# https://annieatkin.com ## Posts - [My Debut Novel Comes Out SO SOON!](https://annieatkin.com/my-debut-novel-comes-out-so-soon/): Barely more than a week (8 days to be exact) until DEVIL IN THE DAYLIGHT hits shelves! Have you pre-ordered yet? No pressure (okay, maybe a tiny bit of “puppy-eyes, pretty-please” pressure), but it’s available in ebook or paperback from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  Can’t wait that long? We’re still open to ARC readers who want to read early for free in exchange for an honest review. And since I know most of our current ARC readers, I’m planning to avoid reading any reviews—that’s what husbands, best friends, and editors are for. They’ll give me the feedback and any ... Read more - [How Is It October?](https://annieatkin.com/how-is-it-october/): We have less than a month to go before DEVIL IN THE DAYLIGHT is out in stores! I know we’re down to crunch time, but I’m opening up applications for Advance Reader Copies in exchange for an honest review—if interested, please fill out this form by 10/27 to potentially receive a copy of my book at least a week early! As for the book itself? I’m sharing the cover here before it goes out anywhere else! Enjoy your first look at this beauty: - [Gunpowder](https://annieatkin.com/gunpowder/): Sneak a peek at Jedidiah Dawson--before he became a notorious outlaw! - [Let the countdown begin…](https://annieatkin.com/let-the-countdown-begin/): We can start counting down because DEVIL IN THE DAYLIGHT is out of edits and into production!! Soon I’ll be able to share things like the cover reveal, signups for Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs), pre-order links, and more! For now, the most recent update I have is we are targeting a November 4th release date.   Meanwhile, BLOOD AND WATER has entered edits! In fact, my editor has already sent me her developmental edit letter, with minimal suggestions. This book of my heart could very well fly through the process (as quickly as anything can “fly” in the publishing world), and ... Read more - [Publishing Update](https://annieatkin.com/publishing-update/): This is likely very overdue—despite publication of my books being in the works for some time now, it still feels like a whirlwind! So here’s a quick update: My debut novel, Devil in the Daylight, is currently in plans to be released before the end of the year! I don’t have a concrete date, but if you watch this space (and/or follow me on all the socials), I’ll share pre-order information as soon as I get it! DEVIL IN THE DAYLIGHT Vengeance was her missionFalling for the outlaw was never part of the plan Maggie Bennett has spent months waiting ... Read more - [Darling in the Daylight](https://annieatkin.com/darling-in-the-daylight/): I’d eat an entire yard of lace before admitting it out loud, but the bonnets in the front window of Hoffsteder’s General Store are some of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen. The center one, made of straw plaited with emerald velvet, sports a wide brim, one side turned up, and spills ribbons and silk flowers down the back. An actual stuffed bird perches atop it, looking so real I half expect it to burst into song.  Ma’s always going on about how emerald sets off the green in my pond-water eyes, and for once, I’m curious. Pa’s in my ... Read more - [2021 - Books Read](https://annieatkin.com/2021-books-read/): In 2021, I ended up reading about 80 books. I expanded beyond my usual preference for YA, checking out different fiction genres as well as a ton of nonfiction. My biggest secret? Reading two books at once–generally fiction on my kindle for about an hour before I fell asleep each night, and nonfiction throughout the day, while eating breakfast, brushing my teeth, during commercial breaks I couldn’t fast forward through… Favorite Fiction: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake – Alexis HallFavorite Nonfiction: A None’s Story – Corinna NicalouHonorable Mentions (because choosing is hard!): Concrete Rose – Angie ThomasThe Guinevere Deception – ... Read more - [DITD - Soundtrack](https://annieatkin.com/ditd-soundtrack/): If you know me, you know music is integral to my writing process. A song can inspire an entire scene, layout the motivations for a character, or perfectly encapsulate the mood. If there’s one song that kick-started my drafting Devil in the Daylight, it’s “Gun In My Hand” by Dorothy. The title was inspired by “Hallelujah” by Reuben and the Dark. Read on for the top 25 songs that went into the making of my most recent project. Hallelujah – Reuben and the Dark Gravedigger’s Chant – Zeal & Ardor Outlaw – The Phantoms Ain’t No Angel – Ron Pope ... Read more - [Devil in the Daylight](https://annieatkin.com/devil-in-the-daylight/): Quick update on Blood and Water: I’ve been sent back to the drawing board with some suggestions from agents to revise and resubmit. I also read through it again recently, after having shelved it for almost a year, and I flippin loved it. So the good news is I have a spark of hope reignited for Solvi and her story. The thing is, to give myself a break, a bit of a palate cleanser, I started jotting down some of the ideas for one of the many story half-thoughts tumbling around my brain. The ideas turned into scenes, and then ... Read more - [Reflections on a Decade](https://annieatkin.com/reflections-on-a-decade/): I’ve been writing for over a decade now. I started in high school, though the stories I wrote then are so cringe-worthy I’d rather burn them than count them toward any sort of writing tally. In college, though, I took several creative writing courses, which helped me hone my craft and gave me a bit more direction. I started several novels in college and the years immediately after, a couple of which I’ve tinkered with as recently as a couple years ago. I fell in love with so many characters, most of whom are still waiting for me to get ... Read more - [Sticks and Stones and Broken Stories](https://annieatkin.com/sticks-and-stones-and-broken-stories/): What's in a sequel? Everything, apparently... - [Status Update - January 2020](https://annieatkin.com/status-update-january-2020/): Well, it happened. One of the three agents considering representing my manuscript passed on it this week. I got the email at work, which I think contributed to the initial numbness I felt. Driving home, sure, I cried—it’s devastating news, after all. Except, I didn’t ever feel devastated. Deeply disappointed? Absolutely. A little heart broken? Maybe… But alongside the sad feelings remained this certainty that this isn’t the end of the road. Rather than fear this is an indictment on my story—on my entire craft—I knew, in the marrow of my bones, I’m far from finished. I love Solvi and ... Read more - [They Said it's All Been Done, But They Haven't Seen the Best of Me](https://annieatkin.com/they-said-its-all-been-done-but-they-havent-seen-the-best-of-me/): If my life is a song, right now it’s “High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco on repeat. I alluded to the epic high I’ve been riding this week in an Instagram post the other day, but let me just tell you all about it. As you already know, last week an agent reached out asking to read my first three chapters. At that point, my success-total was: 1 agent with my first 50 pages, 1 agent with my full manuscript, and now 1 agent with my first 3 chapters. Last weekend, that same agency reached back out asking for ... Read more - [Query Update - January 2020](https://annieatkin.com/query-update-january-2020/): As of now, my full manuscript is still with an agent, and TWO other agents have my partial story. That’s right, my first response of the new year was a request rather than rejection, which is a lovely way to start 2020! I don’t have a timeframe for when I’ll hear back—if I’ve learned anything, it’s that agents are swamped with queries and clients plus other jobs to pay the bills, so patience is key (and pretending to forget your manuscript is pending is essential for maintaining sanity). So, deep breath, Blood and Water is still kicking out there, and ... Read more - [Magic](https://annieatkin.com/magic/): I felt it when my block broke this week. Normally, I don’t realize I’ve made it through a bout of writer’s block until I’m well on the other side, elbow-deep in fresh words. This time, though, I can pinpoint the moment it happened. My husband and I were eating dinner at what is fast becoming our favorite local bar. I sipped an excellent Old Fashioned and listened to him recount the mundane horrors of his work day. The bartender poured a frothy, butter-yellow drink into a cocktail coupe, a tea candle’s flickering light reflecting off the glass, and a tingle ... Read more - [A Walk](https://annieatkin.com/a-walk/): Life is hard, and by that I mean busy, and I’ve been particularly homesick this week. The good news is: I’ve been writing a little! The bad news: it has nothing to do with anything except Forest Park. I already shared it on my personal blog, but I’ll share it here as well. Wanna take a walk with me? Today is one of those achingly beautiful days. The sky is painfully blue, a blue you could gladly drown in, and the sun bathes the multi-colored trees golden. Each breath is crisp with decaying leaves and the promise of frost. Cars ... Read more - [Reflections](https://annieatkin.com/reflections/): I have hit the strangest writing block of my life. It’s been almost three months since I’ve written anything substantial, and normally I would be a little panicky and/or depressed by this (and both are there, lurking just out of sight, giving me flutters of anxiety and making me sob at random and inconvenient moments). I’m just not freaking out about it…yet. It’s not that I don’t have ideas; there are dozens crashing into each other in my head. Old story concepts resurfacing (some sort of dystopian, Fast and Furious-type action novel, or that WWII story that will *someday* be ... Read more - [High Hopes](https://annieatkin.com/high-hopes/): Querying is hard. That’s kind of a no-brainer–crafting a business letter to basically say “I promise my story is good, please give me a chance!” is as bad as writing a cover letter for a job (I mean, essentially, it’s the same thing). For me, it’s been disheartening and nerve-wracking and left me wanting to pull my hair out. I wrote a freaking novel–please don’t make me condense the plot into a single-page synopsis! Sending out queries is terrifying, too, because I don’t know if the base of my letter is any good. I’ve poured over blogs and revised, revised, ... Read more - [B&W Playlists: The Couple](https://annieatkin.com/bw-playlists-the-couple/): I’ve re-written this opening to avoid some minor spoilers surrounding Solvi and her love interest(s) in Blood and Water (and beyond). As the author, it was obvious from the start which character would capture her heart, but in my critique circles people have come to shipping them (or not) at varying paces, so I’ll refrain from confirmations and just provide you with the top songs I’ve listened to while writing the main couple’s love story (or lack thereof…dun dun dun…) across 2 books. You’re the One That I Want – Chadwick Stokes Hideaway (Acoustic) – Dan Owens The Few Things ... Read more - [Solvi - Leika's Bonfire (Pt. II)](https://annieatkin.com/solvi-leikas-bonfire-pt-ii/): As the midnight sun paints the world gray, I make my way toward the temple and the evening’s festivities. Gunda waits for me outside her longhouse. My best friend has always been one of the prettiest girls in Torblirost, and tonight is no exception. Her silver-blonde hair is twisted into a braided crown around her head and threaded through with blue cornflowers that match her eyes. Dark sweeps of kohl point into her temples, giving her the appearance of elongated cat-eyes. She smiles when she spots me walking toward her. “I’d started to think you weren’t coming.” She takes my ... Read more - [Solvi - Leika's Bonfire (Pt. I)](https://annieatkin.com/solvi-leikas-bonfire-pt-i/): Tonight is my first visit to Leika’s Bonfire. I was eligible last year, but we had just lost Ulf. It didn’t feel right to celebrate love when my heart was broken. This year, I’m excited by the prospect of matching with one of the village boys I don’t know very well. Whether or not the connection lasts, I’m looking forward to interacting with someone other than my brothers or one of the fishermen who share their vessels with me each summer.  Maiken has taken time out of her busy day to help me prepare for the big night. She gives ... Read more - [Querying](https://annieatkin.com/querying/): Well, I did it! I sent out a query letter to a handful of agents! I’ve got to polish my synopsis and try to ease off tweaking my manuscript because it is time, baby! Or maybe not–I’ve got another list of agents to query next week. I’m hedging my bets a little bit and leaving myself options if my query or first few pages don’t seem to hook anyone in this first round. There’s always room for improvement, so if I’m being completely honest, I’m not going to stop tweaking my query letter or my story until I start getting ... Read more - [Pantheon of Blood and Water](https://annieatkin.com/pantheon-of-blood-and-water/): There are a lot of gods in my book Blood and Water. Most of them are based in some way on Norse mythology, but I’ve pulled inspiration from other religions and mythologies as well. I’ve compiled my pantheon here: Vöder: aka the Allfather, ruler of the gods and overseer of Fallne Hallen Gull: aka the Divine Mother, protector of home, families, and small children Hel (former): sister to the Allfather, goddess of life and death, darkness and light, and overseer of the afterlife. After a dispute with Gull, Hel was split into two entities: Alfra: goddess of light, life, summer, sun Audhild: goddess of ... Read more - [B&W Playlist: Maiken](https://annieatkin.com/bw-playlist-maiken/): Due to our recent move halfway across the country, I’ve done a LOT of listening to music while packing/unpacking/relaxing by the pool to recharge after all that packing and unpacking. 😉 I already shared my main playlist for Blood and Water, but there are so many more songs that went into that novel (some I’m still discovering that fit so perfectly with a scene or mood), and even more that encapsulate particular characters. Why not share them?? I figured I’d start things off with my personal favorite (don’t tell the others): Maiken. Solvi’s older sister is brusque and fierce, with ... Read more - [Never-Ending Edits](https://annieatkin.com/never-ending-edits/): I’m currently on draft number who-even-knows-anymore of my work in progress, Blood and Water. The cool thing is, every time I finish a draft, I feel really confident in it, like it’s the best I could ever accomplish. (To be fair, it really is my best work at that point in my life.) Then I get to see how much I’ve grown as a writer when I return to that draft a few weeks later and think “this is actually kind of garbage.” So I revise and rewrite and get a new draft I love so much. The thing is, ... Read more - [Writing Vacation](https://annieatkin.com/writing-vacation/): Last week was a crazy adventure. In the course of 9 days, I spent over 24 hours in a car, 3 hours on a plane, and traveled to 5 cities in 5 different states to see friends, family, and watch the St. Louis Blues bring home the Stanley Cup (#LGB!). This came at a really opportune time, because I’ve reached my wits end with the current draft of my novel. I still believe it in, but I’m so, so tired of it. There are about two chapters waiting for complete overhauls that I have not been able to stir up ... Read more - [Blood and Water: Playlist](https://annieatkin.com/blood-and-water-playlist/): I’ve got a few hundred “inspirational” songs that have gone into writing Blood and Water. I’ve narrowed them down and compiled a list of 21 songs that I think best represent most of the novel, and/or were the most influential for some scenes. The entire playlist can be found on YouTube. Enjoy! Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin Kvervandi – Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik (one of the “Viking”-esque songs I listened to on repeat for the fight scenes–Plus this one’s by Einar, I mean, come on!) Wolves – Sam Tinnesz, Silverberg Hunter – Adam French The Pines ... Read more - [The First Raid](https://annieatkin.com/the-first-raid/): Solvi: Mam is buried beneath her blankets again. It’s been two days, but still she refuses to rise. Maiken burned the stew she reheated for breakfast—again. Now, it’s nearing dinnertime, and Mam doesn’t stir. Papa, Ulf, and Tarben will return soon, but the longhouse is empty of the scents that usually greet them. No one seems to be very hungry, which is good because Mam isn’t cooking. I wonder what’s wrong with me, then, that my stomach won’t stop growling. Why doesn’t my body understand like the others’ that now is not the time for petty things like food or ... Read more - [Blood and Water](https://annieatkin.com/blood-and-water/): I am in hardcore editing-mode of my first novel, working title Blood and Water. Still, the creative side of me is hard to turn off. I love exploring ideas by writing short scenes and discovering the memories each of my characters hold dear. Soon I will begin to share some of these scenes. Hopefully, it gets readers interested in my characters and as excited about their upcoming story as I am. Either way, it will be a good outlet for some of my creative moments that still keeps me grounded in the story I’m telling. Enjoy! - [The First](https://annieatkin.com/the-first/): Hello and Welcome! I have just finished my first draft of my novel, so perhaps I am being a bit presumptive with this site. In truth, I created it two years ago when I was nearing the finish of a very different series — one that ended up in so many re-writes that I set it aside for a time. My most recent book follows Solvi, a seventeen-year-old warrior trying to find her place amongst her people. A raid on her village sets her life on a path she could not have foreseen. Friends betray her, enemies surprise her, and ... Read more ## Pages - [Blog](https://annieatkin.com/blog/) - [Books](https://annieatkin.com/books/): Devil in the Daylight Maggie Bennett wants to see her father’s killer hanged, but bringing the outlaw to justice means confronting her own secrets, and risking her heart along the way. Get it now! Amazon Barnes & Noble Walmart Bookshop Books-A-Million Reading playlist “Hallelujah” by Reuben and the Dark“Gun In My Hand” by Dorothy“Liar” by Noah Cyrus Blood and Water COMING SOON - [Home](https://annieatkin.com/): Annie Atkin / Writer / Amateur Bagel BakerJigsaw Puzzle ExpertLover of SweatersLaundry Slacker Blood and Water coming Fall 2026! There’s no wrong way to chase your dreams. Annie Atkin is an author with a flair for writing fast-paced stories about stubborn, fiery women taking on a man’s world. Whether that’s in the crosshairs of the Wild West or the snow-covered sheen of the viking longhouse. Her tales remind readers that mistakes are all part of the refining process in the journey of finding inner strength. Her debut novel, Devil in the Daylight, features a strong female protagonist, lush setting, and a ... Read more - [Contact](https://annieatkin.com/contact/): This is just a short excerpt for the contact page. - [About](https://annieatkin.com/about/): This is just a short excerpt for the about page. [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)