Deadly College Murders: Original Ending

When I began writing my book Deadly College Murders in 2019, it took a great deal of courage for me to decide that I wanted my work to be published… someday. I waited patiently for five years while the story and my confidence slowly took shape. Early on, before I finished the manuscript, I had an original ending in mind for Hannah: after uncovering who was behind the Deadly College Murders and learning the truth about what had happened to her, she was going to move to New York to work in fashion. Everything shifted, though, during a trip to Paris in November 2023. I was completely mesmerized by the city’s lights, the French culture, and the simple pleasure of eating a warm crêpe, and those impressions changed my vision for Hannah. In the end I chose Paris as her final destination, where she would begin a new chapter of her life alongside her godfather, Rafael.

In the original ending, Hannah was also going to end up with her best friend Daniel, but I changed it so the character would learn a meaningful lesson and so Hannah could show readers—especially female readers—that one does not need a man to feel complete. I drew some inspiration from General Hospital, specifically the storyline where Bobby fell for Noah Drake; Noah rejected her, and only when she was getting married did he realize he had let her slip through his fingers. Eventually Hannah and Rafael end up going to Paris, where Rafael will help her heal from the trauma she endured.