My Longest Series is now Complete

Hi all,

With the end of July, also came the end of the Original Elementals series. All ten books have now had their first drafts written. I've started self-editing book one while I'm trying to figure out my publishing plan.

As I said in my wrap-up post, I highly doubt I'm going to do a series that long again.

It was overwhelming, hard and tiring.

I wrote so much of that story that I had to take a break for a year. I physically couldn't bring myself to start the next book.

It was mentally taxing, but I'm glad I did it.

I wrote all ten first drafts, I wrote the series from beginning to end. The story has been told and I'm so glad that I got it out of my head.

Now that I've done it, I know I'm not built for writing a long series. Ten books was too much, I've found that I like variety and getting to spend time in other universes.

Book six was when I hit my limit and desperately needed a break. For now, I'm going to limit writing a series to six books. Any more than that and I know that I'll be pushing myself beyond my limits.

I don't regret writing the series at all and I absolutely love it. But it was a hard journey, one that I wasn't expecting when I first planned the books out.

If you're an author, it's good to experiment with the length of books and series. Just remember to listen when your mind tells you that you've had enough. Give yourself a break, or finish the series early. If you force yourself, it will show in your writing. You might not think it will, but readers can tell when you started getting bored or wanted to move on.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next week! 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles before you go:

Fantasy Fun

Not-So-Comfortable September Reads

Franchises I'd Love to Write for

Hi all,

I've wanted to write this blog post for a while and thought it was finally time to get it out! I love reading and watching films. When those films get their own books, it's a dream!

I would love to write books for my favourite franchises but I don't know if I could do them justice. But it would be cool to try!

Alien

My favourite ever film is Aliens. I've read so many books associated with this franchise and I'm always on the hunt for more. Discovering new aliens and planets always makes a good story.

Predator

Although I love the Alien franchise, Predator is close behind. Like the Alien books, I love reading these and getting to explore more what isn't included in the films. I also love reading the Alien crossovers. I think getting to write one of those would be so much fun.

Lion King

The first stories I wrote when I was younger were Lion King ones. They didn't make much sense but I loved writing them. I don't even know where I'd start if I had to write an official Lion King book.

Warriors

Definitely the series I wrote the most fanfiction for! I would love to be involved in writing a Warriors book. Getting to expand the world, the characters and create heart wrenching scenes is my ultimate dream.

Doctor Who/Torchwood

There are so many Doctor Who and Torchwood books, all filled with different stories. I'd love to write a whimsical adventure with the Doctor and my favourite companions.

Even if I never get to write for any of the above franchises, I'm more than happy to continue reading and seeing new stories that they produce! All of the above have impacted my writing in different ways, and I wouldn't be the author I am today without them.

That's it for this week, see you next Sunday. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles before you go:

Fantasy Fun

Not-So-Comfortable September Reads

Mistletoe & Vine

Hi all,

Iron Faerie Publishing is back with a new anthology! You can check it out below…

Mistletoe & Vine is a compilation of fantasy, horror and speculative drabbles and flash fiction from authors worldwide.
Within its pages you will find enchanting stories of myth, legends and fairytales woven throughout.
Dive into the magic and wonder of these 50+ tales in Volume Seven.

I love participating in the Hawthorn & Ash series and couldn’t resist when the call went out for this one. As always, the short story I’ve written is based in the Curse of Anubis universe.

I usually write these stories from a Furious Fiction prompt and it’s nice to see them get published in anthologies like this! If another call for this series crops up in the future, then I’ll definitely be submitting. I’ve submitted to a few anthologies this year but haven’t had many acceptances, so it’s nice to get a win every once in a while.

That’s it for this week, I hope you check out Mistletoe & Vine and other books by Iron Faerie Publishing. See you next week.

July 2026 Project Wrap-Up

Hi all,

July is over, which means that it's time to tell you all how I did with my latest book, Original Elementals #10: Ironclaw.

My final word count is...

74,868 words!

I did skip a day on 11th July, as it was my wedding reception!

It's so weird having finished this series. I've been writing it for years so it feels very weird now that the series is complete.

It follows Melissa and Ironclaw, the first metal Elementals. They want to become one of the Originals, but they have quite the journey to get there.

This book features Draca I, and what happened to them on the mountain with the other Originals. The Wyrms are also prominent, having almost completely consumed Draca's mind.

To their surprise, one of the dragon guards, Mu, turns his back on his companion and follows Melissa out of Aria. They come across Stella, who tells them her side of the story.

This book was emotional in many ways. Writing a ten book series is rewarding but so tiring. I got burned out from writing which is a feeling I never want to go through again. I'll be keeping my series shorter from now on, no more than six or seven books in one series. It's too much other wise.

But that hasn't stopped me from loving exploring more of the Elemental Dragons universe! I love writing about dragons and getting more into the lore. Blood and Water was the first book I ever finished and I'm so glad for everything it taught me. Getting the prequel series done is such an amazing feeling.

I'm definitely not done with the Elemental Dragons universe, I have a few ideas for more books in the future. But for now, I'm going to focus on editing Original Elementals and deciding how I want to publish it.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week. 

My Writing Playlist Part Four

Hi all,

It's time for an update to my writing playlist! This is music that I'll either listen to while writing or music that has inspired some of my short stories.

The Wolf - Siames

Vampire Bat - Glass Animals

Paris - Sabrina Carpenter

Doomed - Maphra

No Angels - Bastille & Ella Eyre

Numb - Linkin Park

In The End - Linkin Park

So Am I - Ava Max

Stressed Out - twenty one pilots

Jerome - Zella Day

Kids Again - Artist Vs Poet

Dollhouse - Melanie Martinez

Battlefield - Jordin Sparks

It Took Me By Surprise - Maria Mena

As always, Glass Animals is always on my list!

I've written quite a bit of mythological stories since I last updated my playlist and I hope that some of the songs on here will inspire me to continue with them.

I'm finding it easier to write while listening to music now, I feel like I've gotten more used to doing both at the same time. I only do it in short bursts, usually 400-600 words. Years ago, I found it difficult to listen and write at the same time because I found it too distracting. Now, I'm glad that I can put on a playlist and listen to something while my brain runs wild.

That's it for this week, if you listen to any of the songs above, let me know in the comments! See you next Sunday. 

PS; before you go, looking for more books to read? Check out the ones in these bundles:

HorrorReadersList’s Indie Horror Kindle Unlimited Email

Incredible Magic in Fantasy & Science Fiction (July)

Every Cat I've Written so far

Hi all,

If you haven't already read the title of this blog post, then it's all about cats! Specifically, the ones that I've written about in each of my books so far. It's been a while since I've written about the cats on my books so I thought they were overdue a special post.

Normie - Elemental Dragons

My first childhood cat of course had to go in my first book series. I was quite young when Normie ran away, but I wanted to give him a second life in my writing.

Solaris and Lunaris - Mute

These two aren't based on any cats in particular. But I knew that this book needed feline guardians who help the main character. I named both of them after the sun and moon, mashing letters together until I came up with something I liked.

Bastet - Curse of Anubis

Of course, Bastet is an Egyptian goddess, so I did a lot of research into Egyptian mythology to get her personality right. My version is kind and motherly, but unsure of her beliefs and her role in Ra's world.

Faraday - Street Rats

You haven't met Faraday yet, and I'm not sure when I'll publish this book. I wrote it when I was in a very dark place and although I've finished the first draft, I'm struggling to find the courage to edit it. But, one of my favourites parts of this book was Faraday. He's a sweet cat, with metallic legs and ears. Whenever the main character feels down, he's always there to support her and show that she's loved.

Smokey - Game of Air and Lightning

One of the winners of my cat competition was Smokey, who was written into Game of Air and Lightning as a soul. Whereas the main character is anxious, Smokey is a calming presence. He teaches her how to wield wind magic, which helps her survive in the book.

Emmylou - Cloud's Core

The second winner of my cat competition was Emmylou. She's a winged cat who helps the protagonist explore the core and discover its secrets. She's curious and protective, making sure that the main character is never without help.

Aspen - Original Elementals

This cat is also not based on any cat in particular. He's a mysterious presence throughout the books, even though he starts out as Maria's pet. But he keeps popping up everywhere, even when it shouldn't be possible.

Yellow - Empty Skies

This cat you'll meet next year with Empty Skies. Unlike the other cats I've written, she is antagonistic and helps the characters begrudgingly. She's obviously someone powerful, but the main characters can't figure out who she is, or what she wants.

Jasper - The Severed Pantheon

This cat is bonded to one of the main character's sisters. He's intelligent and fiercely loyal to Emily. Although he helps the protagonist, he doesn't care much for her.

I might do another post about cats I'll write in the future, so let me know if you'd be interested in reading about that.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next Sunday. 

PS; before you go, don’t forget to check out these book bundles:

SFF Plot Before Passion

Kindle Unlimited with the occult and supernatural

July 2026 Writing Project Announcement

Hi all,

July is rapidly approaching so it's time to announce my writing project! As there's only one more book remaining in the Original Elementals series, that will be my July project.

The book is called Ironclaw, and it follows Melissa and her dragon companion who the book is named after. She is the first metal Elemental but she is not allowed to show her powers to the world.

The book is set a few years after the conclusion of book nine, so the other characters are slightly older. Melissa is fifteen.

Although she lives at Aria, she has to be kept away from Ironclaw and her markings have to be hidden. Because Ironclaw has metal markings, in order not to make others suspicious she has to tell people that he died soon after hatching.

Melissa desperately wants to be recognised as an Original and decides to seek out Jaime, who wrote the books on the other Originals. She begs him to write a book about her and he agrees.

But, in order to feel like an Original, Melissa decides to perform a great feat like the others did. But they have a separate plan of their own, one they don't want her interfering with.

I'm quite excited to write the final book in the series, though I'm also sad as well. The series has to come to an end at some point. Ten books is the longest series I've written so far, and I'm not sure I'll be aiming to beat it anytime soon. Switching main characters definitely helped, though I did experience burnout when writing this series.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next Sunday. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles before you go:

Young Adult Book Giveaway

Legendary Lores (All Genres)

SFF Plot Before Passion

Kindle Unlimited with the occult and supernatural

What Authors Should Write in Their Notebooks

Hi all,

I know what it's like to have too many notebooks. I used to hate writing in them as I felt like I was ruining them. But I've come to realise that it's okay to use your notebooks! I thought I'd give a few tips on what you can use them for.

Character Names.

If you come across some great character names while you're researching you can always add them to your notebook. Having a nice list of character names is always good when you come up with new book ideas or short stories.

Doodles.

I use one of my notebooks for doodling designs related to my books. I've drawn the marking designs for the Elemental Dragons series and a few bits and pieces from Curse of Anubis and Celestial Plague. Having something visual can help you when you come to writing about it.

Book Ideas.

This is an obvious one, but jotting down notes for stories, characters and plots is always a great way to use a notebook. You can have a rough notes version and then a more detailed version in a different notebook if you prefer.

Lists.

If you're planning on doing events where you sell books, making lists is a great way to plan. You can tick stuff off as you get it done or keep an inventory of what you're selling.

Book Titles.

Writing down a bunch of book titles is a great way to use a notebook. You can even mix and match some of the titles if there's one you like more than the others.

Planning.

I think the best way to use a notebook is to plan or set goals. If you want to keep track of your writing progress or think about what you want to write next, then a notebook would be a great use for that.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoy reading! See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles to find your next read:

Young Adult Book Giveaway

Lengedary Lores (All Genres)

Who is Mother Earth?

Hi all,

It's been quite a while since I've done a blog post on Years, but I've had a few questions about it recently that I thought I would answer.

If you've read Solar Child, then you'll know that Mother Earth is a lioness from outer space who arrives on Earth to see that the planet is in ruins. She comes across several children who she gives her power to. But when she comes back years later, the children have been experimented on by other humans and their power stripped from them.

Mother Earth is an alien, but she didn't create the Earth. She adopted it as her own as she flew through the cosmos one day. She recharges and rests in suns, and came across the one in our galaxy millions of years ago. Humans weren't around yet and she fell in love with the lush forests and animals on the planet.

So, she decided to become its protector.

But what she didn't expect is for humanity to start polluting the planet, speeding up its destruction. When she discovered this, she wasn't happy with humanity. They had killed millions of creatures and cut down so many forests in their expansion. Now, the entire planet was suffering because of their behaviour.

As she's an alien, she doesn't understand why humanity are destroying their own home. The planet that she's watched evolve over millions of years is special to her and she doesn't understand why humans won't treat it the same way.

If she had never come across Earth, she would continue to float through the cosmos, without a purpose. She's the only one of her kind, forged from a star. She has zero understanding of other species and planets, which is why she fixates so quickly on the first planet with life that she comes across.

Her solar storms are to make humanity change their ways. But then they make the machines, which disrupts her power and uses it against her.

For her, there is nothing worse than losing this planet, as she'll lose her purpose. She doesn't want to just fly around space and risk not finding another planet like Earth. So, she does her best in reclaiming the planet so it can go back to what it once was.

The Gaia Children are souls that she frees from the planet, allowing them a chance to explore the universe for themselves. Even though she could join them, she doesn't want to. She's too attached to Earth.

That's it for this week, see you next Sunday! 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles to find your next read:

Young Adult Book Giveaway

Lengedary Lores (All Genres)

The Final Book in the Original Elementals Series

Hi all,

I know I teased you about this in my wrap up for Original Elementals #9: Arcturus, but I think I've left you in the dark long enough.

There will be a tenth book in the series, which I'm sure you've already figured out by now.

This book will follow Melissa, the first metal Elemental.

If you've read Elemental Dragons, then you probably remember when Hazel and her friends come across giant vats filled with elemental serum. One of those is labelled as the metal element, but they don't get much chance to investigate.

The tenth book, Ironclaw, will tell the story of the forgotten Original. Born a few years after the others, she is in her first year at Aria when Stella graduates. She has not met the Originals in person, all she knows about them is from her first edition books that her father let's her read.

Melissa and Ironclaw want to be like the other Originals and she's desperate for her own book to tell her story. But her father, a lead scientist, refuses this because the stories of the Originals have been tainted. He's also worried about anyone knowing her element, so she has to hide her markings and tell everyone that her dragon died.

But Melissa is stubborn and desperate to go down in history with the other Originals. She contacts Jaime, who is now a disgraced author, and pleads with him to write her book. Seeing that this could be a comeback for him, he agrees.

And that's all I'm going to tell you so far! This book will most likely be my July project, finally ending the series.

I'm still deciding what to do regarding a Patreon, as I keep flipping back and forth on the idea. I've asked my newsletter subscribers to give their feedback, and I'll see what they say.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next Sunday. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles to find your next read:

Young Adult Book Giveaway

Lengedary Lores (All Genres)