Sharing a few milestones from April 2026, or a very productive writing month!

Looking back at this past month, I’m proud of myself for buckling and down and making some real progress. Between work, travel, and other time constraints, I was still able to emerge from the slump I’d become mired in with editing my manuscript.

Here are some exciting updates from the past month from the world of Ulstra:

1. I finished my second draft of part one of the book! This is probably the most exciting update of all. I’m aiming to keep up the momentum I’ve recently garnered in this arena and get edits to parts two and three finished in the next several weeks.
2. I sent part one to a small group of early beta readers! I am equally as thrilled as I am anxious about finally letting more people into the world I’ve created. I am looking forward to receiving feedback soon and using it to make the book better.
3. I finished reworking the outline for parts two and three! I’ve needed to make some structural changes as I narrowed the number of POV characters in the second draft. Now that the outline is updated, I can finish my edits more cleanly.
4. I hired the cover artist for the book! This is actually tied for most exciting update this month. Amanda Webb is creating a beautiful illustration for the cover and I seriously can’t wait to share it when it’s finished. If you’re interested in joining my cover reveal team to help promote it on social media, let me know!
5. I received new commissioned pieces from Ulstra’s artists! Check out my Instagram if you haven’t seen the chibi-style portraits of Koralo and Gerda by Finn. (More on the way soon!) In May, I will be revealing a new character portrait by Frejj, along with an illustration of one of Ulstra’s iconic creatures. Any guesses?