A year ago my second book in the Stories of the Eleriannan, Cast a Shadow of Doubt [aka CASOD], was released to the world. It centers on Lucee Fearney, a character who surprised me while I was writing In Sleep You Know with just how important and loveable she is – and I knew the second book needed to center on her.
The thing about Lucee is that she cares deeply. She’s a good friend, willing to put herself out to help the people she cares about, even to risk her life if she has to. She wants to do good in the world, and she’s willing to give people a second chance, no matter how large their mistakes are. She struggles with impostor syndrome, though everyone respects her and thinks she does an amazing job – especially as a once-mortal leading a complicated group of Fae. Her experiences as a young Black woman who grew up in a difficult home situation with only her best friend Merrick for support are why she loves and protects her found family so fiercely.
In CASOD I also tease out some of the connections that surround Lucee, especially her friendship with Sousa and her relationship dynamics with Cullen. I always think about how difficult it must be for the long-lived Fae, with their perspective over extended timelines, to watch their mortal beloveds struggle through growth and change. Especially for Cullen, who had kept away from love for a very long time – his coping mechanisms definitely involve pampering those he cares for. [I’d love a Cullen in my life; he’d definitely fill the house with flowers and my belly with delicious food!]
Sousa’s story to Cullen about how he and Lucee met is one of my favorite parts of the book. I actually wrote that very early on while working on CASOD, but the story’s been in my head since the beginning.
Trufax – I wasn’t sure how that guitar was going to show up later. Just like so many things with The Drawback, it all resolved seamlessly when the time came.
You know, there’s so many things I’d love to talk about when it comes to the books, but I am a firm believer in not spoilering, so I hold myself back. Maybe I need a secondary mailing list to discuss these things? 🤷🏻♀️
What a cast, eh? I love all of them so much.
If you haven’t read Cast a Shadow of Doubt yet, it’s available from me directly via my Ko-fi, or if you’re short on cash and like paperbacks, right now Amazon has it and In Sleep You Know selling for under $10 each. There’s no knowing how long that’ll last, so I’d jump on it now if you’re interested. [I still make my full royalty, no worries!]
Thanks for coming along on this Fae-tastic ride with me. I will be posting later this week about some of the themes I write about and why, and what’s coming next. Make sure to follow along to get all the background info!
