Logan Karlie: This Book Has Always Been Within Me
In this interview, author Logan Karlie discusses the rerelease of her originally indie published YA debut, Dream by the Shadows.
Logan Karlie grew up in a rural Midwest town in the United States. She studied literature and creative writing at the University of Arkansas, where she completed an MA in English Literature. Logan loves writing stories for the upper-YA / adult crossover space, and she enjoys books brimming with gothic themes, atmospheric worlds, and characters who fight to overcome the darkness that haunts them. She currently lives in Illinois with her family where she taught high school English, and when she’s not writing she’s likely perusing antique stores, playing fantasy video games, or watching The Phantom of the Opera for the hundredth time. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Logan discusses the rerelease of her originally indie published YA debut, Dream by the Shadows, the one kind comment that gave her the courage to pursue her dreams, and more.
Name: Logan Karlie
Literary agent: Ciara Finan (Curtis Brown); Gwen Beal (UTA)
Book title: Dream by the Shadows
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Release date: August 26, 2025
Genre/category: YA romantic fantasy with gothic themes
Elevator pitch: Beauty and the Beast meets Labyrinth in Dream by the Shadows, a romantic YA fantasy about a shadow-cursed girl who must venture into a deadly dream world to avenge her family, all while falling love with the prince of darkness.
What prompted you to write this book?
Dream by the Shadows was inspired by the vivid dreams and nightmares I’ve had since childhood, stories like The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Labyrinth, and the desire to create something that could inspire, challenge, and enchant someone the way my favorite books did for me growing up.
I wanted to write a book that felt like stepping into a dream; unsettling, beautiful, and dangerous all at once. A story that explored grief, power, and transformation, set in a world as haunting as it is magical. I think this book has always been within me; it’s shifted shapes as I’ve grown as a writer, but it’s always been the book of my heart. The first one I ever wrote. The one I kept coming back to.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
The core idea for Dream by the Shadows came years before its first draft, first appearing in my childhood sketchbooks as hastily doodled character art and comic book panels. Growing up, I often had vivid dreams, and I’d write them down or sketch them out the next morning.
In fact, I recently found a Dream by the Shadows-inspired drawing dated as far back as 2007, when I was in eighth grade. It’s a rough sketch, but it depicts a young man with piercing eyes, white hair, a dramatic cloak, and the following words scribbled next to him: “man from dream castle.” I remember having dreams of a prince stuck in a castle, and I wasn’t sure how he got there or how he was supposed to get out. Only that he wanted out. Ultimately this character would become the Shadow Bringer, Dream by the Shadows’ tragic and haunted love interest.
When I first started drafting Dream by the Shadows, it started as a contemporary portal fantasy. However, that quickly shifted when Esmer’s voice broke through. She arrived fully formed and unshakeable and with her came the shadows. The story began to lean into everything I loved: haunting dreamscapes, gothic atmosphere, and the strange, beautiful collision of fantasy, magic, and darkness. It became something deeper. Something more like me.
I became obsessed with her story, writing it in every pocket of time I could find between graduate school, motherhood, and my first year as a high school English teacher. After it was written, I decided to self-publish it in 2023. Now, in 2025, it is being re-released in August as a traditionally published title.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I began my writing journey as an indie author, which meant learning every step of the publishing process from the ground up. From hiring a cover artist and organizing early readers to formatting digital files and navigating the ever-changing world of social media marketing … the list felt endless. In those early days, I often spent more time researching the business of publishing than actually writing. Indie authors truly do it all.
But every skill I gained during that time was invaluable. It shaped me not only as a more informed writer, but as someone committed to building a long-term career in this industry. It also gave me a deep respect for the many roles publishing professionals play. Every piece, every role, matters.
However, the biggest surprise during my publishing journey came just a few weeks after Dream by the Shadows was independently released. It gained traction online, drawing in readers, and then, to my amazement, the attention of literary agents and publishers. In a whirlwind, I signed with my agents, revised the book with their guidance, and, soon after, landed a life-changing book deal.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I knew writing a book would be difficult, as I was balancing graduate school, new motherhood, and a full-time teaching job, but I hadn't anticipated just how fragmented the process would be.
The book stretched across years, written in scattered moments: during nap times, lunch breaks, and far too many late nights. Some days I wrote just a paragraph; some weeks, nothing at all. I often wondered if I’d ever reach the end. But the story never left me. It lingered, insistent. I couldn’t let it go, even when everything else demanded my attention.
So, what ultimately surprised me the most wasn’t just how challenging it was to write, but how deeply committed I remained to finishing it, no matter how long it took.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
At its core, it’s a story about facing the parts of ourselves we fear most—the darkness, the doubt, the grief—and learning that even those shadows can be a source of strength. I want readers, especially young readers, to know they’re not alone in their fears or struggles, and that power isn’t just fearlessness. Sometimes power is persistence, vulnerability, or choosing to keep going even when the world feels heavy.
And beyond that, I hope they get swept away in the magic and atmosphere of it all. That they fall in love with the characters, ache with them, root for them, dream with them.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Nurture and encourage young talent. It matters deeply.
One reason I decided to take my writing seriously was because of a single heartfelt comment from my high school art teacher. For my senior-year art show, I wrote an artist statement describing the deeper themes behind the art I’d created, and he told me I had a gift. It was around this time I was deciding between studying pre-law or something else, and his words encouraged me to follow my heart. You never know where a young writer might end up, or how your encouragement could become the turning point that reshapes their path and gives them hope.
