Hey hey Sickos, we've got book club announcements and an upcoming deadline, let's talk about 'em!

SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB WINNERS

As noted previously, I went full dictator for the Fiction Sickos Book Club and decided that we will be reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck! With the Netflix adaptation coming soon I figure there's no better reason to finally take this sucker down. Plus, one-by-one I've seen our community read this and everybody seems to go head-over-heels bonkers for it.

The History Sickos Book Club did what they do and tied the vote, so I had to bring in special reinforcements for a tiebreaker. My orange homie Bob picked Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend. This will be a re-read for me and I highly recommend it! It will be good to go over it again as there's some elements that apply to our publishing imprint's second release, Grave of Petals.

The Discord forums for these discussions unlock at the Sicko and above tiers.

SICKO SOCIETY BOXES 2 & 3!

The second quarterly book boxes for the Sicko Society ship next week! To get in on the third quarterly box that ships in December, you'll need to be at the Sicko Society membership tier by 9/1/26. If you've missed prior communication on this, let me explain what all this is again. Sometimes I suck an egg at communicating exactly how this works because I've got the smooth brain, so hopefully this clears up any confusion that I, myself, have caused.

We are only a few weeks away from releasing our publishing imprint's first book, A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood! To celebrate, earlier this year Bindery launched our own Kist Reads, Sicko Society book box.

Sicko Society is for readers who want to go deeper than recommendations and become part of the inner circle supporting my creative work and the Kist Reads publishing mission. It combines everything from my previous tiers with a quarterly book box, exclusive extras, and a deeper way to back bold, tastemaker-led publishing.

This year’s theme is Year of the Scoundrel: a curated journey through fantasy’s most iconic liars, thieves, con artists, criminals, and criminally charming masterminds. Across four quarterly shipments, you’ll receive handpicked heist and/or scoundrel-centric novels, plus my personal commentary.

By joining Sicko Society, you:

• Support the mission of Kist Reads imprint

• Help fund the discovery, championing, and success of bold new authors

• Back ambitious editorial projects and tastemaker-led storytelling

• Get a community-driven, premium reading experience in return

Every Sicko Society member receives:

• ALL perks from previous membership tiers including advance e-books + exclusive advance print copies of original Kist Reads books, tour name in the "Thank You" page of to-be-published books

• A quarterly curated fantasy novel each quarter

• Exclusive notes and commentary from me

• Priority access to future perks and benefits

$25/month, billed monthly. Limited availability. Cancel anytime. Physical benefits unlock after 90 days. Shipping available to U.S. residents only.

Sicko Society is for readers who want to go deeper than recommendations. It’s for the people who:

• Trust my taste

• Love villain-coded characters and/or a good ol' heist vibe

• Want to support the publishing mission I’m building

• And want to be part of the inner circle shaping what comes next

FAQ’s

Does Sicko Society include perks from lower tiers?

Yes. Sicko Society includes ALL perks from previous membership tiers, plus premium physical benefits and exclusives.

How much does it cost?

$25/month.

When do physical perks start?

Physical benefits unlock after 90 days of active membership.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes, cancel before the next billing deadline to avoid future charges.

Can I join mid-year?

Yes, as long as you join before the cutoff date for each shipment.

Is shipping international?

Shipping is currently available to U.S. residents only. (I'm hoping this changes soon as we have wonderful folk from all over the world here and I would love to be able to include them. From a business perspective it's just not feasible right now but I promise you we will continue to revisit this)

Is this a limited program?

Yes, this is a limited pilot with capped spots while we test demand and fulfillment.

What books are planned?

• The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (sent Q1)

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

• The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

• A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab (sending Q2)

Welcome, First Editions! ✨

We're taking you behind the pages for an exclusive, full-length Book Club Conversation with romance author Emberly Wyndham, the author behind stories filled with cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, contemporary romance, and plenty of heart and spice.

From the magical halls of Coven Crest Academy to contemporary rock-star romance, Emberly's books are all about connection, character-driven romance, found family, magical worlds, and the feeling of finding your person.

In this exclusive conversation, Emberly talks about the inspiration behind her stories, her approach to interconnected standalone romances, the creation of Coven Crest Academy, her writing routine, the authors who influenced her, independent publishing, and what's coming next.

So grab your favorite cozy drink, settle into your reading nook, and let's get to know the author behind the magic. 🕯️📚✨

🎙️ Meet Emberly Wyndham

If you had to describe Emberly's books in three words, there's a pretty good chance you'll want to add them to your TBR immediately:

Heartfelt. Emotional. Spicy. 🌶️💕

Her stories explore romance across a wide variety of settings and genres, from magical academies and paranormal worlds to contemporary romance.

And as you'll discover throughout this conversation, one thing remains constant:

Connection.

💕 The Romance Behind the Stories

1. For readers discovering your books for the first time, how would you describe your stories in three words?

Emberly Wyndham:

“Heartfelt, emotional, and spicy!”

We think that pretty much says it all. 💕🌶️

2. Your books span cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, and contemporary romance. What is it about romance that keeps you coming back to it as a writer?

Emberly Wyndham:

“I wrote other genres for years, and after a multiyear writing hiatus, I decided to try writing romance, and I fell completely in love with it.”

Emberly has always loved stories about connection and finding your person.

Romance gives her the opportunity to explore those stories of connection against whatever backdrop inspires her at the time.

That might be:

🧙‍♀️ A magical academy
🎭 A historical ballroom
🎤 A stage under flashing lights

She describes romance as a beautiful combination of familiarity and adventure.

The romance structure gives her a foundation, while the larger genre umbrella allows her to explore completely different worlds.

“The possibilities feel endless!”

🧛‍♀️ Welcome to Coven Crest Academy

3. A Witch and Her Vampire is the newest installment in the Coven Crest Academy series. What can readers look forward to in Maeve and Severin's story?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly says she absolutely loved writing this final book in her Coven Crest Academy series.

Maeve and Severin's story explores:

• Self-control

• Freedom

• Choice

• Empowerment

All of those themes are layered into the magical setting of Coven Crest Academy alongside the beloved group of witches and readers can expect more spice than in the previous books.

4. Coven Crest Academy is home to witches, dragons, vampires, orcs, and minotaurs. What inspired you to build a world where so many magical beings coexist?

Emberly Wyndham:

The world developed organically.

The setting of Coven Crest Academy first began taking shape in Emberly's Season of the Witch series, which follows Aurora Silvermoon, a witch who has recently graduated from the academy.

After writing that series, Emberly wanted to explore the place Aurora had told readers about.

And from that desire came the world of Coven Crest Academy and all of its wonderful monsters.

“The world of CCA and all its wonderful monsters was born.”

5. Many readers are drawn to cozy fantasy right now. What do you think makes cozy romantasy such a comforting genre?

Emberly Wyndham:

For Emberly, cozy romantasy combines the magical and romantic elements readers crave with the comforting feeling of being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Sometimes readers simply want to know they're about to experience a story that feels:

✨ Soft
✨ Comforting
✨ Safe

Cozy romantasy gives readers somewhere to rest between darker or more epic reads.

And we think that's part of the magic of the genre: not every book needs to emotionally destroy you.

Sometimes you just need a little magic, romance, and comfort.

6. Just for fun: If you could spend a day at Coven Crest Academy, which magical class would you most want to attend?

Emberly Wyndham:

Because Emberly loves cooking and gardening, she'd choose either:

🧁 Professor Sage's Magical Baking Class

or

🌿 Professor Fleur's Magical Flora Class

Her verdict?

“They would both be a great time!”

We're already imagining the snacks.

💫 The Magic of Interconnected Standalones

7. Looking back at the Coven Crest Academy series so far, what has been the most rewarding part of writing interconnected standalone romances?

Emberly Wyndham:

One of Emberly's favorite parts of writing interconnected standalones is that every character gets their own committed story while the larger world continues to develop.

Readers can enjoy a complete romance while also getting little pieces of information about couples from previous books and future couples still to come.

“It’s such a fun storytelling style!”

It's the perfect setup for readers who love getting to revisit familiar characters while falling for someone new.

8. Each book features a different magical pairing. How do you keep every romance feeling fresh while still making the series feel connected?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly loves exploring different:

✨ Tropes
✨ Themes
✨ Character archetypes

Those differences allow every romantic pairing to feel distinct while still maintaining the cohesion of the overall series.

🖤 Maeve, Severin & the Question of Control

9. Maeve is known for her control and ambition, while Severin has spent centuries relying on discipline. What drew you to exploring those themes in A Witch and Her Vampire?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly became interested in the idea because so many people struggle with control.

Having control over yourself like Severin's discipline can be beneficial.

But trying to control your circumstances too much can lead to:

• Negative outcomes

• Frustration

• Anger

Those ideas became an important part of Maeve and Severin's story.

For Emberly, sometimes you have to let go of fear and the need for control in order to fully live.

🥰 Book Boyfriends & Magical Monsters

10. Readers love a good book boyfriend. What qualities do you think make a romantic hero unforgettable?

Emberly Wyndham:

This is a difficult question because readers all have different preferences when it comes to their favorite MMCs.

Emberly enjoys writing many different character archetypes.

For her, however, what makes an MMC unforgettable is authenticity.

A memorable hero should behave in ways that are true to his:

• Character

• Wounds

• Wants

And he should experience satisfying character growth throughout his story.

Whether he's:

🐂 A gentle minotaur
🎸 A broody rock star

Emberly loves writing and reading heroes who feel authentic.

11. From dragons and vampires to minotaurs and orcs, do you have a favorite magical or mythical creature to write about?

Emberly Wyndham:

Nope!

She loves all the creatures she's introduced into her magical world and already has ideas for plenty more.

Including...

🐻 A cozy bear shifter MMC.

We'll just leave that right here.

🔥 Where Do Her Stories Begin?

12. Your stories often balance emotional connection with magical settings. Which tends to come first when you're creating a new book: the romance, the characters, or the world itself?

Emberly Wyndham:

For Coven Crest Academy, the world already had some development because Emberly had started building it while writing Season of the Witch.

And readers will apparently see this world again in future series.

But typically?

Characters and their dynamic come first.

For Lyra and Carin, Emberly wanted to explore the contrast between:

🔥 Fire and earth
🔥 Something that burns quickly
🌱 Something that grows slowly

With Maeve and Severin, she wanted to explore the push and pull between:

Control. Desire. Longing. Restraint.

So for Emberly, characters and themes come first, and the rest of the story develops around them.

🏡 Cottagecore, Found Family & Cozy Magic

13. The Season of the Witch series embraces cottagecore charm, found family, and cozy magic. What inspired your love of those themes?

Emberly Wyndham:

These themes grew from Emberly's own love of:

🌿 Whimsy
🌿 Slow living
🌿 A simpler life

She loves the idea of growing your own delicious food, enjoying a warm drink beside a crackling fire, and creating a life that feels comforting and intentional.

She wanted Season of the Witch to have an old-soul kind of comfort.

And there's a fun real-life bonus:

Because of these books, Emberly learned to bake sourdough.

She says it's been a tricky skill to learn but she's grateful Aurora inspired her to try.

🎸 From Magical Worlds to Rock Stars

14. Many readers enjoy both your fantasy romances and your contemporary romance Little Monster. How does your writing process differ between magical worlds and modern settings?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly describes her contemporary books as a bit of a break from her fantasy worlds.

They're a great reset.

Contemporary books also tend to move faster through:

• Writing

• Editing

• Publishing

Fantasy requires more moving parts because each book involves developing the world, setting, and magic systems.

Contemporary romance still requires research, but generally moves faster than fantasy development.

And there's exciting news:

🎸 After Midnight, Emberly's next contemporary rock-star romance, was scheduled to release on August 25.

She says she flew through the first draft, and writing it was a refreshing change of pace after completing all four books in the Coven Crest Academy series.

❤️ The Emotional Heart of Romance

15. Your books are known for having plenty of heart alongside the romance. What emotional experience do you hope readers walk away with after finishing one of your stories?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly hopes readers walk away feeling like they experienced something genuine and authentic.

While she enjoys reading OTT alpha heroes and badass heroines, she tends to write characters and romances with more subtlety.

Her stories draw from experiences that she believes many readers can relate to.

She wants readers to feel like these characters could be real people experiencing real struggles.

Most importantly, she hopes readers find camaraderie and connection with them.

🌲 The Independent Author Journey

16. As an independent author, what has been one of the biggest lessons you've learned on your publishing journey?

Emberly Wyndham:

There has been a lot to learn.

But one of the biggest lessons has been the importance of staying in her own lane and holding onto appreciation and gratitude.

It's easy to fall into a “more, more, more” mindset when you're watching other authors achieve incredible things.

But every author has their own journey.

Emberly says she's trying to approach hers more like:

🌲 A whimsical walk through the woods

rather than

🏁 A race toward an imaginary finish line.

She doesn't know what she'll discover along the way.

But she's always excited to see what's waiting around the next bend.

🏔️ Nature as Creative Inspiration

17. Your author bio mentions living in the Colorado mountains with rescued animals. Has nature ever inspired a setting, character, or magical element in your books?

Emberly Wyndham:

Absolutely.

When she's feeling stuck, frustrated, or uninspired, a hike at the nearby national park can completely reinvigorate her creativity.

Sometimes it isn't even something dramatic.

It can be as simple as:

🦗 Hearing grasshoppers in summer
❄️ Watching falling snow glitter in winter

Those small moments can help her feel creatively renewed.

✍️ Inside Emberly's Writing Routine

18. What does a typical writing day look like for you when you're deep into drafting a new novel?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly writes five to seven days a week.

Her typical writing window is:

⏰ 7–9 a.m.

She writes before beginning her other work for the day.

When drafting a new novel, she sets a daily word-count target, usually between:

1,000–2,000 words.

That goal helps keep her on track for preorders and upcoming releases.

If she doesn't reach her word count during the week, she uses weekends to catch up.

That strict routine has been instrumental in helping her maintain a consistent release schedule while also working a full-time job.

📝 Plotter or Pantser?

19. Are you an outliner who plans every detail, or do your characters sometimes surprise you along the way?

Emberly Wyndham:

Both!

She outlines extensively before beginning a book.

But the outline always changes as she writes.

Sometimes her characters take her in directions that are completely unexpected and wonderful.

So even with a detailed plan, there's still room for the story to surprise its author.

📖 Writing Advice That Changed Everything

20. What is one piece of writing advice that has stayed with you throughout your career?

Emberly Wyndham:

There's a piece of advice Emberly received years ago that didn't make sense to her at first.

The basic idea:

Every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word needs a purpose.

Everything should build on what came before it.

She found this advice incredibly intimidating when she first heard it because she didn't know how to put it into practice.

But after writing almost twenty books, she says she's finally figured it out.

And it has made a huge difference in her storytelling.

📱 Which Character Would Destroy Her Social Media?

21. If one of your characters could take over your social media for a day, who would cause the most chaos?

Emberly Wyndham:

Without question:

Lyra from A Witch and Her Minotaur.

Lyra has a serious penchant for chaos.

And then there's her rat companion:

🐀 Juniper

Emberly can only imagine the shenanigans the two of them would get up to.

We're not saying you should hand Lyra the Instagram password...

But we're also not saying you shouldn't.

📚 The Books That Shaped Emberly's Storytelling

22. Readers love hearing about favorites. What are a few books or authors that have influenced your writing journey?

Emberly Wyndham:

Many of Emberly's biggest influences came from the YA heyday she experienced while growing up.

Some of the authors and books that helped get her excited about storytelling include:

🧛‍♀️ Stephanie Meyer — Twilight

🏙️ Veronica Roth — Divergent

🌲 Maggie Stiefvater — The Raven Boys & The Scorpio Races

✨ Laini Taylor — Daughter of Smoke and Bone

When she was younger, Emberly would read books by her favorite authors and wonder:

“How will I ever be able to write like my favorite authors?”

Eventually, she realized something much more important:

She doesn't have to write like them. She just has to write like herself.

And those authors remain influential because they helped make her excited about storytelling in the first place.

🏰 Welcome to Coven Crest Academy

23. If Coven Crest Academy were real, which character would you trust to show a new student around campus?

Emberly Wyndham:

Definitely Poppy.

Even though Poppy is shy, she knows all the classrooms and secret rooms on campus.

She could even show a new student through the Whim, a semisentient hedge maze where Poppy likes to sit and study.

Emberly thinks she'd be the perfect person for the job.

And honestly, we'd trust Poppy with the tour too.

🔮 What's Next for Emberly Wyndham?

24. What exciting projects, upcoming releases, or magical surprises can readers look forward to next?

Emberly Wyndham:

For readers who enjoy contemporary romance featuring cinnamon-roll heroes and black-cat heroines, Emberly's upcoming release After Midnight is one to watch.

And for her fantasy readers?

There's a brand-new series in the works.

But this time, it's going to be:

A lot less cozy.

A lot more stabby.

Of course, Emberly assures us it'll be stabby in a fun way.

She hopes to have Book 1 of the new series released in early 2027.

So fantasy readers, keep your eyes open. 👀🗡️✨

💭 Our Favorite Takeaways

After getting this much insight into Emberly's writing life, there are plenty of things we could talk about but these stood out most to us.

💕 Romance is about connection.

No matter whether the setting is a magical academy, historical ballroom, or concert stage, Emberly keeps coming back to stories about finding your person.

✨ Characters come first.

Her stories often begin with characters and themes before the larger world develops around them.

🧸 Cozy romantasy can be a place to rest.

Not every reading experience needs to be emotionally brutal. Sometimes readers need something soft, safe, and comforting.

🌲 Stay in your own lane.

Comparing your journey to everyone else's can make writing feel like a race. Emberly's “whimsical walk through the woods” philosophy is a wonderful reminder to appreciate your own path.

✍️ Every word should matter.

After almost twenty books, Emberly has learned how powerful it can be to make every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and word serve a purpose.

📝 Planning doesn't mean losing spontaneity.

Even extensive outlines can change when characters surprise you.

💫 You don't have to write like your favorite authors.

You just have to write like you.

📚 About Emberly Wyndham

Emberly Wyndham writes romance across multiple genres and settings, including:

• Cozy romantasy

• Paranormal romance

• Contemporary romance

• Magical academy romance

• Vampire romance

• Shifter romance

Her stories are filled with emotional connection, magical worlds, found family, romance, and spice.

The Coven Crest Academy world features witches, dragons, vampires, orcs, minotaurs, and other magical beings.

Her newest Coven Crest Academy installment, A Witch and Her Vampire, brings Maeve and Severin's story and the series to its conclusion.

🔗 Find Emberly Wyndham

🌐 Website & Newsletter

Emberly Wyndham's Substack

Emberly says her newsletter is the best way to keep up with new releases and to find out when a big sale is happening.

📸 Instagram

Follow Emberly Wyndham on Instagram

🛍️ Find Her Books

Shop Emberly Wyndham's Books on Amazon

💬 First Editions Discussion Corner

Now that you've read the full conversation, let's talk!

1. Which of Emberly's three words heartfelt, emotional, or spicy best describes the kind of romance you love to read?

2. Which magical creature would you most want to see get its own romance in the Coven Crest Academy world?

3. Would you rather attend Professor Sage's magical baking class or Professor Fleur's magical flora class?

4. What do you think makes an unforgettable book boyfriend?

5. Do you prefer interconnected standalone romances or a single continuous romance across multiple books?

6. Which character would you trust to show you around Coven Crest Academy?

7. Would you willingly enter the Whim, the semisentient hedge maze?

8. What do you think makes cozy romantasy such a comforting reading experience?

9. Do you agree with Emberly's philosophy of treating an author's career as a “whimsical walk through the woods” rather than a race?

10. Which of Emberly's upcoming projects are you most excited about: After Midnight or the new, less-cozy-and-more-stabby fantasy series?

11. Which of the authors Emberly mentioned Stephanie Meyer, Veronica Roth, Maggie Stiefvater, or Laini Taylor had the biggest influence on your own reading life?

12. If you could bring one character from Emberly's books into the real world for a day, who would you choose?

❤️ A Special Thank You to Emberly Wyndham

A huge thank you to Emberly Wyndham for taking the time to sit down with The Page Ladies for this Book Club Conversation and giving our First Editions community such a wonderful look behind the scenes.

We loved learning about the evolution of Coven Crest Academy, Emberly's approach to romance and world-building, her writing routine, her publishing journey, her inspirations, and the stories still waiting around the next bend.

And now we're very curious about that less cozy, more stabby fantasy series. 👀🗡️

Until then...

We'll be over here waiting for our invitation to magical baking class. 🧁✨

Happy reading, First Editions! 💕📚

What do you get when you combine cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, and plenty of spice? Stories that are heartfelt, emotional, and impossible to resist. ✨🌶️

For this Book Club Conversation, we're chatting with Emberly Wyndham, author of the Coven Crest Academy series and A Witch and Her Vampire, about romance, magical worlds, interconnected standalone romances, cozy fantasy, and the characters who make her stories so much fun to escape into.

Whether you're already a fan of Emberly's books or discovering her work for the first time, this conversation offers a fun peek behind the pages!

Ready to get magical? Let's dive in. 🧙‍♀️📖

🎙️ Book Club Conversation with Emberly Wyndham

1. For readers discovering your books for the first time, how would you describe your stories in three words?

Emberly Wyndham:
“Heartfelt, emotional, and spicy!”

Honestly, that's a pretty irresistible combination for romance readers. 💕🌶️

2. Your books span cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, and contemporary romance. What is it about romance that keeps you coming back to it as a writer?

Emberly Wyndham:

“I wrote other genres for years, and after a multiyear writing hiatus, I decided to try writing romance, and I fell completely in love with it.”

Emberly has always loved stories about connection and finding your person, and romance gives her the freedom to explore those themes against virtually any backdrop.

Whether that backdrop is:

✨ A magical academy
✨ A historical ballroom
✨ A stage under flashing lights

The romance structure provides a familiar foundation while allowing her to adventure into completely different worlds.

“The possibilities feel endless!”

And that's part of what makes romance such a wonderfully flexible genre for both writers and readers.

3. A Witch and Her Vampire is the newest installment in the Coven Crest Academy series. What can readers look forward to in Maeve and Severin's story?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly says she absolutely loved writing this final book in the Coven Crest Academy series.

For Maeve and Severin, readers can expect themes of:

🖤 Self-control
✨ Freedom
💫 Choice
🔥 Empowerment

All of that comes alongside the beloved group of witches, the magical academy setting, and more spice than the previous books.

If you've been following the series, Maeve and Severin's story sounds like quite the finale!

4. Coven Crest Academy is home to witches, dragons, vampires, orcs, and minotaurs. What inspired you to build a world where so many magical beings coexist?

Emberly Wyndham:

The world of Coven Crest Academy developed naturally as Emberly wrote.

The setting originally began taking shape in her Season of the Witch series, which follows Aurora Silvermoon, a witch who has recently graduated from Coven Crest Academy.

After writing that series, Emberly wanted the opportunity to actually explore the academy Aurora had told readers about.

And that's where the world of Coven Crest Academy and all its wonderful monsters was born. 🧙‍♀️🐉🧛‍♀️

5. Many readers are drawn to cozy fantasy right now. What do you think makes cozy romantasy such a comforting genre?

Emberly Wyndham:

For Emberly, cozy romantasy combines two things readers are craving:

The romantasy elements we can't get enough of
+
The feeling of being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Sometimes readers don't want to spend their evening emotionally devastated.

Sometimes you want a story that feels:

☕ Soft
🧸 Comforting
💗 Safe
✨ Magical

Emberly describes cozy romantasy as a place where readers can rest between darker or more epic reads.

And honestly? We understand the assignment.

6. Just for fun: If you could spend a day at Coven Crest Academy, which magical class would you most want to attend?

Emberly Wyndham:

This one was easy!

Because Emberly loves cooking and gardening, she'd choose either:

🧁 Professor Sage's Magical Baking Class

or

🌿 Professor Fleur's Magical Flora Class

And we're pretty sure we'd be fighting for a seat in that baking class.

7. Looking back at the Coven Crest Academy series so far, what has been the most rewarding part of writing interconnected standalone romances?

Emberly Wyndham:

One of Emberly's favorite things about interconnected standalones is being able to give each character their own committed love story while continuing to build on the books that came before.

Readers get a complete romance for each couple while also receiving little glimpses and pieces of information about previous couples and even couples who will appear later.

“It’s such a fun storytelling style!”

For readers who love interconnected series, that sounds like the perfect balance between getting a fresh story and returning to a familiar world.

8. Each book features a different magical pairing. How do you keep every romance feeling fresh while still making the series feel connected?

Emberly Wyndham:

Emberly loves exploring different:

✨ Tropes
✨ Themes
✨ Character archetypes

Those differences help each romantic pairing feel unique while still maintaining the overall cohesion of the series.

It's a great way to give readers something new with every installment without losing the magic that makes the Coven Crest Academy world feel like home.

🔮 Want to Read the Full Interview?

This is just the beginning!

Our full Book Club Conversation with Emberly Wyndham goes even deeper into her writing, her characters, her magical worlds, and the creative process behind her books.

💜 Want to read the complete interview?

Join The First Editions, our paid membership, to unlock the full Book Club Conversation and get access to even more exclusive book club content and resources.

If you love romantasy, cozy fantasy, paranormal romance, magical academies, vampires, shifters, interconnected romances, and spicy love stories, you won't want to miss the rest of this conversation!

📚 About Emberly Wyndham

Emberly Wyndham writes heartfelt, emotional, and spicy romance across multiple subgenres, including cozy romantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and magical academy romance.

Her Coven Crest Academy series brings together witches, vampires, dragons, orcs, minotaurs, and plenty of magical romance in a world designed for readers who want their fantasy with a healthy dose of heart and spice.

A Witch and Her Vampire is the newest installment and final book in the Coven Crest Academy series.

🔗 Find Emberly Wyndham Online

🌐 Website & Newsletter

Emberly Wyndham's Substack

Emberly says signing up for her newsletter is the best way to stay up-to-date on new releases and learn when she's running a big sale.

📸 Instagram

Follow Emberly Wyndham on Instagram

🛍️ Find Her Books

Shop Emberly Wyndham's Books on Amazon

💬 Book Club Conversation Question

If you could spend one day at Coven Crest Academy, which magical class would you take: Magical Baking, Magical Flora, or something else entirely? 🧁🌿✨

And if you could choose one magical being to be your roommate, would you pick a witch, vampire, dragon, or something else?

Tell us below! 👇📚

❤️ Thank You, Emberly!

A huge thank you to Emberly Wyndham for joining us for this Book Club Conversation and giving our community a peek behind the magic of her stories.

We loved learning more about her approach to romance, the evolution of Coven Crest Academy, and what makes cozy romantasy such a comforting escape.

Now excuse us while we go find a cozy blanket, light a candle, and add some magical romance to our TBR. ✨📚🌶️

Well here’s some f*ckery as a bookseller I never thought I’d have to think about. Thanks to an excellent article by Hana Lee Goldin (aka Card Catalog on Substack), thought I better check in with Biblio to see what their policy was on trying to stop Anthropic and other AI entities from buying my books and destroying them. The answer was not great. Their initial response is to stop “bulk purchases” on my account, but they don’t define what that means. Just a heads up to other sellers out there to beware of emails requesting large purchases of your most obscure books. Protect them. 

Guess not everyone knows this is happening...disgusting. Shades of Fahrenheit 451 and Rollerball. Probably not an issue for the new Bindery offerings, but for anyone who would like to maintain literary history, best keep an eye out.