Heather Ogden

ABOUT THE BOOK

Angelette Arabella thought she understood the cost of loyalty. But when fragments of truth begin to surface, she realizes her father’s betrayals run deeper than she ever imagined. Each secret unearthed threatens not only her family’s legacy, but the fragile order of their authoritarian world. As rebellion brews in the shadows, Angelette must navigate a landscape where trust is a weapon and truth itself has been stolen.

Across the capital, Valerius Arabella tightens his grip on a nation built from deception. Yet even he cannot control the ghosts rising from his own lies or the daughter determined to expose them.

While Of Stolen Truths is the second book in the series, it can also be read as a standalone story, introducing readers to Angelette’s struggle with truth, power, and identity on its own terms.

Told through interwoven perspectives, Of Stolen Truths is a haunting YA dystopian story about the price of awakening, the courage to defy power, and the dangerous beauty of knowing too much. As the lines between justice and vengeance blur, Angelette must decide whether she will protect the truth or be consumed by it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Ogden is a novelist passionate about fantasy and magical realism. Her novels, The Lies We Fear and Of Stolen Truths, combine her fascination with mysterious magic and her love of storytelling. A lifelong reader and storyteller, Heather has spent years writing books that take readers on journeys through twists, secrets, and the resilience of the human spirit. 

Heather lives in Tennessee, where she can often be found exploring local bookstores and gathering inspiration for her next story.

TALKING POINTS

• Questioning inherited beliefs: Angelette begins challenging everything she was raised to accept about her family and country.
• Propaganda and censorship: The novel explores how authoritarian systems manipulate truth to maintain power.
• A complicated father-daughter relationship: Angelette increasingly questions her father, but must be strategic about how she responds.
• Identity and self-discovery: Angelette must decide who she is when the identity she inherited begins to fall apart.
• Crafting a strong female protagonist: Angelette’s journey is about learning to trust her own instincts, even when the people closest to her challenge them.
• Resistance is not always unified: Characters like Elfi and Silas have their own goals, showing how competing motives and personal agendas can complicate rebellion.
• Why Gen Z still loves dystopian stories: Dystopian fiction gives younger readers a way to explore power, identity, fear, and resistance.
• A young author’s perspective: Heather writes with a close understanding of the experiences and concerns that resonate with younger audiences.
• Dystopian fiction encourages critical thinking: Beyond entertainment, these stories can prompt young readers to ask who holds power, who controls information, and when it is necessary to challenge the status quo.
• Writing a series: Heather can speak to the learning process of mapping character arcs, plot details, and long-term story threads across multiple books.

TIMELY TIE-INS

October

• TeenTober
• National Book Month

November

• National Novel Writing Month
• National Young Readers Week – 9-13
• I Love to Write Day – 15

December

• Read a New Book Month
• Of Stolen Truths publication day – 1

January

• International Creativity Month