Happy Witchy Season!

Just an update to say I’ve been working on revisions for The Gilded City of Dreams, the follow-up to The Golden Age of Magic. And, yes, there is a second book in the series!

I’ve also been traveling and gathering ideas for a new story that won’t leave me alone. And now that it’s spooky season, the urge to get writing is strong! But, I have to finish the edits first, and then I will dive in to the new project. Perhaps there will be more to tell about the story-in-waiting later on. Until then, happy witchy season!

Rejection Reflection

Look what I came across while cleaning out a drawer in my office. It’s a rejection letter from Simon & Schuster for the very first novel I ever wrote, a middle-grade story written for the ten to twelve-year-old crowd. There’s no date on the letter. No recognition of my name or even an editor signature. It is a generic piss-off rejection letter, of which I collected several hundred before getting novel number four published (The Vine Witch).

The fact that it’s a typed letter is the first clue to how old it is. When I first started my journey toward publication over twenty years ago we were still mailing manuscripts off in brown envelopes and including a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return response from the intended recipient. I have a few of the more personal and encouraging ones that I kept stashed away, but somehow this one got shoved in a drawer by itself. Many others got ripped up and thrown in the trash upon arrival.

And yet I persisted.

And if anyone reading this blog post is a writer hoping to get published, you should do the same. Persistence is as valuable as writing or storytelling talent when it comes to traditional publishing. The first few rejections sting personally, but you build up a tolerance for the pain. Eventually. If you stick with it.

My ninth book, The Gilded City of Dreams, will be out in June 2026. Just saying.

New Trade Review for The Golden Age of Magic

I’m delighted to share this wonderful review from the Historical Novel Society. HNS was founded in the United Kingdom in 1997 as a way to champion historical fiction via their Solander magazine. Since that time, the magazine has morphed into the Historical Novels Review, a quarterly magazine that offers thoughtful reviews of newly released historical novels.

Review:

“1927. After crossing a powerful and vengeful fairy godmother (part of the Fées Gardiennes), 22-year-old Celeste is on a ship bound for America and, hopefully, a safe place from retribution. Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, Celeste quickly discovers that Hollywoodland’s silent film era boasts its own unique form of royalty than in Europe. Her mission is to find a protégé, ignite a spark of inspiration, and kindle a beacon of hope visible to the world. Achieving this will enable her to become a true Fée Gardienne. However, the exceedingly optimistic Celeste, accompanied by her stoat companion Sebastian, soon uncovers a chilling curse enveloping the movie studio where her potential protégé works. While a godmother’s gift comes with a cost, Celeste becomes entangled in a plot to upset the balance between light and dark forces.


This is an enjoyable spin on the classic fairy godmother’s trope. From set constructions to costume design, the allure of Hollywoodland comes alive as Celeste experiences snippets of behind-the-scenes movie studio glamour. Celeste’s developing skills and her growing partnership with Sebastian are enjoyable plot threads. Celeste has an “old soul” coupled with an adorable optimism, so I often forgot she was only 22. As the plot unfolds, Celeste’s initial naivety is starkly contrasted by dark events as a movie studio’s bad luck/curse culminates into a grisly murder. The ending is bittersweet, effectively illustrating the complexity of finding happiness. There are a few loose ends, but it appears there is another book slated for 2026.”

Thank you HNR!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the first month of release for The Golden Age of Magic so wonderful! Historical Fantasy is my jam, so it was especially exciting to have the novel remain as the number one new release in Historical Fantasy kindle books for the entire month of July.

For those interested in reading more about the Gardiennes, it will be a few months still before the second book comes out. We’re just getting ready to begin the official editorial process on The Gilded City of Dreams next month. That takes a good three or four months. Following that, we should get a cover reveal sometime after the new year. I can’t wait to see what Kimberly Glyder comes up with, though she’ll have a hard time topping the gorgeous cover she did for The Golden Age of Magic!

Speaking of gorgeous, check out those flowers I picked up at the farmer’s market this past weekend. Browsing all the local offerings at the farmer’s market is like going on a mini vacation for an hour. Highly recommend! Such a mood booster.

Thanks again!

-Luanne