Wicked Ink Publishing is excited to introduce Ally Shaw, a bold new voice in thriller and women’s fiction, as she brings to life a story of grit, heartbreak, and fierce resilience with her debut novel Tiger Eye. The first installment in a gripping duology destined to captivate readers who crave edge-of-your-seat suspense woven with deep emotional truths.

On the morning of her twenty-first birthday, Daphne awakens to a shattering realization: her spark is gone. Raised in McCoy, a suffocating river church cult where blind obedience is enforced and futures are dictated, Daphne’s life has been controlled from birth. But on this pivotal day, something inside her ignites a desperate need to break free. She leaps onto a train bound for New Orleans, leaving behind an abusive father, the ghosts of her mother’s unsolved murder, and a past that has kept her shackled in fear for far too long.

New Orleans is a city of contradictions: wild, intoxicating, and dangerous. Daphne must navigate its shadowy underbelly, slipping between identities and personas to survive and uncover long-buried secrets. As her mother’s prophetic gifts awaken within her, Daphne finds herself caught in a deadly game, pulled in conflicting directions by two enigmatic men whose intentions blur the lines between love and peril. Meanwhile, a brutal human trafficking ring lurks just beneath the surface, threatening to consume her before she can expose the darkness festering on the outskirts of the Big Easy.

Tiger Eye is more than a thriller, it’s an emotionally charged journey of a young woman reclaiming her voice, discovering her inner power, and daring to follow the fire that refuses to be extinguished. It’s a story about the bonds that hold us captive, the courage to break those chains, and the resilience required to heal and rise.

Ally Shaw’s own life story mirrors the fierce spirit of her heroine. A proud cancer survivor who has transformed personal tragedy into triumph, Ally is an award-winning entrepreneur, opera singer, and motivational speaker whose passion for storytelling blossomed during the stillness of the pandemic. She is also the author of the narrative non-fiction book Chasing Tigers in the Dark: Life Lessons of a Fierce Survivor, published by Library Tales Publishing/Simon & Schuster, which donates proceeds to cancer survivor, domestic abuse, and hurricane relief charities. Inspired by a social justice crisis during her book tour, Ally turned to fiction to shine a light on the urgent issue of human trafficking.

Set for release in 2026 through Wicked Ink Publishing, Tiger Eye is the first chapter in a powerful duology, with the sequel Daisy Chain slated for 2027. Proceeds from the series will support organizations fighting human trafficking, amplifying Ally’s commitment to turning fiction into action.

When she’s not weaving pulse-pounding tales, Ally enjoys reading, playing pickleball, and walking the beach, always inspired by the strength found in survival and the fire that burns within every woman who dares to fight back.

Some scars run deeper than the eye can see…and so does her strength.

On the morning of her twenty-first birthday, Daphne feels it, her spark is gone.

Raised in the oppressive grip of McCoy, a river cult community where obedience is law and her future has already been arranged, Daphne knows she has one chance to reclaim her life. She leaps aboard a train, leaving behind her abusive father and the haunting legacy of her mother's unsolved murder, killed on Mardi Gras when Daphne was just five.

New Orleans is wild, vibrant, and dangerous, everything McCoy wasn’t. As Daphne dives into the city’s underbelly, she takes on shifting personas to uncover the truth, her mother's prophetic gifts stirring within her. But just as she gets close to answers, two mysterious men pull her heart in opposite directions, and a sinister trafficking ring threatens to swallow her whole.

With time running out, Daphne must summon a courage she’s never known to expose a darkness far greater than she imagined. With time running out, Daphne’s purpose becomes clear, and her courage tested while trapped in a sinister operation on the outskirts of the Big Easy.

“Tiger Eye” is a gripping, emotionally rich thriller about reclaiming your voice, discovering your power, and daring to follow the fire within.