(Spoilers Ahead)

Hello My Loves & Happy April to you!

Spring is one of my favorite seasons, hence why most of my stories typically begin during that time of year! I live in the south so I’m used to mild winters, but even so, I still look forward to the warm days and cool nights of Spring before the summer heat kicks in.

Spring is also the time where my writing starts to awake from the hibernation of winter. Like I mentioned before, I have lots creatives I dabble in like crocheting & gaming, and I have a tendency to lean into one more than the other, but the spring days, especially the rainy days, is when writing takes over and I develop a habit (not really a routine) of consistent writing.

Now when I say writing, it’s not just working on a chapter, it’s working on an outline, jotting down notes for a book, watching or reading something for research—all of those things are part of my writing process. I learned a long time ago not to force myself into a schedule but when my characters decide to speak to me, I give them my attention and listen to them so I can work accordingly.

And now the kitchen is active!

So, I have a few projects going on at the moment, but the main two I’m working on are “Azalea” and “But You’re Cupid”.

If you noticed on the site, I’ve added a section for books so I can list what you can expect from me and what’s currently out. Azalea and BYC have been added to that list.

Azalea, of course is the follow up book to Wisteria. It’s the second book of the Sun and Moon Wolf Series and it’s been the most challenging to write. I feel like in most series, especially the ones I’ve read, the second book is always the one with the most detail and the most personality from the characters. You tend to see more of their flaws and struggles before the climax and you start to connect the dots of their world.

Azalea is definitely like this.

After meeting with Chasma at Ezra’s place, Ivy decides to go Azalea and when she’s there, you get to see another side to her.

This is the first time she’s been away from her Dad so she dealing with being independent and learning how to be this new person plus meeting new people and trying to solve a mystery. There is quite a bit to unpack with Ivy so I’m taking my time but being efficient all in the same. Simply because it pleases me how many of you are anticipating this book…might have something to do with the cliffhanger though.

Don’t worry, it’s in progress and has been while I was publishing Wisteria. I tend to work on a couple projects at a time.

I originally set a date of 2026 for Azalea, so I’m working towards that if not earlier, but I’m a slow writer and I write in third person so I want to make sure I cover all angles.

Azalea is what I like to describe is a beach town. The story takes place about a month after Ivy left Wisteria and Summer Solstice is approaching. The town is currently inhabited with a lot of tourists and vacationers so there are lots of events going on there.

You favorite returning characters will be in Azalea and some new characters as well. Ivy will find herself in the company of Ipadia Edaleia, who is a Lieutenant working for Legis. Legis is the law enforcement in Nanthus. Ipadia has solicited Ivy’s help with a series of crimes being committed by a magical being. When Ivy catches who’s responsible, her actions will lead her even further into the rabbit hole of saving Icarea.

I know you want to know more and you will…eventually.

I’m having a great time writing Azalea and hope you all have an even greater time reading it!

“But You’re Cupid” holds such a special place in my heart. When I got back into writing and started publishing on a platform for writers and readers, this was the first fantasy I had written. The story was heavily inspired by shows like Charmed (Haliwells), Supernatural, Buffy, all of my favorite fantasy TV shows and K-POP. I unpublished the book with over 400K reads for the first book and 200K for the second.

As I was working on Wisteria, I tried out Kindle Vella for BYC. I rewrote and edited the chapters and began posting them on Vella. After awhile I removed the book from Vella because I wanted to publish it as a physical copy. This book is actually what made me a Goodreads Author.

Since then I’ve been formatting the chapters for its debut while finishing the remaining chapters. There is lots of heavy editing and rewriting because the draft has been finished for years. Now it’s being polished.

The reception of BYC has been so positive on Vella and the platform I published on originally. I have so much fun writing such colorful and fun characters. This is also the first RomCom fantasy I’ve written so I wanted to make sure I kept that feel while editing the book.

BYC is about a young woman named Amelia Hughes who works for a local magazine. She recently broke up with her boyfriend and is fed up with love and all it entails. These feelings unknowingly summons her Cupid, who decides to help her find her one true love.

Amelia and her Cupid go through a series of events and all the while Amelia starts to discover things about herself while her Cupid experience unexpected happenings and has to deal with the consequences of revealing himself to his charge.

This book is a little more freeflowing than my usual works but there is a lot that unfolds with the characters. There is a second book that follows it, but we can get to that later.

Right now, I don’t have an estimated time of release for this book, but once I do, expect to hear more about it. I can say the book will be available on Amazon and Kindle (paperback and ebook) and I can’t wait to share this with you all.

Elle’s Writing Kitchen is definitely active with lots of sweet treats and filling courses. Make sure to like and comment on this post and if you want more exclusive behind the scenes content about these books and more, be sure to subscribe.

Happy Reading & Writing

E. Lees 🩷