Once Paths Unknown was finished, I had every intention of taking a break from fairytale retellings.
After writing six books for the Tales of Winberg series, plus two more retellings for multi-author projects (To Betray a King and The Hidden Gift), I was ready for something different. I wanted to go back to writing contemporary for a bit, and I was hoping to get started on my first contemporary series.
And then the Displaced Fairytales project came along and changed everything.
The concept was simple and completely irresistible: what if a character were pulled out of their own fairy tale and dropped into a completely different one? I was immediately in love with the idea and said yes very quickly. Then I started brainstorming mashups and immediately latched onto Rapunzel. What if she fell from her tower into a world that didn’t belong to her at all?
I couldn’t say no to that.
Something new (and a little terrifying)
Tangled Sails was new territory for me in more ways than one. It’s the first book I’ve written with magic—real, woven-into-the-story magic—and I won’t pretend that didn’t give me pause.
My other books are immersive and atmospheric, but the rules of their worlds are essentially our rules. When you add magic, suddenly you have to build the rules from scratch. What can it do? What can’t it do? Where does it come from, and what does it cost? I had to figure all of that out, and there were moments when it felt like I was trying to come up with an entirely new language. There were many text and phone conversations with my writerly sisters (Jana and Kimberly), as I thought and rethought the rules, lore, and boundaries.
But here’s what I didn’t expect: once I leaned into it, the magic felt freeing. It opened up story possibilities I couldn’t have found any other way. And Lyrielle’s healing power, which on the surface could be nothing but good, became one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. Because the idea of someone who has a power that can only GIVE, that can only be used for other people and never for herself, was such a heavy and complicated prospect. In a time when many of us believe that in order to be worthy we have to give, give, give, produce, produce, produce, it was a good reminder that boundaries and rest are just as important as how we serve others.
Why this one stayed with me
Every book teaches me something. Tangled Sails taught me that writing magic is indeed hard, but it can also be incredibly fun.
It also gave me Prince Tavric, who I adore. And apparently I’m not ready to leave his world behind because I’m already writing a book for his brother, Prince Dorian, using that same displaced fairytale concept. Once you discover something that works, you want to live in it a little longer.
If you’ve already read Tangled Sails, thank you. This one was a leap of faith, and your response to it has meant everything.
Tangled Sails is also creeping up on 200 reviews on Amazon, and I would love to hit that milestone. If you’ve read it and haven’t left a review yet, even just a sentence or two makes a real difference. It helps other readers find the book, and honestly, it means the world to me. Leave a review here.
And if you haven’t yet, grab your copy here.
Speaking of Writerly Sisters
A reminder that I and my sisters are hosting a retreat for aspiring writers! It will be October 6-10 in Bear Lake Utah. You can find all the info HERE.
Clean Romance Highlights
Since it’s still July, we’ll do one more book for Christmas in July! A Shortbread Christmas by Deb Goodman is book 1 in her Christmas series.
Saving the bakeshop was the plan… catching feelings was not on the recipe card.
When Hate Wasn’t Enough is a new romantic suspense release on sale for $.99.
Two broken people. One unconventional family.
And a love born from hate, grief, and understanding.
Stuck on the Beach with You is a new contemporary romcom by
One storm. One meet-cute. One unexpected chance at love.
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