darkemeralds. At last! (Reply)

I am pleased to announce the official publication of Restraint.

The journey from fanfic to published novel has been a long one. It involved a steep learning curve, certification as an editor, and eleven full drafts over three years.

The resulting novel is 43% smaller than its fanfic original. Its average chapter length dropped from 3600 to 2100 words. I toned down the period language a bit. Tightened up the plot. Cut a few characters and a couple of subplots.

And yeah, deleted a lot of scenes, some of them beloved. Those were hard decisions. But I think it's a better story now.

Its heart remains the same. It's still the romantic, bittersweet story of lifelong forbidden love between a portrait artist and a nobleman who face down gossip, blackmail, and censure to be together any way they can.

a word-cloud in earth tones on a black background, featuring John, Tristan, and keywords from the novel Restraint

a word-cloud in earth tones on a black background, featuring John, Tristan, and keywords from the novel Restraint

Anne Hawley aka DarkEmeralds holding a copy of her novel Restraint

You can get it now in print and Kindle from Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, and Amazon Australia.

And Iif you do, 'd be so pleased and honored if you wanted to write me a little Amazon or Goodreads review, and tell your friends.