Monthly-ish Newsletter for Rowan Ravenheart

Happy Saturday!

Apparently, publishing a book does not mean things slow down afterward. Go figure.

Hoarfrost has been out in the world for a little over a month now, and somehow I’ve managed to keep myself just as busy as I was before September 15. The difference is that now there are actual people out there reading my books. People I’ve never met. People who have opinions about Jesryn and Owyn….and Hagen.

That’s still a strange and rather wonderful thing to wrap my head around.

Meanwhile, Maelstrom has made its way into the hands of beta readers, Nighfall (Book 3) is back on my desk, and the world of The Raven & the Lake keeps growing.

So, here’s what’s been happening in my little corner of the world.

Hoarfrost – Five Weeks in the Wild

First, THANK YOU!

To everyone who purchased Hoarfrost, borrowed it through KU, left a review, posted about it, or recommended it to someone else- thank you.

I’ve spent years with these characters in my head, knowing things about them that haven’t even made it into the books yet. Seeing readers discover them for the first time has been an experience I don’t think I could have anticipated.

I’m particularly enjoying watching people develop opinions about the characters. Some of those opinions are quite strong. Which is understandable. Owyn isn’t exactly a man who inspires mild reactions.

I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing readers discover the mythology, the gods, and the connections to Arthurian legend. Those elements have always been such an important part of these stories, and it’s wonderful when someone notices a little thread I’ve tucked into the narrative.

Hoarfrost has also been finding its way into more corners of the bookish world.

Paperback copies are now available at Words On Pages Bookshop in Paw Paw, MI! This is my first physical store stocking, and let me just say what an incredible feeling it is to have my work physically represented to readers. I am a huge fan of touching a book. The feel of a cover, the scent of pages and ink. I love all of that, and now my own book is available with that same experience to book lovers in other parts of the world. Thank you, Cassie, for making this possible and supporting The Raven & the Lake both on social media and in your own community.

Paperback and hardcover editions are also making their way around the world through expanded distribution, including online book retailers beyond Amazon. Every time I find a new listing, it’s a little surreal.

And yes, signed copies are still available through my Etsy shop, Rowan Ravenheart Books!

Maelstrom – Book Two of The Raven & The Lake

This is probably my biggest update of the month.

Maelstrom went to beta readers on October 1!

If you remember last month’s newsletter, I was in the middle of final revisions. Those revisions turned into a fairly substantial undertaking.

I went through the manuscript looking at continuity, pacing, character development, mythology, magical relics, the Arthurian history, and all the little pieces that have to fit together across a six-book series.

One of the challenges of writing an interconnected series is that nothing exists in isolation. Something that appears to be a minor detail in Book Two might become extremely important in Book Five.

And I already know what happens in Book Five. Which means I have to be very careful about what happens in Book Two.

There were days when I had to dig out the giant whiteboard and my big pink binder (yes, it’s big – 3″ of all the lore, artifacts, characters, storylines, and obscure mythology that built this series). But the manuscript is now through its major revision, and I’m working through the remaining beta feedback and final continuity details.

I’m genuinely excited about this book. While Hoarfrost brings Jesryn home to Faery and sets the larger story in motion, Maelstrom begins opening doors into the deeper mythology of the series. The Arthurian history becomes more important, the world expands, and the consequences of decisions made centuries ago begin catching up with the present.

And naturally, Jes and Owyn still have a few things to work through. Just a few.

Maelstrom is scheduled for release on February 9, 2027. ARC signups are currently underway with plans for distribution beginning December 5.

As for preorders, the Kindle edition is already available on Amazon. Signed copy preorders in my Etsy shop will be turned on November 14. Look for preorder incentives in my shop!

Artwork

Last month I mentioned that I had commissioned two different artists to create new thematic covers for Hoarfrost and Maelstrom.

That process is still underway.

My goal is to find a cohesive visual identity for all six books in The Raven & The Lake. I want the covers to feel connected, not simply because they use similar fonts or colors, but because they share a recognizable artistic language.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what that should look like. The more I explore cover designs, the more I find myself drawn toward ancient Arthurian and Celtic symbolism, ornamental metalwork, heraldic elements, and the idea of sacred relics.

These are stories about inherited magic, forgotten gods, ancient promises, and the consequences of choices that echo across generations. I want their covers to reflect that.

I’m still expecting to make my final selection and reveal the new designs in December. And I am very excited to see how the different interpretations turn out!

The character art commissions are continuing, too! Jasmine has completed another beautiful piece featuring Owyn, and we’ve been working on additional illustrations connected to the series.

One of the pieces I’m particularly excited about is a battle between the red and white dragons.

If you’re familiar with Welsh legend, you may already recognize the significance of those two dragons. If not, I won’t spoil anything.

But I will say that the red and white dragons are among my favorite pieces of Welsh mythology, and their symbolism has a place in the larger story I’m telling.

I’ve also been considering which characters and scenes I’d most like to see illustrated next. The problem is that I have approximately six books’ worth of ideas and a decidedly non-magical art budget. So we’re taking those one at a time!

Maps, Family Trees, and Other Bookish Things

Last month I told you I was working on two maps: one for Faery and one for the mortal world.

They’re finished!

I’m particularly happy to have the UK map because the real-world locations in this series mean so much to me.

The mortal world in The Raven & The Lake isn’t an invented approximation of Britain. The places Jesryn visits are real locations, many of which I’ve visited myself.

Glastonbury, Tintagel, Edinburgh, Oxford, and the ancient landscapes of Britain all have their own histories and folklore. Those histories have influenced the stories we tell about Arthur, Morgan le Fay, the gods, and the Otherworld for centuries.

I’ve always wanted to capture some of that atmosphere in these novels. The maps give readers another way to explore it.

I’ve also been expanding the supplementary material for the series, including family trees, character references, a Bestiary, and a Reader’s Guide.

The family trees have become especially useful as the cast grows. Apparently, when you write a story involving ancient noble houses, magical bloodlines, centuries of history, and a large ensemble of characters, keeping track of everyone’s relatives becomes something of a project in itself. Who knew?

Some of this expanded material is being prepared for a future edition of Hoarfrost, and some will be included in upcoming books.

Nightfall — Book Three

And because working on one book at a time would apparently be far too sensible, I’ve moved on to Nightfall.

Book Three of The Raven & The Lake is now undergoing its near-final revision.

This is where the story begins shifting more heavily toward Harper and Cuinn.

If you’ve read Hoarfrost, you’ve already met Harper, her Aerie, and the rather complicated man who happens to be her fated mate.

Cuinn Kelley has a considerable amount of history with Harper, and very little of it is uncomplicated.

I won’t say much more yet, because there are things in Maelstrom that need to happen before we can talk about Nightfall.

But I will say this: Cuinn has been one of my favorite characters to write.

He also has some of my favorite mythology attached to him.

And I am very much looking forward to sharing more about him as we get closer to Book Three.

Currently Reading

October has been a wonderful reading month after a September filled with DNFs!

I finished two books in Melissa K. Roehrich’s Legacy Series—Rain of Shadows and Endings and Storm of Secrets and Sorrow—and gave both 5 stars. The prose is immersive, the storytelling compelling, and Theon has become one of my favorite recent MMCs. Tessa is testing my patience with her stubbornness and emotional walls, but I’m invested enough in these characters and their story to trust where it’s going.

I also finished Julie Johnson’s The Wind Weaver (4 stars), and what a refreshing read! I loved the FMC. She’s not another stabby, smart-mouthed heroine, and the banter feels like genuine friction between two people rather than clever dialogue written for its own sake. The MMC is entirely likable, too. A few romantic developments felt slightly rushed, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely continue the series.

I’ve also started Sarah A. Parker’s To Bleed a Crystal Bloom, and although I’m only a chapter in, I’m already loving the prose, storytelling style, and heroine.

I’m discovering that reading as a writer has become a very different experience from reading purely for enjoyment.

Sometimes I’ll be halfway through a chapter when I realize I’ve stopped following the story and started analyzing why a particular scene works—or why my attention has wandered off to do something more interesting.

It’s rather inconvenient when I’m trying to relax. But it has made me think a great deal about what I love in fantasy.

Give me immersive worlds. Ancient magic. Characters who feel like adults. Complicated loyalties. Quiet moments that carry enormous emotional weight. Men who love with their entire souls. Women who can be powerful without losing their tenderness.

And actual knights. I remain convinced that fantasy has a distressing shortage of actual knights. In fact, I have just started a new WIP specifically to address that shortfall.

If you’ve read something wonderful lately, I’d love to hear about it!

Until Next Time…

Thank you again for being here.

Whether you’ve been following The Raven & The Lake since its earliest days or have only recently discovered Hoarfrost, I truly appreciate your interest and support.

There’s so much more of this story still to come.

Maelstrom is getting closer, Nightfall is taking shape, and there are plenty of secrets waiting beneath the waters of Faery.

Until next time,

Rowan Ravenheart