Press Kit

Short Bio

Long Bio

I wanted to be a lot of things when I grew up. Ballerina, chef, pop star, DJ, magician, author, and more. As you can see, author wasn’t exactly super high on that list. Sadly, I never became a ballerina, chef, pop star, and I have long since forgotten all my card tricks, though there may still be a chance of that happening!

A fun fact about me is that I wasn’t always an avid reader! It’s really shocking to so many people, but I believe seven-year-old me would’ve much rather stayed home to binge watch TV than read books. This was mainly because, at that time, I didn’t have that many books that interested me! However, I still recall the day when my mom bought a really heavy Oxford dictionary that also came with a free copy of The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden. I took that book and practically devoured it in three hours. And then I went back for countless re-reads!

I guess that goes to show that there’s a reader inside everyone – you just need the right books to bring them out! And a little later in my life, when I was around eight, I managed to get an ebook copy of Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted. Again, I still didn’t have that many books, and I wasn’t that huge of a reader. But Ella Enchanted was the first book I’d ever read that I really, really loved, and if my memory serves me right, I’ve read it about 50 times to this day! I loved staying inside Ella’s world, with the ogres and the fairies and the magic, and I especially loved reading the author’s note at the beginning of the book that told how she, as a kid, used to hog the bathroom in her apartment just to read!

But it wasn’t until two years later that I actually became an avid reader. When I was around nine or ten I really wanted to see a certain movie, except my parents wouldn’t let me. In compensation, they gave me the books. Those books were the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and I stayed up so late, just turning the pages to find out what happened to Percy and his friends!

Ever since then, I began practically scouring online bookstores to find books to beg my parents to buy and finally, they caved in and got me Kindle Unlimited, where I devoured the Warriors series by Erin Hunter (it remains till this day, one of my favorite books) and found countless other books. Through reading all those books, I began to start really learning about the world, way more than I’d learned through school, and through those stories, I began to learn about the power of courage, hope, friendship, and resilience, and I just found the prospect of the power of storytelling absolutely amazing.

Now, as a kid, I’d always had this idea for a certain book called Enchantria. It involved a dark, evil kingdom and guardians who had to defend a different kingdom – the kingdom of Enchantria – from those dark forces. And so, that summer, when I was ten years old and super bored, I decided, “Why not? I read so many books, writing is gonna be a breeze!” So I sat down, and I still remember how I looked my dad in the eye and said, “I’m gonna write a book.” I don’t quite remember what his reaction was or if he thought I could pull it off, but to this day, I can really, really clearly remember me saying that.

Little did I know that that first prologue I wrote was going to turn into a first draft, which would turn into a book one, which would turn into a whole series!

But even then, I still didn’t really take writing seriously. It was… a difficult journey. There have been a lot of ups and downs, even before I started to publish. I always got writer’s block, and I never really thought about what I’d do once this series was finished. Go back to my ordinary life?

Well… that didn’t quite happen.

In February of 2024, I finished the first draft of book two in the Enchantria series, and I published it (yes, I naively thought that my first drafts were BRILLIANT and I didn’t require revisions) under a different pen name, and I got started on book three. And it was also in February of 2024 that my dad also bought me a craft book on writing that i’d been wanting for a really long time – Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine.

It arrived one afternoon in a surprisingly light package (it wasn’t as big of a book as I thought it was going to be), and I just curled up on my bed and started reading it. And it had me hooked. The way Gail Carson Levine spoke about writing made it sound fun. It showed me how amazing writing could be, how much creativity and freedom is involved in it! It was then that I realized that this was exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a writer.

Now, since that day, a floodgate of ideas has opened up, and it’s been both amazing and also super hard. I got deeper into the publishing process, and it was there that doubts and fears started to get to me. Suddenly it seemed like there were so many rules on writing! Suddenly it seemed like I wasn’t good enough. Suddenly, I had bad reviews, internet trolls, and had my books pirated.

And it was… scary.

So many times I’ve wanted to give up. So many times I’d tried to hold on to my dreams and hopes of one day becoming a successful writer.

Honestly? I’m still working to figure this journey out. 🙂 But no matter what, I know I can count on you guys for support! And I shall definitely try not to quit halfway through the journey. ;D

Random Fun Facts!

Well, I’m not sure if any of you guys are interested in this, but hopefully this shall be fun to read!

• Favorite color is blue – more specifically, Prussian blue, cerulean blue, and of course, night sky blue! I also do like bluish violet. And lavender!
• Favorite books of all time are – Ella Enchanted, When You Trap a Tiger, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, Warriors, and The Peach Thief! Oh, and Keeper of the Lost Cities!
• Favorite authors of all time are – Gail Carson Levine, Tae Keller, A.F Steadman, Shannon Messenger, and Linda Joan Smith.
• Zodiac sign – Scorpio, if you’re talking about astrology. The dragon if you’re talking about the Chinese zodiac.
• Tried and failed many times to grow plants. Somehow, when I raise them, they never live past two weeks. 😮😔
• Have been stung by a jellyfish in Thailand and have also capsized my canoe by the rocks, also in Thailand! Survived MOSTLY unharmed.
• Favorite food would be Thai noodles, pad thai, and dan huang su. And pizza.
• Favorite word: Hope!
• Favorite animals are pandas, cats, penguins, flamingos, unicorns, phoenixes, dragons, griffons, and any other mythical creature you can think of.
• Ravenclaw! Well, I’d be either in Ravenclaw or Slytherin, but the test on Pottermore said I’m in Ravenclaw so…. 🤷‍♀️😁
• My favorite scenes to write are soft, peaceful ones! The hardest scenes for me to write are epic, fast-paced battles. Which you see a lot of in my books, so…..

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends on every story! Each story is unique and some are more complex than the others. It took me six months to write the first draft of Enchantria: Guardian’s Heir and it took another three months for me to revise and edit. The other books came way faster, often in around three months which I still cannot believe, and I was only able to publish so fast because I was independently publishing with KDP.

For my current work in progress, I suspect that it’ll take me way longer, though. My plans for this book and for some possible future books are to traditionally publish, and so that’s a much longer process, but one I am actually very much looking forward too! ^^ I don’t mind a bit of a wait if it means polishing and refining Ani’s (she’s my MC) story!!

Do you write every day?

Yes. Yes, I do. I love writing so much, I couldn’t ever imagine a day when I don’t write! Plus, building consistency is really important!!! It gets you in the flow of things and gradually, writing just becomes a part of you!

What’s the editing process like for your books?

Oof. (winces). I have mixed feelings about the editing process. On one hand, you really get to shape your story into something magnificent! On the other, that’s where everything really starts to become less free and explorational (for me, at least) and more nitty-gritty. I have to worry about plot holes now, character arcs, character inconsistencies. And all those do need to be fixed. But it can be a grueling job.

How do you get over writer’s block?

It usually happens when I’m pushing the story in a direction it really, really doesn’t want to go. If that’s the case, then I usually step back and try and let go of my expectations, even when it’s the editing stage. Mainly because the story still needs space to grow and become just the right story! If the writer’s block is because I can’t think of what to happen next, I usually write down a list of ideas of what could happen – even the most outlandish ones – and I tell myself I will not stop until I get to 12! Usually that helps. If not, then I let myself take a break.

Do you have a favorite character in the series?

I feel like this is a classic question haha. And the answer is: Yes, I do! Well, I have several favorites, but I especially love Elenora, Arabella, Thalia, and Rani! I think they’re amazing! Elenora because, well, she’s the main character, and she goes through a really deep change throughout the series and a lot of her fears and worries reflect mine! Arabella because she’s always so stubborn and indignant on the surface, but as you progress through the series, you realize that there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. And even though with that cliffhanger at the end of book three, I think you can tell she’s not plainly evil either. Thalia because… Well, I just love her! Her past was really interesting to delve into, and it really makes her a way better character! Rani… I don’t have a complete exact reason for her being one of my favorite characters, but I think she’s just so endearing!!!

What’s your advice for young writers?

My advice is the simplest advice possible. It’s so simple but so true and the absolute most important part of being a writer. Write. You hear me? My advice for all young writers is to just write! You don’t have to worry about the quality, you don’t need to worry if others are gonna like it. Maybe those will come up again. But that’s later in the process. For now, focus on writing and creating something you love! Write and have fun with it! Write what you love, what you want to write, and what you know you just really have to write! And keep doing it! Don’t give up. Because the world can be harsh. There are people out there who simply don’t understand and people who’ll try to discourage you. But when that happens, keep going!!! You’re never going to achieve your dreams if you quit. The only way you could possibly fail is if you gave up.

So keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep reaching for the stars! You can do this! I have complete and utter faith that you absolutely have it in you! It’ll be hard, sure. But that’s what makes it worth doing!!! So when times get touch (and they absolutely will), keep writing. And remember that I’m with you every step of the way! I believe in you.

I also have two more pieces of advice. 1) Take all writing advice with a grain of salt!! I’m serious here. Online you will find a million pieces of writing advice, and that’s great! But at the same time, you have to know that writing advice is subjective. Each story is different, and there’s no one size fits all formula to writing! Before you really follow a piece of writing advice, ask yourself if it really fits what you’re going for/what your story really needs. And for writers who are just beginning, this can be hard! So I would say to experiment with lots of different writing advice, even ones that contradict each other! If one doesn’t work for you, drop it, and gradually you’ll find out what works for you and what doesn’t!

2) One things that writers struggle with a ton is voice. And voice is really your own unique style of writing — what words you use, the way your sentences are phrased, and quite literally your own unique writing voice! The kind of voice that when people read your work they can go, “Oh, (insert name) definitely wrote this!!” And it’s hard. Really hard to develop your own voice. So I would say to experiment with lots of different writing styles! Take a look at your favorite authors! Try and mimic their styles and bit by bit, you’ll learn what suits you and what doesn’t. Another thing I like to do is to have my character tell the story. Not me.

And that sounds weird, I know. But by having my character tell the story, I am basically telling the story the way the character would. Not the way I would. For example, I might write, “My eyes widened, and I placed Nida’s bracelet back into my pocket. ‘Whoa…’ I breathed in awe. ‘How did that even…’ I shook myself. This was East Sylphara. The heart of the Island. The heart of the magic. What could I have been expecting? I bit my lip. I guess I’m meeting my trio, I thought grimly. And then I almost immediately followed that up with, Please, please, please, don’t let Diana be in that trio. If she was, I was done for.”

But if my MC were telling the story, she’d write: My eyes widened, and I pocketed Nida’s bracelet. “Whoa…” I breathed. “How did that even…” I gave myself a shake. Of course. This was East Sylphara. The heart of the Island. The heart of the magic. What had I been expecting – a normal doorway?

Though to be honest, it was exactly what I’d been expecting.

I shook myself. Guess I’m meeting my trio, I thought grimly. And then almost instantly: Please, please, please, please, don’t let Diana be in that trio. Or anyone I know. Or anyone who’ll suspect me. Or- I stopped my train of thought – I had to, otherwise we’d have been here all day.

But I knew that if Diana – or anyone else I knew – saw me…

Stormsong and I were officially, undoubtedly, very much certainly toast.

See the difference? To me, the second version has more voice – more personality – in it, and I can really get a better sense of the character!

Why do you use that dragon picture?

You mean Misty? 🙂 If you guys don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s the dragon/avatar that’s basically my profile picture for this blog! Her name’s Misty, and I designed her with Canva! When I first started out, I wanted to remain perfectly anonymous which I now realize is actually rather hard if you want to become a well-know children’s author! But I love that avatar nonetheless — it feels perfect for a fantasy writer, does it not? 🙂

Do you accept book review requests?

I do, actually! If you have an ARC of a middle-grade book that you’d like me to read and review, whether you’re a publicist or an indie author, you can try and send it my way! I can get really swamped at times though, because of course, I do have my own writing and life to deal with, so I can’t take on too many!

Can you visit my school?

Aww! I’m honored that you’d think of me! But I’m afraid that due to my location (other side of the world here!), I’m currently not able to visit any schools in the US, UK, or any other country. However, I’m happy to do virtual school visits via Skype or Microsoft Teams! Just try and mind the time – again, I’m on the other side of the world, so if you’re in the US, afternoons are the middle of the night for me.

Can you critique my manuscript?

As much as I’d love to critique and help every single writer out there, my schedule doesn’t really allow me too. I have enough writing projects and whatnot going on already. However, I might be open to manuscript critiques as a giveaway or something in the future, so maybe you could keep an eye out for that? In the meantime, if you’re looking for a beta reader, I highly recommend storycraft.cafe, which is a great writing community for aspiring authors!

Can I interview you?

That really depends on my schedule at the time. Again, I can get really busy, but I do try to see and respond to all emails, so if you do want to interview me, feel free to email me!

Is there somewhere I can buy signed copies of your books?

First off, yay, I’m glad you like my books enough to want a signed copy! But again, due to my location, I can’t really sell/send any signed copies at the moment! So sorry! I wish I could – honest! But I have done a giveaway of digitally signed copies of Enchantria before, and I might do that sometime in the future, so you can keep an eye out on my blog for that!

Is Isabelle Knight a pen name?

I’ve mentioned this a couple times on my blog, but looking back now, I think I was rather, well, not that clear about it, so here’s your official answer! Yes, Isabelle Knight is a pen name that I chose when I first decided to publish my series, and it took quite a while to come up with it! But I just feel like it’s perfect for a middle-grade fantasy author, memorable, and it was fun coming up with it! Besides, so many people by now know me as Isabelle, so it feels like a part of my real name actually! 🙂

Resources

A ton of people ask me for resources on writing, and so here’s a list of all the writing resources that have helped me survive the two years of chaos of being a writer. ;D

Books (yes, all suitable for young writers):

• Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine
• Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink by Gail Carson Levine
• Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser
• Spilling Ink by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter

Websites/Online:

• Gail Carson Levine’s writer’s advice column
• Natalia Leigh’s YouTube Channel
• Ellen Potter’s YouTube Channel
• Cressida Cowell’s YouTube Channel

My circle of book bloggers! 🙂

• Journey Bloomfield, who has marvelous writing tips!
• Leah Larkspur, who shares regular writing updates and character sheets!
• Hallie Kropf, who shares writing updates and exciting announcements!

Challenges:

• Crazy Writing Week (open to ages 13 to 25, I believe. It’s a Christian-based writing challenge/competition, but you don’t have to be a Christian to join! Everyone’s quite friendly there, and it takes place during January of each year!)