Tag Archives: book release

Happy New Year! Here’s a Short Story – Promise to Keep

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Hello all! I hope you had a great new year. Welcome to 2022.

I didn’t meet my goal for NaNoWriMo, but I did get a lot of writing done, so I feel that it was an accomplishment. I’m hoping to write more in the coming new year.

A couple of years ago, I contributed to an indie anthology with some other writers. The story is called Promise to Keep, which is an urban fantasy/paranormal romance between a beat cop, who is also a mage, and her superior, the captain of the police force, and a werewolf. In this world, magical beings have lived a long time alongside humans in society. The two characters come out of a deadly situation and realize their feelings for each other.

The anthology recently was taken down from Amazon, something that had to do with Brexit, so I wanted to make the story available again by itself. I submitted it to Amazon yesterday, and it’s ready for purchase.

Of course, it’s free on Kindle Unlimited. The price will be going down in a couple of days due to its short format. Here is the beautiful cover!

A Promise to Keep by HK Rowe, a short story on Amazon.

If you have Goodreads, please add it there as well!

I hope you enjoy it! Have a wonderful new year and best wishes.

Please look forward to more story updates and reviews throughout the year.

Cheers,

H.K. Rowe

BOOK RELEASE: Spirits Abound Anthology!

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Happy Halloween! Spirits Abound: Ghostly Little Tales was released yesterday for kindle. Please check it out! Get your copy here at Amazon.

My short story “Deathly Ever After” is one of four chilling little ghost tales. Three other authors have been published for the first time. Please support us!

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It’s here! The digital copy of Spirits Abound: Ghostly Little Tales is available on Amazon.

Cheers,

H.K. Rowe

COMING SOON: Spirits Abound Anthology

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Are you ready for Halloween? Do you like spooky tales?

Coming this ghoulish holiday is a short anthology of four bone chilling stories, perfect to read for those who enjoy tales of things that go bump in the night.

My writer’s group on Facebook has compiled four great stories that we are excited to share with everyone. Many writers are brand new to self publishing, so of course, we need your support! Please get a glimpse of the cover for the upcoming book:

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The anthology will be available to pre-order on Amazon soon! Please come back for more details. I’m so excited to share these stories with you!

Cheers,

H.K. Rowe

Mod Fury is up for Pre-Order!

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Well, I finally released another story. It’s been a rough few years since I released “Unbridled” in 2014.

We’ve packed up, sold a house, bought a house, moved, I got pregnant, had a beautiful baby girl, changed jobs, gone through some financial struggles – but now I finally am getting into a routine where I can seriously work on my books again.

This is a short story prelude to an upcoming series about a modern take on the Greek Furies. Available for pre-order and free on KU!

 

Mod Fury

Mod Fury – New urban fantasy series released on April 8th on Amazon! Pre-Order it now!

Please add it to your to-read list on Goodreads as well!

Cheers!

H.K. Rowe

Lucky Number 7

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I wanted to give a shout out to those who have read and reviewed my book Unbridled. I got my seventh review at Amazon recently, and I know I’m no where near some of the other indie writers when it comes to reviews, but each and every review and rating on Amazon and Goodreads means the world to me and gives me hope for the next book.

Thank you! And thank you for giving me such positive feedback.

If you have read Unbridled or are planning on reading it, thank you as well!

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How about a treat? Here is a snippet from my new series, The Avenging Sisters, with the first short story entitled Mod Fury coming out this summer.

The mood mellowed with that statement, and they met each other’s eyes with mutual understanding on why they were here. They couldn’t play and enjoy themselves all the time, even though the twenty-first century made that easier. The Furies still had important tasks to fulfill; it was in their blood, and in any given moment they could resort to their darker selves if it meant saving the innocents. It was their true purpose, hunting terrible people one by one so they could bestow their justice.

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And last but not least, if you just love writing, reading and blogging in general please take a moment to visit my sister’s blog: Fear Nothing, Risk Everything. She’s a wonderful, strong and beautiful soul, a great mother and even more amazing woman, and she’s fighting breast cancer right now. She’s documenting her journey through this troubling time.

If you could pop by and just give her a comment, like or encouragement, I think she’d appreciate that!

Cheers.

H.K. Rowe

Writing Status: Mod Fury

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As some of you have guessed, my novel Killer Orange is currently on hiatus while I continue to go through edits (when there is time and motivation). I’d rather spend more time on it than give people a piece of crap story, of course!

In the meantime, I am beginning a short story series about the Greek Furies that I mentioned once before. I have been working on this, as well as the outlines for the other stories in the series.

I plan on releasing Mod Fury (The Avenging Sisters Series #0.5) either end of April or mid-May, which is soon. It depends on my health and available time. I just found a perfect cover image today and will be working on the design to post a teaser soon. Thanks to my editor, not many revisions are needed, so I’ll go through it again a few times and prep it for Amazon.

Unlike Unbridled, Mod Fury will not be a romance. There may be some, but it will be in the background. It is purely paranormal adventure and modern myth with kick-ass females.

Mod Fury will have a low e-book price and be KDP only in the beginning. I haven’t had much luck with other e-book sellers, so I’m sticking to Amazon for now. When the second book of the series comes out (hopefully by next early Winter), tentatively entitled War Fury, then Mod Fury will permanently be free. That’s the plan!

In the coming days I’ll post more about Mod Fury as updates arise.

Thanks!

H.K. Rowe

 

 

The Editing Landscape I

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I admit… I have barely touched “Killer Orange” since I got it back from my Betas. I have thought about it, and I have even raged about it. I’ve pulled out Elements of Style and reread it. I have started reading other guides on character development and writing tips.

After all that, I was fully prepared to start editing Saturday and then I decided to rest. I slept, and I started to feel very anti-social, down in the dumps and just anti-everything. Sunday I napped more, I cleaned my house, and then I went to a friend’s party. I had a friend tell me how cool it was that I published a book and how they were proud for me. 

I felt good and Blessed, but I also felt like a coward for waiting to work on my edits.

Today was Labor Day so of course I had no work. My mother and I went to the Renaissance Fair in Bristol, WI and enjoyed ourselves. I think my mom was really happy to go because I wasn’t sure I could go this year, not when I was pushing myself with getting my book out and having it be delayed anyway. Regardless, my mom was happy that she could go and wouldn’t be alone, and I felt like maybe delaying my book was meant to be. We HAD to go to RenFaire this year, and it was almost fated. Last year when we went, my father was still alive. He had stopped chemo treatments and could have a beer again. He bought my mom a big sword she really wanted. He was the happiest I’d seen him for most of the year. It was bittersweet because we knew it would be his last RenFaire yet he was so happy.

Two months later he was gone. Everything changed. 

So we had to go this year. 

Maybe I felt like this weekend was a break. I had a lot of time to reflect, and when I was feeling ill and tired, I took time for myself to relax. I utilized the true meaning of a Labor Day weekend. 

Tomorrow I have to go back to work and also, I have to go back to editing “Killer Orange.” I need to face that computer screen, open that file, and deal with reality.

If I can move on for my father, then shouldn’t I move on for myself? I’m the one who still has a chance to accomplish something. I’m the one who has to battle different fears, which are so trivial in comparison of what many people face everyday.

I’m the one who has to actually DO something instead of saying I’m going release a second book. I need to make it happen. I need to face it, and I won’t get there if I cling to fears and let the demons win.

Cheers,

H.K. Rowe

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Killer Orange Delayed

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I’ve been talking about this for a couple weeks now, but here is my official post. I apologize to those who have bought my first book “Unbridled” and have seen that “Killer Orange” was slated for release this month. With August gone and the second round of editing in full swing, this novel did not make the release date. I would rather give my readers a fully polished product than something I forced out there because of a self-imposed deadline.

By gaging the work this book needs, the release date will be end of October. It might even be a nice Halloween event, considering the subject matter of the book.

In the mean time, look for some quick upcoming updates. I’ll be doing a Goodreads giveaway for “Unbrided” and I will be doing a short-term lowered price of the book as well. I’ll be releasing the Cover page of “Killer Orange” in September as well.

As I go through edits, I will also be sharing some snippets of the book.

I’m both excited and nervous for this editing process. Only because I know my editors can be harsh, but I’m going to be even harsher on myself, now that the smoke has cleared.

Enjoy your holiday!

Cheers,

H.K. Rowe

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It’s going to be a long editing process…

 

A Learning Experience

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I’m getting more of my drafts back from my beta readers, and I feel like I still have a lot to learn about self-publishing, about deadlines and about editing and how much this process takes.

Editing is CRUCIAL, but what I’ve found that is also crucial is not to subscribe to tight deadlines UNTIL someone has read your draft. Someone other than your mother or your best friend, but someone else that you can trust tell you exactly how they feel about the story because they are experienced writers and readers.

I got a line edit back for Killer Orange and it looks like it’ll need more polish and TLC before my original release date. Am I sad? Not really. I’m cautious and thankful, and I feel a little foolish.

Am I going to make my self-imposed release on August 31st? Probably not – not with the scorch and burn editing I want to do, the submission back to a few beta readers AGAIN, and then the final polish. It’s going to take more loving care, as mentioned.

To make up for it, I’m going to do something for Unbridled. I think I’m going to do a promo during that first week of September at a lower price.

I thought it would be smooth sailing with this book, and I envy authors that can pump out three to four books a year. It boggles my mind. Of course they are probably full time writers, or at least have part time jobs. I can’t wrap my brain around it; I can only work on what works best for ME as an author.

I’ve learned a lot this past summer. I read at another blog that your first couple of books are going to suck. That your fifth book’s draft is going to suck, but it’s a journey and maybe someday I’ll learn and get to a point where I’ve hit my stride. Success for things like this do not happen over night (for those who do have such success, please tell me your secrets!). The original writing business is so SO much different than writing a mere drabble or one-shot of fanfiction for your favorite manga or TV series. There IS blood, sweat, tears, and feelings of complete self-loathing to this process.

The good thing is… I abhor self-loathing and I never dwell in such dark places within myself for too long. I’m ready pour myself a glass of wine, fire up the computer, hook up my dual monitor screens, and start slashing this baby.

But before I do that I have to finish my day job, go to my part job tonight, and attend a funeral tomorrow.

I’ll keep you posted on those upcoming promotions!

Cheers,

HK Rowe