In the gas-lit streets of 1830s New Orleans, every piece of silk hides a secret, and every shadow tells a lie.Vivi St. James is the "Last Pearl" of her family's prestigious modiste, a girl destined for the glittering ballrooms of the French Quarter. But the St. James legacy is not built on beauty alone. It is held together by an "Iron" resolve and a debt ten generations deep-a curse of emerald eyes and a "life for a life" bargain that has finally come due.When Vivi is found breathless on the banks of the Mississippi, the city mourns a tragic accident. But Vivi is not gone. Trapped as a "Mist Person" between the world of the living and the deep silence of the dead, she discovers a devastating truth: her death was no accident, but the final price demanded by an ancient debt.To save what remains of her bloodline, Vivi must reach across the veil to Jordan-the brother she never knew existed. A boy of the swamp with a leather patch over a secret he doesn't yet understand, Jordan is the only one who can help Vivi break the Emerald Thread. In finding him, the treacherous waters of a vengeance that spans centuries and the iron-walled secrets of Rue Royale will finally be revealed.In a city where the dead never truly leave, Vivi must untangle a web of century-old secrets and confront her family's legacy before the shadows claim the only person she has left to save.A haunting Gothic tale of legacy, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bond between siblings, The Emerald Thread explores the price of freedom in a world where the past refuses to stay buried. Stephanie K. Butler, aka S.J. Laurent, is a native of New Orleans who never intended to become an "expert"-just a storyteller who followed a therapeutic spark. Her debut novel, The Emerald Thread, began as a creative exercise fueled by a lifelong love for the research and lore of her beloved hometown.At twenty-one, she traded the bayou for the road, beginning a twenty-year journey as a military wife that took her from one end of the country to the other. Throughout thirty-five years of marriage to her husband, Leon, she has worn many hats, but her favorite roles have been as a mother to her two sons: Leon (Léo the baker) and Jordan (pronounced with a proper French flair).Now a true empty nester, Stephanie spends her days in San Antonio, Texas, staying active in her church and occasionally disappearing down a YouTube rabbit hole. When she isn't documenting historical fashion, she can be found diamond painting for her "exclusive" audience on her YouTube channel, Diamonds and Lagniappe-which currently boasts three videos and a loyal following of three (mostly her husband and kids). She shares her home with her husband and her two beloved fur babies: Moxie, the resident crazy one, and Poppy, the house's old soul. While this marks her first foray into fiction, with her creativity finally unleashed, it likely won't be her last.
