As promised, I’ll be landing in your inbox twice a month for a little while. That means the newsletters will be a little shorter, but definitely no less juicy. This one is all about my fantasy novel When Blood Runs Red. So if you’ve been waiting for all the updates, sneak peeks, and behind-the-scenes details, you’re in the right place.
First things first, if you’re new here or haven’t seen any of my posts on Instagram, let me tell you a little bit about When Blood Runs Red. This is a dark fantasy about power disguised as progress, and the people willing to sell their souls for it.
The story is set in Eclipsera, a city where blood is currency, magic is inherited like empire, and girls like Aria Ellis are bred to be beautiful, brilliant, and utterly controlled. But when she’s dragged back into the city’s glittering power games, one night shatters everything she thought she knew.
When Blood Runs Red is a dark, seductive urban fantasy filled with twisted betrayals, deadly romance, and a world where power is the only thing more dangerous than love. It’s perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, The Mortal Instruments, and From Blood and Ash.
Enter Eclipsera at your own risk. When Blood Runs Red contains graphic violence, mature themes, and adult situations. This story is intended for mature audiences (18+) and may not be suitable for all readers.
One of the hardest things about When Blood Runs Red is actually the marketing. I can't even tell you how many times I’ve accidentally given too much away or teased something I probably shouldn’t have, especially on my website, where I tend to drop a lot of new art.
Luckily, I have the lovely Lisa (@pagesandpaperrings) helping me out with all the posts, so you still get the teasers without the spoilers. Marketing fantasy is a completely different game compared to romance, where it’s standard to know the couple ends up together, and the middle is just a rollercoaster of ups and downs.
Lisa was actually my alpha reader too, and her feedback—especially when it came to worldbuilding—was such a massive help. She saw the very early, very messy drafts, and she’ll be reading the rest of the series early as well. She’s become a big part of this world and one of the rare people I can actually bounce ideas off. Also, sorry Lisa for the fact I’ve changed the series ending twice already... and yes, I’m probably going to change it again.
A little fun fact for you all about the series: when I first started writing, I had a very clear ending in mind. But after I finished book one, that ending completely changed. I spent a long time going back and forth on what direction felt right, and now I’ve circled back to my original idea. That said, I still have at least three backup endings in my head at all times. So if you ever meet me in person and ask how the series ends and I say I don’t know, I really do mean it. I like to see where the story goes and let the characters lead the way.
That being said, I thought it would be nice to give you a bit more insight on the two sisters whose POVs you’ll read in book one.
Aria Ellis walks the line between two worlds. The privileged magical aristocracy that once embraced her, and the shadowy underbelly where answers about her past may lurk. At 25, she carries herself with the refined poise of her upbringing, though now tinged with a hardened edge born from tragedy. Daughter of brilliant magical scientists who served the prestigious Darkmoor family, Aria was raised in intellectual splendour and magical innovation.
Once the darling of elite social circles, she’s now whispered about at gatherings she rarely attends. Brilliant but unstable, beautiful but dangerous, obsessed with conspiracy theories. But those who dismiss her as merely broken miss the fierce intelligence and determination that drives her. Aria Ellis isn’t seeking sympathy. She’s seeking truth—no matter the cost.
I truly enjoyed writing her, and a big inspiration for her actually came from watching Gossip Girl and my obsession with Blair Waldorf. Absolutely nothing to do with the fantasy world, really, but the vibes are very accurate. You’ll get a few glimpses of the glitz and glam of Eclipsera, and definitely even more in the later books. Aria is definitely for the eldest daughters who are stubborn to a fault and love to speak their mind, no matter what consequences it brings.
Next up we have the younger Ellis daughter, Luna.
Where Aria blazes, Luna gleams. The quieter 23-year-old sister with golden waves and disarming green eyes that see more than she lets on. Luna navigates the world with a soft smile that opens doors. She’s soft-spoken and academically brilliant, moving through social situations with an effortless charm that puts people at ease. Often labelled as “the sweet one,” she carries her family’s scientific legacy forward through focused research and careful observation. And while she may live somewhat in her sister’s shadow, she’s carved out her own path with quiet determination.
Luna is definitely a character who will surprise you in more ways than one. When I first wrote her, her role in the story was much smaller than it ended up being. What started as a plot point quickly grew into something much bigger. I was honestly a little worried she might feel like the quieter POV at first, but everyone who’s read it so far has completely fallen in love with her side of the story. That’s about all I can say for now without giving too much away.
I am so ready for this story to be out in the world, and at the same time, absolutely dreading it, because I’ve lived and breathed this book since the moment I started writing it. These characters feel like real people to me at this point, and I’m so protective of all of them. This book has also pushed me in new ways as a writer. Especially with the later books, there are a lot of new things I want to try and techniques I’ve been working on, and I really hope I can pull it all off.
I also want to give a shout out to Monique (@themysticinkpot), who has let me show up in her inbox with all my chaotic ideas and has constantly encouraged me to explore more folklore and deeper lore. Hopefully that means you’ll get a world that feels layered, immersive, and like it just keeps growing as the series goes on. One of my absolute favourite parts has been building out the magical creatures in this world, and I can’t wait to expand that even more in future books.
I’ve also collected a few questions from my Instagram story and from readers who’ve reached out, so I thought it would be nice to share some of the answers here. Hopefully, this gives you a bit more insight and a better feel for the story.
The most common question I get is how many books will be in the series. And honestly, it’s a tricky one to answer. I originally planned for it to be a trilogy, but it’s already expanded into four books, and I’m hoping it stays that way. That said, as the worldbuilding grows and the characters keep doing whatever they want, it might end up being more. What I can say for sure is that I don’t want to drag the story out just for the sake of it. If there are no more twists to tell, it’ll be four books. But just a little secret between us, you might not have to wait a full year between each release.
The next question I get asked a lot is what came first—the story or the characters? And I love this one. Very much a chicken or the egg situation. Honestly, it’s a bit of both, and it kind of depends on how you look at it. The original story idea was completely different in the early stages. It was meant to be more of a murder mystery fantasy with some occult magic elements, which obviously got scrapped once I started writing because it just didn’t feel right.
Aria was definitely the first character who came to me. Then came Luna, who was originally planned with a completely different personality and a much smaller role. That changed pretty quickly once I started developing her more and realised how much space she needed to take up. Very fun fact (yes, I know you’ll probably get sick of these)—Dom actually had a super minor role at first. He wasn’t meant to be a major character at all, but I had so much fun writing him that he sort of took over. He grew out of my obsession with Klaus Mikaelson and every morally grey, damaged character you can’t help but be drawn to.
Another question I get a lot is how long it took me to write the first draft. Let me tell you, it was a completely insane push. I had a really tight deadline to get it to my editor, and after scrapping the original version around Christmas, the book was still due to go in for a developmental edit at the end of January. So yes, you can imagine the level of panic. It took me five weeks to write the new version from scratch, and that first draft came in at around 85K words. It cost me a lot of sleepless nights, I had no weekends, no free time, but I got it done.
Would I ever do that again? Honestly, probably, because getting that first messy draft out is what lets the real magic happen in edits. You can’t shape something into what it’s meant to be if there’s nothing on the page. That being said, the original draft was rough. I’m talking huge plot holes, missing spark, and a serious lack of the thing that made me fall in love with the story in the first place. I didn’t fully connect with the book until I started editing and layering in the worldbuilding. It’s now sitting at around 132K words, and I’ve just finished up copy and line edits.
The last few questions I’ve been getting are all about worldbuilding, pacing, and spice. Honestly, these are always a bit tricky to answer because they’re so subjective. What one reader finds complex, another might breeze through. Same with spice. That being said, when it comes to worldbuilding, I really wanted it to feel layered without being overwhelming. Everything is delivered on a need-to-know basis, so don’t expect dense lore drops unless it’s something the character genuinely needs to know in that moment. I’ve tried to make the worldbuilding feel more immersive by tying it into action and experience rather than exposition. And thanks to Monique, I’ve also held back in certain places to let readers fill in the smaller gaps and make their own connections.
As for pacing, I’d say it sits somewhere between medium and fast. There’s a lot happening in this book and things really kick off early. I think the inciting incident lands around chapter five. I also love weaving in layers of symbolism and foreshadowing, but that’s more of a bonus for seasoned readers who enjoy building theory boards, picking apart details, and trying to guess what’s coming. You’ll still enjoy the story if you’re just here for the ride and happy to discover things as the characters do.
Now onto spice, which is probably the most requested detail. There’s one full proper spice scene in the book, with two smaller moments, but I didn’t want to add more just for the sake of it. This book is about more than the romance. That said, I’m still a romance author at heart, so there’s plenty of tension, yearning, and romantic beats throughout. It’s just not the kind of story where the romance overshadows the rest of the plot.
Before we get to the author spotlight, I wanted to do a big shoutout to someone who’s been part of this journey from early on and has shown so much support for this book—Heather (@_reading_is_my_cardio). She was one of my earliest readers back when I was writing romance, and also one of the very first beta readers for When Blood Runs Red. There’s actually one scene in the book that I massively amped up thanks to her feedback, and I still laugh every time I think about the nickname she gave one of the characters—stabby daddy. Having someone who genuinely loves this story and has helped me get it into the hands of more fantasy readers means the absolute world. If you’re not already following her, you should be. Her book recs are always spot on and her page is such a great space for discovering new reads.
And now it’s time for this month’s author spotlights. This time it’s romance AND fantasy!
In the last newsletter, I asked for your go-to Halloween movie recs and you absolutely delivered. I've compiled all the suggestions and added a bunch to my own list. But first, I’m definitely diving back into my October must-watches: Halloweentown and Practical Magic. An iconic double feature if I ever saw one.
I know you’ve all been very patient waiting to see the hardback and deluxe edition covers of When Blood Runs Red, but you’ll have to hold on just a little bit longer. Unless, of course, you’ve been sneaky or crafty enough to stumble across one of them already… in which case, no you didn’t.
As you can see, my word count currently sits at an embarrassing zero, and that’s because I’ve written absolutely nothing for book two of my fantasy series. I’ve hit that classic second book paralysis and fear of starting, even though the plot is all ready to go. I’m planning to dive in next week because, once again, I seem to love giving myself wildly short deadlines and work best under pressure. Yes, I’m working on it. No, I don’t want my hair going grey prematurely.
I hope this gave you a better idea of what to expect from When Blood Runs Red. Pre-orders for the ebook are now open, and I’m working as fast as I can to get paperback, hardback, and deluxe edition pre-orders live on my website for UK readers. I’ll also have updates very soon for those of you in the US.
If you’re planning to attend HEA next year, you’ll actually be able to get your hands on WBRR a whole month before release day, but make sure you pre-order, as I won’t be bringing a huge amount of stock with me. And definitely keep an eye out for merch. I’ve partnered up on something super exciting for you all. https://beventi.co/orderform/ekswxnynyt
xoxo,
