Times for some news and updates!
So, I’ve finished posting my middle-grade fantasy novel, The Laughing Empress!
The Laughing Empress was a bit of a unique project for me because it was the first book I wrote with a specific target audience in mind. To learn a little more about what inspired it, jump to the last section of this email.
For now, let’s talk about my next project!
Rosaline’s Curse 3: Madhuri’s Hourglass
I am super excited to announce that I have just finished the first draft of Rosaline’s Curse 3: Madhuri’s Hourglass!
If you aren’t familiar with my Rosaline’s Curse series, it’s about a princess from the thirteenth century who is put into an enchanted sleep to await her true love. Unfortunately, it takes 800 years for her true love to show up, so when she finally wakes up, she has to integrate into modern society.
And if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, apparently the evil fiancé she thought she left behind in the 1200s is immortal because somehow he’s still alive and very much in love with her.
Madhuri’s Hourglass will be the third and final book in this series! I don’t have a publication date yet, but I will let you know as soon as I do!
In the meantime, check out the first two books:
Mark’s Noble Quest (A novellette)
I also recommend you read Love, Treachery, and Other Terrors since the book is referenced throughout the Rosaline’s Curse series (though it’s not required).
(You can also get these books on Amazon, but they might not be free there because Amazon will sometimes start charging for my books without warning.)
I am so excited to share this story with you all and will let you know when it’s ready!
I also have some other projects in the works, but more on those later!
The content in the Rosaline’s Curse series is appropriate for teens and up. A parent should read all books in this series before sharing with a child younger than fourteen.
Since I just wrote a middle grade book, I feel it is important to remind readers that most of my books contain mild swearing, innuendos, dark humor, and other content that might not be appropriate for kids.
About The Laughing Empress
People often ask me what age I write for, but here’s the truth: I don’t write for any specific age or audience. I just kind of write stories I enjoy and hope they find an audience of any age that enjoys them also.
The Laughing Empress was my first attempt at writing specifically for a mainstream middle-grade audience. The characters were young teens, and it made use of many popular middle-grade tropes: chosen one, orphan protagonist, etc. The language spoken by the fantasy characters was a lot more casual and colloquial than I use in my other books.
The whole thing was very different than what I am used to, but I am glad I got to branch out and experiment with a new style of writing.
My personal favorite thing about The Laughing Empress is the character of Pouli. He is based on my own pet starling I raised as a teenager.
Starlings actually can learn to talk, and the way Pouli spoke is very similar to the way my Bird (my starling) spoke. Of course, Pouli is a little more coherent than Bird was, but not by much. The personality is basically the same. My bird also loved grapes and would ask for them!
Will I write more middle-grade fiction in the future? I don’t know. If I get inspiration or if my audience asks for it, I might. For now, I look forward to getting back to my stories from Para Sympan that are targeted toward… people of any age who share my strange sense of humor.
The Fables of Para Sympan 