When I finished my first draft of Treeple in 2020, I knew I had created something special, but it needed a little work. Okay… a lot of work. But if you had told me I’d still be working on this book in 2026, I would have laughed!

I quickly learned that is the nature of the publishing industry. There is so much to learn—not only with the writing craft, but with the business side, as well. Reorganizing, reimagining, and rewriting that long-ago first draft has taken place time and time again. Then I reworked my query letter, pitch, and book proposal over and over until it was just right.

Throughout my journey, God was gracious and made my path cross with other writers. I’m now a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Realm Makers, and the Christian Mommy Writers groups. My amazing ACFW critique group taught me so much and helped me shape this manuscript into what it is today. And, countless friends and family were alpha and beta readers for me, providing excellent feedback to help me know what was working and what wasn’t.

Then came the time to enter the query trenches. I sent countless cold queries to agents and pitched my books to agents and acquisition editors at writing conferences. Along the way, I received a mix of interested parties, but most ended in passes.

Over the years, I had a lot of success with writing contests, which boosted my confidence. But when I won the 2025 American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis contest in the speculative fiction genre, things started to pick up with promising opportunities as publishers started to be interested in my work.

Then, in March of 2026, I received offers of publication from TWO publishing houses!

This was a dream come true! Since I’m unagented, I worked with a lawyer to comb through these contracts. While I have taken classes about publishing contracts, it is a totally different experience to have not only one, but two in hand.

My mantra every step of the way has been, “If God wills it, He will make a way.” God not only opened doors, He gave me choices. It is more than anything I could have asked or imagined.

WhiteCrown is an imprint of WhiteFire Publishing, which is owned by David and Roseanna M. White. Some of you may recognize Roseanna’s name, as she is a bestselling and award-winning author! I adore her books, and to hear that she loved my story made me squeal out loud (literally)! She recently published a speculative fiction series through WhiteCrown, but she is best known for her amazing (and award-winning) historical fiction.

WhiteCrown dedicates itself to faith-filled royal fiction, complete with happily-ever-afters. While my stories may not be the typical “prince and princesses in a castle” book, it does have a royal hierarchy, political intrigue, enemies intent on overthrowing their reign, and a secret society dedicated to protecting them at all costs. Add in hints of legends and myths from history, a swoony forbidden love, and a few plot twists along the way.

I’m excited to announce that Book 1 of the Treeple Chronicles will release May 11, 2027!

If you would like to follow along on my path to publication, please sign up for my newsletter at www.eliseharoldson.com

You can also find me on Instagram and Tiktok @eliseharoldsonwrites

If you would like to learn more about WhiteCrown, please check them out at www.whitecrownpublishing.com