Carri Karuhn is a seasoned strategic communicator, marketer, and storyteller with more than fifteen years’ experience helping organizations shape their voice and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. A longtime journalist, she has reported for the Chicago Tribune and the Associated Press and contributed as a freelance writer to the Los Angeles Times. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and an MFA from UCLA. An animal lover and avid equestrian, Carri finds joy riding horses through the Sonoran Desert in Tucson, Arizona, where she now lives with her husband and their dog, Oscar.

Amber Mettle is a Chicago journalist with a rescue instinct—especially for animals.

When she follows her restless husband to Los Angeles for a fresh start, she tries to keep an open mind. But before she can find her footing, she finds herself blindsided by betrayal—no job, no future, no sense of direction. And then, just as she’s beginning to rebuild, tragedy strikes. A catastrophic wildfire reduces her home to rubble and claims her beloved pets, thrusting her into a relentless battle with insurance companies, mortgage lenders, and opportunistic grifters.

But Amber’s story doesn’t end in ash. Following the fire, guided by haunting premonitions and signs from the animals she couldn’t save, she channels her grief into action. Fueled by love, an unwavering sense of justice, and an eccentric cast of characters who bring unexpected humor to even the darkest moments, she fights to hold the people responsible accountable—and discovers that even in devastation, hope can take root.