Allie Leigh

Wishing everyone good vibes to kick off 2026!

A few months ago, I got a story accepted by Heartlines Spec! This publication is centred around long-term relationships: platonic, romantic, or familial. My piece, Of Flowers and Snails, focuses on Alyssia, a human girl, and Rowan, the fairy who has been visiting her since she was a child, as they work to save a grove that protects the humans from the dangerous magic waiting beyond. You can read it here!

I really enjoyed writing it, as it was an idea that I’d had kicking around in my head for years, and was pleasantly surprised that I could fit it into such a small wordcount (about half of what I’ve been writing for Indie Bites!)

This past month, I started plotting the third Of Mist and Magic book. Initially, my goal was to have the outline for this done by the end of January. I have come to accept that there is absolutely no way this will happen. This is partially because I am playing with different scenarios a bit, and partially because the outline is way ridiculously more detailed than I originally anticipated. I am essentially writing out dialogue in script form and occasionally just full scenes. This means it is taking much longer than I anticipated, but I’m essentially getting a 0.5 of a draft out of it, so I am okay with this. Also, I think I found a stronger direction for the plot than I previously had, so I am pleased in this regard.

In December I also finished plotting the short story I want to submit to the next issue of Indie Bites, so I get to start writing that this month. Stay tuned for more news on that front!

Story time!

I have been slowly making my way through the Tales of Xillia remaster. It has long been an inside joke between my sister and I that I will send her/sing Elize’s silly little skit where she talks about it having snowed last night each winter when it snows.

Anyway, she has since moved away to the UK and has escaped our Canadian winters.

Naturally, while I was replaying it, this skit came up, so I whipped out my phone, recorded it, and sent it to her saying, “I recorded this JUST FOR YOU.” I then woke up the next morning to a message saying, “I blame you for this” and a picture of it having snowed overnight in the UK (which is infrequent). This amused me far too much and I have decided that clearly, I am a wizard.

Last month I also read The Works of Vermin for a book club.

Never have I been so confused yet wished so fervently that I could understand. Even after I got to the twist and understood it, I was still confused (not about the twist, but about everything else). I feel like this book is trying to say something, but I have absolutely no idea what that is. But I would really like to, because it’s written beautifully and I really enjoyed the characters. Hopefully book club can help explain it to me. I think a reread might also be in order.

A little blep for the new year. ❤