Life on the Rez is different for Lindsay, Tomi, and Darian. One is forced to leave, one chooses to leave, and one can't imagine ever leaving. Each embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery, confronting adversities that threaten to erode their identity and sense of purpose, ultimately uncovering the resilience and strength within.

The book series will be available in 2025 and the films will begin production in 2026.

Broken Colors

BOOKS COMING 2025

Meet the writer

Deborah's passion for storytelling started at the family dinner table when she was eight years old. Her mother often said, "You are the only person I know that can take a thirty-minute "Little House on the Prairie" episode and turn it into an hour long saga." She continued her development on stage through her performances in choir, show choirs, and high school productions like "Brigadoon" and "The Music Man".

As a young adult, while living in St. Louis, Mo., she was dedicated to mentoring and empowering teen girls through stage productions. She wrote, produced, and directed several theatrical works, including Daughter, Come Receive Your Crown, Spoken For, Whom Shall I Fear, and Go Light Your World.

In 2006, Deborah transitioned into film, focusing on telling story through streaming platforms and digital theatrical distribution. Her short film Taneycomo earned multiple festival awards, and she was nominated for Best Screenwriter at the International Christian Film & Music Festival. It was aired for 5 years on 24Flix and ParableTV, before she removed it and placed it into the fault to develop into a full-feature.

In 2009, she was told by a writing mentor that she was a gifted playwright, screenwriter, and could possibly do graphic novels, but she would never be a novelist. Her belief that all things are possible, balanced with wisdom and strategy, helped her focus on what truly matters rather than external validation. The Broken Colors novels is the evidence of that journey of overcoming adversity. She chose to write the stories from a Native American point of view due to her married to a Saginaw Chippewa Indian for 35 years, and her own Cherokee bloodline that was lost on the Trail of Tears when her 3rd great-grandmother was forced to marry a white man.

Lindsay was three years old when she witnessed her mother, Grace, kill her father in self-defense. Now eighteen and about to be reunited with her mother, she discovers she's dating someone, "just like her father."

Southwest fashion designer Tomi Walker returns to her reservation from New York City to search for her missing uncle. As she uncovers the truth, she faces a difficult choice—stay connected to her roots or pursue her dreams at New York Fashion Week.

Jason is an artisan from the Northeast, and has been invited to teach on a Midwest Reservation. There, he discovers that the chief’s stepdaughter, Julia, is the muse of his most famous painting, which has been displayed in his hometown art gallery for five years.

Deborah J. Watson