When Life Gives You Lemons

I don't make lemonade; I publish a book.

This November marks three years since I’ve started taking my writing seriously.

But what does that even mean?

Since I was a child, scribbling awful poetry in my English notebook and on napkins, I’ve always written. Writing is a natural form of self-expression for me. Much like breathing. I get restless if I don’t let the words out, like a dog in a cage.

And I’ve tried lots of other hobbies; sewing, painting, drawing, resin.

I always come back to writing.

In the third grade, I said I wanted to be an author. I don’t think I knew what that meant back then, the amount of work it would take. I only knew the feeling books gave me and I wanted to give that feeling to others.

At the age of thirty-one, after reading the entire ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ series, I figured if Sarah could write a book about faeries that had the world in an uproar, I too, could also figure out how to do such a thing.

I’m not sure where I found that audacity. Probably at the bottom of a wine bottle after too many drinks.

Three years later, I’ve written three books and started two others (plus several short stories). I’ve written over 300K words between all of my projects. I’ve also waded in the chilly waters of the query trenches. And man, that is a lonely place. You feel as if you’re paddling upstream and getting nowhere. I was gasping for air the whole time. I’ve tried twice to withstand the icy nature of the trenches, but I found I wasn’t built for the freezing temperatures. It just wasn’t for me.

The process, honestly, made me hate writing. And I’ve love writing my whole life. What was happening?

It’s taken me some time, but I’ve made peace with the idea that traditional publishing might not be for me. The cut throat nature and patience required is too much for my fragile, neurodivergent brain.

And I’ve made a decision! I’m releasing my most recent book, Claimed by the Ash Prince.

In my excitement to get my work out into the world, I even had character art created!

Here is the blurb to my very spicy novella…

Lelia is a princess who doesn’t want to get married. After using her powers of ice to be a general nuisance to ward off any potential match, she must face the consequences when her parents ship her off to the court of the Ash Prince.

Rollo, the Ash Prince, is a super hot, battle-hardened warrior with the power to wield fire. Due to Lelia’ reputation for being a free-spirit, Rollo happens to be the only marriage suitor left in the realm willing to pay her dowry. 

She is utterly shocked when she learns of the sexy and sinful customs of her new home. As she gets to know Rollo, she is thrilled, yet hesitant, to learn about his erotic desires. Even with his incredible wealth and power, she realizes he craves control. And he wants to exert that control over her mind and body.

It's up to Lelia to choose how much power she's willing to relinquish to find love.

Claimed by the Ash Prince is a Snow Queen retelling with a forced marriage trope featuring a possessive and aggressive, touch-her-or-die love interest.

If you’re interested in reading the first three chapters, you can find them here.

I hope you enjoy them!

Cheers,

Charlie