FICFRENZY IS IN ONE WEEK. (I’m not panicking, you’re panicking.) Since I’ll be vanishing into storyland soon, I wanted to actually share what will be consuming my sanity for the next month.

I’m so excited about this one, my friends.

I’ll be hopping aboard my Know the Novel tag in order to share. If you want a fun way to share about your WIP with your followers, do go snag the questions yourself!

Introducing…

PROJECT ALDERA HOUSE

This is just the working title. I do have an official series name and a tentative name for this particular book, but I’m not 100% sure it’ll stick, so for now I’m just publicly calling this Project Aldera House/Aldera House. Or AH for short. And being as how I will be putting these characters through it, the acronym sounding like someone screaming feels fitting…

I digress.

What first sparked the idea for this novel?

It was around 3 years or so ago now that I was innocently brushing my teeth (not quite as dangerous an activity for a writer as showering, but still risky for those unexpected plot bunny attacks), when a thought popped into my head: matchmaking house. Yes, as in a sentient house that matchmakes its guests.

I giggle over the fact that that was the first spark because oooh boy oh boy. That innocent, cutesy little idea EXPLODED into something, um, much bigger and much darker. But that’s par for the course with me. I always laugh at how drastically different my stories become from what first gave me the idea. I like to say my first ideas are stepping stones to the actual story, because the end result never looks even remotely similar to how I got there. May not even be the same genre. (Anyone feel me?)

Regardless, this random idea snatched my brain and here I am, 3 years later, and it still hasn’t let go.

This story has gone through many different versions. Has been many different things. I almost gave up on it as hardship after hardship surfaced in trying to tell it, but it feels like it wouldn’t give up on me. Which is honestly so fitting for this tale. It has carried me through one of the hardest seasons of my life, and no matter how many ways it’s changed, its core has always been a story about finding hope in the dark, and never, ever giving up on holding onto that hope.

I think this story won’t leave me, because it’s the story I need right now. It doesn’t shy away from how messy and dark life can be, but shows that no matter how hopeless all may seem, there is still hope. Certain characters and concepts and themes and even that strange sentient house itself feel as though they’ve formed from my bleeding heart and been shaped from the deepest, most special places of my imagination.

It’s one I cannot let go of. And I could just cry tears of joy that I am going to tell it. I feel ready again and like I’m finally finding how to tell it.

It’s a special one to me, guys. It’s carried me through some dark places and reminded me again and again that hope never dies. It is my great desire that, one day, it will touch other hearts as well. But even if it’s just my heart, that’s okay. That is enough. ❤️

Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

Though I have spent months planning backstory stuff and have thousands upon thousands of words of notes, I’m going to be pantsing this actual book. I have, like, the very first chapter thought out and a good idea of the climax and ending, but how we get there is anyone’s guess. All that to say, putting together a coherent blurb for this book is difficult because even I don’t know what’s going to happen. 😅

But I shall try my best!

Aldera House is full of unknown magic. From its ability to shape suites catered perfectly to its guests, create endless food and drink, provide light without the need for fire or electricity, possess grand halls and rooms that change and shift of their own accord, grow plant life straight from its walls, and hold protection magic that prevent fey from entering and keeps its family safe, the wonder of the House is renowned. For countless generations, the heart of the eldest member of the Aldera family keeps the House sustained, bound to it as the House’s Ward. No one fully understands the purpose of the House or how its magic came to be, not even the Alderas themselves. But with fey ever seeking the truth about the House that bars them from its walls, in the House the Aldera family remains, amusing themselves with guests and parties.

Sevrin Aldera knows to keep his head down, particularly when his mother and older siblings, Emil and Elowen, host one of their grand parties. He is not to be seen, not to be a bother, and to never reveal his own unknown abilities that make his blood and hands so unnaturally warm. Yet when one of the latest house party guests, a young woman about his age, shows signs of shadows clinging to her, and his abilities both help and hurt, he cannot stop himself from seeking answers about what haunts her.

But the home that has always protected him from the neglect of his family has secrets of its own, and as truths are unveiled, the threads holding the House together begin to unravel, revealing danger and choices that may be everyone’s undoing.

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

The particular book will mostly take place within Aldera House itself and the vast, woodsy grounds within its border walls. I love this strange house so much, you guys. It probably IS my favorite aspect of the setting. It’s a wild thing in and of itself, full of plants and trees growing in corners and vines trailing down from the dark wood walls. It has an enchanted sewing room and an enormous library and creates guest rooms to perfectly suit each individual guest, as if it can see into the very soul of anyone who enters. Rooms sometimes move around and the plant life itself seems to have a mind of its own and food and drinks and things appear at a person’s request (or if the House thinks you need a cup of tea). It’s such an enchanting, mysterious place.

The world itself is going to be some mix of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, leaning toward a British-esque setting in the region where the House is located. Fashion-wise, we’ll probably see more of a 50s flair. Lots of t-length dresses with flared skirts, and floral patterns abound. On the technology and lifestyle side of things, it’s a little closer to the 30s and 40s, such as the style of the cars and radios. But it is a fantasy world, which naturally makes things a wee bit different.

For one, the people of this world have abilities involving nature. Most everyone can, essentially, magically grow and telepathically move around plant life. So it’s a very green, woodsy world, with a lot of the infrastructure and styles based around nature itself. The love of nature is rooted in these people’s DNA, and it shows. Though life now is a little more modern, with big cities not quite as green as they once were, but signs are still there, especially in the country homes.

There are also fey. The fey have their own world, but they often teleport into this world and cause, ya know, fey mischief. And since these fey look just like humans, it’s anyone’s guess who is a fey and who’s not. The fey world is a much wilder place, full of tangled woods and strange creatures and dangers around every corner. They are the wild folk, and one must stay vigilant to not be captured by one and enslaved in the fey queen’s court.

Tell us about your protagonist(s).

Oh, my heart.

If there is any single reason why this story won’t let me go, it’s Sevrin Aldera. He is, without a doubt, my favorite character I’ve ever written, and I can’t just not tell his story. Though, thankfully, my life situation is very different from Sevrin’s, his heart and beliefs tie deeply into my own. It’s kind of like I took out my heart and broke it open onto the pages, and Sevrin was formed.

Sevrin Aldera is an INFJ in his lower 20s. He is a cinnamon roll through and through, awkward as anything, and just wants to do what’s right. Due to a lot of abuse and neglect, he struggles with immense self-worth issues. But instead of letting it make him bitter, he ever holds onto his soft, gentle, and sympathetic heart. He is always trying to make himself small (not an easy feat when the boy is 6’3″) and struggles to stand up for himself. But there is a strong courage and depth of wisdom within him, just waiting to get out. He possesses an unshakable loyalty and strong belief that goodness can triumph despite the odds. Though darkness surrounds him, a spark of light burns inside him that can never be snuffed out.

Blythe Locksley is an INFP, also in her lower 20s. She has her own form of shy awkwardness and a broken spirit, but there is a sense of wonder and curiosity deeply rooted in her that has not been entirely crushed. What truly haunts her? Well, that remains to be seen.

Other prominent characters will be Sevrin’s older twin siblings, Emil and Elowen. Elowen is the type who has a presence about her. She is charming, sharp-tongued, and always immaculately dressed, but beneath her prickly mask, there is a broken, traumatized soul desperately seeking relief. Emil is…well, Emil is my troublemaker. We’ll leave it at that.

Who (or what) is the antagonist?

There are a number of different antagonistic forces at work in their own way in this one. But I did mention a fey queen, now didn’t I? *smile, smile*

My fey queen is a piece of work, let me tell ya. I’ve completely redone her from my original idea, and I like this version a thousand times better. She is psychotic and unhinged, with charm and charisma for days. All the things you want in a fey queen, yes? She’s the worst.

I love her.

What excites you the most about this novel?

Oh my. It’s so hard to narrow it down.

Honestly? Just telling it. As I said, I almost gave up on it. So the fact that I’m coming back to it—in a healthier place and a new version that truly captures the core of hope in the darkness—feels like such a blessing. Some stories just insist on being told, and this is one of them for me.

Getting to be back with Sevrin is the other thing. My sunshine boy, as I call him, has my whole heart, and AWK. I cannot wait to be back in his head. Elowen also has a special place in my heart, in all her messy prickliness.

Though I’m also so excited to explore a bunch of brand new characters. I have a choice few characters who I’ve written into this story from the start that will be returning, but I’ve been creating some entirely new ones for this fresh version as well and ooooh man oh man, am I EXCITED about every single one of them. (Blythe being one of them!)

Also the Aldera House. The House is a character in and of itself, and I LOVE exploring all the oddities of it and how it functions. I cannot wait to return to it.

I’m just excited about everything, can you tell??

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

It’s already a series! If you’ve been around and seen me mention The Forest’s Bleeding Heart that I drafted earlier this year? WELP. Aldera House ties into that one! (You can read how that unexpectedly came about and more about FBH in this post.) Though there are, quite literally, centuries between the two stories. The Forest’s Bleeding Heart is a sort of origin story for this massive project. For this next book, we’re going to be slowly introduced to the “main” cast and timeline of this series, though there may be some timeline jumping as backstories for certain characters get their own books. But everything does tie together.

It will also tie into yet another story of mine, but that’s way down the road. Let’s just say lots of stuff is coming, guys. And I am EXCITED.

Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

So.

Since early July I’ve been doing major plotting, figuring out the entirely revamped version of this story and how it ties into The Forest’s Bleeding Heart and everything else. I’ve been creating a timeline and sorting out plot details for months, which has resulted in a 32k-word write-up of it all, starting from the beginning of this whole universe down to the start of this particular book. That’s not including magic and worldbuilding notes and character profiles and my unhinged brainstorming doc, among other things.

When I say this story has consumed me… 🙈

But as I mentioned, for this actual book, I’m heavily pantsing. I find my stories turn out a lot better if I let loose and discover-write the first drafts, or at least the events of the first draft. I like to have a foundation, such as backstories and worldbuilding plotted to a point (even if the characters love to change my well-laid plans halfway into the story but I digress), but the story itself comes together much better when I can just explore it scene to scene and let the characters loose to do…whatever they’re gonna do. 😅

We all know I, the author, am not actually in control here.

Name a few unique elements in this story.

The setting itself feels fairly unique—a 1940s-adjacent setting but with nature magic and fey being perfectly normal parts of life.

The fact that it’s the humans who have nature magic and not fey also feels like a bit of a twist on things.

My fey, too, feel somewhat unique. I don’t want to give too much away, but they sort of have to use the humans to sustain themselves in (what I hope is) an interesting way.

And though it may not be unique, I absolutely love, love, LOVE the aesthetics of this story. Whenever I think of it, my brain forms lots of browns and greens. It is a dark fairy tale-esque, earthy book, swathed in shadows but speckled in golden sunlight, like a thick forest with just pinpricks of sun pressing through the thick green canopy. The aesthetic is so very visceral in my mind, and I hope I can capture it on page.

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!).

I do technically have a massive Pinterest board and playlist, catered very carefully to each character and the aesthetics, that I’ve probably spent way, waaay too much time creating. For now all that is private though. But I will share one song.

Where the Shadows End by BANNERS has long been the theme song of this series. It encompasses the story so well, and I have listened to it many, MANY times while working on it. (And maybe get teary-eyed now and again when it plays.)

This story has many shadows. It is about broken people making a lot of mistakes. But it is a story that isn’t afraid to dig into the mess and reveal that even the most broken pieces can be formed into something beautiful. It’s about standing up against all the odds and not giving up. That hope is something to fight and bleed for. That sometimes our hearts have to break to find the light, but it is there, a beacon in the sea of darkness.

It is a story that proves the shadows do end.

It feels like a story I’ve needed for a long time, and it’s a privilege to get to tell it. 💛

There we have it, my friends. My 2026 Fall FicFrenzy project. To say I’m excited to get to drafting is an understatement. I’ve been plotting and prepping to get ready to start drafting this thing for months, and I am READY.

Speaking of FicFrenzy… It starts OCTOBER 15th! If you want to join the virtual writing event and/or hop aboard the fun Discord community, you can find all the details HERE. We’d love to have you!

What do you think? Does this story sound like something you’d enjoy? Am I the only one whose stories always turn into something drastically different than the first idea? Are you joining a writing event this fall? Part 2 of the Know the Novel tag series will be up at the beginning of November, so stay tuned!

Don’t forget you can join this tag yourself HERE!