Behind the Scenes: Back to Kinda Normal

I’ve officially finished my second teaching placement!

As much as I’m going to miss the class, I’m also very much looking forward to having some “free” time again.

And by free time, I obviously mean catching up on uni assignments and readings, working, raising many children, editing a book, planning another book, organising artists, preparing for publication and apparently trying to build an author career at the same time.

So… you know. Free time.

Things behind the scenes have been busy lately, but in the best kind of way.

With placement finished, I’m hoping to get back into some light editing of The Flame Beneath while I wait for the next big step: my professional manuscript assessment!

TFB officially goes in for assessment in one week, which is both incredibly exciting and mildly terrifying. There’s something very nerve-racking about knowing someone is about to sit down, read your entire book and point out all the things that need fixing.

I’m just quietly hoping the feedback is more along the lines of “here are some things we can strengthen” and less “have you considered setting the entire manuscript on fire and starting again?”

We’ll see.

The cover design also begins next month and should hopefully be finished around mid-October, which might be the thing I’m most excited to see come together. I’ve had this book living inside my head for so long that the idea of eventually holding an actual physical copy—with a real cover and my name on it—still feels slightly ridiculous.

But the biggest update?

Vael Noctis is getting a Book Two.

I’ve officially decided I’m continuing the series, and I’ve slowly started tinkering away at the second book whenever time permits.

There are notes. There are scenes. There are questionable late-night ideas. There are already characters causing problems.

So basically, we’re off to a great start.

My very ambitious goal is to have a complete first rough draft by the end of this year. If everything goes according to plan—and publishing schedules decide to cooperate—I’d love to release Book Two around July or August next year.

I’ve already started looking at editor availability because apparently I am now the kind of person who books things twelve months in advance.

Who knew?

The timing is going to be interesting because I also finish my studies in June next year, which means those few months are shaping up to be absolutely jam-packed.

Finish my degree.

Become a teacher.

Publish books.

Maintain some vague level of sanity.

Easy.

And then there’s everything else…

One thing I completely underestimated when I decided I wanted to publish a book was just how much happens outside of actually writing the book.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve finally organised my author logo, hired an artist to design and illustrate the Vael Noctis house crests, and locked in an artist to create the map of Vael Noctis.

I’m also currently looking for the right artist to bring some of my characters to life.

Then there are stickers.

Bookmarks.

Character cards.

Packaging.

Pre-order goodies.

Because apparently I looked at everything already on my plate and thought, You know what this needs? Merchandise.

I’ve started looking into creating some little extras to include in pre-order boxes for anyone who orders The Flame Beneath directly through my website. I’d love for opening one of those packages to feel a little bit special—like you’re getting a tiny piece of Vael Noctis along with the book.

I’ll probably eventually make some of the designs available to purchase separately too, but for now I’m just having far too much fun imagining what everything could look like.

And slowly, piece by piece, this whole thing is starting to feel very real.

Which is exciting.

And terrifying.

And, if I’m being completely transparent, a little draining.

Because somewhere between writing books, editing books, planning Book Two, building a website, organising artwork, thinking about covers, newsletters, social media, pre-orders and everything else that comes with trying to launch a book…

I also have a job.

I’m studying.

And I’m raising many children.

There are only so many hours in a day, and unfortunately nobody has agreed to give me an extra twelve.

I genuinely never realised that trying to launch and build excitement around a book would feel like taking on another full-time job.

But even when I’m tired, I keep coming back to the same thought:

I really want to do this.

I want to see The Flame Beneath sitting on someone’s bookshelf.

I want to see someone holding a copy that I wrote.

I want readers to meet Briar and Malachi and walk through the doors of Vael Noctis for the first time.

I want someone to message me screaming about a chapter, or a character, or a moment that I spent months agonising over.

So for now, I’ll keep doing all the strange little behind-the-scenes jobs that I never knew came with writing a book.

And I’ll keep hoping that when The Flame Beneath finally releases, all of this work—the writing, editing, planning, designing, posting, organising and mildly chaotic multitasking—will have been worth it.

And, of course, I’m hoping people actually buy the bloody thing.

That would be helpful.

Until then, it’s back to kinda normal.

Whatever “normal” looks like around here.