Writing The Glass Pedestal was not just an exercise in storytelling; it was a necessary reclamation of my own mind, my own voice, and my own history. For a long time, the shadows in the house were quiet, and the chemical fog was thick. Surviving a relationship with a high-conflict, malignant personality often means living in a constant state of hyper-vigilance, where your boundaries are eroded so slowly that you don't realize you are a hostage until the walls are already closing in.
To anyone who has ever stood in the ashes of their own life, looking at absolute zero because someone they loved decided to light their world on fire: you are not alone. The clarity you fight for is real. The return of your brilliant mind is a coup worth staging.
Sanctuaries can be rebuilt, timber by timber. But the strength it takes to walk away into the crisp winter air, clear-headed and unbroken—that belongs entirely to you.
— Cheyenne Maryland Quinn
Writing When the Pedestal Shatters was both the hardest and most healing thing I have ever done.
While the story is presented as a work of fiction, its roots are deeply personal. Like Sasha, I once found myself trapped on a pedestal built from someone else's control, mistaking a suffocating chokehold for love. This book is loosely based on my own lived experiences with narcissistic abuse, coercive control, stalking, and the agonizing process of dismantling an abusive relationship while trying to protect my child.
The panic, the isolation, the exhausting hyper-vigilance, and that phantom ringing of fear in the quiet hours…none of those were fabricated. They were my daily reality.
However, because this is a novel, certain creative liberties were taken. For the safety, privacy, and protection of those involved, all names, characters, locations, and identifying details have been changed or heavily fictionalized. The dramatic, high-stakes physical showdown at the limestone ranch was crafted to give the story the pacing and climax of a thriller.
But the emotional truth? That is entirely real.
The legal battle, the manipulation of the court systems, and the terrifying moment of realizing you have to stand your ground and fight for your own life are experiences shared by far too many survivors of domestic abuse and stalking.
I wrote this book for anyone who has ever had to look over their shoulder, anyone who has been made to feel "too fragile" to survive, and anyone who is currently trying to find their way out of the woods. Leaving an abuser is rarely a single, clean break; it is a chaotic, terrifying minefield. If you recognize yourself or your story in these pages, please know this:
You are not crazy. You are not weak. And you are absolutely not alone.
It is my deepest hope that Sasha’s journey from a fragile glass pedestal to the unyielding strength of solid ground serves as a reminder of your own resilience. We are all capable of building our own fortresses, reclaiming our peace, and stepping onto solid ground.
Happy Reading!
— Cheyenne Maryland Quinn