The cover reveal for this anthology is finally here and….can I say I’m just so excited to be a part of this Anthology? Starting out as an indie author is hard – there’s just no other way to describe it. It’s been almost twelve years since I last published any kind of fiction and the landscape has changed dramatically. I’m working in a whole new genre, tackling a whole different style of writing, and to be quite honest, I submitted to this anthology on a whim – really, because a good friend of mine (@hypatiarhodesauthor) suggested I should.
Did I mention she is ALSO in this anthology, with a story about sirens, and that both her villain AND hero are sexy as hell? Keep an eye out for “A Song of Brine and Bone”!
To say I feel elated to be included with these eleven other authors, let alone for Astronaut to take a chance on a no-name, baby author? It’s amazing, really. Just the best feeling in the world, and I’m eternally humble.
I wrote this story while I was deep in plotting the lore of my epic fantasy world. That world is going to take awhile to flesh out (and those books are coming in the future), but one thing I really enjoy doing in my writing is layering real mythology into fantasy. A lot of folks will credit Tolkien as the master of that technique, but really, the best fiction has always borrowed from history. This story about Morrdryn and Liora is part of the history that underpins the world I’m building and will hopefully someday be its own kind of fairytale for the characters who come after. It was inspired by the classic tale of Rapunzel – I wanted not only a gothic twist, but to highlight the very feminine energy Rapunzel’s tale encapsulates. Unlike many other classic fairytales, Rapunzel’s story is dominated by women – beginning with the Witch who imprisons her, and ending with her saving him – if Rapunzel didn’t find her lover wandering in the desert and heal him with her her own tears, they never would’ve had a happy ever after.
There are, of course, many other elements to Rapunzel and many ways to pick it apart thematically, but that female energy resonated with me. Romance, to me, is about empowering people to express their emotions – female, male or other – and to embrace their passion. And in my humble opinion, gothic romance is about taking those passions one step further to embrace the dark spirit that lives inside us all. This is a story of sweet, innocent love, of obsessive, needy love, and of twisted, broken love – and of finding your own voice even when all the odds are stacked against you.
There’s so much more to the story of these characters and I do have plans to bring that to life, eventually – but right now I’m focused on my modern dark fantasy -Darkworld- setting. I’ll have more to say about that soon – A LOT more – in the next few months!
But for now, please give all the love to this anthology!
💕Fragments of Tender Hearts: An Anthology of Fantasy Love Stories 💕
Fragments of Tender Hearts debuts eleven captivating stories of passion, sacrifice, and destiny, where love is as powerful as it is dangerous. Meet Death and Nature personified, find liberty in defiance, and experience the heartbreak of fate as you explore unforgettable fantasy worlds. Follow dragons, sirens, demons, and fae through the inevitable consequences of love, and the tender hearts who bear the cost.
Coming Summer 2025 – ARC applications open March 1st, pre-orders open in June!
Cover custom illustrated by @fakelbarros.studio!