Know the Novel: October 2025
Another blog post?! Le gasp!
I know, I know, try not to faint. But I did say I wanted to be back in here talking about writing stuff more often.
And what better way to jump back into blogging than with one of my favorite annual tags?
Know the Novel is a 3-part tag for writers, one for each of these last three months of the year. Each part features ten questions you can answer on your own blog, in your newsletter, on your social media, or just for yourself! The questions focus on different parts of your novel and how the writing is progressing.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?
My cousin’s daughters kept asking me about a sequel to An Echo of the Fae! I thought that book would be a stand alone, but then I saw a picture of a hooded woman with a blue lantern and an owl and I started to wonder… “What did happen to Echo after the story ended?”
This is NOT that particular story (I think that one will be book 3) but for now, the question is what sparked the first glimmering of the idea that I wasn’t done with Echo.
2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!
Be careful what you wish for…
Kidnapped as an infant and raised as a princess in the Summer Court, Jana is now back with her human family. Although the home she was born into is filled with love, she misses the prestige of being a princess.
The arrival of her tiny dragon bearing a gift from Titania seems to indicate a mended fence. While an invitation to the annual Sea Fae Ball seems like a chance for Jana to recapture some of what she has lost.
However, reality rarely lives up to expectations. Finding herself snubbed by a powerful fae at the dance, Jana makes a reckless wish. But when Titania’s gift grants the wish, Jana suddenly finds that a wish made in haste can have dire consequences. If she cannot find a way to reverse the wish, she will lose her new family forever.
3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?
The story takes place all over, which is probably also my favorite aspect of the setting. Jana has to travel to all the realms searching for the things she needs to reverse her wish, and it has been a lot of fun going to some new locations in this world, as well as revisiting a few old favorites.
4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).
Jana is impetuous and exuberant and full of life. She tends to leap before she thinks and embraces everyone with the same kind of enthusiasm most people would generally reserve only for close friends or family. Her emotions are quick to flare to the surface, but they calm equally swiftly.
5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?
The antagonist is mostly situational—as Jana gets herself into the mess she finds herself in. Though Queen Titania is also partially to blame. Some unkind or thoughtless words that Jana overhears are also part of the antagonist that gets the plot rolling, so to speak.
6. What excites you the most about this novel?
Just being back in my own fairy tale world is super fun. I’m excited to explore Jana’s character a bit more, and I’m excited about her arc. She’s going to do a lot of growing up along the way, and that’s going to be fun to write and to read later.
7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?
This is the sequel to the book that wasn’t supposed to have a sequel!
8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?
I am plotting this story more than I have ever plotted anything I have ever written before.
9. Name a few unique elements in this story.
I’ve been calling it my Sleeping Beauty/Little Mermaid/Snow White mashup… but really, it isn’t any of those things. It has an under the sea ball, a magic mirror, and a curse that must be lifted, but that’s like saying a story is similar to Cinderella just because shoes are mentioned once or twice.
The crossing of multiple fae realms feels different to me.
10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).
Here are my setting and story pics I’ve been looking at as I write this book:
