Reflections On the Eve of Publication

Rowena's Song, my debut romantasy, launches on April 24th 😍✨💖

Ivy standing in front of the longhall at the Ribe Viking Center in Ribe, Denmark, in September 2021. It became headcannon for Hengest’s Hall.

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Ok, I am still a few days away from publication day—April 24th—but isn’t that a poetic title?

I’m trying so hard to hold onto that sense of accomplishment and joy as Rowena’s Song makes its way back into the world. This part of my journey with Rowena, Hengest, Catigern, and Brennan is nearly over. After a decade of dreaming—and working my ass off—I’m excited to set Rowena free and allow her to soar. Even better, I’ll finally give all my attention to the second book in the series.

Will I have a horn of mead to celebrate on the 24th ? You betcha. I’ve been saving this bottle for two years. It is called Ribe (pronounced Ree-buh) Mead, or in Danish, Ribe Mjød. It is divine.

But if I’m being honest, there is a part of me that is struggling to be truly happy with this accomplishment. Celebrating feels a bit tone deaf in the current environment.

The week I wrote the very first page of what became Rowena’s Song was also the same week I had my first verbal spat with a family member over Donald Trump. It was January of 2016. His candidacy was still considered a joke then, but my uncle was already 100% on board and trying to get me to go along for the ride on gold-plated toilet hype train.

Ha! That is about as likely as me choosing Tamlin over Rhysand.

I never in a million lifetimes would have guessed that orange buffoon would be President of the United States by the time my book was released into the world.

And oh, what he is doing boggles my mind and breaks my heart.

How am I supposed to celebrate my success when the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) is being gutted as I type this? Two weeks ago their entire staff was furloughed. Grant money used to help train my fellow librarians has been rescinded. If the Institute does manage to survive, it will be used to pump out tax-funded propaganda.

I am worried that RS, which contains one open door scene, will be flagged as pornography and removed from the shelves of retailers. And now that book bans are once again in fashion, do I need to worry about being silenced all together?

Or perhaps it will be the fact that one of my characters discovers that she is non-binary in the second book that will get me into trouble as the protections of the First Amendment crumble away to dust under the boot heel of this administration.

UGHHH. Drinking from the firehose of bad news is exhausting. I am a romantasy reader. There are better ways to choke if you know what I mean…

Ehem. Apologies for the less dirty minded folks here. Moving on.

Well Ivy, you might be thinking, those are just your fears. No biggie. Nothing has changed for you personally.

Not true.

In light of the tariffs, I’ve already made changes to my launch. Originally I hoped to have the hardcover version available in addition to the e-book. However, I’m not sure how to price it at the moment. 70% of the paper used to print books here in the US comes from Canada. Do I even bother paying for the artist to create a jacket-cover if no one can afford to purchase it? I’ve opted to hold off for the moment.

I am also doing a soft-launch and selling direct via Book Funnel. Even though I won’t reach a ton of readers, I cannot stomach the idea of giving a cut to Amazon at the moment. Eventually I will have no choice since they are the biggest bookseller on the planet, and I do need to recover the costs associated with editing and hiring a cover artist.

But, bleh. I’ll start with Book Funnel and then move onto to Indie stores before going wide.

All of that is to say that my happy, carefree days are a thing of the past. I will take the time to celebrate, because the powers that be would prefer liberal minded folks like me to be miserable and give-up. I will keep writing this series, because it is a story of overcoming the odds in the face of a terrible foe, all the while keeping your human heart intact. Like Rowena, I will continue to embrace my voice and speak my truth.

Finally, if you would like a sneak peak of the first five chapters of Rowena’s Song, you are in luck! The preview chapters are up and ready to go on Book Funnel.

If you would like to review it for your Substack, blog, or social media platform, I still have ARC copies to give away as well. Send me a DM to request access.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey ❤

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