Danai's Dispatch: November 2024

Welcome to Danai's Dispatch, where I pop into your inbox once a month whenever something exciting happens, bearing gifts: thoughts on writing, short story and book roundups, resources for writers, and exclusive giveaways! Thank you for reading. If you haven’t subscribed already, please consider signing up below.

November is for the villains.

Greetings, fellow villain. I see you found my lair again in the Swedish forest. I need to be more careful about leaving breadcrumbs for children squirrels; my witch’s cottage in the woods has gotten a few too many visitors, lately. At least you, you only have two feet. Don’t you? Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as you can sit by my cauldron. Grab a chalice. Dip it in the bubbling liquid. Drink up. It’s time to begin. There was a Full Moon recently, after all. Things are bound to culminate during such times.

If you’ve been in my neck of the woods previously, you know how these dispatches usually go, but this time we’ll do things a bit differently. For our regularly scheduled programming of short stories and book recommendations we’ll have to meet again in December. Because now, now it’s finally time to howl at the Moon—about a Publishing secret I’ve been keeping, with debatable efficiency, since this August.

If you’re new here, just a heads up: there will be some exquisite screaming.

I’ve written this next part so many times in my head, but I can never get it right. So I’ll keep it simple—the best spells are the simplest, after all. I SOLD A BOOK. MY FIRST BOOK. Well, technically the fourth book I’ve ever written, but it will be my debut because publishing is like the Witches’ Road in Agatha All Along: long, deadly, and very often a construct. I’ve been on submission with three previous manuscripts since October 2021, and if you know what that means you have my sincerest sympathies (if you don’t, save your sanity?). I’ve been almost to the end of the Witches’ Road six times, yet every time it turned out to be another trial. I’ve lost pieces of myself along the way, but also learned so so much. And I’m grateful for all the time it took to get here, and for the coven I built along the way. Lauren Bieker, the best agent and champion I could ever wish for, never wavering, never letting those close calls bring us down. A.J. Van Belle and T. L. Coughlin, my brilliant, talented friends, critique partners and sanity savers. The Inklings Discord for their invaluable advice and community, at a time when our communities are being torn apart by evil billionaires… but I digress. I SOLD A BOOK, and my coven only grew bigger. I will be forever grateful to my editor, Jorgie Bain, who saw the vision and gave my book its perfect home with Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK. I met Jorgie on Twitter/X and was immediately taken by how much our tastes align and how much she seems to get what I’m trying to do. Thank you, from the bottom of my raven fluttering heart. (Check out what Jorgie and Lauren had to say about VILE LADY VILLAINS in this article from The Bookseller.)

So what’s VILE LADY VILLAINS about, in case it’s not obvious from the subtle title? 

My publisher calls it: “A WORLD-BURNING HORROMANTASY, BRINGING TOGETHER LITERATURE'S MOST FAMOUS LADY VILLAINS, LADY MACBETH AND KLYTEMNESTRA . . . For fans of A Dowry of Blood, Clytemnestra, and Piranesi, Vile Lady Villains is an unforgettable ride into the realm of stories.”

With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help. She’s given a brew that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.

Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.

Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. But can they trust this ancient goddess? As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a choice: remain within the confines of their original tales … Or burn down the world to pen a new story together . . .

VILE LADY VILLAINS will be out in March 2026, but you can pre-order it now. Yes, I know, it’s early—but preorders are so important, especially for debut authors as we’re trying to cast a spell that lingers with our stories (aka convince Publishing that we were worth the risk). This goes doubly for queer books, as you can imagine.

But there are many ways to support these villainous ladies if my book sounds like something you’d be interested in. Like adding VILE LADY VILLAINS on your “want to read” in Goodreads—also very important, because it shows Publishing that people are interested (and because, let’s face it, this is a very queer book. Queer books tend to get one-star ratings before the book even comes out, from unnamed profiles who love doing that sort of thing).

And stay tuned for more news in future newsletters, as we are cooking a gorgeous book cover. Until then, why don’t we rest our eyes on Marina Haralambides’s breathtaking character art of my main characters, Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth?

Thank you for being a villain with me

The Moon is hiding behind the clouds now; dawn is about to break soon. When shall we two meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain? Perhaps, in the next instalment of this dispatch. So if you liked what you read, I hope you’ll subscribe, if you haven't already! And maybe help my ravens spread the word by sharing it on your social media?