As I sit here in my attic office, looking out at the icy trees, I can’t help reflecting on 2025 as a year of new beginnings. When I first imagined the story of a young half-fae woman named Lenora sent to protect twenty-two-year-old Charlotte, I never suspected how deeply the world would pull me in.

My fingers flew across the keys of my old laptop as I fell further into the lives of characters like Dorian Graves and his loyal friend Ambrose. And, of course, villains like Edmund Vale whose darkness quite literally gave me nightmares.

When I finally typed “The End” on A Bargain of Blood and Starlight, I felt both thrilled and strangely heartbroken. I wasn’t ready to let these characters go. So I began writing A Realm of Grief and Shadows, Dorian’s backstory — and quietly began making plans for Book Two in the series.

2026 is going to be devastating in the best possible way.

Dorian and Lenora’s relationship will continue to ache with heartbreak and yearning, but their love will also become a source of strength as new trials rise to meet them. A\I can’t wait to see where the story leads me next and to share every step of the journey with you.

A Bargain of Blood and Starlight will be released soon, and — fingers crossed — the next book in the saga won’t be far behind.

Thank you for walking this path with me. If you’d like behind-the-scenes lore, secret updates, and the occasional whispered Gothic musing, you can sign up for my newsletter below.

Love,
Elle