Friday, June 20, 2014

Friday Feature: Into the Fire


If you've been following my blog for a while, you've probably noticed a book called Into the Fire in my side bar. You may have also noticed that the cover has changed slightly.



Yes, that's right. It now has my Ashelyn Drake romance pen name on the book as well. Why you ask? Well, to answer that question, I'd like to share the Dear Reader letter I wrote at the start of the book.

Dear Reader,

When I set out to write Into the Fire, I thought I was writing a paranormal novel. But after I witnessed Cara and Logan together, I soon realized I wasn’t just writing a story about a Phoenix trying to save her kind. I was writing a love story. And the further I got into the novel, the more it became obvious that the book was equal parts paranormal and romance. In essence, you could remove the paranormal and have a straightforward romance, or remove the romance and have a full-fledged paranormal novel. Honestly, I prefer the blend of the two, but the tricky part became how to brand this particular series.

As many of you know, I write under two names. Kelly Hashway is my speculative fiction name, and Ashelyn Drake is my contemporary romance pen name. When it came to deciding which name should be on the cover of Into the Fire, there was really only one answer: both. For a book that is so clearly two genres, I need both my names. I hope that everyone who reads the book will agree and see why I chose to blend the names I write under.

So for the Kelly Hashway fans, I can promise you will get a Kelly Hashway paranormal novel that you are accustomed to, and Ashelyn Drake fans will get the kind of romance they are used to. It’s the best of both worlds, something for everyone.

Thank you for picking up Into the Fire. I hope you fall in love with Cara and Logan the way I have, and that you root for Cara and the Phoenixes as they fight for their lives against the Hunters.

Yours truly,
Kelly Hashway/Ashelyn Drake 

The ebook will actually release through Swoon Romance, while the paperback edition will release through Month9Books. We're embracing both genres fully, and I love it. Another change is that it was previously listed on Goodreads as a Kelly Hashway title, but it now appears as an Ashelyn Drake title. If you'd like to add it, you can find it here.

21 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the success of your two brands, Kelly. Not to mention, your picture books! I'm sure it can be overwhelming with both pen names but we must write about the ideas which reside within our heart. If that means having several pen names, then it must be done. I'm still figuring out a way to juggle my brands which has proved to be a learning experience.
    Best of luck with Into the Fire and The Monster Within! I've mentioned this but again, will be looking forward to reading them=) Have a beautiful weekend and I hope your construction goes well!

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    1. Thanks, Gina. The construction has been crazy. I'm going home tomorrow and have to leave again Monday. *sigh*

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  2. Interesting route to the shelf. Best of luck on both as they sound like fantastic stories. I'll add them to my growing list of books I need to read.

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  3. Sounds like you've been busy even with all the construction going on. We're fixing to have a lot of construction going on in our home beginning Monday morning. See you then! :)

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  4. I think you made the right choice with including both of your publishing names on the cover. It also helps your paranormal fans become interested in your contemporary romance writing side, and vice versa.

    I also prefer the blend of elements. In my series, the supernatural and romance are pretty darn close to being equal. Just like I try to do the same with my romantic-suspense stories. :)

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    1. I'm glad you think so. I was worried how people would react .

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  5. Ooo, Ashelyn's exploring her paranormal side. Gotta love it! :-)

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  6. That's cool, including your two brands in one book. You'll get fans of one brand to try the other. Sounds like you made the right decision. Good luck!

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  7. Well, that's just cool! And release day is getting closer, bit by summery bit. =)

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  8. Blending your genres can certainly be a good thing!

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  9. This is cool! Into the fire will be an interesting read.

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  10. Love the cover and it seems very fitting that both names are on the cover. :) Best of luck to you!

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    1. Thanks, Jess. I'm happy with it, and I'm glad everyone seems to be too. :)

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  11. Best of luck with this book, too, Kelly!

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