It’s been raining cats, dogs, and possibly a few dragons here in my part of Queensland. The creeks are a lovely shade of mud brown (very chic, if you’re into that), but thankfully, we’re not flooding—small wins, right? Up north, though, it’s a different story, with evacuations happening. My thoughts are with those affected, and I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that the rain decides to take a vacation and head offshore soon.
Amid the downpours, I curled up with a good book—because what else do you do when it feels like the sky is auditioning for a role in Waterworld? This week, I revisited House of Beating Wings by Olivia Wildenstein, the first book in the Kingdom of Crows trilogy. If you’re into romantic fantasy (or “romantasy,” as we cool kids call it), this one’s a gem. I enjoyed it so much the first time that I thought, “Why not dive back in and let these characters ruin my productivity all over again?”
Speaking of diving in, I’m 25,000 words deep into writing The Rise, Book 2 in my romantic fantasy trilogy which I’ve penciled in to release December 2025 but that’s not a promise as the story and revisions will dictate such things.
Callie’s story is getting messier (because what’s a romantasy without a little chaos?), and Echo, her loving but sarcastic dragon sidekick, is back with her usual sass. I also introduced a grumpy Seer Cat and a world-weary dragon who’s tired of everyone’s nonsense.
How I see the seer cat and Callie.
· Blood Secrets (Book 2 in the Vampire King’s Daughter series) Final edits of edits are STILL underway! I had to put it aside briefly to shut my mind up and work on other things. Which brings me to:
· Side Projects: These are needed to make my brain happy. I have a very busy brain who often acts like a toddler with a Netflix remote (or me come to think of it)—constantly jumping from one thing to another. I’ve been dabbling in a paranormal shifter romance and plotting a dark fantasy duology where the romance is slow, and the monsters fast and ferocious.
These are fun distractions, but my main focus is on doing all the final polishing things on books 2-5 in the Vampire King’s Daughter series and writing the The Rise.
Meet Saphira: A Rescue Story
As always, I’d love to share a picture of one of my beloved pets. This is Saphira, the queen of our paddocks and a horse we rescued from the “doggers”—a term used in Australia for those who sell horses to the meat market. At 8 years old, Saphira has scars on her rear legs from being caught in wire and can’t be ridden for more than hour. But we don’t care about that. We don’t ride our horses; they’re more like oversized, hay-eating (see money eating) family members who occasionally judge us for not bringing carrots fast enough. Our beautiful Saphira is now 18.
Sharing these updates isn’t just about keeping you in the loop—it’s about connecting with fellow book lovers, fantasy enthusiasts, and animal lovers. I’d love to hear from you!
Thank you for being part of this journey. If you enjoyed this update, feel free to share it with friends or leave a comment on my Substack or on here. Let’s keep the conversation going—preferably over a cup of coffee (or tea, or juice, or water, a wine, a smoothie even, if that’s your thing) I’m a coffee, smoothie, and tea girl myself.
Until next time, may you find a great series to read that takes you beyond reality.
Cheers Cassandra