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    About

    About Rebecca:

    Rebecca Ross was born and raised in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, her lively Australian Shepherd, and her endless piles of books. She loves coffee, the night sky, chalk art, maps, the mountains, and growing wildflowers in her yard. And a good story, of course.

     

    She was a girl of words and stars and iron…

     

    beccajross

    Rebecca Ross 🌙
    First pass pages for DREAMS have arrived! This is First pass pages for DREAMS have arrived! This is my first time seeing the book in typeset, and I all but swooned when I saw how whimsical the title page and the chapters headers are! I’m simply in love with the design of this book, and I can’t wait for y’all to read & experience it for yourselves. ✨

This is one of my favorite stages of the editing process, and it means this book is almost a final draft! I’m juggling multiple deadlines at the moment, but it feels good to busy and to see progress being made, day by day. ✨

Swipe to see a little glimpse of Chapter 5, when someone* sweeps into town and Clem’s life. 

[*the handsome rival 🔥]

Hope you all are having a lovely weekend! ✨
    I love how the portrait mode of my phone makes it I love how the portrait mode of my phone makes it look like these dried sea oats are magically floating on my desk. ✨ Today, I’m combing through #ink (the manuscript I finished drafting earlier this week). My critique partner has been reading it chapter by chapter, and has given me some wonderful insight, so it’s time for me to begin reworking things. Here’s a classic conversation between us:

My CP: How is [redacted but a certain magical thing] happening? What’s the explanation?

Me: Umm...I don’t know. 😅

Alas, the troubles of pantsing a story. Sometimes you don’t fully know how everything connects in the first draft. But I’ve taken the morning to brainstorm in my journal, and I have some good ideas now that will help me weave this second draft together in a stronger way. After I get the manuscript cleaned up, I’ll send it off to my agent to see what she thinks about it! 💛

I hope you all are having a lovely Saturday! Are you writing, reading, working, relaxing? ✨
    Last night, I finished the first draft of my next Last night, I finished the first draft of my next young adult manuscript! After coming through a year of creative drought (2020), I was beginning to feel like I wouldn’t experience that excited spark of storytelling for a long while. So I was taken by utter surprise when I started writing this book on November 21.

I thought, “Well, I haven’t drafted something new in about eleven months now, so I might as well see where these characters take me.” And I began to write chapter after chapter, expecting nothing from this book. I wanted to write simply to fall back in love with writing itself. And suddenly, I couldn’t sleep at night, because I kept thinking about this story. It haunted me during the day as well, and I had no idea where it was leading me but I trusted it. 

And I’m so happy that I did. Because now it’s a first draft. 

I shared some updates in my stories about reaching the end (you can find them under my “Writing Life” highlights). I can’t even describe how much your encouragement kept me going in those final hours. And a few of you asked me to share more drafting-behind-the-scenes in the future, so I’m hoping to do it again, but from the beginning this time. 

I wanted to share this with you, because some of my best writing has emerged after months of feeling completely empty of words and ideas. And if you’re also in a season where creativity feels meager, I hope that you rest and refuel and then keep going. There’s old, powerful magic in storytelling, and I think sometimes it burns the brightest when you’re least expecting it to.
    Thank you so much for all the cover love yesterday Thank you so much for all the cover love yesterday! It was such an amazing day and I’m so happy y’all love this cover as much as me. ☺️ I know there have been quite a few questions regarding DREAMS LIE BENEATH, so here’s a quick FAQ:

✨ When is the pub date for DREAMS?

A: It’s releasing this autumn—November 2, 2021! (Which just so happens to be one of my little sister’s birthdays, so it’s a magical day!).

✨Will there be ARCs (Advance Reader Copies)?

A: There won’t be any printed ARCs, which is definitely a bummer. However, there will be electronic ARCs available, and I’ll be giving some of these away soon! I believe they should also be available to request on Netgalley soon. 

✨ Is there going to be a map?

A: YES! It’s absolutely gorgeous and I’ll be unveiling it soon! 😍

✨ Can I pre-order DREAMS yet?

A: Yes! It’s available for pre-order at my local indie bookstore, Avid, and at Barnes & Noble. I believe all other purchase links will go live next week. 

✨ Will you be hosting a street team for this book?

A: Alas, no. Not this time. 

✨ Will you be doing a pre-order campaign?

A: YES! So if you pre-order, hold onto your receipts! The campaign will be announced closer to release date. 

✨ Is this the start of a new series?

A: No, this is a young adult fantasy standalone. 

✨ What can I expect from this book?

An ambitious magician who turns half of her heart into stone to wear a magical disguise.

A Mr. Darcy inspired love interest, with hidden scars and a secret. 

A curse bound to the mountains and the moon. 

Enchanted nightmares.

A dash of political intrigue. 

Enemies to lovers. 💚
    It’s here! I’m so excited to share the cover f It’s here! I’m so excited to share the cover for my next young adult fantasy, DREAMS LIE BENEATH! ✨ Cover design is by the lovely @mollyfehr & the illustration is by @anniestegg (whose art I have long admired!). Swipe to get a closer look!

I’m over the moon in love with this cover, and I can’t wait for all of you to meet my new heroine, Clem. Join me tonight at 8 PM EST for a live chat, where I’ll talk more about the book and read the first chapter!

In the meantime, you can add DREAMS on Goodreads (link in bio). 

And if you’re wondering what this book is about...here’s the pitch:

The realm of Azenor has been cursed—every new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountains and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between the people and their worst dreams. 

Clementine Madigan is ready to follow in her father’s footsteps as the warden of Hereswith, even though she yearns to study the wilder side of magic. Instead, she must record townspeople’s nightmares, so she and her father are prepared for the danger of the new moon. 

When her father’s domain is challenged by two magicians, Clementine is drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge on one of the brothers who dueled with her father, but as she gets closer to the handsome young magician, secrets begin to rise. And Clem, once keen on vengeance, must unite with her rival and face the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn. 🖤
    Here we go, friends! The cover reveal for DREAMS L Here we go, friends! The cover reveal for DREAMS LIE BENEATH will be happening tomorrow—Monday February 8th—at noon EST! Right here on my Instagram. ✨

I’ll be celebrating with a live chat at 8:00 PM tomorrow to (finally!) share more about this book annnnnnd I’ll also be reading the first chapter! And I have to say that this book probably has my favorite first chapter I’ve ever written. So I hope you can join me! ✨
    3 years ago today, THE QUEEN’S RISING debuted. I 3 years ago today, THE QUEEN’S RISING debuted. It’s hard to believe how much time has passed (and how many other books I’ve written since then!), but Brienna’s story was the one that changed my life and set me on this path. And I’m so thankful for all of you who’ve joined me on this adventure. 

What’s the first book you remember reading that changed you? For me, it’s MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE. I was 12, and it was the first time I experienced a book hangover. I was so inspired and then sad for days after I finished it, and I eventually told myself that I’d simply have to write my own story to get over it. And I never stopped writing. 🖤
    Next week, I’m unveiling something very pretty & Next week, I’m unveiling something very pretty & book shaped, and I’m beyond excited to finally be able to share it with y’all!✨

Any guesses? ☺️
    Things on my desk today: A wood wick candle that Things on my desk today:

A wood wick candle that crackles🔥
Dried flowers & ferns 🌿
Research books 📚
A pipe for good measure 💨 
My journal full of story notes 🌙
This absolutely beautiful calendar made by @septemberwildflowers ✨

I’m getting closer to writing a scene that I’ve been envisioning for MONTHS now, and I’m equally excited and terrified. As a discovery writer, I often don’t know all the in’s and out’s of my plots, but I can foresee pivotal scenes in a visceral way. And those visions guide me through the woods, until I reach THE moment it’s time to write them, and it’s suddenly like breaking the surface of a deep lake. 

It’s one of my favorite things about drafting. 

ICYMI, I’ll be going live at 7 PM EST tonight to talk about querying and how I got my agent. Hope to see y’all there!
    January IG Live Chat: How I Got My Agent ✨ Earl January IG Live Chat: How I Got My Agent ✨

Earlier this week, I shared a poll and most of you voted for weekends & evenings as the best time for a live chat. In the future, I’ll try to do some earlier times as well, in case evenings aren’t a good time for you. 

Without further ado, I’m excited to finally share the details for this first 2021 chat:

When: Saturday January 30th

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Where: Right here on my Instagram Live

The Chat: I’ll be sharing the resources that helped me write my query, the ingredients of a good query, as well as the steps I took to find my agent and how it all came to be. Most of all, I want to be able to help answer YOUR questions about the querying process, so if there’s one you want to make sure I answer, go ahead and drop it in the comments below. 

Also, let me know if you’re planning on joining! I hope to see y’all there! ✨

P.S.— I will be saving this live so it can be watched afterward, but all this to say...in my last live, my IG app spontaneously shut down and I lost the majority of that chat. So I guess there’s always a possibility it could happen again, but hoping it doesn’t. 🤞
    Hi friends! It’s been a while since I posted. To Hi friends! It’s been a while since I posted. To be honest, I took some time away from social media to focus on personal things, and I feel renewed retuning to it. How are you?

The topic for my first IG Live chat has been chosen, and if you are an aspiring author about to query (or currently in the query trenches) then you will want to tune in! (I’ll share all the details soon).

I don’t have a day or time scheduled for the live yet because I want feedback from you. What works best with your schedule?

Weekdays or weekends?
Mornings, afternoons or evenings?

I’ll do my best to plan the chat so most of you can join live (and I will also save it afterwards). I have a poll in my stories too so you can vote there. 

More info to come soon, and it’s so good to see y’all again!
    What a year. 💥 I’m going to jump on IG live What a year. 💥 

I’m going to jump on IG live today at 2 PM EST to talk about the letter I finally opened (which my past self wrote) and to also share some things to come in 2021. I hope you’ll be able to join me because I’d love to check in with you and quietly revel in this last day of 2020 with friends. 

Happy New Year’s Eve! ✨
    Some of my favorite reads this year! 📚 If I’m Some of my favorite reads this year! 📚 If I’m honest, I didn’t read nearly as many books as I would have liked. But these five books were magical for me. 

I buddy read Jemisin’s The Broken Earth Trilogy with @valialind , and it was such a fun experience to read these intricate, amazing novels with a friend. ✨

I read SPLINTERS OF SCARLET by @emilybainmurphy way back in January of this year, and still get that wonderful, nostalgic feeling when I think back on the story. ❤️

And I’m so thrilled to be joining @gamwyn ‘s virtual launch for INTO THE HEARTLESS WOOD, which completely swept me away, on January 12th! Visit Joanna’s profile to find all the details! 🌿

What were some of your favorite books this year? ✨
    Happy Christmas Eve! ✨ I edited 50 pages of DREA Happy Christmas Eve! ✨ I edited 50 pages of DREAMS and walked 2 miles and now I’m going to shut my laptop and enjoy the rest of the day with my better half and pup. I hope you and yours are enjoying the holiday season! 🖤
    Copy edits for DREAMS landed in my inbox last week Copy edits for DREAMS landed in my inbox last week, and I’ve been steadily making my way through them. Every time I reach this stage of revisions, I’m eternally grateful for & find myself in awe of my copy editor—they fix my “grey” into “gray” and my “farther” into “further” and my never ending quandary of “lay” versus “lie” and make sure my math of “they traveled for three days” actually adds up to three days in the manuscript. 🖤✨ Also... we’re one step closer to DREAMS becoming a finished book!
    Earlier this year, I wrote my future self three le Earlier this year, I wrote my future self three letters—one to open on the last day of 2020, one to open in 3 years, and one to open in a decade. Some of y’all might remember this (I shared a post about it), and I’m honestly very excited to open this first letter on December 31st. ✨ When I sat down to write these letters, it was the beginning of March. A very uncertain time, and I remember thinking, “I have no idea how different my life might be by the time I read these letters.” It was a sobering feeling, and yet here I am, eleven days away from the last day of this wild year. ✨ Have you ever written your future self a letter? I think I might start marking a tradition of it.
    🌿Announcement Post🌿 Happy Saturday friends! 🌿Announcement Post🌿

Happy Saturday friends! I’ve randomly chosen the winners for my 3 Prize Giveaway! They are as follows:

✨ Prize # 1: @charliewritewithme 
✨Prize # 2: @sne_k22 
✨Prize # 3: @aquinnahbree 

Congratulations! Please DM me your mailing address. And thank you so much to everyone who entered! 🌿
    GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Winners will be announced GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Winners will be announced soon! ✨3 PRIZE GIVEAWAY ✨

All right friends. Here we go. Please read through this carefully if you plan to enter. I have 3 different prizes up for grabs—swipe to see all the details and some close ups. 

✨PRIZE 1:✨
*A hardback signed copy of SISTERS 
*Character Art by @gabriella.bujdoso 
*2 candles—“Evadne” & “Halcyon”—made by @wickandjanecandles 
*”The Girl Who Knew the Taste of Flight” Bookmark by Ink & Wonder
*4 myth cards, made by yours truly, which features the myth found in the book. 
*An enamel pin by @shinyapplestudio 

✨PRIZE 2:✨
*Signed paperbacks of RISING & RESISTANCE 
*Character Art by @yara.noe 
*”Your Queen has Returned, and She Is A Striking Light in the Darkness” Woodmark by Ink & Wonder
*”Let the Queen Rise” pushpin
*”The Summer Solstice” candle made by @novellyyours 

✨PRIZE 3:✨
*Your choice of 2 of my foreign editions (German, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Spanish).

✨HOW TO ENTER:✨
🌻Follow this account 
🌙Tag 2 friends
⚡️In the comments, say which prize you would like (prize 1, prize 2, or prize 3).

✨OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS:✨
*There will be 3 different winners—one for each prize. 
*This is open to international readers, but please make sure your country is currently accepting mail from the US.
*Giveaway will end on Thursday December 17th at 9 PM EST.
*Winners will be randomly drawn from the comments and will be announced here on my IG. 
*If you are under 18 years of age, you must have consent from your guardian to enter. 

✨Good luck!! 🖤
    I’m writing this Saturday (my manuscript just re I’m writing this Saturday (my manuscript just reached 34,000 words, which means I am officially in the murky middle of the story) and I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things while drafting: 

Favorite drink while writing:
Decaf coffee ☕️ (I’m doing my best to cut back on caffeine these days 😅)

Favorite garb while writing:
Pajamas or anything soft ✨

Favorite (current) music while writing:
Audiomachine 🎶 

Favorite time to write:
Mornings ☀️ (although some scenes emerge better at night)

Favorite place to write:
My office 🌿

Fellow writers, what about you!? Comment below and let me know your five favorite things to have while writing.
    Just wanted to drop a note and say that I have a s Just wanted to drop a note and say that I have a special giveaway planned for next week! 👀 Make sure you’re following my notifications if you don’t want to miss it. (There’s going to be 3 different prizes up for grabs!). ✨ Happy Friday!
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