It’s GIVEAWAY time!!! If you would like a chance to win a signed copy of my debut novel Rowena’s Song and some bookish swag, subscribe to this publication by May 7, 2026. One subscriber will be chosen at random and contacted via the messaging app on Substack, which hosts this newsletter. Open to residents of the US only.

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Welcome to the first post on my website that actually looks like an author’s newsletter. I’ve decided to call it Ivy’s Inkwell, which will focus on my fiction writing and life as an author. Despite the fact the world is crazy, I believe it is more important than ever to keep an open heart. I’m promoting voices—mine included—that are at odds with the fear mongering and hate that has somehow become in vogue. There are many moments my heart is heavy, but I also have had moments of joy with my family and inspired writing sessions.

While it may seem odd that I’m starting this new adventure in April rather than on, say, January 1st, I prefer to follow the calendar wheel of old like my FMC Rowena.

According to this manner of looking at time, its Aries season. Spring has sprung, the days are getting longer, and the world is feeling fresh and fertile. Everyone is ready to move forward, perhaps with a touch of impatience. Instead of a “ready, steady, go,” vibe, it’s been a bit more “ready, go—woah—what are you doing?”

But I thrive in the chaos (well, not political chaos…but I digress). Behind the scenes, I’ve been doing a LOT:

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Updates on Rowena 2:

It’s been a slow, slow start, but I’ve passed a MAJOR MILESTONE. Even though my girl is right miserable at the moment, I’ve hit the 45K word mark on Rowena 2!!!

While this is going slower than I had hoped, I made major changes to the underlying structure, which forced me to go back to the beginning.

Why overhaul the story even before the first draft is finished, you ask? Great question!

Since Rowena’s Song is a legend retelling, I’m using historical texts from the Anglo-Saxon period to provide some of my major moments in the narrative, with a bit of Norse mythology mixed to fill in the gaps concerning the religious practices of the Anglo-Saxons prior to converting to Christianity.

The fun part for me is deciding what to keep the same and what to subvert.

In doing this, I realized the plot elements I needed to include were not lining up with a straight three or five act structure. After reviewing my notes from a writing workshop that I took at Writer Therapy in Utah, I decided to add a pre-story, and then redo my three-act structure beats.

Was this fun? Actually—yes. After working with Writer Therapy and Author Accelerator, I have fallen in love with story structure. Building up a solid base for Rowena and the crew is so important to me, especially since this is the book that introduces King Vortigern.

UK readers know what this means, but since my audience is mostly American, I am begging you not to Google it and go in blind.

Subscribe to Ivy Charlotte Dally for further updates, including a title and cover reveal!

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Indie Author in the Wild: C2E2

Last weekend, I stepped away from my laptop to attend this year’s Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, known here in the Windy City as C2E2. In addition to enjoying all of the indie author and romantasy offerings, I had a blast dressing up with my family and being a big nerd.

It’s good to be with your people! And if you’re wondering, yes, I did catch them all.

Media Matters

I do love me a good romantasy, but there’s so many other things to read and watch. Here are a few of my recent favorites to give you an idea of what I put into my head, so you understand what comes out on the page.

Dungeon Crawler Carl (and the second installment, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario) is, without a doubt, the most absurd storyline I’ve ever read. Unhinged, off-the-charts ridiculous. How so? Our main characters Carl, his talking cat Princess Donut, and her pet dinosaur are competing on an alien reality TV show after Planet Earth gets the Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe treatment. However, behind this insane premise is one of the best found family stories I’ve ever read. The political commentary about the dangers of media being owned by corporate entities in the government’s pocket really hits home right now.

When the Tides Held the Moon: I originally read this waaay to fast in an attempt to get it finished for an end of the year article at Romantasy Realms. This time, I’m savoring the artwork and going back and forth between the book and the audio to get a better feel for Benny’s accent. Also I can’t hype this book about falling in love with a merman enough—who doesn’t love a “from different worlds” romance? Finally, this book makes me want to take an illustration class so I too can someday produce a novel this exquisite.

Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From an American. Honest to goodness, HCR is my main source for learning about current events. She imbues all of her commentary with a knowledge of US history and the Constitution that has no equal. If you don’t have time to read it on Substack, there is an audio version available on YouTube.

Bridgerton Series 4: I enjoyed Benedict and Sophie’s season, and thought the cinematography used to present the Woman in Silver was exquisite. The bathtub scene was hot without being cringe, and the sets and costumes were a delight as always. My only complaint is that Benedict’s journey felt a bit forced. I enjoyed the cad of prior seasons, and his sudden desire to be with one woman and one woman alone felt like it was happening because the book said so instead of being the natural conclusion to the internal arc he had on the show.

Oracle Card

Every month, this newsletter will feature an oracle card meant to help all the members of my reading community. This month I chose the Dragon Oracle Card set by Diana Cooper. The red dragon featured on the box felt like it was embodying the fire and no-holds-barred energy of this Aries season. This was the card I picked from the online deck:

What a perfect message for my first fully formed newsletter! Truly, my dream as an indie author is to create a dedicated community of readers with whom to share my stories, and spread a little hope and joy in the process. To receive the message that orange dragon is here to “bring soul families and communities together” warms my heart.

While I am not 100% sure of what is coming from the dragon’s talons, it sure looks like orbs of light to me. Things feel pretty dark right now, so I appreciate the promise of better things to come. I hope this dragon’s magic helps spread a sense of belonging to you as well. And he is perched upon what appears to be a stone bridge—another sign representing unity, joining, and coming together.

I hope this message resonates with you too.

Thank you for being here 🧡 And don’t forget to SUBCRIBE so you can be entered to win a copy of Rowena’s Song.

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Please note this was originally published on my Romantasy Realms Substack, but it has been rehomed here.

Hello Readers of the Realm ❤️‍🔥 This post is a little different from my normal content, but with all the AI slop out there, I don’t think you’ll mind if I share some of my thoughts on how rereading some of my favorite books are helping me cope these days.

These days.

What a benign way of saying, “My world has turned upside down.” Most my audience in based in the US, so you too might be feeling adrift, angry, afraid, or a combination of all three. If this is you—sending virtual hugs. You are not alone. Many of us are going through the motions of our regularly scheduled life—driving to work, putting in eight hours, cooking dinner, folding laundry, maybe even finding a little time to read and write.

It’s so strange, the contrast between the things that haven’t changed much and the horrors that persist.

Watching said horrors play out on a screen is upsetting enough. Watching and wondering if you’re going to see an image of your daughter, who lives in Minneapolis near Powderhorn Park, could easily turn into a waking nightmare. Am I aware that this is how mothers of color have felt, like, forever in this society? Yes, yes I am. And now more than ever we MUST put an end to state sanctioned violence. I don’t care if you are black or white, red or blue, where you were born—because we are all praying for the same thing: for our kids to be safe, for clothes and food and shelter. We’re all one community, and I pray to whoever might be listening to help us make it so. Also I’m taking steps to make sure my mental health doesn’t crack like an egg.

That is where my favorite books have stepped up.

Now, I realize that my last post was hyping up all the titles coming out in the first half of the year. I fully intended on reading them, especially my lovely copy of We Who Will Die, my December Fairy Loot book. But it turns out that not knowing how the story will play out is more stress than my mind and heart can endure.

The solution? Rereading some of my favorites, returning to the characters and worlds I know I love. Who knew that I would crave the predictable? That picking up a book from the read shelf would soothe? So weird so not my norm. But here were are!

To begin my reread, I hopped over to The Romantasy Substack, became a paid subscriber, and started a reread of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas along with that lovely community.

Comfort? Check. Nostalgia? Check. A new perspective? Check and check. This is great, because it means I’m not bored. Even though these are the same pages from before, I am not the same reader. For one thing, the Ivy that first encountered ToG was mother to two teen daughters. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this book: FMC Celeana’s is known for her snarky attitude. Guess what I had to deal with on the regular that was very, very, very tiresome.

I was also a newbie fiction writer and had never even considered becoming a book coach. This was before BookTok and the like, so there was no highlighting as I read, no carefully jotted notes, no true understanding of how important facts can be woven into a tale and look like window dressing. A lot of significant details flew over my head as I listened to the audio while I drove or walked the dog.

Rereading this while also answering the questions posed by Tara over at The Romantasy has allowed me to appreciate the world of Erilea in an entirely new way. Celaena, for example, is now far more funny to me. There are worldbuilding details galore that now feel like I’m finding Easter eggs. I am struck by how incredibly young Maas’ writing voice is. It feels like I’ve gone back in time, and I am appreciating how this good writer is going to become a fantastic writer. Knowing how much she has grown makes me look forward to seeing how much better she will get in time. That’s another way of saying, “I have hope for the future”, a sentiment that as of late has been in short supply.

Bonus points for making me think carefully about the responses I’ve been posting in the comments. The more time I am concentrating on Throne of Glass, the less time I spend worrying about things I cannot control.

Now its time for me to head over to The Romantasy to post my comments on how power works in this court, how Prince Dorian and Captain of the Guard Chaol exhibit authority, and the risks of intimacy in this dangerous world. (Aren’t these questions great? So much to think about). If you are a member of that community, please join me!

Self-care can be entertaining AND thought provoking!

Have I convinced you to pick up an old favorite for a re-read? If so, drop the title in the comments.

You can also support this Substack by checking out my novel, Rowena’s Song, on Kindle Unlimited. Happy Reading!

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Hello friends! Just a quick reminder that I will be selling paperback copies of Rowena’s Song this Saturday from 10am-Noon at the Book Bar in Mokena, Illinois. Even if you’ve already gotten your copy, I have some free swag to give away—and of course you can always buy a copy to give as a gift 😉

Joining me are a variety of authors and poets. Here is a sneak peak at the other romantasy and romance authors who will be in person. Please note that all of the books listed below are intended for an adult audience 🔥

Romantasy:

Katerina Speers: Author of The Eighth Circle series, a new take on the old Greek gods. The first two books in the series are out now.

Contemporary Romance:

Natalie Knolls: Author of Be Your Somebody. Her second book, Be Your Forever, is out this month.

Jen Aisling: Author of Sin City. Her next book, A Little, A Lot, drops in January 2026.

Sarah Dawson Powell: Multi-genre author including romance. All of her profits from this November are being donated to her local food bank.

Victoria Hamel: Cozy, small-town romance. Her newest book, Mr. Brightside, is out now.

Dark Romance:

Mae Roberts: Her first book, The Moments You Miss, can be read as a standalone, though the second book in the series is due to be published summer 2026.

Looking forward to seeing everyone that can make it!

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Hello friends! I’ve been busy behind the scenes working on Rowena 2, as well as getting ready to promote my books at in-person events. That work is paying off, even if it seems like there are times I’m MIA.

Those of you who have been following me online have likely noticed I am not as active on social media and Substack as other indie authors. Being the eldest daughter, my impulse is to insert some sort of apology right here for failing to meet your expectations. It is really hard for me not to do that. Instead of making excuses, I’ll be upfront.

Digital relationships pale in comparison to the connections we make IRL. It’s funny because I’m an author, but in my day-to-day life, I would much rather meet up in person. I want to take in your eyes, tone of voice, facial expressions, vibes—basically all the things that are lacking in the online world.

I’ve made a very un-savvy business decision to promote myself at small businesses and in-person events over trying to win over the Amazon algorithm. My husband, a business-minded male and Virgo through-and-through, has struggled to understand me on this front. But I will also choose connection over profits.

With that in mind, I’m thrilled to announce my very first in-person event will take place at the Fall Into Reading Book Sale at the Book Bar in Mokena, IL on November 8, 2025 from 10 am to noon. I’m excited for so many reasons, including the fact that this is very close to where I grew up and attended highschool. If you are in the area, please stop by! Besides selling and signing copies of Rowena’s Song, I’ll be giving away bookmarks and Anglo-Saxon/Viking themed stickers, as well as chit-chatting about any of your writing projects.

I look forward to seeing you!

This post was updated 11/05/25 to reflect the newest marketing materials provided by Book Bar.

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Before I share the joy of my first experience working with an indie bookstore, I need to share a sad statistic. The average self-published book sells around 250 copies. This includes the books your besties and cousins purchase.

In other words, authors who want to share their stories with a larger audience have work to do. Obviously, step one is to write the very best book you can. If you need help with that, head over to my other Substack blog, Romantasy Realms, for writing tips. While they are geared towards romantasy writers, good advice about craft is good advice.

Once you have your book in hand, its time to think about how you are going to find your readers and turn them into your tribe.

For a lot of writers, including me, this is really uncomfortable. Imagine screaming into a wind tunnel until you're hoarse. That is what marketing feels like, at least to me. Or worse, you feel forced to make TikTok videos of yourself lip-syncing. NO NO NO please stop . . .

For Rowena’s Song, I’ve taken the marketing game super slow. The one avenue I am putting my time and effort into is getting into physical bookstores. I have only so many hours per day (I’m still writing book 2, and I’m also a librarian/book coach/paint-n-sip instructor). I can use this time learning how to make Amazon ads, or I can go out and meet booksellers in their amazing spaces and work with them to our mutual benefit. I choose to be a part of a community rather than an algorithm.

While a lot of folks would say this is the wrong approach, I want to enjoy my book in the real world instead of the online space, at least for now. I hate the hustle culture, the constant chasing of the almighty dollar bill. Slow and steady wins the race.

Yes, that is a radical position in the 21st century, but I stand by the wisdom of Aesop.

And while that race is ongoing, I was THRILLED to be chosen to sell Rowena’s Song at This Old Book in Grayslake, IL. When I initially approached owner Janet Elliott, she was kind and took the copy of my ARC, but she made no promises about stocking the book. As someone who has seen far too many novels published when they clearly needed several more rounds of revision, I completely understood her need to keep some distance between us. Shelf space in a store is a precious commodity—it pays the rent.

Then again, I know my book is well-written. It has taken a long time for me to be proud of my accomplishments instead of diminishing them, not wanting to shine too brightly around those who would prefer to keep me down.

Janet reached out to me two weeks later to say she would be happy to carry the book. But the thing that made my soul sing was the fact she said, “Oh, I already have a few people in mind to recommend your title to.”

Booksellers and librarians are my heroes. This quote states my love for this community best from a book published in 1917, but is just as relevant today:

“When you sell a man a book you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night - there’s all heaven and earth in a book, a real book I mean.”
― Christopher Morley, Parnassus on Wheels

In that moment, I truly felt it, in my heart, that Rowena’s Song is a real book too.

Also, if you like ships and night and perhaps having a dance with the man you’re falling in love with under the moonlight, I have a real book you will adore!

Thank you for reading this article! Please like and share to help me get some visibility in the bookish community. ic þancie þē

Have you had a chance to read Rowena’s Song yet? If not, you can purchase your copy from This Old Book in person, or head over to Amazon. It is also on Kindle Unlimited. Also don’t forget to subsribe to Ivy Charlotte Dally so you will be the first to know about other booksellers carrying the book, in-person signings, and Rowena 2 updates 💚

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Hello Readers of the Realm!

I’m so excited to announce that my debut novel, Rowena’s Song, is now available for you to read with your Kindle Unlimited subscription. As much as I love my physcial books, if I’m honest, I do the majority of my reading via e-book or audio. It’s just easier for my busy lifestyle, and I’m sure many of you feel the same.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Rowena’s story yet, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to add it to your summer TBR.

Rowena's Song on KU

And most importantly, if you think others would enjoy it, please recommend it to your romantasy friends and leave a review on social media or your favorite bookish site. I really appreciate you helping me get the word out ❤

For any writers out there that are also into astrology, today Jupiter is kazimi, and tomorrow is a powerful new moon in Cancer. It’s the perfect time to plant any seeds you hope to harvest in the coming months. Me? I’m hoping to sprout a new crop of readers 😊

I’ll be back soon with my regularly scheduled content. My 75+ year old home has required a few repairs. Instead of reading, writing, and dreaming about what it would be like to train with a fae warrior, I’ve been mending our fence in an attempt to keep my doggos from running away.

If only I had magic to do said repairs.

What I really want to be doing is writing Rowena 2 and my review of Shield of Sparrows, a romantasy I CANNOT stop thinking about. SoS is also available on KU, so consider adding both to your shelf!

Happy reading!

~Ivy

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Readers of the Realm: This week is not going as expected. As such today’s post will be short, as I’m making it up as I go. (Pansting powers activated!)

The second edition of Rowena’s Song was officially published Thursday—at least according to all of the information I filed when I registered the ISBN. Perhaps I should not have purchased that number when Mercury was retrograde, because things are not panning out according to my schedule.

Welcome to my world.

But before I get into that, I need to start with the fact that ARC readers are also out of my control, and yet I am delighted to see that there are new reviews up on Goodreads and StoryGraph. A heart felt thank you to everyone who read the Advance Reader’s Copy of the book and left reviews! I don’t have a huge following, in part because marketing isn’t my favorite.

For those of you that were able to take the time to share such kind words, I am truly touched. Thank you thank you thank you ❤

If only my storefront worked…

UGHHHHHH.

I am an artistic soul. Writing lyrical passages? Sure. Planting a cottage garden? Yes. Nature photography featuring birds? That would be my favorite.

Setting up a digital storefront? Somehow I figured it out. I copied codes and keys and made functioning buttons on my website. It’s integrated with a system so folks can use their credit card or PayPal. The analog kid that listened to her first audiobooks on a record player set up her own publishing company!!!

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that even though Lemon Squeezy was acquired by a larger company last October, there is still a delay on how long it takes for an account to be greenlit. Silly me thought that it really would be 1-2 business days and I’d be operational.

Day four and I’m still waiting.

Is part of that on me? Perhaps. When I did the initial test run on the storefront, I made an error. When I tried again the next day, perhaps the clock reset and I’m still in the middle of business day two because now it’s the weekend. Not sure.

This was a long way of saying that no celebratory mead was consumed on publication day. This is what every mom that remains pregnant after her due date must feel like.

As soon as my storefront has been approved, you all will be the first to know. Thank you for your patience.

To be honest, this was a good lesson in not waiting until the last minute. Then again, I’m an undiagnosed ADHD author, book coach, and librarian living in a 75-year-old fixer upper with a puppy. I have fibromyalgia so there are days I remain in bed, wondering why my body hates me. I know this, and yet I still find flying by the seat of my pants an alluring M.O.

This doesn’t feel very zen, and yet here I am, more chill than not.

I could get upset with myself or with Lemon Squeezy or the universe. But that isn’t going to make my storefront magically appear. I considered hiding, and I suppose I did for a bit since I usually publish on Friday and this article is being written and published on Saturday. So who is sharing a big I effed up with their followers?

It’s meeeeeee!!!!!

Would this have happened with a big five publisher? Nope. But that’s ok. It will be out by next week instead of next year. “And if I’m flying solo, at least I’m flying free!”

Speaking of free: You can read the first three chapters on Amazon by clicking here and then clicking the “free sample” button underneath the image of the book on the left.

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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 few chapters of Rowena’s Song, you are in luck! The preview chapters are up and ready to go on Amazon.

Free Sample of Rowena's Song

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 ❤

Today’s post is going to be short but sweet. I’m having a hard time sitting down to type a full on article, because I’m dancing around the house feeling absolutely joyful.

I DID IT!!!!

Rowena’s Song is off to IngramSpark to have proof copies printed! Friends, this has been nine years in the making. After completely biffing my original debut of this story, in which I deleted all of the steamy scenes I wrote because I was too much of a chicken shit to be myself in front of my family, I DID IT!!!

• I finished accepting all of the copy editor’s grammatical suggestions

• I rewrote the paragraphs where I slightly deviated from Rowena’s internal arc

• I learned how to use Atticus, a layout software for indie authors

• I laid out my 450 page book

• I finally sat down and wrote out a family tree. There are a lot of characters in my book, some of whom are historical figures

• I verified the family relations of the historical persons to the best of my ability

• I made a family tree in Canva and it is BEAUTIFUL

• I purchased 10 ISBNs from Bowker

• I danced around and generally felt like a bad-ass bitch, making my female-centric art despite everything currently happening in the US.

Please forgive me for not giving you any reviews or writing tips. I have been burning the candle from both ends. However, my goal was to bring this book into the world with the energy of last night’s Pisces new moon and I DID!!!

And now, here is my BEAUTIFUL Family Tree. It makes no sense to you right now, unless you read the original version of the book. But this is truly a romantasy, with lots of tribal conflict, blood-feud energy, and some good ole Norse and Germanic inspired monsters.

If this is your jam, make sure you’re subscribed to Ivy’s Author Newsletter so you can be the first to learn about where you can purchase Rowena’s Song, the launch party, and signing events.

Now I’m gonna dance into my weekend 💃🏾

~Ivy

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There is a widely quoted statistic out there stating 97% of writers who start a novel never finish it. Only 2-3% of those that do finish ultimately go on to publish the work in some form or another.

I could not find any stats to describe me: the self-published author who pulled the trigger too soon. Three months after publishing in August 2023, I unpublished, decided to add 10k words, changed the genre from fantasy to romantasy, and had the finished manuscript line-edited by a proper human.

It should not be surprising that I’m not really sure how to celebrate this milestone. What is appropriate for a relaunch? It’s a little embarrassing to say, hey, I messed up that first time. But PLEASE give me a second chance because I added back in all the sexuality stuff that brought up a ton of body shame issues from my youth.

Oh nooooo—I’ve realized my real dilemma. Imposter Syndrome is back, and as bad as ever!!!

I am NOT going to let it win again. I flubbed my first launch in part because I knew deep down I wasn’t ready. Now, I’m just nervous, but stand behind this book 100%. But I need help in getting the word out.

Step one: REVIEWS, which are so appreciated! Without reviews, most independent authors cannot survive. Ready to help a girl out?

I am looking for a team of ARC readers who would enjoy reading:

💗Historical Romantasy 🌶🌶.5 (One open door scene)

👱‍♀️ First person female POV of a legendary figure described by the early Christians as a tool of the devil

🧙‍♀️ Wind Magic

🧟‍♂️Monsters inspired by Anglo-Saxon and Norse lore

💋A kind, intelligent love interest

🎵 Lyrical writing for fans of Rebecca Ross and Naomi Novik

The blurb for Rowena’s Song can be found in my first post on this Substack article.

Does this sound like your kinda read? If so, and you are willing to provide an honest review on Goodreads and/or Substack, please send me a DM at my Ivy Dally Substack to be considered:

If you are on Substack and do author interviews, I’d love to have a chat with you about my novel! I’ll even pretend I am not socially awkward and do a podcast. If you don’t know much about me, head over to my original Substack, Romantasy Realms, to see the topics I’ve written about in case they are of interest to your audience.

Thank you in advance!

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Hello and welcome to my very first newsletter as a romantasy author. For those of you new to me, I’d like to introduce myself and share some very exciting news! For my Romantasy Realms fans, it’s wonderful to have you here!

My full name is Ivy Charlotte Dally, but please just call me Ivy.

📖 I’m an author, public librarian, and certified book coach.

👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👧🏻‍👧🏻 I’ve been married for over 22 years to my amazing, loving, videogaming hubby. My eldest daughter has flown from the nest and I couldn’t be more proud of the adult she’s become. My youngest daughter is an amazing autism kid who has been the greatest teacher of my life. Our family wouldn’t be complete without our rescue mutt, Abby Mae, and our new puppy, Penelope, named after my favorite Bridgerton character.

😻I run a cat hospice from my house. When my local shelter calls to say they have a leukemia positive kitty, I take them in and let them live out their short but happy lives. While there are times it has taken a toll on my heart, the joy I get from inviting these little kitty angels into my life more than makes up for any sadness.

🍭 I LOVE CANDY.

🌷I recently moved to a 1/2 acre plot with built in garden beds. When I’m not writing, I am digging in the dirt. The house was built in 1948, but was remodeled with a number of elements salvaged from a 19th century church. I am working to turn it into the Grandma-Chic home of my dreams.

🐦I love to bird and take nature pics. Mountains make me weep at thier majesty.

🗣️For the entire year of second-grade, I had to sit in the corner of the coat closet because I talked too much. It did not cure me of the chatty gene.

And now, onto that exciting news!

Rowena’s Song will be Republished in Hardcover on April 24, 2025!

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I am over the moon to be bringing Rowena back into the world with all romance scenes restored to their original glory. Here is the new blurb:

Her song is forbidden. But laws never bound her...

Denmark, 435 AD.

With the political destruction of her father Hengest — and the deaths of countless others — on her conscience, nineteen-year-old Rowena has hidden her magic for decades. Life as an unwed peace-weaver has since been uneventful, until a neighbouring tribe proposes a marital alliance, and Rowena’s powers overtake her attempts at silence.

On the run from her abhorrent bridegroom and the desperate power-grabs of her father, Rowena is soon tangled in the threads of a dangerous vendetta. And when she seeks the help of the Norns — the weavers of fate — she summons an evil force instead.

When two handsome soldiers from Briton cross her path with a bold request, the pull in Rowena’s heart feels like destiny...but magic has tricked her before. And as the song within her grows louder and more insistent, she must discover if it seeks to protect her homeland or destroy all she holds dear.

Rowena’s Song is the romantasy retelling of the legend of Hengest and Horsa from a female perspective. With lush imagery drawn from Beowulf, Gildas, and Norse myth, this lush story will transport you back to a reimangined European Dark Age where magic is real. Perfect for fans of the literary style of Rebecca Ross, the fairytale retellings of Naomi Novik, and the Norse-inspired setting of Danielle L. Jensen’s A Fate Inked in Blood.

Are you excited yet?

When I first published Rowena’s Song, I was not ready to have my acutal name on the cover of a romantasy book. This might seem odd to many of you considering the books I’ve reviewed at Romantasy Realms, but I truly did fear getting judgement from my family.

It’s taken me a long time to finally say, “Fuck it”. I will write what I want.

It also took me a long time to allow myself to invest in my writing. While I had gotten a development edit for the fantasy edition, I used ProWritingAid software in lieu of a human copy editor. That was the BIGGEST MISTAKE I’ve made in my author career, one I will never repeat.

My editor, Margaret Morris, has a talent with words that is unsurpassed. I hope she will edit anything and everything I publish from here on out. I had assumed she would just be looking at the grammar, but refined my word choices when they were clunky or telling rather than showing. She pointed out areas where I veered ever-so-slightly from the character’s arc of growth and gave hints for fixing it. My book went from good to the stuff of dreams.

As far a production goes on the book, I am in the last 1/3 of approving the copy edits and re-writing the few sentences here and there. As soon as that process is over, I will be laying out the book myself using software called Atticus.

Once that is done, I’ll be open to pre-orders!

If you would like to follow along on the journey from manuscript to published book and beyond, make sure you are subscribed to Ivy’s Author Newsletter, which is a section of Romantasy Realms on Substack.

Wish me luck! There is a LOT to finish up in the coming months.