A Milestone for Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince has been reached!
Today I am sharing an accomplishment that I honestly had not even considered before it happened.
On February 26, 2026, Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince was named #1 New Release in Classic Coming-of-Age Fiction on Amazon!
I am so deeply grateful. This is a celebration that I am holding onto for the moment is the direct result of craft, leadership, and identity.
Craft is the quiet part that people don’t always see. It’s the countless revisions. The belaboring over each and every punctuation. It’s learning to uncover the magic of what your story is actually about and having the courage to rewrite it until it finally matches the feeling in your chest you want to emulate.
Leadership, in the indie author world, often looks like leading yourself. Choosing consistency and learning how to be disciplined. Creating the structure behind creating and keeping to imaginary deadlines where no one else is holding you accountable. Holding to those standards even when you’re bone tired.
Identity is what remains when the excitement wears off. The sentence you return to when you’re not sure that you are supposed to be doing this. I am a writer. I finish what I start. I create worlds.
If you’re new here, Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince is a YA fantasy about two sisters, a forbidden forest, and the kind of courage I call wild-hearted bravery—the bravery that shows up while your hands are still trembling.
If you want the story behind the story, the real-time journey, the world-building, and the quiet truths that built this book—come join Letters from the Netherwood on my Substack.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in this world. The Netherwood is calling—and today, I’m answering back, and I wish you would join me too.
Please help me welcome the Netherwood into the physical realm.
I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to bring these pieces to life. I have been taking time proofing details, refining the feel, and making sure that our first pieces of merchandise feel like a true extension of Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince…not just “swag,” but a story that you can hold.
If you have started your adventure into the Netherwood and you feel like you can practically step into it, this experience is my sought-after ideal state. This is the next best extension, with more immersive merchandise coming soon!
Now available in my official author shop on Shopify
These were designed as reader keepsakes, little forget-me-not physical remembrances to keep on your bookshelf, planner, and the pages you return to over and over again. Little reminders of trust, friendship, and wild-hearted bravery.
Bookmark Bundle – $16.99
This is the bundle that you can bring with you, a portal you can tuck into your current chapter plus instant digital access so the story is always within reach.
This includes, an official Netherwood Bookmark, instant access to the eBook, and companion materials.
This is the easiest way to support the project and bring the story home in one click.
If your kiddos are like mine, then these small pieces of the Netherwood are priceless. They can be scattered into real life to bring the Netherwood into the physical realm. Place them on a water bottle, laptop, or journal. Add them to your Kindle case, or anywhere you want a reminder of courage, friendship, and the kind of magic that asks you to bring your wild-hearted bravery.
This includes, a quote sticker, a Fox Prince cutout, and an exclusive Netherwood-themed design.
These are best for gifts, stocking stuffers, book decor, journaling, and really anywhere you can place a sticker!
Finally, we have our polished, collectible reader extra that makes this book feel real to me. This is made for people who underline lines, dog-ear pages, and keep a story close long after finishing the closing chapter.
This is best for nightly reading rituals, a simple gift, or even your bookstagram flat lays!
When you support this project, you are supporting more than a shop update.
You’re helping me to keep building good-natured stories for our young people. Stories that are rooted in trust, friendship, sisterhood, and wild-hearted bravery. The kind of stories that leave readers feeling steadier, softer, and stronger.
The simplest way is to buy a book. You can also add a little Netherwood keepsake to pair with this new read.
Help me bring more light-forward fantasy into this world.
And keep an eye out because more merch drops are coming soon, and they are genuinely so much fun. With each one, I think of my daughters, whom I wrote this story for.
This is a small-batch first drop, and I will restock as quickly as I can depending on demand. If you have been waiting, I recommend grabbing what you want now so you don’t have to wait for the restock!
If you’d like to be the first to know when the next items launch, join the newsletter or follow us on social media.
Today I get to share something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. It is the official map of The Kingdom of Light. This is the primary kingdom in my debut YA fantasy novel, Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince.
If you love fantasy stories that feel like stepping into a living world, you already understand why this matters. Every road hints at a choice, and every border suggests danger. A map isn’t just decoration.
It’s a promise:
This world is real enough to get lost in.
Why “The Kingdom of Light”?
In the story, the Kingdom of Light represents what is known. What is structured, named, and understood. It’s the realm where the rules make sense… before the Netherwood begins to challenge what the characters think is true.
Behind the Scenes: How I Built the Map
Whenever I design anything for this book, I first consider one question.
Does this make the story feel more immersive?
So while creating the Kingdom of Light map, I focused on:
It is easy to read
The travel logic makes sense
It helps to built character to pair well with the story
It creates a sense of wonder, because who doesn’t like the surprise of getting sucked into a separate world?
I wanted it to feel like something you might find tucked inside an old book. I thought that it should be inked with intention and filled with quiet clues.
The Kingdom of Light Map
The Kingdom of Light from YA Fantasy Novel Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince
What’s Next?
This is the first of several world-building reveals I’ll be sharing. The Kingdom of Light is only the beginning… and as you can see, the Netherwood is always near.
If you’d like to see more map details, leave a comment. Alternatively, you can send me a message.
I love hearing what readers are curious about. If you want a future post breaking down landmarks without spoilers, let me know.
Here are my questions for you:
Does anything feel confusing or hard to read at first glance?
What’s the first place your eyes go?
Does it make you curious about the story?
Welcome to the Kingdom of Light. And if you’re brave enough… welcome to the Netherwood.
It is hard to believe that we are only two days away from the digital launch of my debut YA fantasy novel, Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince. I’ve been writing, revising, world-building, and (lovingly) obsessing over this story for more than two years–and somehow, it’s finally time to send it off into the world.
Where it All Began
This path unfurled when I decided upon my next adventure: I wanted to write a children’s fantasy story rooted in goodness for my then 7 and 9-year-old daughters.
Something warm.
Something brave.
Something meaningful.
What started as a picture book idea with a moral lesson and a hidden twist (the kind you talk about over dinner) grew into something bigger: a 19-chapter, coming-of-age YA novel centered on two sisters–14 and 15–whose love for each other is tested by hinting shadows, old magic, and a forest that doesn’t just surround you…
…it learns you.
I have been pouring my heart and soul into these pages. I cannot wait for you to step into this world alongside me.
Get Your Early Reader Materials
Tomorrow (the day before the release), I’m sharing a special bundle of early reader goodies–perfect if you’re excited to preview the story, share it with a friend, or help spread the word.
Here’s what will be available:
Early release of the first chapter
Head on over to my contact page and sign up to receive it directly in your inbox.
Where to Get Your Digital Copy
I’m self-publishing through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), and you’ll be able to grab the ebook as soon as it drops.
(And if you prefer Kindle, you’ll also be able to find it through Amazon via KDP.)
Yesterday—February 2, 2026—we submitted the copyright application for my debut YA fantasy novel, Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince!
I’ve been sitting with that sentence, letting it land.
For the past two years, this story has lived in the quiet cracks of life. Notes I scribbled when I should’ve been sleeping, scenes that played in my head while life moved fast around me, and in the soft insistence that kept returning even when I tried to set it down.
And now it has crossed a threshold.
Not because it’s “done,” because creative work is never as tidy as we want it to be, and I have come to accept that. But because it’s real in a new way, it is named, protected, and moving forward with intention.
What this moment means to me
Publishing a first book is such a strange mix of emotions.
It’s excitement—because I can finally see the path forward unfurling like a fern. It’s vulnerability—because stories are not just products; they’re pieces of a person, and I am usually pretty reserved. And it’s relief—because taking a legal, tangible step feels like planting a flag in the ground that says:
This matters. I’m doing this. I’m honoring the work.
A story about sisterhood… and choosing the light even in the midst of a shadowy darkness that studies you
At its core, Sera, Lily & The Fox Prince is a story about two sisters and a forbidden forest.
But the Netherwood isn’t the kind of danger you can outrun.
It doesn’t only attack from the outside. It creeps in. It learns your voice. And it uses darkness to convince you to turn on the people you love most.
I wrote this book because I’ve always been fascinated by the way trust can be tested—not just by villains and obvious threats, but by subtler forces: fear, doubt, grief, pride… and the stories we tell ourselves when we’re hurting.
Lily and Sera are different kinds of strength—quiet moonlight and honey-fire—yet both are powerful in their own way. And watching them face something designed to split them apart has been one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever created.
What’s next
This week is about forward motion—steady, real steps.
Finalizing the steps for print and digital setup
Securing ISBNs
Prepping early-reader materials and updates
Building the foundations for launch
Scheduling our launch timeline
If you’d like to follow along, I’ll be sharing updates here, and through my newsletter.
Want the first chapter?
If you want to be part of this from the beginning, you can join my email list for first-chapter access, bonus scenes, and release updates.
No spam, I promise. Just stories.
Thank you for being here at the very start.
This is one of those moments I know I’ll remember.
