Fiction / Middle-Grade / Contemporary Fantasy
Once Upon A Sky
He needs to tame his wild imagination.
She wants to be the best knight.
Can he let himself believe long enough to help her?
Twelve years old Maxwell struggles at home within his newly formed family. His mother favors Lizzie, his stepsister, who seems better at everything. She doesn’t care that he has become more down-to-earth to improve his grades, even as he dreams of orange irises and castles made of clouds every single night.
Ruhtra is a failed squire in charge of the princess’ safety. When she goes missing and as a mysterious disease spreads, Ruhtra uncovers a plot that might just help her keep her head on her shoulders. Will she be brave enough to fight for what is right?
When Ruhtra crashes through Max’s window on a bird, he can’t believe what he sees: what if everything he had ever imagined was true?
Add Once Upon A Sky on GoodreadsImportant note
I’ll be adding my middle name to my existing author name. Instead of finding *Once Upon A Sky* under Estelle Van de Velde, you’ll find it under Estelle R. Van de Velde. Still me, but as it’s middle-grade fiction, I think it would make it less confusing for readers if I separate my fiction from my nonfiction. At least from a metadata perspective.
Latest status:
- Editing draft 5;
- Cover design is done;
- Line editor is booked for August 2026;
- Expected release date: November 2026.
Journal entries about the book
About the author
Estelle Van de Velde is a Belgian indie author with a Master’s in Creative Writing from Brunel University London. She loves diving deep into fantasy stories, but also sharing her journey. When not writing, she enjoys playing with her son or singing along a Disney tune.