November 2025 Writing Project Announcement

Hi all,

It's time to announce my writing project for November, the last one of 2025! My writing project will be...

Cloud's Core!

Yeah... My casual writing project hasn't worked out.

I really want to get this book done this year so I'm going to write the first draft in November. I've only written 3000 words so far, so I've still got quite a while to go until I finish.

The story will still follow Aliyah and her friends as they navigate a floating city that's on the verge of falling out of the sky. None of the plot points have changed since I last wrote it, so I'll just be finishing it off.

Although I’m still not sure about the name, so I might think of a new one while I’m writing it.

I now realise that I need structure while writing. I like writing larger amounts across a short period rather than smaller amounts across a longer period. Now that I know I won't be doing anymore casual projects. I'll stick to my method of writing books during certain months of the year.

I'll still write short stories as I don't find them as tiring as writing entire books. I'm glad that I've learned this about myself as I now know my limits in the future.

That's it for this week! See you next Sunday. 

PS; if you’re looking for some free books, check out this book bundle:

Dark Themes in Fantasy and Science Fiction (Sept-Oct)

How my Zombies Differ From Other Zombies

Hi all,

With the third book in the Curse of Anubis series coming out soon, I wanted to discuss the zombies in my books and how they differ from more traditional zombies that you might be used to.

The main draw that I think is different is that my zombies are sentient. They can see what they're doing from the world of the dead but they can't control their bodies. They can feel what their body feels, but all of this disappears when they're in the land of the dead. There's no pain, but it's more like a pressure. A sensation that doesn't go away until the wound is healed.

They can be controlled to an extent by certain gods, though this is extremely limited. Anubis, as the god of the dead, is the main one who can do this. As the creator of the plague, he is responsible for everything that happens to every person, turned or not.

I also like the fact that they're called mummies, rather than zombies. It ties them into the Egyptian mythology aspect of the books, which is a huge part of the book.

The mummies have no choice but to wait for their hearts to be consumed by Anubis in order to pass on fully. But when Anubis decides to become the ruler of the gods instead, no hearts are eaten. That means that mummies are left wandering in the real world while the person tries not to look at their real life.

I also loved the idea of the zombies being controlled by someone who was previously zombified. That was one of the first concepts that popped out to me and one that I went along with to the end!

I love reading zombie books but I have found that there are some that don't make their zombies different. While a traditional approach can be good, it can also be boring. When I decided to write about zombies, I didn't want to fall into that category. Hence why my zombies still have a state of awareness and can be controlled by Tahira, the only who has been cured of the virus.

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 to find your next favourite author!

Kindle Unlimited with the occult and supernatural

Silver Winged September

Do Characters Need a Love Interest?

Hi all,

This week I'm going to talk about love interests. Do main characters need one all the time?

My answer? No.

I write a mix of characters. Some of my main characters do have love interests, some don't. I personally don't think that characters need to have a love interest to make a good book. If I think a character needs a love interest, I'll give them one. If I don't, they don't get one.

So far, the main characters to get love interests in my books are:

Hazel (Elemental Dragons)

Cheyenne (Years)

Shannon (Celestial Plague)

Jenna (Celestial Plague)

Tahira (Curse of Anubis)

Hailey (Street Rats)

Reema (Game of Air and Lightning)

I gave them all love interests because that's what I felt worked best for the characters. But in some cases, like Shannon, the love interest didn't work out. I personally don't think a book needs romance to be a good book. A lot of the books I've written recently haven't contained a love interest, and it hasn't effected the story one bit.

If you feel like your character needs a love interest, then give them one. But don't feel pressured to add a love interest, especially if it doesn't work. The following main characters on my work don't have love interests:

Audra (Mute)

Raya (Celestial Plague)

Ashleigh (Celestial Plague)

Laelaps (Empty Skies)

Ataraxia (Empty Skies)

Aliyah (Cloud's Core)

Imara (The Severed Pantheon)

I think a good mix of both is nice, as it allows the characters to decide as the book goes on. You might start writing a love interest and it doesn't work out. Or, you could start a book and a love interest pops up halfway through!

Books don't need a love interest to be entertaining. They're just another aspect of the story. It's your book, so you decide what happens. Don't feel pressured to add things in that you don't want to write. At the end of the day, if you don't like writing a certain book, it will be obvious to those who read it.

That's it for this week! Hope you enjoyed reading. See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles to find your next favourite author!

Kindle Unlimited with the occult and supernatural

Silver Winged September

Switching Email Providers

Hi all,

I've recently had an email from MailerLite, who I've used as an email provider since I started my author journey. They are unfortunately changing their free plan and I can't justify the cost of the increase.

So I've switched to Email Octopus!

If you're subscribed to my newsletter, then you'll see a change in my email templates. I find Email Octopus so much easier to use than MailerLite and I wish I'd switched sooner!

Just as a reminder, if you sign up to my mailing list, you get the following:

Five FREE Enovellas (with plenty more to come!)

Monthly updates on my writing

Cover reveals before anyone else

Discounted book bundles

Unseen short stories

Giveaways

Character polls

Opportunities to suggest blog post ideas

If you like the sound of that and want to sign up, you can do so here:

That's it for this week! One day I might do a review of Email Octopus, once I've gotten more used to it and it's features. See you next Sunday. 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles to find your next favourite author!

Kindle Unlimited with the occult and supernatural

Silver Winged September

My Abandoned Book Ideas

Hi all,

This week I thought I'd talk about something a bit different - all the book ideas I've ended up not going through with. There have been a lot of book ideas that I've come up with over the years, but not written for various reasons.

NA Supernatural Fantasy Standalone.

I came up with the idea years ago of a story of a girl who suffers from PTSD after witnessing the death of a friend when she was little. Years later, the friend's ghost appears to her and asks for her help in solving his murder. Throughout the book she's accused of having a mental breakdown, until she eventually finds his body. But at the end of the book, as she says goodbye to the friend, the news shows that the body she found wasn't him. I abandoned this after feeling like the idea of being used before and I wasn't sure I could execute it properly.

YA Fantasy Series.

A girl is caught in a war between two sides. During the fight, she's killed. But she wakes up in a random town with no idea what happened. But the town claims that the war never happened, or that either side exists. I didn't really know how to flesh this idea out, so I decided not to pursue it.

Elemental Dragons Prequel.

I've spoken about this before, but Elemental Dragons originally had a standalone prequel. It would follow Hazel and Rocky's parents and how they're cursed by a Hydra. The curse eventually leads to the events of Elemental Dragons. This idea was left when the children were revealed to be clones rather than their biological children. Then I came up with the idea for Original Elementals, so this idea had to be scrapped.

YA Dystopian Sci-Fi Standalone.

This one is one of my oldest scrapped ideas that eventually would inspire me to think up a new series. This standalone would feature an alien species that invaded earth with a deadly plague. Eventually I opted not to write this idea, as I wanted to write a different Dystopian series which would eventually turn into Celestial Plague.

YA Fantasy Series.

When a girl's grandmother dies, she discovers that she's inherited her place in an elite origination. The organisation tracks down fantasy creatures and captures them. The girl thinks the creatures are being sent to a location that is better suited for their needs, but they are actually being sold off and slaughtered. When she discovers this, she turns her back on the organisation and tries to take it down from the inside. I just couldn't think of a good way to work with this idea, so it was abandoned. I also thought it was a bit cliche in places.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed an insight into some of my old ideas. See you next week! 

My Preferred Book Series Lengths

Hi all,

This week I'm going to talk about my how long I prefer my series to be. I love reading a series that has a load of books, but writing them is a different story!

One book.

A lot of my book ideas start off as standalones and then turn into a series. But when I do write a book that is a standalone, I love it. I like that I can delve into the world and tell the story within one book. Whenever I finished writing a series or need a break, I like the idea of writing a standalone to give myself something new to sink my teeth into.

Two books.

I've never planned a duology before, and I'm not sure if I ever will. I like the concept of splitting a story across two books, but for some reason my brain always says I need one more!

Three books.

I've actually planned a few trilogies over the years. But some of them do end up getting another book added on! Celestial Plague, for example, was originally planned as a trilogy before I decided to add another book. But, Empty Skies is a trilogy and I won't be adding any more to that series, so some of my trilogies are safe as they are.

Four books.

Elemental Dragons, the first books I ever wrote, ended up being a four book series when I finished it. When I first started writing, I really liked the idea of writing more but didn't want to fill the books with random stuff that I want integral to the plot. So it became four books instead of six. A lot of the series that I write now end up with four books, such as Celestial Plague and Curse of Anubis.

Five books.

I think I could comfortably write a five book series, though I haven't planned one yet. Four definitely seems to be my comfort zone.

Six+ books.

I know that Original Elementals is a ten book series, and that's why I've struggled a lot with it. Ten books are a lot when it comes to writing, and I often find myself wanting to explore other book universes. To write more than five books, the series would need a lot planning and I would need a lot of breaks in between.

That's it for this week, I hope this clears up the way I write and what I usually plan when it comes to series lengths.

Hope you enjoyed reading, see you next week! 

July 2025 Project Wrap-up

Hi all!

If you follow me on social media at all, you might be aware that I've finished the first draft of The Severed Pantheon!

My final word count is...

73,227 words!

I had a lot more fun with this book than I thought I would, I loved being able to go back to write a horror fantasy!

This book follows Imara, a blessed of the goddess of Death. She is an outcast in her community due to her blessing, and many town people don't trust her. Because of this, her and her family aren't allowed to live in the town and are often denied access to most of its services.

The book follows Imara and her three sisters following an attack on their town, supposedly by the goddess of Death. They meet Luca, a blessed of the goddess of Life who enlists them in his army. He wants Imara to kill the goddess of Death for her crimes and have her power shared amongst the remaining goddesses.

There are five goddesses in this book:

Tenebra - goddess of Death.

Vivacia - goddess of Life.

Turbida - goddess of Sky.

Silicea - goddess of Metal.

Consolatrixa - goddess of Animals.

Imara needs to deal with her feelings regarding helping to save a world that hates her, and possibly dying in the process.

For the most part, I stuck with my original outline for this book. It did go on its own path in some areas, but it still stuck with my original vision. This is also the first book that I've written based on a song I heard - Free by Mother Mother.

Every time I listen to the song I imagine Imara and her struggle. I always knew there was going to be a big battle in this book and the music fits so well with it. When it's eventually published, I hope you'll know what I mean!

I'm not sure what I'm going to write for my next project yet. I want to finish the first draft of Cloud's Core by the end of the year, so that is not likely to be my November project.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and I'm so glad that it's finally written after five years! Once Cloud's Core is finished, that means that all four of my original standalones are now written!

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

How to Avoid Burnout When Writing

Hi all,

This week I thought I'd write a post for all the writers out there! Burnout is more common than you think. If you've ever experienced it or are currently experiencing it, then I hope some of these tips can help.

Write your favourite genre.

If you're struggling to write, then writing in your favourite genre can help you feel better about writing. Even if it's not a genre you usually write in.

Write a short story.

Start small. Instead of trying to write an entire book while burned out, try a short story instead. It can get the creative juices flowing without pushing you too much.

Take a break.

Burnout can be a horrible feeling, so don't force yourself to write if you don't want to. Partake in your favourite hobby or just relax for a bit. Take as long as you need before you start writing again.

Write in short bursts.

Instead of trying to write in one big go, try five or ten minutes at a time. It can ease you back into a writing habit and make you feel happier when writing.

Write something new.

If an old project is wearing you down, just try something brand new. Another book, a different story or even a different genre. Maybe it will make you want to revisit that previous project!

Reward yourself.

Watch a TV show, go for a walk or have something to eat. You will feel mentally better after a reward and maybe you'll want to write more after.

Plot a solid outline.

With a good plan, it will be easier to write. You know exactly what's going to happen next and can plan ahead accordingly. I find that this helps a lot when I feel stuck and drained after working on a project for so long.

That's it for this week! I hope this helps anyone who is currently experiencing writing burnout. See you next Sunday. 

Why Most of my Books Contain Gods and Goddesses

Hi all,

I thought I'd write a blog post about something I've noticed about my books recently; why do so many of them contain gods/goddesses?

I never really thought about how many of my books focus on gods until I really put them together!

Elemental Dragons - dragon gods

Years - Mother Earth

Curse of Anubis - Egyptian gods

Empty Skies - Greek gods

Game of Air and Lightning - Aerus and Bolt

The Severed Pantheon - five goddesses

I think the reason that I gravitate towards gods is because of my love of mythology. I grew up reading and watching loads of Greek and Egyptian mythology. As an adult my interest in mythology has only deepened, and I'm looking into Norse mythology at the moment to write a series.

After reading about mythology for years, I really wanted to try to create my own. Elemental Dragons has been so much fun to create dragon gods and demi-gods and how they all interact with each other. I also want to write more blog posts about Elemental Dragon mythology in the future!

Game of Air and Lightning only had two gods and they had more of a background role. They do appear in the book, but it mostly focuses on Reema's survival.

But with The Severed Pantheon, I've created five brand new goddesses! They will have a direct role in the book and will appear throughout. I'm looking forward to writing more antagonistic gods, as the ones in this book are selfish and are extremely power hungry. The fact that I can write about gods in a new way is very exciting and I'd love to do more of this in the future.

I also have plans to write more books centering around mythology in the future, with a Norse mythology series I'm planning and another one that is still very bare bones at the moment.

For someone who was always told that they write about cats and dragons exclusively, I think it's funny that I've found another niche that I can add to that mix.

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

PS; if you’re looking for something to read over Summer, check out these book bundles:

FREE Fantasy and Science Fiction for July 2025

The Perfect Books for Dragon Lovers

Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror Summer Giveaway

The Faction of Aerus

Hi all,

If you missed my blog post last week, I'd suggest checking it out before this one. That's because this is the second blog post that focuses on the Gods in Game of Air and Lightning, Aerus.

Unlike Bolt, Aerus values those who are compassionate, wise and hardworking. They will often choose children with these qualities for their faction. Some vices that Aerus members tend to have are shyness, selfishness and cowardliness. While Bolt considers these vices unbearable, Aerus sees those with these types of personalities as perfect for their faction. They want those who are willing to make the world a better place for everyone and look for non-violent solutions.

The Aerus symbol is a red thunder cloud, which is situated on the forehead, like Bolt's. Those who participate in the Game are blessed with the power of wind, which they can use against the Bolt faction.

Those that are brought up in the Aerus faction have a higher quality of education and are encouraged to pursue hobbies. Aerus doesn't expect blind devotion and welcomes those who question their words. They have no rituals to speak of and prefer to visit their followers in dreams. They are more hands-on than Bolt, those this could be attributed to them wanting to improve their faction rather than helping the members themselves.

Aerus members are fewer in number and hold less powerful positions. They have been governed by Bolts for decades, waiting for the day they win a game to obtain more power. Although Aerus members are heard in government, they are mostly dismissed by Bolt members and rarely introduce laws.

Aerus has been described as some sort of large feline with three eyes. Two of their eyes are red, while one on their forehead is blue. In the Aerus tomes, it states that Aerus stole one of Bolt's eyes when they were asleep. With this eye, they were granted more knowledge of the universe.

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

PS; if you’re looking for something to read over Summer, check out these book bundles:

FREE Fantasy and Science Fiction for July 2025

The Perfect Books for Dragon Lovers

Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror Summer Giveaway