Exploring Dark Urban Fantasy with Author Elle Kaelee (E128)

01/29/25 • 40 min

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Bookish Flights: Books, Author Interviews & Must-Read Recommendations

We're chatting with Elle Kaelee today. 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.

Connect with Elle Kaelee:

Books and authors mentioned:

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

Ready for a monthly literary adventure? We now have the BFF Book Club. Join us each month to explore a new book. After reading, connect with fellow book lovers and meet the author in a live interview! Can’t make it live? Don’t worry—we’ll send you the recording. You can find all our upcoming book club selections HERE.

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Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

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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.

Connect with Elle Kaelee:

Books and authors mentioned:

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

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

Previous Episode

The Influence of Childhood Reading and Writing with Author Tyler Snure (E127)

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In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Tyler Snure, an incredible young author whose journey is as inspiring as his books. Tyler published his debut novel, The Jewels of Fate, when he was just 17 years old. With a lifelong passion for reading and storytelling, Tyler began writing creatively at the age of seven, and his first book took over five years to complete. What started as a short story in elementary school blossomed into a captivating trilogy that fans of fiction, fantasy, and adventure will love.

The second novel in the series, The Sword of Sorenth, followed a few years later, solidifying Tyler’s talent for crafting engaging and action-packed stories. His books are perfect for all ages, especially readers aged 12-18, with themes of found family, community, and thrilling adventures akin to the Percy Jackson series. Tyler is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English and resides in Ontario, Canada, with his family and dog.

Episode Highlights

Tyler’s early love for reading and writing stories
The creative process behind The Jewels of Fate and the trilogy’s evolution
Themes of found family and community in his books
The tone and audience for his books and their similarity to the Percy Jackson series
Insights into Tyler’s writing inspirations and journey

Connect with Tyler Snure:

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Book Flight

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1 by Rick Riordan
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!

Next Episode

BFF Book Club - Champagne Widows with Rebecca Rosenberg (E129)

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Welcome to today’s episode of Bookish Flights! This one is our latest installment in the BFF Book Club! This month features Champagne Widows with Rebecca Rosenberg. Rebecca is an award-winning novelist, champagne geek and lavender farmer. Rebecca first fell in love with methode champenoise in Sonoma Valley, CA. Over decades of delicious research, she has explored many wine cellars in search of fine champagne. When Rebecca discovered the real-life stories of the Champagne Widows of France, she knew she’d dedicate years to telling the stories of these remarkable women who made champagne the worldwide phenomenon it is today. Welcome to the show, Rebecca!

Episode Highlights

How Rebecca discovered the stories of the Champagne Widows
Her writing journey and how she brings history to life
Her experience as a lavender farmer and how it complements her writing lifestyle
French history and how she distilled it into fascinating tidbits for readers
The title of Champagne Widows and the incredible strength of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot.

Connect with Rebecca:

Books Mentioned in Show

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan
Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg
Lavender Fields of America by Rebecca Rosenberg
Silver Echoes (Rebecca’s newest book, will be up for pre-sale in late February 2025)

Book Flight

A Welcome Misfortune by Kay Bratt
A Beautiful Rival with Gill Paul
The Last Fashion House in Paris by Renee Ryan

If you’d like to join us next month, we will be discussing another fantastic historical fiction/romance novel, Until Our Time Comes by Nicole M. Miller. This book is an unforgettable WWII novel inspired by true events. Follow American horse trainer Adia Kensington and British intelligence agent Bret Conway as they fight to save 250 prized Arabian horses from the invading German army in war-torn Poland. This epic tale of courage, love and resistance is a page-turner you will not want to miss! Regist

Support the show

Be sure to join the Bookish Flights community on social media. Happy listening!