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Erin Vander Stelt
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The Ache of Absence and Learning Gratitude for Growth
It’s been a while since I posted on my blog, sent a newsletter, or updated my website, and I’ve felt the weight of that absence at least once a week since the end of November. At first, I told myself I’d get to it the next day. Then the next. Then the next. And suddenly, it was a new year. I’d been missing from that sphere entirely for months. I’ve felt guilty. Lazy. Like I’m constantly behind the ball. Mostly, I’ve felt like I’m letting myself down—like I’m failing to do the
Erin Vander Stelt
Jan 245 min read


Character Spotlight: Ren’wyn Nyvaris
Welcome to the world of The Dark Mage , where quiet magic runs deep and soft-hearted women carry fire in their bones. Beautiful, bruised, and burning with quiet magic, Ren’wyn Nyvaris is the soul at the center of The Dark Mage . A healer of the dead, a keeper of secrets, and a survivor of deep-rooted trauma, her journey is one of tenderness, rage, and reclamation. This spotlight reveals the woman behind the magic: her shadows, her softness, and the strength she doesn’t know s
Erin Vander Stelt
Nov 9, 20254 min read


Why I Need the Happy Ending (and Why That’s Not Weakness)
Let there be light, even in the darkest stories. The Story That Broke Me In college, I watched the movie The Painted Veil , and when it ended, I wept bitterly. I wept for the characters and for my own heart, broken in their pain. I searched for the novel in the library, only to slam it shut when I found the movie adaptation had been true. No spoilers here — but if you like heartbreak, go ahead and dive into that story. I remember agonizing over it. How it should have ended. H
Erin Vander Stelt
Oct 19, 20254 min read


Grief, Growth, and Open Doors: Why This Fantasy Had to Be Adult
🕯 Childhood Expectations vs. Adult Reality Do you remember what you thought about adults when you were a child? I remember believing...
Erin Vander Stelt
Sep 24, 20253 min read


Six Magics of Aridryn: A Guide to Power, Risk, and Legacy
✨ Where Magic Comes From Welcome to Aridryn, where magic is inborn and no one is sure which child will receive a gift. Only a few people...
Erin Vander Stelt
Sep 2, 202512 min read


🌿 The Roots of Magic: How Plants Shaped My Fantasy World
Monotropa uniflora - Ghost pipes I’ve crouched beside lobelia in bloom and watched the bees. I’ve cataloged sedges in summer storms,...
Erin Vander Stelt
Aug 22, 20253 min read


Why I Write Sex Scenes Anyway
💥 Real Talk: I’ve Always Wanted to Write Sex Scenes Yes. Let’s just say it. I imagined writing steamy scenes long before The Dark Mage...
Erin Vander Stelt
Aug 15, 20254 min read


Facing the Fire: Writing from Rage
The first thing I felt when I started writing The Dark Mage was urgency. Not pressure or ambition—urgency. I needed to get this story...
Erin Vander Stelt
Aug 2, 20253 min read


I Stood in the Arena
Important information to understand this post : Kirkus Indie is a company that reviews books. As in, you pay them a fee, and they offer a...
Erin Vander Stelt
Jul 15, 20253 min read


Finding the Space for Soft
Don’t get me wrong, and don’t mishear what I’m about to say. I adore stabby, strong, feisty heroines with all my heart. Poppy taught me...
Erin Vander Stelt
Jul 11, 20253 min read
My Strange Journey to Writing The Dark Mage
I’ve always— always —dreamed of being a writer. From the moment I understood that books had authors, I knew I wanted to be one. Tolkien...
Erin Vander Stelt
Jul 3, 20253 min read


Why I Write Fantasy That Hurts (and Heals)
When I first began writing The Dark Mage , I didn’t set out to write a story about trauma. I thought I was building a fantasy world full...
Erin Vander Stelt
Jun 18, 20253 min read
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