Dear Writing Diary Entry #37
In this entry, I’m thrilled to announce the release of my fantasy novella, The Phoenix & The Neverending Winter!
“Not all of us might be powerful enough to be dragons. But perhaps we can each be phoenixes, rising stronger and more resilient than whatever flames surround us.” Check out the details below for how to receive the signed book merch in this photo!October 14th, 2025
Dear Writing Diary,
My third and final release of this year is here! I am so thrilled to announce that my fantasy novella, The Phoenix & The Neverending Winter, is officially out now. The e-book is free on Kindle Unlimited and the paperback is available on Amazon. The novella will soon be available in bookstores as well.
In this captivating tale, an empire is imprisoned by a neverending winter and an immortal emperor. But after a selfless act, Meiawen is gifted a magic that could finally melt the curse—if it doesn’t get her and her family killed first.
Here is the full blurb:
Winter in the Shaolyu Empire has lasted for thousands of years. On the night of a terrible blizzard, Meiawen is born but barely survives the chilling temperatures. For years afterward, she remains overly sensitive to the cold. Yet when Meiawen nearly sacrifices her life to rescue a stranger in a storm, she is gifted with magic of her own. Meiawen’s new powers not only allow her to no longer become sick from the cold but also give her the ability to transform into a bird and melt away the winter around her, bringing the land back to life.
Magic, unfortunately, hasn’t been allowed in the empire for thousands of years—and if Meiawen is caught practicing her powers, both she and her family will be executed.
Yet when she falls in love with a handsome and brave noble, Meiawen must journey to the capital where she is forced to live under the watch of the immortal and cruel Emperor whose unnaturally long life is tied to The Neverending Winter. But even as Meiawen struggles to conceal her magic, the Emperor begins to suspect her. When her family is threatened, Meiawen must ultimately choose to either reject or fully embrace her powers, no matter the cost.
The World and Characters
In addition to create a Pinterest board and Spotify playlist of songs that inspired me for this novella, I took some time this weekend to create a visual Reader’s Guide to the characters, stakes, and aesthetics to this lyrical and romantic story. Take a look below to dive deeper into Meiawen’s powers, Keir’s secrets, and the Emperor’s cruel reign.
Check out the full Pinterest board I created for this novella HERE.
A Chance to Get Signed Book Merch!
I am also excited to be offering readers who purchase the novella this week an exclusive opportunity to receive signed book merch! This offer ends October 21, so claim your exclusive merch by filling out the forms linked below!
🌟US-based readers who purchase the novella can receive a physical signed concept art print, bookplate, and a double-sided bookmark. Check out the form to submit your receipt here.
🌟Non-US-based readers who purchase the novella can receive a digital concept art print, 2 digital bookmarks, and a digitally signed bookplate personalized for you, all of which you can print out for your use. Check out the form to submit your receipt here.
A YA Fantasy Recommendation
Also, for all of you YA fantasy fans out there, I have a recommendation I’d like to share with you. I recently read and enjoyed Saints & Monsters by . This beautifully romantic and action-packed tale revolves around a princess who must make an alliance with a dangerous sea dragon who can shapeshift into a human. As I may have mentioned before, I love Miyazaki anime movies, and reading this novel reminded me of Howl’s Moving Castle and Studio Ghibli films in general in the best way. So if this interests you, add it to your TBR list (find it on Goodreads here) and check out Ellen McGinty’s newsletter on Substack to follow her epic writing journey!
Freebies!
I also have 2 October promos to share with you all! I have joined together with some fellow authors to offer you some discounted e-books, so browse through them to find your next read.
Free Sci-fi & Fantasy Reads on Kindle Unlimited Promo
Portals & Power - Free Sci-fi & Fantasy Ebooks (Book Cave promo)
Lastly, since this will be my only Dear Writing Entry for this month, I just wanted to wish everyone Happy Halloween who celebrates! I likely won’t be dressing up, but I am looking forward to curling up with a blanket and reading some atmospheric reads and eating candy. Have you picked out your costume for Halloween yet? If so, let me know in the comments or reply to this email. I’d love to hear from you!
Here’s to seeing what this spooky season holds.
-K
P.S. Whoever’s reading this, if you’ve enjoyed these glimpses into my writing life, could you please hit the subscribe button? I would love to share more of my writing journey with you in the future. :)
