T E M P E S T

Introducing my adult debut, a romantic fantasy inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy...and its fall.

After many months of work (and waiting), I can finally talk about my new book, TEMPEST. Not only will this be my adult debut, but my first romantic fantasy AND my first standalone novel. All this unfamiliar ground is terrifying but also tantalizing, and every day I wake up excited to work on TEMPEST (ask me how I feel deadline week).

Some of you followed my submission journey, where I wrote up the TEMPEST proposal packet (including the world, premise, synopsis and first four chapters). In case you missed it, I have a substack post on the whole process here. I also vlogged my experience on both TikTok and Instagram. Feel free to watch my physical state slowly deteriorate!

To summarize: publishing schedules and publishing careers are planned in multi-year increments. I knew while finishing FATE BREAKER that my next book would be an adult, and while I did change gears on which story I wanted to tell, that never changed. In the spring, I got together my proposal packet for TEMPEST, and my agent took it out on a wide submission in June. After an eight (!?) house auction, I landed in a familiar place: HarperCollins! While I am not publishing under my old imprint, Harper Teen, which has been home to all my books up until now, I’m ecstatic to keep my next project under the same roof with Harper Voyager.

As for TEMPEST - she is clearly inspired by my teenage love for Pirates of the Caribbean, which swept me away when I was 13 years old. As well as the TV show Black Sails, which came about as close as anything has to scratching the POTC itch for me. Personally, I’ve always wanted a book that gave me the same rush as POTC, and this is my attempt to do that for me, and for you.

I don’t want to say too much about my main characters just yet, but know that I am in love with my heroine, Cat Rose, for many reasons. First and foremost, she is an actual adult AND the main character. I danced close to this with Sorasa in the REALM BREAKER series, and loved writing a more mature woman, but now I get to put that spotlight on my leading lady.

Another reason I love Cat is my shorthand for her: Elizabeth Swann if she was a stone cold bitch.

As for the leading man, or men, I should say, because the blurb does not disclose all…let’s just say there’s more than one captain sailing this ship. I can’t wait for you to meet Valerian Kane and Jasper Fell. ;)

(guys you’re going to just have to let me make all the maritime puns, I apologize now, it’s going to get bad)

Keep your eyes peel for more info in the coming year, including cover reveals, preorder links, and many more sneak peeks into TEMPEST and the Lyrian Sea!!

Cheers,

Victoria