older generations can relate to as well, remembering experiencing it.
The first book in the trilogy, “Shattered,” was published by a small press April 3, 2025. Mason is republishing the book under her own name, hopefully in a few weeks. Her second book is titled “Merged,” and her third book will be called “Forged.”
“The Forged” series is set in Portland and Boise. She feels it’s important to use real places in fiction because it helps the audience relate to what you’re writing.
In her writing, however, Portland and Boise are swapped. Instead of a big city, Portland becomes a rural land that’s mainly uninhabited. In turn, Boise becomes a bustling metropolitan hub.
Mason set her story 110 years in the future to explain some natural disasters that might happen in that time. She considers what would happen and where society is most likely to fall apart.
During these natural disasters, people would flee to Portland because a big city means more resources, she said. However, Portland would become overwhelmed and shut down. Hydroelectricity becomes the most significant resource, and Boise naturally has a lot of water.
The city already has four dams, but Mason adds one or two more. She has a map in her office displaying which parts of Boise would be underwater in her future setting. She accomplishes this by setting her series in the future, giving time to make these changes believable.
Her series is about “making your way through and finding hope at the end.” Starting with “Shattered,” Mason’s books center around a character named Tessa. She is 14 when she loses her family in a tragic event and is forced to move in with an aunt and uncle she hardly knows. She must navigate her grief and go to public school for the first time, all while uncovering strange memories that hint at her parent’s death not being the accident she thought it was.
Tessa has a mantra she uses when she’s stressed or struggling: “Focused. Breathe in, breathe out.” This is a mantra Mason herself uses and benefits from. It shows how her work as a yoga instructor influences her life and her writing in positive ways.
Before Mason became an author, she didn’t realize everything that goes into writing and publishing a book. There’s promotion and marketing, getting volunteer readers, getting your book in reader’s hands, and so much more. She said when you’re trying to sell your book, “everyone becomes a salesperson for you.”
“Fiction is a way to learn through the imagination. It gives us a safe space to process emotions and thoughts,” Mason said.
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