The ink shimmered, shifted, stirring awake like blood beneath skin.
COMING OCTOBER 2025
Photo credit: 2021 Carlos Cruz
About Lya
Lya Badgley writes internationally set fiction that blends suspense, history, and transformation. Born in Myanmar to Montana parents—a political scientist and an artist—she was raised in a home that prized both creativity and critical thought. Her unconventional path has carried her from Seattle's music scene to covert film work with Burmese insurgents, and from archival preservation in Cambodia to entrepreneurship in Yangon. Her debut, The Foreigner's Confession (2022), was a finalist for the Nancy Pearl Award for Best Fiction. Her second, The Worth of a Ruby (2023), was a 2024 finalist for both the International Book Award and the National Indie Excellence Award. She lives outside Seattle and is excited to release her third novel, The Thirty-Fifth Page.
About The Thirty-Fifth Page
As Sarajevo edges toward war, American art conservator Miri Adler arrives to study a medieval manuscript and uncovers unsettling secrets. When a mysterious thirty-fifth page surfaces, she is pulled into a realm where history and folklore entwine, stirring ancient legends and a curse poised to awaken. The Thirty-Fifth Page is a luminous tale of inherited wounds, enduring magic, and the stories that shape who we become.
Praise for Lya’s Work
The Worth of a Ruby
“This engaging thriller will resonate with anyone interested in a fast-paced saga concerned with material as well as spiritual wealth.”
—Booklife Reviews
The Worth of a Ruby
“Expertly weaved historical details lend believability, while the constant twists and turns keep readers on the edge of their seats. The raw and powerful depiction of characters' psyche adds profoundness to this captivating tale of deceit, redemption, self-validation, and introspection. Truly remarkable.”
—The Prairies Book Review
The Foreigner's Confession
“In Badgley's well-researched, dual-timeline novel, the themes of loss and ghosts of the past intertwine in a story about the lingering aftermath of a repressive regime in Cambodia…”
—Booklife Reviews
The Foreigner's Confession
“The sights, sounds, and scents of Cambodia are brought vividly to life in a novel that moves between decades, confronting readers with complexities of a country torn by genocide...”
—Gina Wilkinson, author of international bestseller When the Apricots Bloom
The Thirty-Fifth Page:
"Layered, moody, and deeply immersive…Badgley layers historical suspense with a subtle supernatural current…Sarajevo in the final months before war is rendered with heartbreaking clarity…a steady, slow-burn thriller that lands with quiet force."
—The Prairies Book Review
The Thirty-Fifth Page:
"An intense, spellbinding story of an American art conservator drawn into the mystery of the Sarajevo Haggadah—gripping suspense and magical realism roused from folklore, rich with Bosnian culture and the tragic witness of war. An impressive achievement that deepens our understanding of history and humanity."
—Joan Fernandez, author of Saving Vincent: A Novel of Jo van Gogh
A priceless Burmese ruby leads Mallory Jones on a journey from the remote mountains of Burma to the swelter of Bangkok in search of redemption.
Featured Audio & Video
The Worth of a Ruby Book Trailer
Online for Authors with Teri M Brown
Bump in the Road
An unexpected, mysterious discovery in Cambodia leads Emily Mclean on a journey through the country's painful history and toward personal redemption.
Musings on Travel
My hero, Anthoney Bourdain, famously said: “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
I invite you on a journey, through pictures and stories. Let us be changed together.