Frequently Asked Questions

What’s your next project?

I’m glad you asked! The Scarlet Veil, first in the Serpent & Dove spin-off duology following Célie Tremblay, will publish in September 2023. 

But what is The Scarlet Veil about?

Here’s the official pitch:
Célie Tremblay, newest recruit of the reformed Chasseurs, investigates a string of murders in Cesarine—all of them magical creatures, all of their bodies drained of blood. She follows the trail to the heart of a vampire lair, capturing the attention of its cruel but beautiful king…and awakening an evil unlike Belterra has ever seen.

Will there be a preorder campaign?

Absolutely. I’ll post more information as it becomes available on my Instagram. 

How many books are in the Serpent & Dove series?

Three! The third and final book in the trilogy, Gods & Monsters, published in July 2022.

What inspired Serpent & Dove?

The first spark of inspiration came after watching Outlander Season 2, Episode 4, “La Dame Blanche.” Jamie refers to Claire as a “dame blanche” in passing, implying she’s some sort of white witch, but little else comes from the mythical title. After a bit of research, I realized that 1) I was obsessed with them, and 2) no one had yet written about them in YA. The rest is history.

What age readers do you recommend for Serpent & Dove?

15+

How old are Lou and Reid?

At the start of Serpent & Dove, Lou is eighteen years old, and Reid is twenty years old.

How did you find your agent?

Please see this blog post.

I didn’t know you started on Wattpad!

Yes! I posted each chapter to Wattpad as I drafted them. The story was very different then (and not titled Serpent & Dove), but the bones are still there.

Any tips for entering Pitch Wars?

I ramble about my Pitch Wars experience in this blog post, but alas, Pitch Wars closed permanently in 2022.

What advice can you give writers?

The most helpful advice I’ve ever received is that old and annoying adage: dress for the job you want. Other people might treat your writing as a hobby, but you know better. Prioritize it. You can’t publish a book unless you first write it. The second? Find what you love and lean in. 

My favorite online resources:

Emotional Thesaurus— onestopforwriters.com
Query Shark— queryshark.blogspot.com
Susan Dennard— susandennard.com/for-writers

Can you read my book/query/synopsis?

Unfortunately, I cannot. I wish I could, but I simply have too much to do and too little time. Unless you know where I can buy more time—maybe in some sort of underground magical market—in which case, I’ll meet you there. Surely my eternal gratitude will buy me something.

How do you edit your Instagram feed?

I tweak various VSCO filters, namely M5, on most of my iPhone photos, and I edit all of my Canon photos in Adobe Camera Raw.

What lipstick is that?

My favorite lipsticks are Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored (bright red), Unveil (medium brown), and Undefeated (purple); Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Rave (greige); and MAC Matte Lipstick in Antique Velvet (dark brown).