What happens when the people you trust most become the very reason you start to lose yourself? In Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds, debut author C.A. Kincaid takes readers deep into the bittersweet world of friendship, identity, and the search for belonging with a novel that will resonate deeply with young adult readers and anyone who has ever learned that growing up often comes with heartbreak, hard truths, and the courage to walk away.
Set against the backdrop of small-town college life, Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds follows Valorie, a young woman leaving behind her conservative suburban home for what she believes will be the beginning of adulthood and maybe even freedom. Between classes, parties, late-night study sessions, and the delicate balancing act of work and school, she finds herself surrounded by a circle of friends bound together by secrets, half-truths, and the intoxicating promise of loyalty.
But loyalty has a price.
As Valorie begins to carve out her own identity and pursue love on her terms, the lines between trust and betrayal blur. The friends who once felt like family begin to look more like strangers, and the lies that once tasted so sweet start to leave scars behind.
A Novel That Speaks to the Heart of Young Adulthood
Part memoir, part fiction, Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds is a raw and compelling story about what it truly means to grow up. Through Valorie’s experiences, Kincaid explores the often messy and complicated reality of friendships, relationships, love, and loss. The book doesn’t shy away from timely and controversial topics, including abortion, pregnancy, miscarriage, cheating, sexual identity, and racism.
Yet at its heart, this is not just a story about pain, it’s about resilience, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to choose yourself, even when the cost is high.
“Belonging is a beautiful thing,” says Kincaid, “but not when it costs you your sense of self. This story is my way of telling young adults that it’s okay to choose yourself. It’s okay to walk away when staying means losing who you are.”
A Unique Storytelling Approach
What makes Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds stand out in the genre is its creative structure. Kincaid has crafted a “book within a book,” where the author is not only telling the story but also subtly revealing pieces of her own life behind the scenes.
“As readers move through the story, there are glimpses of where I am in life now versus where I was when the story takes place,” Kincaid explains. “But I don’t give it all away at once. Everything comes together in the end, but it’s not a fairy-tale ending. It’s real life-messy, imperfect, and honest.”
This meta-narrative approach gives the novel an added layer of intimacy, drawing readers in and making them feel as though they are uncovering the story alongside the author herself.
Twelve Years in the Making
The journey to publishing Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds has been anything but conventional.
“It started as a joke,” Kincaid shares. “Whenever something wild happened in college, I’d tell my friends, ‘I’m putting this in my book.’ Eventually, I started writing-not because I thought anyone would read it, but because it became my therapy. It helped me process the experiences I was living through.”
What began as a personal project stretched over twelve years, evolving from scattered notes and journal entries into a powerful and cohesive coming-of-age novel.
About the Author
C.A. Kincaid is a wife, mother of two (plus two beloved fur babies), and a lifelong lover of literature. Her passion for writing began in childhood, filling countless notebooks with poetry, quotes, and short stories before earning her degree in English. Though she once imagined a career in teaching, life led her to a second degree in web and graphic design, where she now works as a full-time web designer and developer.
But writing never stopped calling.
“When I’m not designing websites,” Kincaid says, “I’m reading, listening to true crime podcasts, crafting, painting, or spending time with my family, usually while binge-watching cop dramas or cooking competitions. But writing? That’s where I feel most like myself.”
Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds marks her debut into the literary world, with plans for possible future books to follow.
Timely Themes and Relatable Characters
The novel explores not only friendships and relationships but also the societal and political conversations shaping the lives of today’s young adults. The story dives into what happens when the unspoken “girl code” of friendship collides with real life, when loyalty and betrayal go hand in hand, and when choosing yourself feels like the loneliest and bravest, decision you’ll ever make.
It’s a story for anyone who has ever navigated complicated friendships, struggled to find their place, or realized that sometimes growing up means growing apart.
Available Now in Multiple Formats
Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds is self-published by C.A. Kincaid and available in eBook, paperback, and audiobook formats, making it accessible to readers everywhere.
“I didn’t write this book for a perfect ending,” Kincaid says. “I wrote it to be honest. I wrote it for the young adult who feels lost, confused, or stuck in toxic friendships, to remind them that they’re not alone.”
Join the Conversation
Readers can connect with C.A. Kincaid on TikTok and Instagram at @author_c.a.kincaid, where she shares behind-the-scenes insights, writing updates, and conversations about books, life, and everything in between.
For interviews, media inquiries, or review copies, contact Courtney Kincaid at authorcakincaid@gmail.com.
About Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds
- Title: Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds
- Author: C.A. Kincaid
- Genre: Autofiction / Semi-Autobiographical / Memoir
- Publication Date: [Insert Date]
- Formats: eBook, Paperback, Audiobook
- Social Media: TikTok & Instagram – @author_c.a.kincaid
With raw honesty, a unique storytelling approach, and a voice that feels both personal and universal, Sweet Lies & Burnt Grounds is poised to become a powerful new addition to the coming-of-age genre, one that will leave readers reflecting on their own friendships, choices, and the moment they, too, had to choose themselves.
Contact:
Courtney Kincaid
Email: authorcakincaid@gmail.com
TikTok: @author_c.a.kincaid
Instagram: @author_c.a.kincaid
