Know the Novel || Destiny of Ashes

Hey guys!

I don’t know if you’re familiar with Know the Novel hosted by Christine Smith? I’ve always wanted to participate, but I’ve never really had a project in the fall. This year I finally do! I’m not going to be participating in NaNoWriMo, but I’d like to finish the first draft of this before 2023. Anyway, in this post I will be sharing all the details about this project!

THE QUESTIONS

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

I read a lot of books about royalty, and I was just kind of thinking one day…what if there were a prince and princess who were betrothed, but the princess had to become queen of her home kingdom due to a tragedy? And then I kind of went from there about how it could fit into my Elemanae world. I thought it would fit in the fire-themed kingdom and with a Sleeping Beauty retelling.

2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

This doesn’t sound quite as interesting as the story actually is…but I hope it at least piques your interest.

Princess Amber will do anything to serve her kingdom. When she has the chance to marry the prince of an enemy kingdom to prevent a war, she agrees to do so without complaint. But when her family is tragically assassinated, Amber must face the difficult decision of which kingdom to serve.

Unsure of what to do and who to trust, Amber is forced to solve the mystery of her family’s murder. She is then helped by an unexpected ally-the enemy prince to whom she was betrothed.

Just when Amber thinks she’s solved the mystery, she discovers something that forces her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

This takes place in the fictional kingdoms Nordfeu and Sudfeu, part of the world of Elemanae. I really love this world from my first novel, so I’m happy that I get to return. Hopefully, a few references will pop up!

4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).

Amber is such a nice character to write about. She struggles with a lot of self-doubt and insecurity. She always puts the needs of others above her own. One thing that I love about her is that she’s a soft character. A lot of female protagonists these days are fierce, which is great, but we also need softer women in novels too!

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

There’s a witch who has a spinning wheel…

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

Honestly, this is a novel I’d like to read. So I’m just excited to see the interactions between Amber and the prince and I can’t wait to find out more of what happens in this plot.

7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

I believe this book will be a self-contained story, though part of a bigger series.

8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

I have…part of a plot. Like 12%. But with my last project, I ended up changing a lot. I eventually decided…why not start this one whenever I want? I can and will plot some as I go, so why not just start as soon as possible?

9. Name a few unique elements in this story.

Well, we’ve got a princess who is betrothed to a prince and it doesn’t work out because she has to take the role of the queen in her own kingdom. Also the story involves fire powers…

10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

the playlist

the pinterest

the cover

the collage

Alright, I hope you liked learning a bit more about my project! If I get enough enthusiasm about this project…I may just share a snippet…

Also, feel free to tell me about any projects you may be working on! I’d love to hear about them!

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