Kicking off the new year with a new reading challenge – what could be more fun?
#IndieReads2026
I’ve started a new reading challenge for this year – all about indie books.
#IndieReads2026 is my way of slowing down, paying attention and celebrating stories that might otherwise slip past us. There’s also a points system and the person with the most points at the end of the year wins a prize.
Everyone’s welcome to join in – just click the link below and join my Instagram group chat so I can keep track of your reads and add up your points.
Venom and Blaze character art
My Street Team saw it first – but this gorgeous depiction of Venom and Blaze came out in January. The ultra-talented Abeer Malik worked on it all winter and I’m so impressed by the finished piece. Every time I look, I see a new detail!
(Psst. Want to be first to hear the latest news and see character art? Join my Street Team.)
The Boy With Wings For Hands
When I was on one of the indie author panels at YALC, a member of the audience asked us all what our goals were and what was on our To-Do List.
I had two: finish editing The Boy With Wings For Hands (I’d just had my first round of edits back and my wonderful editor had picked out a zillion plot holes that I needed to sort out. It was exactly the feedback I needed – but I knew I had my work cut out to make the book the best it can be.)
After months of hard work (and tireless patience from Jesterbell Editing), I can confirm this book is the best it can be. You’ll be able to judge for yourself very soon.
The Ruined Skye trilogy
Second on my list was finishing up my Ruined Skye trilogy.
Maybe it’s the fact that YALC is in November (my least favourite month). Or maybe it was that I’d just finished the second book in the trilogy, told myself it was terrible then put it aside and never looked at it again. Whatever the reason, my enthusiasm and energy were running low.
Until this month. I edited Book Two and realised it wasn’t the ghastly pile of dross I’d remembered. In fact, I quite liked it.
I’m doing something a little bit different with these two books. Where my other series, The Mirrordom Legends, was written completely chaotically (Book Three was written first. Book One was written second. Book Two was written third. Book Five was written fourth. And, obviously, Book Four was written fifth.), I’m working on the final two books in the Ruined Skye trilogy side by side. Tweaking Book Two while writing Book Three. Almost treating them as one giant story, just split into two. And I’m loving it.
I’m currently 20,000 words into the last book and it’s all I can think about. I love the characters and their journeys. I also want the third book to end the series in a way that completely satisfies. My characters, and readers, deserve nothing but the best.
Forgotten Skye, the first in the trilogy, is out this year.
Out of all the books I’ve written, Forgotten Skye is one of my favourites. I’m so proud of the story and the characters – and, best of all, many of the places where the action takes place are real. (Note to self: do a full blog post about that closer to the book’s release.)
How has your year started? Let me know all about it in the comments.
