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From Ashes to Ink: Dorian De LaRue’s Story Speaks
WHTTR
June 21, 2025
Some Stories Don't Stay Buried
Not every book is born from imagination. Some crawl out of memory, scarred and still breathing. Some are stitched together from the wreckage of choices, regrets, and the silence between apologies.
This week’s Indie Ink Spotlight features The Whispers of A Lie: Part 1 – Beneath the Ashes by Dorian De LaRue, a novel that doesn’t flinch from the raw, the brutal, or the deeply personal. It’s fiction, yes—but like all good lies, it’s laced with truth.
De LaRue began this story not to be read—but to survive. What started as a private outpouring of pain became something bigger: a story that speaks to anyone who’s ever wanted to outrun their own past. In a world obsessed with perfection, Whispers is about confronting your demons—and daring to write anyway.
First Lines
The Whispers of A Lie is a gritty, emotionally charged exploration of trauma, redemption, and identity. Told from multiple POVs, it threads together broken relationships, suppressed pain, and the fragile hope of healing.
“It’s about the choices you make—and the ones you don’t,” De LaRue says. “It’s about doing what’s right for you, even if it means walking into the dark.”
Though fictionalized, many parts of the book closely mirror the author’s lived experience. “I wanted to keep my bio vague,” he shares. “I’m still reeling from everything I wrote. The pain, the suffering, the desire to heal—that’s not in my bio, but it’s in the book.” From the opening pages, readers are pulled into a storm of introspection and survival. With sharp, almost cinematic pacing, Whispers reads like a confession—and a cry for connection. |  Listen to the Podcast |
Between the Lines
Opening paragraph for interview questions
What does it take to write your demons into story form—and then release them to strangers? Dorian reflects on that journey, and what it meant to do it all independently.
What inspired this book—and why now? “Life. The pain, the struggle, the regrets. I locked myself in my office one night and just started writing. It was supposed to be for me—but then I realized it might help others too.” | What nearly stopped this book from existing? “Money. The cost of publishing was a huge barrier. I used AI tools to help with formatting and design—not because I wanted to cut corners, but because I had no other option. I wish more people were open-minded about how stories get made.” | What was a pivotal moment in your indie journey? “My ARC team—55 incredible women who supported me from the beginning. Their feedback, energy, and love turned this book into something real. I dedicated both of my books to them.” |
Margins & Meanings
“If my book helps even one person feel seen, then it did what it needed to do.” |  |
Being an indie author means doing everything yourself—and De LaRue wouldn’t have it any other way. From design to marketing to finding his readers, Whispers was built from the ground up with nothing but persistence and a willingness to be vulnerable.
“I had total control,” he says. “And I needed that. This story changed while I was writing it. It evolved because I evolved.”
And that evolution shows. In the quietest moments between characters—when silence says more than dialogue—Whispers offers space for reflection. A mirror for the reader. A reminder that healing rarely happens all at once.
Shelf Life
The Last Page
Some stories are polished, edited to perfection, and safe. This one isn’t.
The Whispers of A Lie is unfiltered and deeply human—a book that bleeds on the page and still dares to love the reader back. It’s fiction that doesn’t pretend. And we’re honored to share it with you.
Every Saturday, WHTTR’s Indie Ink Spotlight brings you one voice, one story, and one reason to keep reading. Because stories still matter.
After all, who has time to read?
We do. Together.
The WHTTR Team
✉ Share Your Story Next
If this story hit a nerve—if you’ve written a book that helped you survive something—consider this your invitation.
Indie Ink Spotlight is for the storytellers who had to bleed a little to get the words out.
📬 Email us at [email protected]
with the subject line: Community Exchange
We'll take it from there.
Published by ONE Media
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