two new books!!
and some character art + other misc thoughts....
Hi! I’ve been sitting on this news for a long time so it’s such a joy to finally share that I have two books coming out next year!!! And they are both so different from each other, and both so different from anything I’ve ever written!
DIAMOND OF THE REBELLION
I came up with the idea for this book in November 2024, though I had been thinking about it for even longer. I was kind of obsessed with the Duleep Singh sisters. I had just read a biography of Sophia Duleep Singh, and couldn’t stop thinking about her, and her family, and her sisters, Catherine and Bamba. They occupied such an interesting place in history, but I’d never learned anything about them, and I couldn’t stop researching and reading about them.
Slowly, the seeds of a story started forming in my mind, but I didn’t know what shape that story would take. I’ve talked a lot about how much I love historical romance. I came to romance through historicals. They were pretty much all I read from ages 15-21, and they’re still what I turn back to time and time again. But I wasn’t sure the story in my mind was a historical romance. There was magic and there were battles and a journey across the ocean, and so I started calling it a romantasy. I created a world that looked an awful lot like Victorian England and a place that sounded an awful lot like India of the time, but when I went on sub and had a call with Sarah, she suggested that we keep the magic, but make it clearly historical, and suddenly everything clicked.
Until then, I hadn’t really realized that was an option, but it felt SO right. We sold the book and I began writing, adjusting the pages I’d submitted and then writing entirely new pages until I finished the book. It was challenging from start to finish, and the hardest thing I’ve ever written, but I’m really proud of the work I’ve done so far! I submitted the first draft to my editor recently and I’m excited to keep working on it, and share it with you next summer.
In the meantime, here’s a little peek at some character art I commissioned for this! I haven’t shared this anywhere else!
YOU’VE BEEN GHOSTED
Okay, and now my fun ghost book!! I’ve been wanting to write a romance about a ghost for a long time, but I hadn’t been able to find the right angle until I was having dinner with a friend and we were both talking about the apps, and suddenly all the pieces slid into place.
I’m currently writing this, and after months of writing something historical, I’m having a ton of fun getting to write about phones and jeans and modern technology! The book should be funny with lots of hi-jinks, but because I’m me it’s also going to explore evil tech corporations and how they are making our lives and the planet worse (very light and fun!!).
Some books I’ve been reading for research are Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams and Empire of AI by Karen Hao. And I really recommend both!
THE END
I want to end this newsletter with a huge thank you. I only have the opportunity to write and publish both of these books because of the way you’ve supported me and my previous books. Any time you buy one of my books, or get it from the library, or talk about it online, it makes a difference. I cannot thank you enough for letting me have the career of my dreams, and for allowing me to tell new stories. I hope I get to keep doing this for years and years to come!
One quick reminder that my next book, Just a Highland Fling, comes out July 21st! It’s available to request on Netgalley and pre-order now! Look out for more information about pre-order incentives and events soon!
With so much love and gratitude,
Naina





I AM SO EXCITED!! I remember you talking about historical romance and you did it! I am honestly so excited, can't wait!
Congratulations! These books sound like intriguing new directions for your writing and I look forward to reading them!