My Nineteenth Anthology Publication – Saltwater and Ash by Micromance Magazine
I’m beyond excited to share that my young adult romantasy, “A Sealed Promise,” is out in Saltwater and Ash by Micromance Magazine.
You can grab a copy as an ebook or paperback on Amazon.
Getting FOMO on New Year’s Eve
When the submission call got announced, I was obsessed with the concept. I love writing romantic and folkloric tales, so I added Saltwater and Ash to my list.
No matter how hard I tried to come up with an idea, nothing stuck. Months passed, and I kept hitting a wall. This rarely happens to me. Eventually, I got frustrated and decided to sit this anthology out.
But then, New Year’s Eve rolled around.
And when was the deadline?
New Year’s Eve.
So, what happened?
My frenemy, FOMO, struck me like a lightning bolt.
I woke up on the last day of 2025 and chose chaos because there was no way I could skip Saltwater and Ash. So, before I even ate breakfast, I dove into a research rabbit hole.
The stories in the anthology feature mythical creatures related to water and fire. Since I’m not the biggest fan of mermaids and dragons, I wanted to choose a different creature. I ended up picking two, a siren and a selkie.
By the time I finished breakfast, I had my idea, but the submission window would close when the ball dropped. So, I had no time to chill.
In a matter of hours, I drafted the story, revised it, reread it, revised it again, agonized over line edits, proofed for typos, and submitted. Because I waited to the last minute, I couldn’t get feedback from friends, so I hoped that I polish the story well enough on my own.
After spending weeks in submission purgatory, I received the email letting me know that “A Sealed Promise” was selected for the anthology.
So, my chaotic choice to cram my whole process into a few hours to submit the day of the deadline had a happy ending. This was insanely stressful, though. Zero slash ten, do not recommend.
A Peek Into “A Sealed Promise”
“A Sealed Promise” is a young adult romantasy with sea folklore and thriller undertones. Though I love the ocean, I’m a little scared of what lurks under the surface, and that fear is woven through this tale.
All Leana wants is to reach the island off the coast of Scotland where she shared her first kiss with her boyfriend, Morven. But her night swim gets interrupted by an enchanting song that lures her beneath the waves. Being a flutist, she’s drown to the music, not recognizing the song for what it is, since she doesn’t believe in folklore. A girl grabs Leana’s ankles and drags her down, but with Morven’s name in her mind, she breaks free. Still, she’s struggles to accept that the girl who was trying to drown her was a siren with a deadly voice. While swimming toward the island with the siren still hunting her, Leana is rescued by a seal that brings her safely to land, but she soon realizes her love story is just as folkloric as the sea.
Opening My Copy of Saltwater and Ash
The anthology was published at the end of March, and my paperback came a few weeks after. You can watch my video opening the book on YouTube.
Thanks to FOMO and my unhinged New Year’s Eve, I got to hold this book in my hands.
Thank you so much to Gail and Desirae for giving “A Sealed Promise” a home in Saltwater and Ash. I’m honored to be included in this fabulous anthology.
A little part of me believes in folklore, so I won’t be swimming in the sea off the coast of Scotland any time soon.