Interestingly, Odette has known she wanted to be a fantasy author for most of her life. She wrote her first full-length novel in 2002, shortly after finishing high school. That manuscript went through many transformations over the years — rewritten, polished, unpublished, and eventually republished again. Finding her voice as a writer took time, but through writing multiple books she discovered the kinds of stories she truly wanted to tell.

Her most recent novel, The Lies That Summon The Night, marked a shift toward darker fantasy. The change, she explains, came from following her instincts as both a mood reader and a mood writer.

After working on several lighter fantasy stories, she found herself craving something darker and more complex. At the same time, she had already written three different series set in the same world and felt ready to create something entirely new. The result was a brand-new world where art itself becomes a form of resistance.

Outside of writing, Odette’s creativity extends far beyond the page. She enjoys reading manga, watching anime and Asian dramas, and working on visual art and crafts. In fact, she has even designed some of the covers and character artwork for her indie titles. Before becoming a full-time author, she was also a musician and singer-songwriter — another form of storytelling that continues to influence her creative process today.

At its core, Odette describes the novel as a story about the transformative power of art and the importance of creative expression.

The concept first appeared years earlier in a much smaller story. In 2016, Odette wrote a short piece as an emotional healing exercise — a story about a woman who stitched her heart back together after it had been torn out by someone she once loved. The metaphor was clear, but Odette framed it as a fantasy story within a fantasy setting.

That setting featured a tavern full of performers — storytellers, musicians, and artists who had all become outlaws. They used their art not only to survive but also to process the pain of their pasts.

The idea stayed with her for years.

Eventually she began asking questions that expanded the world:

Those questions slowly grew into the full story that became The Lies That Summon The Night. Current political tensions and themes of control and authoritarianism also influenced the world-building, adding another layer to the novel’s exploration of power and freedom.

At the center of the story is Inana, a character who risks everything to keep storytelling alive. Her journey is complex — part rebellion, part survival, part self-discovery.

Odette describes Inana as someone who instinctively knows that something about the world around her is wrong. Even when the rules seem justified and supported by evidence, they feel deeply unjust to her. As she uncovers the truth, her journey becomes one of empowerment — learning to trust her instincts, step into her power, and eventually fight to return that power to the people.

The story also introduces Dominic, a character who carefully walks the line between protector and predator. Crafting that balance required careful attention. Odette wanted him to feel morally complex without ever crossing into territory that would make him irredeemable to readers or to Inana herself.

One of her favorite aspects of writing Dominic was watching him slowly soften through his relationships with Inana and the people around him. Their presence gradually reveals a more vulnerable side of him, making him even more compelling.

While writing the novel, several moments stood out as turning points. One major shift occurs when a bridge collapses, forcing Inana and Dominic to spend time alone together. In that moment, Inana begins to learn truths that fundamentally change her perspective — and their relationship deepens as well.

But the biggest turning point, Odette says, is the ending itself. Everything in the story builds toward that moment, setting up major consequences for the rest of the series.

When readers close the book, she hopes they carry away a spark of hope — and perhaps the feeling that art itself can transform and empower us, just as it does for Inana.

When it comes to writing, Odette describes herself as a “headlights plotter.”

Rather than outlining every detail in advance, she prefers to map out key plot points and important scenes, then discover the story gradually as she writes. She plans the beginning carefully and continually re-plots the sections ahead as the story unfolds.

Usually she doesn’t even know exactly how the book will end — but The Lies That Summon The Night was an exception. This time she knew the ending from the very beginning and wrote the story with that destination in mind.

Writing the book also taught her something important about herself.

At first, she felt intimidated by the complexity of the world she wanted to create. The darker tone and intricate magic system felt like a challenge that might take years to develop. Instead of rushing, she gave herself permission to work without strict deadlines.

That freedom allowed the world to come together more naturally than she expected.

Because the story explores themes of suppressed creativity, publishing it felt surprisingly vulnerable. The novel reflects aspects of real-world events and anxieties, which made sharing it with readers both exciting and a little frightening. But Odette felt the story was important to tell — especially because it shows artists and creators ultimately finding hope and strength.

For her personally, creativity has always been a way to process emotions.

She explains that she sometimes struggles to express complex feelings verbally, which is why she turns to journaling, storytelling, and other forms of art. Writing allows her to understand her own experiences and the world around her more deeply. In that sense, creativity becomes a form of healing.

For aspiring fantasy authors who feel afraid to share their work, Odette offers simple but thoughtful advice: start by sharing it with people you trust. Honest critique is essential to improving a manuscript, but it should come from readers and editors who understand the genre and genuinely want to help the story succeed.

Readers won’t have to say goodbye to this world anytime soon. The sequel, The Words That Weave the Dark, is already on the horizon and is expected to release in February 2027.

Returning to the world felt exciting rather than daunting. In the first book, much of the story revolves around building the mystery surrounding the world and its rules. In book two, the characters begin to step directly into that mystery and investigate it more deeply.

The tone of the sequel remains similar to the first book — dark, romantic, and emotionally intense — though Odette hints that it might be just a little spicier.

The story picks up soon after the events of book one. While the ultimate goal of the series is being saved for the third installment, the second book focuses on preparing for that confrontation. The characters must recover from trauma, grow into their personal power, and begin taking the steps necessary to challenge the forces controlling their world.

Readers will also discover more about Dominic’s past, while Inana remains firmly at the center of the story.

The setting will shift as well. Instead of the dangers lurking in dark forests, the new threats come from glittering cities — places where power hides behind beauty and control.

And emotionally? Odette warns readers to prepare for “emotional damage.”