RELEASE DAY! [5 FAQs about Oath of Flame]

She's here. OATH OF FLAME is officially available everywhere books are sold!

Click HERE to get your copy!

In the meantime, let's do something fun. How about 5 Things You Might Not Know About Oath of Flame?

#1 - How did you come up with the story idea?

Writing a sequel is a whole different beast, let me tell you. It's interesting because you have to think of your character's progression on an individual level and on a series level. In book 1, Everly's character arc is all about finding her home. At the beginning of the book, she is literally homeless, and she spends most of book 1 learning about the world of Faery and beginning to feel at home there. At the end of book 1, she sacrifices the new home she has built to go back to the human world and save her friend Mary Beth.

In book 2, Everly's character arc is all about finding her place in the world (a continuation from book 1), but it has expanded to also caring about the world around her.

I think Alex, my AMAZING editor, described her character arc best: "The reader gets to see her development from an adolescent who is lost and alone, grieving and returning to the one place where she has been treated well, to a dynamic, determined and self-aware young woman."

So when it came time to brainstorm ideas for book 2, I kept Everly's character arc in mind. Every event that happens in book 2 is geared toward Everly's progression as a character!

#2 - What was the hardest part about writing this book?

Oh, man. If you've been following me on social media lately, then you probably already know that I STRUGGLED with the writing of this book. My first draft was about 50,000 words, and I literally sent it to my editor with a single word: HELP. I knew where I wanted it to go, and I knew the events I wanted to happen for it to get there, but I could not make a cohesive story to save my life.

Luckily, I wasn't alone. My amazing developmental editor took the fragmented mess I sent her and used her editor superpowers to set some guiding posts and give me some excellent feedback. Thanks to her, I was able to add 30,000 words to the story and I am DANG proud of the final product. It was a struggle, but it was worth every late night, early morning, and aching back.

#3 - What's the meaning behind the title?

The title Oath of Flame is based on Everly's character arc. After a certain event at the beginning of book 2, she makes a promise to herself (an oath, if you will) to take action, and she spends the entirety of book 2 making good on that promise.

#4 - What is your favorite scene in the book?

Oh, wow. It's so hard to pick just one. How about I pick a set of scenes instead? There's a new character introduced in book 2 (his name is Ewan) who creates some romantic complications for Everly. And I love every scene that he's in. He's pretty much adorable.

#5 - When is the next book coming?

Blaze of Reckoning (book 3 in the Rising Elements series) is set for release at the end of January 2023. I'm in the outlining stages for it right now and I cannot wait to share more about it! Let's just say it's going to expand the world of Faery quite a bit. ;)

If you've ordered a copy of Oath of Flame, I want to say thank you. Your support means the world to me. I hope you love Everly's story as much as I do!

If you haven't ordered a copy yet... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Click here!