Issabelle's Posts

Know the Novel: Introducing Secrets We Hide!!

Hello, TWNers. Welcome back! And to all of y’all hopping over from Christine Smith’s site, welcome to this writing nook filled with insanity, crazy, and just utter wackiness… but we still fun. 😉 *sends welcome chocolate and snacks for you to enjoy* 

So I’m sure most of y’all have realized we’re in Preptober and National Novel Writing Month is literally days away cuz what do you know, Issabelle completely didn’t plan out this month of blog posting very well as normal. (For those of y’all who don’t know National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as most call it, takes place every November. It’s the time for writers to try to write 50,000 words in one month.)

Any of you guys who were here last year, might’ve remembered as I joined the lovely (and might I add completely AWESOME) Christine Smith for her yearly Know the Novel Linkup. (And just cuz I’m awesome, here’s the link to her post talking all about this wonderful linkup… I think I’m using too many adjectives. XD) This is a three-part linkup where writers get to ramble and scream about their works in progress. WHAT COULD BE MORE AWESOME???

So I’m sure one of the biggest questions is: Am I doing NaNoWriMo? Well, yes and no. Yes, I’m aiming to write 50K in a month, but I’m actually just doing it on my own, so I’m not going through that site or any of the other ones offered. (I kinda have this irrational fear of getting unneeded accounts on sites… but that’s a topic for another time.) HOWEVER, I’m still saying it’s my first NaNo, since I’m still going for the 50K in Novemember, and it’s just fun to say. (We could get technical here, but I say let’s not. XD) 

But today isn’t about that. Today I am introducing my newest Work In Progress…. SECRETS WE HIDE. It’s a YA suspense novel, and we’re going to hear me ramble all about it today. (Because what could be more fun?) Let’s just get right on in today!

Now let’s cue the mockup cover for my story:

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

Another novel.

Well, two other novels to be exact. I tend to get my best inspiration from stories themselves. The idea first sparked when I was reading Kristina Hall’s Promises Unbroken. It had been the first suspense novel I’d read in a very long time and made me remember why I always loved this genre. (Before I switched to YA fantasy, I actually wrote YA suspense… surprising I know. XD) Anyway, while reading it, I just got homesick and knew I wanted to get back to writing suspense again. (Don’t worry, it’s just a fun project for me. I’m still writing my fantasy. XD)

And then as I was turning multiple ideas over in my head, I started thinking more about Ally Carter’s Embassy Row series and I’ve been drawing heavy inspiration from that!!

2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

A blurb??? Yeah, okay, I honestly don’t have one so here’s one I’m making up on the spot:

Eighteen-year-old Tess Young is tired of always being compared to her perfect older brother, especially when another novel she’s tried to publish gets shoved aside. (Because, in her eyes, that’s a much better word than rejected.) Not to mention the strange death of one of her old childhood’s friends has been haunting her for the past few weeks, because despite what the police and family say, Tess can’t help but feel there’s more to the story. Especially when she finds (you may insert something awesome here because I’m a panster and don’t know what she finds as of yet but I hopefully will eventually) that connects her friend’s death to one of many caused by the mysterious and deadly killer, The Rouge, who has been terrorizing the little country of Kevila for years. 

Tess decides this is her moment to finally do something important, that would make her parents proud and prove she is more than just a starving artist. So she convinces her parents to let her stay with a friend of theirs in Kevila and hops on a plane without looking back. Her mission? To hunt down and catch The Rouge. Maybe it’s a little risky and a lot crazy but Tess isn’t one to back down from a challenge. And when she enlists the help of a teen mastermind and a former Russian assassin, Tess will do whatever she can to stop the clever Rouge. But she doesn’t have much time because The Rouge will strike again.

And she might be his next victim.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?

The story takes place… well in the modern world. It starts out in America (probably in like Virginia or something), but the majority of the story takes place in a made-up country in Europe. Because apparently, I don’t like to write anything that’s a smidgen real. Favorite aspects? Uhhh… I dunno at the moment, but I’m thinking there’ll be some awesome medieval ruins or old, beautiful cathedrals (that is common in Europe, right? I hope I’m not making that up. XD) or just something which’ll be really cool!

4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).

Aaah eighteen-year-old Tess Young is the leading character of three. She’s probably got to be the one character I’ll have the most fun writing!! We have a lot of similarities. She’s a writer, and ambitious and extroverted like me. (Oh, yeah, and she’s a Skillet fan btw. *grins*). But she’s also very loyal and kind. (Though of course, she’s got her flaws because what kind of a character would she be without them. She’s very prideful at times, especially when she doesn’t want to admit she needs help.) And, I know there’s going to be more to her but I usually discover the most about my characters during the writing process. So I’ll leave you with a graphic. 

ESFP // aspiring thriller novelist // fun // enthusiastic // ambitious // loves homey, southern life // friendly // loyal // stubborn // Skillet Panhead // hoodie lover // is probably eating chocolate right now // loves journaling and old typewriters

Okay, so then I have two other main characters but I’m still working on learning more about them, so I’ll just give you something short for each one. 

Shane Bowen: 

ISTJ // serious // hard-working // total genius and he knows it // always wants to do the right thing // loves long walks // perfectionist // avid reader

Alexsander Sokolov:

ESTJ // mysterious // clever // rough around the edges // born leader // teases everyone // mischievous // former assassin (it’s complicated) // basically-running-from-his-past-but-doesn’t-want-you-to-see-how-broken-he-really-is kind of guy // hates nicknames (don’t ever call him Alex)

#5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

Hehehehe *rubs hands together* Okay, so figuring out who the antagonist is, is basically the entire point of the story, but for now I shall just leave you with this villain’s name:

The Rogue. 

*winks*

#6. What excites you most about this novel?

Probably the relatonship with Tess, Shane, and Alexsander. I want to focus a lot on friendship in this story (though, don’t worry, there’s still a love interest… but I’m not saying who 😉 ) so I’m just REALLY excited to get to work on writing about the three seemingly completely different people meeting each other and working together to catch this killer. And then also, of course, I’m suuuper excited to get back to work on some suspense writing after an almost two year break!

#7. Is this going to be a series, standalone, or something else?

Y’all no matter how hard I try I canNOT for the life of me write a standalone. It’s completely impossible for me!

Soooooo I’m have no intentions of this being just one book. I actually have a four-book series planned but I don’t know if I’ll go that far. I might just do a duology or something. But just for the fun of it, I’ll share you the titles for the other books.

Book one: Secrets We Hide

Book two: Lies We Keep

Book three: Missions We Fail

Book four: Battles We Wage

8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

Pantser all the way!!!! 

Okay, if I’m honest, I’m doing some very, very, very minor plotting just because the last time I went into a heavy writing period with absolutely no idea what the story was going to be about, it didn’t end up so well. *glares at Heir to His Crown‘s first draft*. Anyway, it’s just some basic what’s happening and how’s it gonna end stuff. So more of a plansting but I’m leaning more to the pantsing side type of writing.

9. Name a few unique elements about this story.

Oooo okay, so I think the first unique element would be that I’m alternating between three POVS, Tess, Shane, and Alexsander. And, yeah, that’s probably not going to end well, especially since I have hardly any practice with multiple POVs, but I just really wanna try it out for the fun of it. And this is a novel, I don’t really plan on doing anything with, like trying to publish and stuff, so I’m kinda letting myself do whatever I want. 😉 

I don’t really think there are any other unique elements to this story. It’s a pretty basic, simple plot and setting. 

Alexsander’s a Russian former assassin, which I think is pretty fun but it might not be “unique” unique. *shrugs* (He’s also like twenty-four, which is unique for me because I’ve never written a character that old. I think the oldest one I’ve written was like 19, so this is gonna be fun.)

10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

Alright, so I have a full playlist, but for now, I’m just going to share two songs. I don’t know if they exactly perfectly fit the story, but they make me excited to write it. The big theme of this story is going to be fighting fear, and not just “being afraid” kind. But fear of not fitting in, fear of not being good enough, fear of failing. Those fears that fight to take control, it’s about fighting them and conquering! 

And here’s a graphic:

Well, that’s a wrap. Lemme know down in the comments if you’re doing NaNoWriMo and what you’re working on!!!

I guess I’ll leave ya with this piece of advice for the upcoming month of writing insanity. 😉 

Keep on being awesome and never stop writing,

Issabelle Perry

Issabelle Perry is a proud Jesus follower, an extroverted writer, and a homeschool graduate. When she's not writing, you can find her reading, jamming to Skillet, studying history, hunting for Narnia in wardrobes, or envisioning herself wielding a magnificent sword (but due to her clumsiness, let’s hope that never happens). This self-proclaimed exclamation mark enthusiast can be found hanging out at Teen Writers’ Nook, a community of teen authors Issabelle co-founded in 2020. She is the author of Don't Let Me Go (Sky's the Limit Press 2024), May We Make Them Proud (2023), and a co-editor for two anthologies. What she’s probably doing right now is fangirling about her favorite books to random people or scanning the pantries for chocolate.

47 Comments

  • Joy C. Woodbury

    Hi, Issabelle!

    Your suspense novel sounds so cool! I especially love that Tess is a writer. It makes me so happy to read about characters who enjoy writing. It makes me connect with them that much more!

    Best of luck with NaNoWriMo! I’ll probably finish the novella I’ve been working on (I’m almost done with it, so it shouldn’t be too long now), and then work on outlining The Apostle’s Sister book series.

    Your 50k word goal is so admirable! I’m not sure I’ll make it that far – I’m hoping for 10k on my TAS outlines this month, at the most. Much respect for you, going for that NaNo goal!

    • Issabelle Perry

      Hey, Joy!!!

      Awww I AM SO GLAD to hear you think so!!!!!!!!!!! YESSS!!!!! That makes me SO happy to hear that. And I totally agree!!! I always love seeing writer characters in fiction and can connect with them SO much more often. Plus, I find them easier to write about too, because I already know how being a writer is, so I don’t have to go research it and stuff, lol. XD

      D’awwwww THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! Ooo that sounds like a suuuuper exciting plan!!! (WOHOOOO WAY TO GO!!!!! That’s what I love about novella’s they’re much faster to write and read. XD Which works out perfectly for peeps like me.) Good luck on that outlining stuff. You know I’ll never understand y’all plotters at all. XD But I hope writing has and will continue to be as splendid as always!!!!! *waves pom-poms and cheers Joy on*

      Hahahaha, yeah, it’s probably more foolish than admirable, especially cuz I’m not doing so great keeping up. But THANK YOU!!!!! Yeah, honestly, I don’t think I’ll make it that far either, but every little bit counts. And ten thousand words is STILL just as awesome as 50!!!!! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!!!!!!!! D’awwww, THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!! And thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂

  • Louise Taylor

    YOU WRITE SUSPENSE? WHO ARE YOU? *jaw drops* *looks at it like a child looking at a cookie* I want to read that. I can already tell you Alexsander would be my favorite. *grins* Just my instinct.
    I hope you enjoy writing it! It sounds so epic! (and I started that Embassey Row seires because I think I heard you recommend it, I haven’t finished it yet, but I liked it what I did read of it! I should probably start listening to it again…) Can’t wait to hear more! I like this Know The Novel thingy-ma-jig… I love hearing about other poeple’s writing.

    “Keep breathing. That’s the key” *dies of laughter* I can realte to that on a painfully realistic level.
    AND YES!!!!!! Your comment about The Heir To His Crown and “having no idea what it was going to be about” *cough* *glares at my own novel* You 82,000 mess of misued words, perfect characters, and no plotline WHATSOEVER. *huffs* Oh well. *picks up red pen* You’d be surprised how satisfying it is to make red lines and scribbles on a piece of writing. 😉

    P.S. (still waiting for the day The Heir To His Crown is published)

    • Issabelle Perry

      YES I DO!!!!!!! Well, I use to and now I am again… so I guess I still do. XD EEEEEEEEEE GIRL IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH THAT MEANS TO ME THAT YOU’D WANNA READ IT?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! (Well, look at me, going absolutely crazy on the all-caps today XD) Honestly, I KNEW the MOMENT he showed up in the story that Alexsander would be my favorite too. But don’t tell Tess and Shane I said that. And I am just THE happiest to hear you’d love him too!!!!! *high fives*

      Awww THANK YOU!!!! So far, it’s been fun!! (*gasp* YOU DID??? AAAHH I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!! I probably did. That one gets recommended almost as much as the false prince. I think I have problems. YES YOU SHOULD!!!!!! I am suuuuper happy to hear that, and definitely lemme know when you finish it!!!! I’ve gotta fangirl over Alexei with someone. YES!!!! More’s on the way!! Eeee I am soooo glad. It’s literally the one thing I always look forward to this time of year!!! ME TOO!!!!!

      Hahahahaha, oooo I’m sooo glad you enjoyed that too. I just saw the GIF and was like THIS IS PERFECT!!!! Heheheheh, yeah… me too. XD
      And why is this just soooo relatable???? *shakes head* The pain is real. Lol, YESSS!!!!! Honestly, it’s sooo great to know I’m not the only one in this boat. Yes, THAT WAS THE SAME WITH ME!!! There was like absolutely no plotline either. XDD Girl, you are SO right!!! I always enjoy editing my stories!!!!

      D’awwwww, that means SO much to me, Louise!!! I’m still anxiously awaiting that day too. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer. *crossing fingers*

    • Issabelle Perry

      D’awwww, Vanessa, that just means, SO SO SOOOOO much to me!!! THANK YOU A HUNDRED TIMES OVER!!!!!!! Like, it’s not even possible to explain how happy I am you think it sounds cool!!! YESSS!!! More’s on the way!! 🙂
      And thank you for stopping by!

    • Issabelle Perry

      D’awwww, Corrie, THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, writer’s block better stay out of the way for November. XD EEEE I AM SO HAPPY YOU THINK SO!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!! <3333333

  • Abigail

    Wow, Issa! This article was so much fun to read and learn about this new novel:) While I’ve never been a suspense reader myself, Tess sounds like an interesting protagonist and I already adore the idea of a teen mastermind and a former Russian assassin 😀

    I definitely am going to do NaNoWriMo in November and the novel I’ll be writing is the same one I’ve been working on for years, but there’s always more to unveil each WriMo:)

    Love that LoTR gif, it’s awesome and great advice for the coming month XD
    Best of writerly wishes to you and your novel!

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEEE I AM SO CRAZY GLAD YOU THINK SO ABIGAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! <333333 It means a lot! Ooooo well, that's awesome!!! Tess... she's definitely something else, I'll give ya that. 😉 YESSS!!!! The teen mastermind and former Russian assassin were like the only reason I pushed my other novel I was going to write for NaNo out of the way for this one. AND I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE THEM TOO!!!!!!!!! *beams*

      WOHOOOO!!!!! THAT'S AWESOME!!!! YOU'VE GOT THIS, GIRL!!!!!!! *waves pom-poms and cheers you on* GO ABIGAIL GO!!!!!!! Yes, definitely!! I hope you have a wonderful NaNoWriMo and get lots of progress done on your story!! Keep it up!!!! <3333333

      Hahahaha, I am SO glad!!! THANK YOU!!! I just saw it and was like, I HAVE to use this in this post somewhere. And when I couldn't find a spot, I just was like, well, I'll slap it at the bottom and see if anyone likes it. XD But, yeah, it is!!!!! D'awww THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!!! And same right back at ya!!
      Thank you for reading!!!!!

  • Em Elizabeth

    Okay, this story sounds awesome! Your characters already seem like fun people to spend time with (I’m already attached!), and the plot is definitely intriguing. The titles you have lined up for the series are perfect, and, as someone who can’t do titles to save her life, I am extra impressed there. Also, “(you may insert something awesome here because I’m a panster and don’t know what she finds as of yet but I hopefully will eventually)” is a mood!

    Tip for writing multiple POVs (because I’ve done it and yeah, it’s tricky, but also rewarding): Really get into each character’s head. Go deep and think about how they would view the situation at hand compared to the others. Give their chapters a unique voice, even if you’re writing third person. It makes the POVs feel distinct. And, this is just me, but it helps to keep a list of who speaks when and what happens, that way you know who was where for what, who knows what, all that fun stuff. But that’s more of an editing issue anyway. And most importantly, have fun with it. There are a lot of fun things you can do with multiple POVs, especially in a suspense story.

    I wish you all the luck on this project!

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEE THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just SO happy you think so. 🙂 Aaaah, they really are!! I’m having more fun with them than most of my characters, so it’s been a blast!!!! (Awww really? THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!!!!) Yaaay!!!! I’m SO glad you think so, especially since I feel like I don’t have much of a plot here. XD Awwwww, THANK YOUUUUU!!!!! Titles are really hard. It took me forever to get the right ones and even then, I’m probably still going to slightly change some of them. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! Hahahahaha, yeah, it is. XDD

      Ooooo that is a REALLY AWESOME tip!!!!! Seriously, thank you SOOOOO much!!! I am definitely 100% going to implement this, and it’s already making me feel not so terrified!! yeah, I can already see how I’m going to get confused and mix stuff up, so I’ll definitely look into setting up a list!!! Yes, it really is a lot of fun!!! I didn’t think I’d enjoy writing three POVs, but I’m loving it so far!!!

      Eeeee THANK YOUUU!!!!! <3333333 It means so, so much!!!!

  • Kristianne

    This sounds SO good!! And wow, girl, your design skills are just getting better and better! You really have talent! I’m wondering, what program did you use to get the fading effect of the two pictures for your mockup cover? I’ve been trying to find a program that does that, but the only one I know of is Adobe Photoshop, and it’s kind of expensive.

    I’m not doing NaNoWriMo, but I am drafting a new story this month, just at my own pace. I hope your project goes well, and I can’t wait to hear more about it!

    • Issabelle Perry

      THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, Kristianne!!!!! It really means a LOT!!!! D’awwww, girl, this just made me smile so hard!!! THANK YOUUU!!!!! I don’t know much about talent, but it means SOOOO much that you think so!!!!! Okay, so for this one, I used Pixlr. Yeah, Photoshop is the best tool for graphic designing, but I agree that it’s really expensive. And waaay out of my price range. Pixlr is kinda what I like to think of as a step up from Canva, but still not quite at Photoshop level. So Pixlr doesn’t have all the tools that Photoshop will, but what I’ve done is basically, I try to get an image of what I want to do, and then use what I have and the techniques I know to get where I want to be. Sometimes that means I have to go a really loooooooong roundabout way to get there, and take more steps than what a click of a button in Photoshop would do, but I don’t mind. If you’re trying it out and need any help, just lemme know and I’d be happy to see what I can do!!!!!

      Ooooo well, that’s STILL just as exciting!!!!!! And that’s smart for you to work at your own pace. I am quickly learning that writing at a NaNo-pace is not easy. XD Awwww THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! WOOHOOOO more’s on the way!!!! 😉 THANK YOU for stopping by!

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEE I AM SO GLAD YOU THINK SO RYLIE!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! <333333 Hahaahaha, I KNEW you would! I was actually thinking about you when I wrote it in. But, yes, you knew I had to do something like that eventually. XD

      • Rylie

        I did! XD I also figure you will write a short story about you and Jaron (I’m still searching for him. No luck. XD) And maybe some more stories based on fictional characters and stuff. XD

        • Issabelle Perry

          *gasp*

          Okay, this has just given me a prettyyy awesome idea. I can’t BELIEVE i never even THOUGHT about a story with me and Jaron. (Lol, keep searching! I know we’ll find SOMEONE out there. XDDD) Oooo YESSSSSSS!!!!! That is an AWESOME idea!!!! XD

  • Grace A. Johnson

    AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH THERE ARE NO WORDS IZZYYYYYYYYYYYYY I LOVE THIS STORY ALREADY AND THAT COVER AND THOSE CHARACTERSSSSSSSSSSSS EEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYY WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO MEEEEEEE YOU KEEP COMING UP WITH ALL THESE AMAAAAAAZING STORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Issabelle Perry

      AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GRACIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPLAIN HOW HAPPY THIS COMMENT MADE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just smiling SO hard right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEE you do???? THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *cough* It is completely unintentional. I actually need to stop coming up with awesome ideas because I never finish the ones I’m working on. Hahahaha, but seriously, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! <33333333

  • Saraina

    “Keep breathing. That’s the key.” LOL yes!!!!! (Also same, I’m doing NaNoWriMo but not through their site or anyone else’s. It’s just on my own, but I totally think that still counts.) Wow this novel – the series – sounds so COOL!!!! Your 3 characters sound awesome – I love that, an ESFP, ISTJ, and ESTJ!! Eeee!! And those graphics are wonderful!!!

    • Issabelle Perry

      Hahahahahahaha, I am SOO glad you liked it, Saraina!!!! I just KNEW someone would find it as funny as I did. XD (Oooooo WHOOOHOOOO!!!!! That is AWESOME. And honestly, it’s a relief to know I ain’t the only one doing it but more on my own. *high fives* YESSS!!!! I think it should too!!!! And, GOOD LUCK on your writing!!! I hope you get SOO Much done! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!! *showers you with encouraging chocolate and cheers you on*)
      D’awwwwww, THANK YOU A HUNDRED TIMES OVER GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEE I AM SO GLAD YOU THINK SO!!!! I really love them too. YESS!!! It’s always fun to see what personality my characters get, but I was surprised by how similar Tess and I am. I’m an ENFP, and she’s an ESFP. Crazy. EEEE!!! THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!! <33333333

  • Grace

    WHAT. THIS IS AMAZING.
    You are so creative! I love the backstory of Tess, and I am sure many people can relate to her! 🙂 I am so excited to see how this book and series plays out! *throws confetti and waves pom-poms* You got this!!

    • Issabelle Perry

      D’awwww, Grace, THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! <3333333333 That just means THE WORLD to hear you think so!!!!! <333
      D'awwww, girl, you're comment has just made me smile so hard. You are the sweetest!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! YES!! I was soooo hoping she would ve a very relatable character!! EEEE SO AM I!!!! THANK YOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <33333333 *dances in confetti and grabs my own pair of pom-poms to join in the cheer just cuz it's fun* THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Phew, I hope so. 😉
      Thanks for stopping by!!!

  • Joelle Stone

    OOH ISSABELLE I WANT TO READ THIS SO BAD WHEN SHALL IT BE PUBLISHED BECAUSE I MUSTEST READ IT!!! (Also, I have officially adopted Alexsander as my pet character – I can already tell he’s my type. XD)

    ALSO THE COVER AND GRAPHICS HOW DO YOU DO THAT!!?!?!?!?!?

    One thing more: Gimli’s totally right, especially when you substitute the word “write” for the word “breathe” XD.
    “Keep writing, that’s the key. Write.” XDDDDD

    (P.S. I heard about what’s going on in your fam at the moment, and know that you’re in may prayers and thoughts almost 24/7. ;))

    • Issabelle Perry

      AAAAAHHH JOELLE IT JUST MEANS SOOOO MUCH TO HEAR THAT YOU REALLY WANNA READ IT!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!! It gives me a TON of motivation to keep working on it when people say this. So, seriously, THANK YOU!!!!! I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever publish it, but if I did, it’d probably be about three or four years from now. Sorry. :,( (AAAAH YESSS!!!!!! Alexsander is my li’l baby boi… even though he hates it when I call him that… but he IS. I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!! Heheheehe, yessss! I think you’d really like him!! XD)

      Honestly, a lot of work and redoing it more times than I can count. But it was worth it. THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo insanely glad you like them!! I always try to do my best graphics for all of y’all TWNers!!!

      Heheheheehe! Oh my goodness, that is GENIUS!!!!! I LOVE THAT with inserting write instead of breathing!!!! XDDDD Yesss!!!!!

      (Awww, yes, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! The prayers mean a lot and are really appreciated. *hugs* It’s been tough but God’s still on the throne, and I guess that’s what I’m holding to.)

  • Christine Smith

    YAAAY YOU DID THE LINKUP! I was so hoping you would! And EEP. This sounds so funnn!!! I did NOT know you used to write suspense, but that’s cool! 😀 I shamefully have read veryyy little in that genre, but I feel like it’s one I’d enjoy a lot if I’d, ya know, step away from my beloved spec-fic now and again to try something else. XD

    Okay first of all, I LOVE THE COVER. It’s so professional and appealing! *heart-eyes*

    Secondly, everything about this sounds like a delight! I’m, like, already totally in love with every single one of these characters. Tess sounds like SUCH a fun protagonist to follow! And I love how Shane is her total opposite. That’s gonna be GREAT. AND ALEXSANDER. :O He, uh, may already be my favorite. A former assassin??? I’M SO INTRIGUED. *flails* My goodness, they’re all so DIFFERENT which is just perfect! I can only imagine the fun it’s gonna be wrangling this trio!

    I also love that this is going to take place in a little European country because YES PLEASE! It already sounds both eerie and lovely! Also those aesthetic boards? *chef’s kiss*

    I have to admire Tess for packing up to go to another country and chase a KILLER. Like. Wow. Girl’s got spunk!

    This just sounds amazing all the way around! Thank you so, so much for joining the linkup and sharing with us! And I do hope your first (sorta) NaNo goes AMAZINGLYYYY. You got this, girl! *waves pompoms*

    • Issabelle Perry

      YESS I DID!!!!!! It’s something I really look forward to now at this time of year!! I always have SO MUCH FUN doing it!!! D’awww, really? That makes me so happy!!! EEEEE YES!!!! *awkward cough* Yeah, it’s my super complete secret about myself. I never really talk about the old stuff I write. Aww THANK YOU!!!!!! Yeah, I feel like it’s not a very popular genre, but ooo yes, I think you’d really enjoy it!!!! Hehehe, maybe you should try to find a fantasy suspense novel. That is a thing, right? *moment of silence* Okay, if it’s not a thing, I am SO making it one now. XDD

      EEEEEE THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!! Honestly, that cover was HARD to design, but that just makes me THE HAPPIESt to hear that!!!!!!! <333333

      D'awwww, seriously, A HUNDRED THANK YOUS!!!!!!!!! YESSSS!!!!!!! I am SO glad to hear that!!! I LOVE these characters. They've been a lot of fun. Man, Tess... she's definitely something else. YESS I was SO hoping someone would love that!!!!! WOHOOO!!!! I hope so!!!! AAAAHHH YESSSS ALEXSANDER IS HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE CHARACTER (because I'm a weird writer and, yes, I do in fact pick favorites). They really are, which I definitely wasn't planning it to go that way, but it HAS been tons of fun writing about each character!!!!! YESSSS!!!!!!!

      Awwww THANK YOUUUU!!!!!! I actually stole that idea from Ally Carter. *cough, cough* But I just LOVE the idea of it too!!!! YESSS!!!! I'm really hoping it comes off that way. Okay, seriously, just a MILLION THANK YOUS!!!! This comment has just made me SO happy. *beams*

      Honestly, same here. But the moment I got the idea for this character I was just like, yes, that is EXACTLY what she'd do... even though I think it's slightly crazy. ;P She DOES!! I don't know if I should be proud of her or afraid for her. XD

      THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH, Christine!!!!!!!! That means just SO, SO much to me!!!!!!! Awwwww, of course. I always have a blast with it. Thank YOU for hosting it and putting it all together. (Seriously, you're a genius for coming up with this!!) THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And same back at ya!!!!! Awww THANK YOUUUU!!!!

  • Faith Elizabeth

    Ooh, this sounds so good! Sign me up for beta reading 😛 I can’t wait to hear more about it. *peers at Issabelle suspiciously* You are gonna share more, right?!?

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEE you really think so??? THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heheehehehe *rushes to put Faith on the list of potential betas* 😛 EEEEE I AM SO GLAD!!!! Hahaahahaha, yes, more’s definitely planned to be on the way soon. Hopefully, I’ll have some super fun snippets to share too. I’ve just got to actually write some now, haha. XD THANK YOU SO, SO much for stopping by!!!!!

  • ✨Chloe✨

    AAAH! This WIP seems like so much fun! You’ll have an awesome time writing it I’m sure. I think the whole concept is really unique and intriguing. 😁

    Dual points of view are fun! The story that I got the farthest on (I’m yet to finish the first draft of a novel) was in dual points of view for four characters! It was tricky because you have to really know all of the characters like the back of your hand, and you have to dive right into their minds, so much so that they’re always in yours. I ended up getting about 30k words on that WIP, but I had some help. 🙃

    Those graphics. Just… I love them!! Very bold and beautiful! <33

    Four books, eh? Good luck! Tehehehe

    I loved reading about your NaNo WIP, I hope to hear more about it in the future!! Have a fantabulous November, Iss! 😉

    • Issabelle Perry

      AAAAAHH CHLOE LIKE A HUNDRED MILLION THANK YOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eeeeee I hope so!!! So far I was kinda bored in the beginning, but I’ve just done something pretty epic, and now I’m really starting to get into it!!! D’awww, you do?? THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! I don’t think I can possibly say how much that means to me!!!

      YES, they are!!! But also REALLY hard to write. Oooo really. Girl, I bet so!! Do you have any tips for me that might help with balancing three points of view?? *gasp* GIRL, 30K IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!! WAAAY TO GO!!!!!! Is that a story you plan on returning to or…? (Wow, I’m loading you with the questions today. XD) And it’s ALWAYS great to have some help and encouragement!!! I know TWN’s pretty much one of the few reasons I was actually able to finish Heir to His Crown! You guys just ROCK!!!!

      EEEEE GIRL THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!! I always, always hope you and the rest of y’all TWNers like the graphics!!!! SO JUST THANK YOU A HUNDRED TIMES OVER!! <333333 I was really proud of myself with them. 😉

      *awkward cough* Don't hold me to that. XD I'm not likely to ever make it past book two, but I can dream, can't I? XD But THANK YOU!!!!!

      EEEE I AM SO INSANELY GLAD TO HEAR THAT!!!!!!! Yes, more's definitely planned to be on the way!!! There's a part two to the Know the Novel linkup I hope to be able to join in on that'll have more questions to answer!!!! THANK YOU and same right back at ya. I hope NaNo's been kind to you so far!!!!

  • Lily

    Ooo, this sounds so fun! (seriously, the MC is a writer too?! *heart eyes*)

    And yes, Europe does have cathedrals; England, France, and Italy (lots in Italy), from what I can remember off the top of my head. I had family that visited Italy years ago; they said the architecture is just stunning. If you search Pinterest, you can find a lot of cool cathedrals aesthetics.

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEPP THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH LILY!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO glad you think so!! (Yes, she is!! I was hoping y’all would like that. I always have THE most fun writing about characters who are writers. They also get me more and aren’t as prone to fight me writing down their stories. XD)

      Phew, man, I’m SO glad I got that right!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for clarifying!!! Yess!! I was thinking Italy had a ton. Oooo really??? THAT IS SO COOL!!!! I’ve always wanted to visit Italy!! Awww, I bet it is! Oooo, I am DEFINITELY going to have to do that then. Maybe it’ll give me some inspiration and put me in the mood. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

  • Diamond

    This looks SO cool!
    (once you get this written I’m gonna be on the beta team right? RIGHT?)

    Seriously, this seems so cool! I can’t wait to read it! You’ve GOT to share snippets of this whenever you get around to writing it!

    • Issabelle Perry

      AAAHH THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH DIAMOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      (Hahahaha, hey, girl, I will NEVER turn you down as a beta reader! Like NEVER!!! You are allowed to read whatever you want to of mine. 😉 *hurries to add Diamond to the potential beta reader list*)

      D’awwww, you really think so? THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! It really just means A LOT to me!!!!! YESSS!!!! Girl, I most DEFINITELY will!!!! Let’s just hope I can find something good out of the mess of a first draft it’s already turning out to be. XD
      THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading and commenting!!!

  • Lorelei A.

    OOOH this sounds so cool! (Also, love the former Russian assassin idea…and 24?!? SOOO OLDDD 😂 jk) Panstersssssss *fist bump* XD

    I technically am doing nanowrimo, but I have my own word goal and instead of starting something new, I’m just gonna keep going with my current WIP lolll. #lazywriter XD

    Hope it goes well!! <3333

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEE THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH LORELEI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heheheehehe THANK YOUUU!!!!!!!! That’s like my absolute FAVORITE part in the story. Ya gotta love a former Russian assassin. 😉 Yea, I know right??!! But honestly, it’s been tons of fun!!!) WOOHOOOO!!!!! PANSTERS FOR THE WIN!!!!!! *returns fist bump*

      Oooo, really, girl, that is SUUPER EXCITING!!!!! Good luck!!! YOU’VE TOTALLY GOT THIS!!!! Hey, that’s STILL amazing. Every little bit you can work towards in your WIP counts!!! And I honestly don’t think that’s lazy at all. *gives two thumbs up*

      THANK YOU!!!! And same back at ya. 😉

  • Allie Jo Andersen

    Oooooh, Is, this story sounds SOOOO good!!!! I absolutely LOVE your cover (seriously–it looks so professional!!) and your collages!!! Your characters sound amazing as well!! This was an amazing post, Is!!! I loved it!! Cheering you on for NaNo!! You’ve got this!!!

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH ALLIEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <333333333333 D'awwwwww, girl, that just means SOOO much to me. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3333333 (EEEEE it just means SO much to hear you think so!! It was worth the COUNTLESS drafts of this cover to get it where it's at.) WOHOOO!!! THANK YOU!!!! My characters.... well, they're definitely something else. Though I think I've enjoyed working with Alexsander more than the others. Tess and Shane are too... happy for me. XD And I'm sure you can tell from Keenum I don't typically write happy characters. THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! It means a TON to li'l ole me. *beams* WOHOOO THANK YOU!!!! And same back at ya. YOU. HAVE. GOT. THIS. GIRL!!!!

  • Anna

    EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Issabelle!!! This is such a cool idea!!!!! Everyone seems to be writing mystery/suspense recently!!! I CANNOT wait to read this!!! If you ever need beta readers, I’m in.
    I can’t believe that you didn’t know what was going to happen to Heir to His Crown, but now you have such an AMAZING story!!!!!
    You are such an amazing writer, and I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!!!

    • Issabelle Perry

      EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ANNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! <333333 Hahahahaha, I know right! I was just thinking how crazy it was how so many people this NaNo were working on something suspenseful or contemporary. That's crazy cuz usually everyone I know is writing fantasy or sci-fi or something, so I thought the sudden change was funny. XD Oh my goodness, THANK YOU SO MUCH ANNA!!!!!! That means a TON to me that you'd wanna read it. Oooo, girl, I will DEFINITELY add you to my list of potential betas. I don't know if I'll ever make it far enough in this story to get some, but if I do, you'll be one of the first I ask!!!! THANK YOU!!!! <333
      Hahahahahaha, it is hard to believe. The first draft of that story was EVERYWHERE but I eventually found my way. It's been messy and hard but worth it. D'awwww seriously THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! That just means the world to me. <33333 Anna, you are just too sweet. I'm just beaming over here from this comment.
      D'awwww, ANNA, THANK YOU A HUNDRED TIMES OVER. I don't know if it's amazingness or just plain craziness but THANK YOU!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

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