Introducing THE ICE QUEENS ❄️

Get in bitches, we're going back to the rink

It’s been… quite some time since I sent a proper newsletter, and a lot has happened in both my author life and my real life.

My beloved dog / longtime writing assistant Finn died in November, and we adopted a new dog a few weeks ago. My partner and I bought a new home, which we’re currently renovating. The Favorites celebrated its one-year release-a-versary and was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award (in the wrong category, but whatever), a Book of the Month Lolly Award, and an Audie Award, among others.

(And of course, I switched over to Substack — welcome, OG subscribers!)

In the midst of all this, though, I’ve been hard at work on my next novel, and now that it’s been officially announced, I can finally talk about it. (Although, if you’ve met me in person any time in the past few months you know this book was the worst-kept secret in publishing… I’m a Gemini and I was born to yap, not keep secrets!)

The Ice Queens follows elite ice dancers Madison and Harper, former BFFs turned bitter rivals who team up to try to become the first female/female ice dance team to compete in the Olympics.

I was inspired to write about a female/female ice dance team after seeing Olympians Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell’s stunning show program last year. The character of Madison is named for both Madison Hubbell and 2026 Olympic gold medal favorite Madison Chock, though when I originally picked the name, I had no idea she’d one day become the heroine of her own story!

Here’s a bit more about the book:

❄️ Readers of The Favorites may remember Madison from her small role as a teen ice dancer / Katarina Shaw fangirl training at the Lin Ice Academy in 2013. The Ice Queens takes place in the present day, so Madison’s all grown up now.

❄️ While this isn’t a straight-up sequel to The Favorites, the story does take place in the same world, starting shortly after the Favorites epilogue, and you’ll definitely see some familiar faces. I’ve been referring to it as The Favorites’ sapphic little sister.

❄️ So yes, The Ice Queens is indeed sapphic (though still not a traditional romance, honestly I don’t think I’m capable of writing one — I like my fictional relationships dark and toxic and twisty). Madison and Harper are both bisexual, and there are a couple of queer side characters as well.

❄️ The Ice Queens will be out in 2027, though I’m not sure quite when in 2027, in part because I’m still writing the manuscript. Major scenes take place at the 2026 U.S. National Championships (which happened last month) and the 2026 Winter Olympics (which start today!). It’s been a fun challenge to write something based on such extremely recent history, but it also means I have to wait to see what happens in real life before I can decide how I want to fictionalize it. Like this morning I watched the real-life rhythm dance in the figure skating team event, and this afternoon I’ll be working on my fictional version of it.

❄️ I’m keeping my full Ice Queens playlist-in-progress private for now, but here are a few tracks that have been in heavy rotation to give you a sense of the vibe:

Much more to come as I wrap up the writing process and get closer to launch! Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of the juicy details.