Kismet: A Guest Post by Britney S. Lewis

Truths are tested and secrets are revealed when the Blood Moon rises. Mira is desperate to leave her past behind when she begins college, but old werewolf legends, a stubborn new boy and unsolved mysteries pull her back into the unknown. Read on for an exclusive essay from author Britney S. Lewis on writing Blood Moon.

I’ve always loved reading books and watching tv shows and movies about vampires, werewolves, witches, and other paranormal creatures. In fact, some of my favorite supernatural stories include Twilight, House of Hunger, The Vampire Diaries and Phantasma. There was something about the idea of a forbidden romance, and two kindred souls finding a way to be together against all odds that seemed like the ultimate declaration of love.

However, it wasn’t until high school when I decided I wanted to write my own stories. For years, I was under the impression that I wasn’t allowed to write fantasy romance—mostly because I’d yet to discover any young adult books with main characters who looked like me at that time.

It was a hard reality to live in, and it was my anger that taught me how untrue that belief was.

I was so tired of seeing my favorite diverse characters get the short end of the stick in paranormal fantasy tv shows. Think: Bonnie Bennett in The Vampire Diaries; Maddie Bishop in Siren; Leah Clearwater & Jacob Black in Twilight; Tara Thorton in True Blood … and the list unfortunately goes on.

I wanted vengeance, and I realized I needed to take matters into my own hands. In the cold winter of 2023, I rage wrote the first draft of Blood Moon in a month. Every day, I woke up a couple hours before my day job to write, and every evening after dinner, I wrote until exhaustion. The story practically poured out of me.

I knew the story would follow an eighteen-year-old girl who was mysteriously accepted into a university in her hometown—a town known for its legends of werewolves and vampires. It would include all my favorite tropes, and she would be in a world surrounded by magic. Not only that, but she would be the chosen one, and you can absolutely bet that she finds herself caught in a love triangle between a werewolf and a vampire.

When I mentioned the book to my literary agent, Katelyn Detweiler, she was equally as excited as I was. Together, we edited the book over the summer. On the eve of a full moon, during the first fall day in 2023, we took Blood Moon on submission, pitching it to editors at different publishing houses.

In the midst of this, I began sharing the idea with my followers on social media, and the support that came rolling in almost seemed unreal. Suddenly, there were so many people championing me. Across TikTok and Instagram, the book idea received millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes.

On the thirteenth anniversary of the New Moon (Twilight) movie premiere, Blood Moon sold to Lauren Knowles at Page Street. It truly felt kismet. The book would be set to release in September 2025, during the same week as a blood moon, and I swear it felt like the universe was smiling at me.

I poured so much love and hope into this story. Now, my only dream is that it finds its way into the arms of readers who need it most.