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

The Faction of Bolt

Hi all!

This is the first of two blog posts about the Gods in Game of Air and Lightning. This one centres around Bolt, and their faction.

Bolt values those who are ambitious, creative, loyal and curious. When babies are born, they will often claim those who they deem to have a higher value of these qualities.

However, many Bolts are accused of being aggressive, arrogant and stubborn. Bolt sees these vices as a fair trade off as long as their virtues outweigh their vices.

The symbol of the Bolt faction is a blue lightning bolt, which appears on the forehead when a child is born. When in a Game, Bolt members are blessed with the power of lightning. Bolt does not focus on what factions the parents belong to when choosing new recruits. They only focus on what the baby's future personality might look like.

Bolt does this by briefly looking into the future of each child to decide if they would be a good fit. If they don't fit the above qualities, then they are left for Aerus to claim.

Those that belong to the Bolt faction are brought up with rituals and stories that involve Bolt participating in daring adventures. All rituals performed are to increase their faith in their God, and boons may be offered depending on what is asked. During a Game, Bolt will allow most rituals as long as their own faction members are not harmed.

The Bolt faction is the more powerful faction as they have won the Game far more than Aerus. This gives them much more power on Earth and as such they rule most of the planet and decide most of the laws.

Bolt very rarely reveals themselves to their followers, and they don't walk in their dreams. They only help their faction with boons, not outright advice. Although they are witnesses rarely, it is said that they take the form of a one-eyed pegasus.

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

My Fantasy Horror Project Now Has a Title!

Hi all,

For July 2025 I'm writing a YA Fantasy Horror standalone book. It's been in my ideas folder for years and it's finally it's time to shine. It took a while for me to come up with a title for it, as I usually like my books to have some sort of title before starting them. But this one I struggled with for quite a bit, nothing that I came up with seemed to fit. But now I have a title that I'm finally happy with...

The Severed Pantheon.

As this book is about goddesses, I wanted some sort of homage to them. And severed was the perfect word that I could think of to describe their rule. They are not liked by the masses for the way they treat their blessed and they don't even like each other.

But then Imara comes along, and their fate changes.

I won't say anything else to save you from spoilers, but I hope you like the new title as much as I do!

I'm still going to try my best to name my books before writing them in the future. Even if the title doesn't end up sticking, I prefer having something there instead of 'Unnamed WIP'.

That's it for this week, I hope you like the title! See you next Sunday. 

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

Pride Month - Main Character Edition

Hi all,

A few years ago I made a blog post about LGBTQ+ dragons in the Elemental Dragons series. This time, I'm going to list the main characters that I've written about that are LGBTQ+! I know I did a post previously on character sexualities, but some have changed since I've written their books. So here is an updated list.

To make things less confusing, I'm just going to list the main characters for books that I've already written or will write within the next year or so. I have quite a few books in my ideas folder but the characters aren't fully developed yet. Maybe I'll update this post in a few year's time with any new main characters I come up with!

Audra (Mute) - Asexual. 

Cheyenne (Years) - Bisexual.

Shannon (Celestial Plague) - Lesbian.

Ashleigh (Celestial Plague) - Asexual Aromantic.

Raya (Celestial Plague) - Bisexual.

Jenna (Celestial Plague) - Lesbian.

Bastet (Curse of Anubis) - Lesbian.

Hailey (Street Rats) - Bisexual.

Reema (Game of Air and Lightning) - Demisexual.

Ataraxia (Empty Skies) - Asexual Aromantic.

Laelaps (Empty Skies) - Gay.

Francesca (Original Elementals) - Lesbian.

Su-hyeon (Original Elementals) - Gay.

Benjamin (Original Elementals) - Pansexual.

Lucia (Original Elementals) - Bisexual Demisexual.

Tiegan (Original Elementals) - Genderqueer Aromantic.

Stella (Original Elementals) - Closeted Lesbian Asexual.

Phew! Until I typed this all up, I never realised how many of my characters are part of the LGBTQ+ community. As the years have gone and I've written more, a lot more of characters are part of this community. I want representation for those in the community in a diverse range of characters, not just one or two side characters per book. In most of the books, their sexuality is never at the forefront of their story. It will just be a slight footnote or a love interest as a minor plot point.

I'm not going to stop writing LGBTQ+ main characters, nor am I going to stop writing straight ones. It depends on the character and their story. With some of the characters I go where they take me, rather than giving them a label before writing.

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

PS; don’t forget to check out this fantasy book promo:

June is for Unicorns (and other magical creatures)

A Collection of LGBTQ+ Resources

Hi all,

This is the second blog post that I'm writing for Pride Month! I thought it would be nice to create a collection of resources for those looking to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and those within it that could use some support.

Mind (a helpful article about LGBTQ+ and mental health within the community) -  https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/lgbtqiaplus-mental-health/

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ articles and resources) - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/

GLAAD (another collection of articles and resources) - https://glaad.org/resourcelist/

Bisexual Resource Centre (a website featuring articles and resources for Bisexual people) - https://biresource.org/

The Proud Trust (resources for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults) - https://www.theproudtrust.org/

Switchboard (UK LGBTQ+ hotline) - https://switchboard.lgbt/

This list isn't exhaustive, but it's my favourite websites and resources that I've used in the past when I was questioning. Although some are UK based, some of the resources can apply wherever you are.

That's it for this week. I hope that this list is helpful to those who are looking to expand their knowledge or need help with their sexuality. See you next week. 

PS; don’t forget to check out this fantasy book promo:

June is for Unicorns (and other magical creatures)

The Frozen Eye Cover Design

Hi all,

It’s time for another cover reveal! Curse of Anubis #3: The Frozen Eye has now had its cover designed, once again by the amazing Deranged Doctor Design!

• Tahira and Bastet are on the cover, though now they are joined by a horde of mummies!

• The cat stock image on this one is my favourite so far. Having the cat looking up is so cute!

• This cover is the opposite of the previous one, as Ra’s Eye is now with Bastet and her friends. Now they are after Horus’ Eye, which holds the power of ice and the moon,

• In this book the characters travel to a new city, one that is even more infested with the dead than they’ve seen before.

• The blue on this cover is gorgeous and makes the area look like an undead wasteland, which is exactly the vibe I wanted.

• I love how the series branding has changed its colour to fit with the cover too.

The Frozen Eye will be available in ebook, paperback and hardcover in October 2025.

That’s it for this week, see you next week!

PS; don’t forget to check out this fantasy book promo:

June is for Unicorns (and other magical creatures)

When I Realised I Was Bisexual

Hi all,

As it's Pride Month, I thought I'd share the story of how I realised I was bisexual. I came out a few years ago but I never shared the story of how I realised I wasn't straight.

During secondary school, I did have a crush on a girl in one of my classes. I think I was in year nine or ten, which would have made me about fifteen or sixteen. At the time, I thought it was normal. The other girls would go on about their 'girl crushes' so I assumed that it was normal to like girls in that way. Before that I thought that girls were really pretty but again, thought that was normal too. 

As I got older I found more women attractive but didn't really see a correlation with it until I was eighteen. I discovered the word bisexuality during Pride Month and figured that the label would fit me, but I wasn't sure. I still didn't know if I was experiencing what everyone else experienced or if it was something else.

When I was nineteen I broached the subject with one of my friends at the time. She laughed me off and claimed that I couldn't be bisexual as I hadn't dated a woman. She told me that I was seeking attention and looking for something that would make me stand out from other people. That annoyed me at the time, but I couldn't fully articulate why so she just made fun of me further. She also liked to make fun of my body, anxiety, depression and boyfriend at the time.

A few weeks later she messaged me that she had a dream about having sex with a woman, so she must be bisexual. At that point I lost it and cut her off, as I knew deep down that she was just trying to agitate me. Well, it worked but I'd had enough of her antics at that point. I haven't spoken to her since. I didn't want to hear her constant put downs, especially about my sexuality, which I still wasn't sure about.

Since then, I've come to terms with my sexuality and came out. I still find it to be so empowering when I write my sexuality on forms, it makes me feel like my feelings have been validated.

If you are questioning your identity, don't listen to those who put you down. Give yourself time to figure things out and don't feel pressured to come out. You do what you want on your own time. It took me a few years, but I'm now comfortable with who I am and who I'm attracted to. I'm still me, no matter what.

If you are wondering if you’re bisexual or you’re not entirely sure what it is, do some research and see what it means to you. I’ve had a look at this website which specificlly focuses on bisexuality for those who want to learn more.

That's it for this week! I've got another blog post planned for Pride Month, about things I've heard as a bisexual woman. See you next Sunday. 

PS; don’t forget to check out this fantasy book promo:

June is for Unicorns (and other magical creatures)