I wanted to start this post with something witty, but then I remembered my actual writing-related news and needed a moment to celebrate. It’s been a journey, friends.

Setback after setback made me hate A Curse of Venom & Scales for a moment there, but I’m ECSTATIC to announce we’re back on track. What’s fourteen drafts and four-and-a-half years between friends? *bangs head against desk*

I’ve received feedback from most of my alpha/beta team. Once I have the last dregs of feedback, I can start revising.

I’m stunned, humbled, and awed over the overwhelmingly positive reactions my early reading team shared about this book. Sure, there is some work in my future, but the series is growing up nicely, and betas agree that this draft is much stronger than the other(s).

Once I’ve received those final bits and bobs of feedback, I’ll start revising. From there, the book goes to my editor, I’ll apply suggested revisions, it’ll be edited again, revised again, then proofread and published. ACOVAS’s publishing date is dependent on the availability of the polishing team, but I’m cautiously optimistic that it’ll be available by early 2026.

Somewhere in the trenches of the curse this book has been, I almost gave up on the series and writing as a whole. So, just being able to type those words—it’ll be available by early 2026—fills me with the utmost wonder.

I made it. I am here. I’m still writing.

In fact, my passion for writing has redoubled, and I’ve been walking around with a starry-eyes emoji face for the past few months. Few things fill my well as much as storytelling. This is what I’m meant to be doing with my life.

While I’m waiting for the beta team to finish reading, I’m working on a new project. I hinted at it the other day in my ‘Tips For Changing Genres’ post, but I figured this would be my moment to tell you a bit more.

The new WIP doesn’t have a name yet. My brainstorming partner and cousin extraordinaire, Shants, and I have just been referring to the book by the protagonist’s name. I don’t want to give away too much because I want to query agents with this one and that makes me feel a bit more precious about it.

I’ve never queried before. Fear has always kept me from even entertaining the idea, but I truly believe I’ve grown enough as a writer that someone out there will want to represent me in the market.

I also believe I’ve found my true voice as a writer. I’m not made for stuffy epic fantasy told in deep third, past tense POV, but the easy coffee-table chatter that fourteen years of blogging taught me. Writing in first-present POV feels so natural to me, it almost jumps onto the page without any effort.

I’d forgotten how easy writing can be and how right it can feel.

My WIP is an urban fantasy with a strong romantic plot. This is my first time writing in a modern, real-world setting, and I’m in love. Establishing the scene and creating characters to play in it has been an absolute joy, stripped of the angst that accompanied ACOVAS. And that isn’t ACOVAS’s fault—the loathing I felt for that book is just the side-effect of writing a novel during a pandemic and amid one of the longest depressive slumps of my life.

I’m proud of the current draft. I still adore those characters and I want to finish telling their story. That said, I’ve fallen out of love with the genre and writing style. Shants and I had a conversation about it where she said she feels hard done by for those characters. They deserved the same storytelling voice—my voice—as I’m pouring into my WIP.

Part of me agrees with her. The other part is just thankful that people read the stories I write and see the growth from book to book. I want to reach higher—as someone told me lately, everyone deserves a chance to fly. (Which reminds me. Wicked is and will always be my favourite show. From the time I saw Rachel Tucker belt out ‘The Wizard and I’ on the West End, I’ve been in love, and I loved the movie, too. So. GOOD!!! Tangent over.)

Once I’ve finished the WIP, I plan on writing more urban fantasy/paranormal romance/romantacy books. I’ve already started planning some of the plots. As much as I love high fantasy, the hopefulness of sprinkling in some romance makes my heart happy. And the world needs some hope right about now.

I’m excited about this new leg of my writing journey. Can’t wait to see what we all learn together!

Until next time.

Yolandie