I decided to post my “end of the month” blog a little earlier than usual—mostly because I’ve got some free time right now, and this weekend’s going to be busy. I have a doctor’s appointment to discuss the ongoing PMDD situation.
This month wasn’t as bad as previous ones (small victory!), though I still spent a couple of days in bed, completely wiped out. The unpredictable nature of it means I never know when a bad flare will hit, so I want to explore getting more treatment and support than I’m currently receiving. Fingers crossed the consultation is helpful.
The Month Everything Changed (Again 😅)
September ended up being the month where my plans changed—again! I suppose by this stage, you’re probably used to me pivoting every few months. 😛
During the Write Here, Write Now “Rekindle Your Writing Spark!” free five-day challenge Karen hosted earlier this month (and don’t worry if you missed it—Karen’s promised another round in future, so make sure to follow her [Editing Page] for updates!), I wrote a piece of flash fiction based on the prompt: “You know what to do.”
And here’s what I wrote:
“No need to tremble, my pet. You know what to do.”
Azrael’s deep voice resonated behind me as I stared down at the supple neck of my first victim.
Their skin was covered in stubble and tattoos—markings of the cartel they belonged to. Azrael had chosen this one especially for me, because of the heinous crimes he’d committed.
Still, my heart thudded in time with the victim’s. My breath caught as I inclined my head and bared my fangs.
My lips locked around the drug dealer’s throat, clamping onto the carotid artery, just as Azrael’s long fingers stroked through my hair.
“That’s it. Now drink.”
The first gush of warm blood was like ice water after a day in the sun. I couldn’t stop myself from greedily gulping more and more.
As I consumed his essence, visions of his past crimes filled my head—I saw him pushing meth onto a young woman, barely twenty, her eyes wide and glazed. I watched, horrified, as he held up a local convenience store at gunpoint. I saw him beating an older woman who looked like she could be his mother—and something inside me snapped.
My fangs tore at his flesh, ripping his neck open so blood sprayed across my face. Even as his heart shuddered and stopped, I didn’t slow down.
I gorged myself on his depravity, fueled by the grotesque images of his past. His blood was fire in my veins. As he weakened, I grew stronger.
Azrael had given me the one thing I’d always craved—power.
No longer was I at the mercy of my abusive father, or the predator he’d tried to force me to marry. I was free.
My thirst sated, I lifted my head and turned to Azrael. His red eyes gleamed in the darkness, his long black hair a silken veil around him.
With my mouth still full of blood, my mind clouded by the intoxicating rush of my first kill, I did the thing I’d longed to do since the moment my dark saviour found me: I crushed my lips against his, hungry now for a different kind of heat.
He hesitated only a moment before taking control of the kiss.
He cupped my cheeks, tilting my head to suit his position, and opened his mouth. The blood of the dealer flowed from mine to his.
His tongue lashed against mine—and then came the subtle, pinprick sharpness of his teeth as he bit my bottom lip, my blood mixing with that of my victim.
When I pulled back, my eyes were as glazed as the woman’s in the vision.
Azrael smirked. “That’s my good girl.”
From that night, and every night for eternity, I was his.
From Prompt to Plot Bunny (Fanged Edition)
Somehow, this prompt merged in my mind with my ongoing obsession with Atsushi Sakurai—and suddenly my brain was screaming:
“You need to write a vampire novel!”
Honestly, as a self-professed vampire simp and Anne Rice fangirl, it’s shocking it’s taken me this long. Even my husband was surprised I’d never written vampires before!
And just like that, a full story began forming.
At first, I envisioned it as a supernatural thriller with romantic elements—a Dexter-but-with-vampire-lovers kind of thing. I planned to serialize it while continuing work on Divine Unmaking.
But the more I sat with it, the clearer two things became:
I needed to change direction with the story.
I didn’t want to serialize it after all.
My long-term goal has always been to pursue traditional publishing, and while I’ve experimented with serials (and All It Takes did pretty well), they’ve never quite worked for me in the long run.
After a lot of reflection (and many late-night chats with my husband), I realised that starting a new serial might give me an initial dopamine hit—but it wouldn’t be sustainable, especially if it didn’t gain traction right away.
Embracing How My Brain Works (Hello, ADHD!)
Even after going through ADHD coaching, I’m still very much a project hopper—and honestly? I’ve made peace with that.
That said, I want to set myself up for success with projects I can actually finish and get out into the world.
Projects like Triquetra and Divine Unmaking? I love them deeply. But they’re complex beasts. Triquetra has three protagonists—Act One alone clocked in at 60k words. Divine Unmaking has dual POVs, layered trauma, memory loss, and a whole mythology of patriarchal oppression. These are stories I’ll likely dip in and out of over many years.
They’re not six-month-and-query projects.
But my new vampire story? Tentatively titled Kiss Me After the Kill? It’s lore-rich, yes—but it’s first and foremost a romance novel.
And that, I’ve realised, is where my strengths lie.
All three of my previously published books are romance. Honestly, I’ll take any excuse to write with fangirl energy on Main.
The Future is Fangy
I’m excited to finally lean into romantasy. The Starlight Prince dabbled in it, but it didn’t perform as well as I’d hoped. Still, I plan to revisit and revise that story in time.
I’m also hoping to release my spicy snow-elf short this winter—originally part of an anthology last year. It’s now titled A Winter’s Kiss and features a sexy snow-elf who can control the temperature. ❄️
Stay tuned here on the blog for updates as we head into December!
In Conclusion: I’m a Romance Writer, Baby 🖤
I feel most at home writing romance—but I’m no longer as drawn to contemporary settings as I was ten years ago. Some might call that flaky. I used to worry about that a lot. But I have ADHD. This is just how I operate.
My goal is to finish Kiss Me After the Kill in six months—and I’ll do my best not to get distracted. But if I do? That’s okay too.
Other Updates 🌟
— The Kindred Creativity Club’s September Spotlight: Creative Connections is wrapping up, and I’ve featured 18 amazing creative businesses and services!
— I’m planning a charity auction for the end of November, with proceeds going to the Trussell Trust, which supports food banks across the UK.
Want to donate a prize? You can find all the info here:
👉 Prize Donation Form
— My website got a gothic glow-up this month—more in line with my spooky-season heart and romantasy branding. The banner even matches my hair!
That’s all for now! Make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter—this week’s issue will include:
💌 An exclusive first peek at Kiss Me After the Kill
🖥️ Graphical goodies (wallpapers, quote art, trackers)
🖤 And more deliciously dramatic updates!
Until next time, take care and stay creative.
T.T.F.N. (Too Theatrical for Normalcy),