Exploring Dark Urban Fantasy with Author Elle Kaelee (E128)
In this episode, I am chatting with Elle Kaelee. Elle has always been a student of storytelling, and her career over the years has involved theater, photography, and, of course, writing. She released Glass Wings, a dark urban fantasy, as initially a way of coping with the death of family members, but it turned into something much bigger—a full trilogy that will be fully released by the end of Fall 2025. The second book of the trilogy, Burning Glass, was released in late December 2024. She lives with her family, a mother of two little boys, in Seattle and can often be found at farmers' markets and breweries. This episode covers adult themes, so you may want to pop in a pair of headphones. Either way, this episode is a must-listen!
Episode Highlights:
Elle’s Creative Career Journey: From theater to costume design to photography, Elle shares stories from her fascinating creative career, including how she perfected getting people to "do with their face what she needed them to do" during photoshoots.
The Origin of Glass Wings: Elle talks about how her writing journey began during childhood (sometimes being grounded sparks creativity!) and how her dark urban fantasy trilogy grew from personal grief into a full immersive world.
Parenting Adventures: Hear Elle's perspective on parenting, plus insights from her unique experience living van life for a year.
Books, Hoarding and Trigger Warnings: We discuss our shared love for books and how Elle navigates all the books she wants to read with her van lifestyle. She also explains the importance of trigger warnings and why she includes them at the start of her books.
Introducing The Glass Wings Series: Elle gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the first book of her trilogy, Glass Wings, and teases the highly anticipated final book coming in Fall 2025.
This episode covers adult themes, so grab your headphones and settle in. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this deep dive into Elle’s journey to being a writer.
Connect with Elle Kaelee:
Show Notes
Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Gild by Raven Kennedy
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadband
Book Flight
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
One Dark Window / Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
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