High Ground is more than a survival story—it’s a novel about conviction in an era when truth itself is under siege.
Gloria Tejeda walks with braces and crutches, but her iron will powers her through earthquakes, floods, and the prejudice of those who underestimate her. Nancy, her foul-mouthed, unapologetically shameless partner in both life and business, shakes up every room she enters. Together, they run Blue Waters Architecture in New Miami, a city rising from the ruins of its drowned predecessor.
When viral attacks by the so-called “American Morality Police” spread doctored images and lies, Gloria and Nancy are thrust into the center of a cultural war over dignity, freedom, and the right to live authentically. Their battles take them from urban planning charrettes to political rallies, Senate hearings, and international conferences, where truth is bent, bodies are policed, and courage is tested in both private and public spheres.
Through humor, heartbreak, and harrowing trials—including kidnapping, exposure to mind-altering drugs, and betrayals that cut close to home—Gloria and Nancy fight for integrity in a world built on distortions. Along the way, they spark a movement that challenges shame, censorship, and the systems profiting from both.
By turns unsettling, hilarious, and deeply human, High Ground asks readers to wrestle with uncomfortable truths—about climate, morality, politics, and the power of personal resilience. It is both a cautionary tale and a call to courage.
The book won the best screenplay award in the Female Film Writers Feedback Festival, and as the prize we were given a podcast and a three minute read of a section they chose.