About | Olive Blake

ABOUT ME

BIO

Novelist and screenwriter,

Purveyor of internet romance,

Village witch.

Alexene Farol Follmuth, also known under the pen name Olivie Blake, is a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.

Alexene tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. Under her Olivie byline, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling The Atlas Six released 2022 from Tor Books, to be followed by the sequel in October and the re-release of her viral literary romance Alone With You in the Ether in November. She has also been published as well as the writer for the graphic series Clara and the Devil and a variety of other books. As Alexene, her debut YA novel My Mechanical Romance released May 2022 from Holiday House (US) and Macmillan Children's (UK).

Alexene lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and goblin prince/toddler, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.

CURRENTLY WRITING

UNTITLED ATLAS THREE, Book III of The Atlas Series. The final installment of The Atlas Six is forthcoming! Book II, The Atlas Paradox, is coming October 25, 2022 from Tor, with book III to follow in January 2024.

UNTITLED HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC, a young adult romance featuring the noble sport of pigeon seduction and some demonic Santa Ana winds.

GIFTED AND TALENTED, The Royal Tenenbaums meets Succession meets hot magic nerds in a family dramedy about three magical siblings on the prodigies-to-clinical depression pipeline.

UNPUBLISHED WORKS

THE ATLAS PARADOX, Book II of The Atlas Series, coming October 25, 2022 from Tor.

TWELFTH KNIGHT, a YA homage to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Another dual POV rom-com, this one features the gender politics of fandom, RPGs, and gaming. Coming 2024 from Tor Teen.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS, a short film written for Phineas Productions about two hyper-competitive college friends who are dared into a kiss. A playful exploration of what it means to love and be loved. Currently awaiting production.

AWE OF THE NIGHT APPROACHING, a high fantasy about women in a War of the Roses-type conflict. THE WHITE QUEEN or GAME OF THRONES, but MOANA-ed.

STARGAZING IS NECROPHILIA, a nonlinear exploration of love, sex, and the female experience. You can check out some excerpts here.

CURRENTLY READING

LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS by Ryka Aoki. This one has been on my list for a long time (too long, frankly) and I wish it had gotten the same amount of hype on social book communities as comparable works like THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA (not exactly, but the vibes are there). It was kind and soft and queer and wonderfully full of delicious food and beautiful music. Highly, highly recommend, especially if you need something to remind you the world can be lovely sometimes.

THE FINAL STRIFE by Saara El-Arifi. This is a high fantasy and the opening book in a trilogy, and I'm not very far in, so I can't say much. However, I'll say this: the writing in this is like... flirting with me. It's so smooth. This is a debut that reads like an instant classic and I can't wait to read on.

THE DAWN OF EVERYTHING: A NEW HISTORY OF HUMANITY by David Graeber and David Wengrow. I heard about this book in the terms "everyone is talking about this" from a newsletter I'm subscribed to about parenthood ("Brooding" by Kathryn Jezer-Morton), and nobody has talked about it yet. However, I'm taking away a lot in terms of my personal philosophy about what equality means and how it can be achieved.

CASSANDRA AT THE WEDDING by Dorothy Baker. I first found this book on a list of recommended gifts for cool girls, so naturally here I am, a complete fool for propaganda. This was originally published in the 1960s and has a very interesting rhythmic style in its narrative voice, plus it opens with a familiar contemporary ennui of a woman who doesn't want to attend a wedding.

CURRENTLY LISTENING

In Our Own Sweet Time by Vance Joy. This album gives me vaguely the same feeling as The Lumineers mixed with Noah Kahan, a little folk-pop that feels right for summer. My favorites are the opener, "Don't Fade," and the lead single, "Catalonia."

MUNA by MUNA. I like MUNA as a band and I think "Silk Chiffon" is one of those bops I literally can't help bopping my head to, but also, I saw that they used a picture of Lindsay Lohan's band from Freaky Friday in their album drop announcement. I won't lie to you, I wish I used social media in this way. But I will never be on that level.

S.I.D.E.S. by Alice Merton. This was on my currently listening for last month because it released in June, but update, I am obsessed with it and will continue listening for the foreseeable future. I added four songs in a row to the Atlas Paradox playlist. I am 100% vibing with Alice.

In Real Life by Mandy Moore. I read an interview with Mandy Moore in Vulture where she recounted her fame from the early 2000s ("I wasn't that famous and also my parents weren't my managers" was her secret for not losing her mind) and she also described how her life on tour is mostly about trying new snacks from Whole Foods. It was like looking in a mirror.