Meet Ivy, the writer behind Romantasy Realms
Working Title: Welcome readers! Please leave a comment and tell me about you so this can be a conversation💖
Are you in the Chicagoland area? Have you heard of the Romantasy Literary Genre Festival? Its happening March 22-24, 2024. Look for me in a pink Romantasy Realms t-shirt. Folks who approach me in person can sign up for a FREE ONE HOUR Book Coaching session!
You might be surprised to see this post in your inbox a day early. To be honest, I’m surprised too! Between blogging, book coaching, querying, writing my second novel, and being an autism mom—there usually isn’t a lot of wiggle room in my calendar.
However, I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself to my new readers. I’m also hoping this reaches folks in the Chicagoland area who are attending the Romantasy Literary Genre Fest! This fun weekend begins on March 22 and consists of author signings, live podcasting, and theater.
I cannot wait to connect with romantasy readers and writers IRL. Please be on the lookout for me so I can give you a free gift as we connect over our favorite book and/or bat boys. If you’re a writer??? Please do bring your questions—even your manuscript. The only thing I love more than reading a great romantasy is coaching a writer as they create their magical world.
Another reason behind this post is that I wanted to celebrate the fact I’ve reached 50 subscribers. While that might not sound like a lot, I started out with 4 readers, three of whom are basically my sisters. Honestly, I don’t think my husband, OG reader number four, enjoys my posts the way someone who actually reads Romantasy might. Knowing that I’m able to connect with people on this platform is really exciting for me. As the numbers continue to grow, I am dedicated to ensuring what I provide has value for you.
Since Romantasy Realms launched almost six months ago, I’ve shared writing advice, kept you up-to-date on romantasy in the main stream media, written several spoiler-free reviews, and pulled back the curtain on my own life as a writer. In the coming months, I’d like to expand my articles to include author interviews, indie book recs, and a writer’s Q&A. At the one year mark, its my hope to start an online book club for paid subscribers (articles will remain free). If there are other offerings you’d like to see in the comments, please let me know!
For those that are brand new here, you may be wondering about my background. Well, hello! I’m Ivy, an Author Accelerator Certified Fiction Book Coach. I have a Leo moon, so yes, I will write about myself for a moment if you don’t mind 😉
Though there are streaks of gray in my hair and a lot of laugh lines around my eyes, I am honestly a kid at heart. I love reading romance stories where everyone admits their love by the end, and if there are dragons, all the better. Halloween is my favorite day of the entire year. All that chocolate! I may have too many costumes to count, but is that really a problem? Only when said costume is pictured in an unfortunate light (The Chicago Tribune published an awful photo of me in my Anne Boleyn inspired fantasy gown after I won a local cosplay contest. So very disappointing for said Leo moon).
My favorite book of all time is Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen got it right, and by “it”, I mean humanity. Her writing combines wit and cutting social commentary with some of the best characters ever to grace the pages of a book. Other favorite books include the ACOTAR series (of course), Uprooted by Naomi Novik, the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, and the original Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. My favorite recent reads include Bewitched by Laura Thalassa, Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer Armentrout, and Soulless by Gail Carriger.
When I’m not reading, I’m watching the birds, stomping around the woods, or tending to my flowers. In true cottage-core fashion, I’ve recently become a Swiftie. Well, not Folklore. I’m more of a Midnights girl, though my inner teenager still has a mad crush on George Michael. Bridgerton is the only TV show I’ve ever watched all of the episodes of more than once. I adore a night in the city as there are endless gastropubs to chose from. The theater scene is one of the best in the world thanks to Broadway in Chicago. I also foster cats who are FELV+. While they don’t live as long as healthy cats, they are just as affectionate and deserve a loving home. It’s been my honor to know each one of these fur babies. They have opened up my heart in a way no one else could, and for that, I’m grateful. RIP Peeps, Alfie, and Pumpkin.
If I had unlimited funds, I would still write this blog, my Rowena trilogy, and be a book coach. However, instead of doing this work from the Chicago suburbs, I’d be in my luxury condo in Copenhagen near Rosenborg Castle. I’d have a little corgi as my writing mascot, because, again, unlimited funds. Make that two corgis and a couple of cats.