I’m so thrilled to announce that I have a new book coming out in August 2026! ALL THE QUEENS’ CURSES is a return to a genre I love, but have not been published in yet: YA fantasy. This is a retelling of the Orcadian folktale Kate Crackernuts. It is also the creative component of my PhD in Creative Writing, Breaking the Curse: Retelling a Folk Fairy Tale to Explore Trauma and Healing in Novels for Young People.
Here’s my own little blurb (not publisher official):
Kit and her step-sister Catharine have been close ever since their parents’ royal marriage brought them together. But living under the king’s roof is not safe for Kit, and illness is spreading through her joints. Her mother tells her it is a curse: When a woman in their family is hurt, they fall into a wasting sickness. When an enchantment switches Kit and Catharine’s bodies, Kit must find a way to make things right. But can she really bear to go back to her wasting body?
Idris has learned a dark secret about his family and a crime they committed generations ago against the Hidden Folk. When he gets the chance to atone, he takes it—even though it means he will be danced to death. But it is one thing to agree to be a martyr, and another to watch his choice destroy his family. Can he find a way to bring justice and still live?
If Kit and Idris want to survive, they will need to work together. But lines blur as the two grow closer. There are few ways to break a curse, and there may not be enough magic left to break them all.
You can preorder the book wherever books are sold (a few ideas: Waterstones, IndieBound, Barnes&Noble). You can also add it on Goodreads!
More information will be released soon and I cannot wait to share the gorgeous cover. But for now, here are some story aesthetics to hold you over:
Artwork:
Dance of the Midnight Witches by Ulla Thynell Art
Return to St Kilda by Bill McArthur
