before the lotus blooms.

The year 2025 feels daunting, but in a way that makes me feel incredibly motivated to climb the mountain. I figured the best way to start the new year off was to announce the title of my second novel and the second installment of Tales of Angaride:

Before the Lotus Blooms.

Set in the luscious wetlands of Satesaru, aptly nicknamed the continent’s “Land of a Thousand Rivers”, our story follows Jaeyun Gerod, a young wheat farmer who has a bone to pick with the gods. Loath to remain subservient to whom Jaeyun feels are malevolent royals, he winds up in the last place he’d ever choose to be; the palace, as a humble gardener. Unable to turn down the lucrative compensation, Jaeyun embarks on what is meant to be a temporary employment, but quickly becomes tangled in a twisted web of royal politics and performance after the appearance of a ghostly stranger.

There’s so much more about this story that I’d love to share, but in the interest of containing potential spoilers as the story is still coming together, I’ll have to remain fairly mute on the details. Before the Lotus Blooms promises unlikely friendship, heart-wrenching romance, and intense political intrigue. It’s an entirely different kind of story to it’s predecessor, Dance on the Sun, but it’s core remains the same.

Love.

It’s a broad theme, and that one small word encompasses so many different meanings, but there are several ways it will be explored in the novel, just as it was explored in DOTS.

I am hopeful for a 2025 release for BTLB, but an official announcement will be made later regarding when the book will be ready to be in your hands.

As time goes on, I’ll continue to share little bits and bobs about the story, the setting, and the characters, which will hopefully keep you sated until you can read the whole thing. I’m very proud of the word I’ve already poured into this novel, and beyond excited to see it all come together. Be sure to check out my social media platforms for videos, pictures, and information about the story.

I hope to see you all before the lotus blooms.