From Notebook Scribbles to Studio Lights — A Little Girl from West Virginia’s Unreal Moment

There are moments in life that don’t quite feel real while you’re living them.

Standing behind the *304 Today* desk holding my books in my hands was one of those moments for me.

And honestly? I was nervous.

I definitely stammered a little. My heart was racing. I worried about saying the wrong thing, sounding awkward, or not fully finding my words in the moment. But underneath all of that nervousness was something much bigger:

Pure excitement.

Because this wasn’t just about appearing on television.

This was about a little girl from West Virginia who spent years filling notebooks with strange stories, eerie ideas, imaginary towns, and characters that refused to leave her alone.

It was about proving to myself that those stories mattered.

That *Brakesville* mattered.

That Appalachian stories deserve to be told.

To stand there holding *Beyond the Raspberry Bushes: Scarecrow of Crawdad Creek* and *The Mystery of Cerise Falls* felt surreal in the best possible way. These stories lived quietly in my head and heart for so long before they ever became real books sitting under studio lights.

And if I’m being honest, I don’t think moments like this are ever truly about perfection.

They’re about courage.

Showing up nervous anyway.

Speaking anyway.

Creating anyway.

As an indie author, every opportunity feels deeply personal because so much of this journey has been built slowly, quietly, and with the incredible support of readers, friends, family, local businesses, and this amazing Appalachian community around me.

I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunity to appear on *304 Today* and talk about the worlds I’ve created through Tibbi Ann Hardix and Brakesville.

This journey started with notebook pages and late-night ideas years ago.

Now somehow… those stories are finding their way into the world.

And that little girl from West Virginia is still trying to process it all. 🖤

— Tibbi Ann Hardix