Magic and Fiery Kisses: A Spotlight on Tee Harlowe

Jul 31

Meet Tee Harlowe, a dedicated writer for all things magical from spellbinding fantasy romance (get ready for all the puns) and fairytale retellings that focus on strong women. Tee’s writing is a fun blend of fantasy, spice, and sass with colorful characters, settings, strength. She has written over nine novels including her popular "The Stolen Crowns" series and "Wishing For a Magical Midlife" series.

Tee’s stories are for readers who are fans of fierce heroines, banter, sass, and exciting adventures. When not writing, as Tee puts it you can find her “wrangling her children, attempting to bake, and losing to her husband at pretty much every game they play.”

Now, let's jump into a quick Q&A with Tee Harlowe, who spills the tea (I couldn’t help myself) about her inspirations, recommendations, and advice for new writers.

Q&A:

What inspired you to write fantasy romance and fairytale retelling novels?
I have always loved princess movies. I was a big Disney fan growing up, but I loved other movies too that focused on magic, love, and hope. Movies like The Princess Bride (which was based on a fantastic book), The Lord of the Rings, and so many others were always my favorite. So when I decided to write, I immediately knew I wanted to write retellings that were catered to adults. I wanted to capture the magic and whimsy and quirkiness of Disney, the feelings that it gave me growing up, but I wanted to make it more adult and infuse it with more romance and adult themes.
What keeps you motivated and inspired?
I’m a pretty intrinsically motivated person. I have always loved to write and that love of writing and telling stories has kept me motivated over the years. Now that I’m self-publishing, I definitely feel more motivated by meeting and interacting with new readers, chatting with them about my stories, hearing their excitement and theories over the worlds and characters I’ve written. All of that is super motivating for me!
What advice would you give to new writers?
Know your goals. There’s going to be a million different ways you can go about publishing or writing. There are so many paths you can take to get your books out there. At the end of the day, you have to know what your goal is and once you do, your path will become so much clearer.
What are some of your all-time favorite books, and why do they resonate with you? Are there any lesser-known gems you'd recommend to fellow readers?
I started reading romantasy before it was ever a genre. When I was thirteen my mom bought me Archangel by Sharon Shinn. That was my gateway book into fantasy romance and, though it hasn’t aged well, it still has a nostalgic place in my heart. It’s prime enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, and I cannot tell you how many times I read it over the years. I also absolutely love The Sevenwater Series by Juliet Marillier, particularly the first book, Daughter of the Forest. Anne Bishop and her Black Jewels trilogy was another big favorite of mine. All these books resonated with me because they created rich, unique worlds full of magic, romance, and adventure, which basically describes what I love to both read and write.

Sampling of Her Work:

Upcoming Releases

*(This book can be read at any point in the series as a full standalone)*

Crown of Cinders

Release Date: TBD

Quick Description: “A Hades & Persephone X Cinderella retelling about a woman who finally learns to fight back—and maybe finds love in the process.”

Includes:

Dragon shifter
Dragon slayer
Fated mates
Slow burn
Found family

*Read as she writes: Subscribe to Tee’s newsletter to read a new chapter each week of Crown of Cinders!

*(Book four in* ***Stolen Crowns****, a series of steamy standalone but interconnected fairytale retellings)*

Wilds of Wonder

Release Date: September 18, 2024

Quick Description: “An Alice in Wonderland retelling about a woman who, while hunting for magical artifacts to join an esteemed academy, must team up with her biggest rival to retrieve a stolen lightning bolt.”

Includes: