ERIN HALBMAIER

“If she had been in his boots, she would already have given herself a sleeping draught, tossed her unconscious body over the horse’s withers, and ridden as fast as possible just to get it over with.”

If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ve heard me mention the next story in the series. It’s been less noticeable on social media, since I’ve pretty much just posted funny dictation errors and a few WIP Wednesday quotes.

But it’s with beta readers, and I’m super excited to get it back from them and begin the edits! At 133k words, it will probably be longer than the other books even after I reduce my wordiness, fix too-long sentences, and cut bits that were necessary for me to work out the scene…but aren’t necessary to understand the story and only slow things down. And I LOVE this story!

Now, I know what you’re thinking – I’m the author, so I’m supposed to love it, right? In theory…but sometimes in the middle of writing a story, the love isn’t there. 😂 I experienced that a few times in Arrows and Gems, and the feeling is likely to return once I begin my endless edits.

If you’ve read Slippers and Thorns or Spirits and Pacts, you’ve already met the leading lady. Helena thinks the rules are meant for those who care and just get in the way of those who don’t. She’s reckless, covers her vulnerability with anger, and loves her bow more than she does most people.

But she also feels abandoned because her father sent her to a remote castle after she was cursed. The twelve years she missed while she was asleep have thrown her out of sync with the world around her, and it feels as if everyone would be happier if she’d never woken up. She’s twenty-six years old, but her mind is still a teen.

And now the council is forcing her to choose a husband by the end of the year…so she runs away rather than deal with her unwanted suitors. Because running from your problems works, right?

It’s even better when you run into a grumpy bandit who thinks his enemy sent you to entrap him.

February 28, 2025 is the release date for this enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity retelling of Robin Hood and Snow White and Rose Red. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon!