Talena Winters 10/30/25 Talena Winters 10/30/25

Diving Into the Artisanal Audiobook Process: The Two-Year (Hero’s) Journey to the Digitally-Narrated Edition of Finding Heaven

A behind-the-scenes look at the trials and triumphs of the two-year journey to create the artisanal, digitally-narrated audiobook edition of Finding Heaven—from voice selection to final release.

Talena Winters 9/11/25 Talena Winters 9/11/25

Behind the Name 1: The Hidden Names of the Trinity in My Epic Mermaid Fantasy

In my epic mermaid fantasy book series for teens, Rise of the Grigori, explore Elyon, Logos, and Pneuma—the hidden names of God that transform my clean, Christian-based fantasy world and the journeys of its characters.

Talena Winters 7/21/25 Talena Winters 7/21/25

The Making of Finding Heaven

Why Finding Heaven wasn’t the book I meant to write—but became the one I had to.

This behind-the-scenes look at how the novel came to be (re-shared from my newsletter archives) shows how sometimes, stories find us when we need them most.

Talena Winters 6/23/25 Talena Winters 6/23/25

A New Look for Finding Heaven: Cover Reveal (and a Peek at Something Special)

In this post, I’m sharing the new eBook cover for Finding Heaven. I’m also giving you a sneak peek at something special: an exclusive cover reveal for the hardcover I’m creating for my upcoming Kickstarter. Come see the new look and find out why it was time for a change!

Talena Winters 4/28/25 Talena Winters 4/28/25

From Peace River to Peace Crossing: The True Story Behind My Small-Town Romance Books

Discover the real-life northern Alberta town that inspired my sweet and clean small-town Peace Country Romance series. In this post, I share how moving to Peace River shaped my writing career and why this community keeps calling me back.

Talena Winters 1/11/23 Talena Winters 1/11/23

Top 5 Places to Visit on Sirenia

In the eighth installment of the Rise of the Grigori Beneath the Surface blog series, veteran selvedge expert Nicandra kor’Nyx gives us a guided tour of Sirenia. Ready for some photography eye candy (and a little behind-the-scenes intrigue)? Read on!

Talena Winters 1/4/23 Talena Winters 1/4/23

Winding Ways, Dark Secrets, and Dwarf Duels, Oh My!

In Part Seven of the Rise of the Grigori Beneath-the-Surface series I’ve got my most favourite author interview I’ve ever done in my life. Mary from Kit’n’Kabookle came up with some seriously fun questions—including a behind-the-scenes moment from Calandra’s past that’s not in the series itself.

Read on for a real treat!

Talena Winters 12/28/22 Talena Winters 12/28/22

What’s an Undine’s Tear?

The reason the first book in the Rise of the Grigori series came to be called The Undine’s Tear, the significance of the stones on all my covers, and more. Includes new insights into the covers and crystals on them.

Talena Winters 12/21/22 Talena Winters 12/21/22

Creating a Vivid Fantasy Mermaid World with Real-Life Connections

In Part Five of my Rise of the Grigori Beneath-the-Surface series, I talk about some of the seed ideas the grew into a full-blown fantasy world full of mermaids, crystal technology, and more. (Hint: Breathing stones aren’t so far-fetched after all.)

Talena Winters 12/14/22 Talena Winters 12/14/22

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad

In Part Four of the Rise of the Grigori Beneath-the-Surface series, Narcissa kor’Adonia, Opal Princess of the undine Island of Sirenia tells us what her cousin Calandra is really like…

Talena Winters 12/7/22 Talena Winters 12/7/22

A Peek Beneath the Surface: Author Interview

In Part Three of the Rise of the Grigori Beneath-the-Surface series, I’m posting an author interview that’s mostly about me, not so much the series… but the series does get top billing.

Talena Winters 11/30/22 Talena Winters 11/30/22

Where Mythology & Imagination Meet: The Creation of a “Real-World” Mermaid Fantasy

In the Rise of the Grigori Behind-the-Scenes Tour part 2, I dive into how I came up with the idea for the world that became my epic young adult mermaid fantasy series.