AdriAnne May/A.M. Strickland
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adriannestrickland.com
AdriAnne May/A.M. Strickland
@adriannestrickland.com
430 followers 140 following 92 posts
Author of adult romantasy: EXQUISITE RUIN ('25); and YA fantasy: LADY DRAGON ('25), COURT OF THE UNDYING SEASONS, IN THE RAVENOUS DARK, & BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR. Rep: Hannah Bowman.
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adriannestrickland.com
Lady Dragon is out today! Thanks to my publisher @fiercereads.bsky.social, my editor @diebelra.bsky.social, my agent @hannahnpbowman.com, and always my wonderful readers. I can't wait for you to meet my sapphic dragon/princess duo. ❤️🧡🤍💜
The author makes a kiss face whole holding a final copy of Lady Dragon, the art of which shows two girls holding each other while being shadowed by a dragon with spreading wings. Author's Note that reads: For anyone with itchy fingers ready to decry this book as having a political agenda, let me preempt you: Trans women are women, trans men are men, people of any gender can and should love and marry whomever they want freely and without penalty or judgment, and everyone should keep their hands off other people's uteruses. Full stop. It's becoming an increasingly dangerous world these days for women, femmes, and folks assigned female at birth, but as the old maps say when headed into uncharted territory: Here there be dragons. We're the dragons. Cross us at your own peril.
August 26, 2025 at 8:13 PM
adriannestrickland.com
EXQUISITE RUIN is officially out in the world! I'm so excited to debut in the adult space and I can't wait to connect with new readers. I hope you all enjoy getting lost in the labyrinth with Sadaré and Daesra. 🖤
March 25, 2025 at 2:54 PM
adriannestrickland.com
I absolutely hate anything to do with my own book promotion right now (what a weird time to be an author/artist) but here are some quick reminders since I do, in fact, have a book coming out next week:
March 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
adriannestrickland.com
AHHH LADY DRAGON is available for request on NetGalley!!! YA lesbian dragon fantasy, here we gooo!!

www.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
February 21, 2025 at 2:26 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Blood is red ❤️
Daesra is blue 💙
Vengeance is sweet 🗡
And daemons are too! 😈

Happy Valentine's Day! EXQUISITE RUIN is out March 25th with Gallery Books in the US and @zaffrebooks.bsky.social in the UK 😘
February 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Woot, EXQUISITE RUIN got a lovely review from Booklist! I must say, "scenes so steamy they will readers breathless" is a pretty fabulous compliment. (Just look away, family members 😂)

The book is out on March 25th with Gallery Books in the US and with @zaffrebooks.bsky.social in the UK!
A Booklist review that reads: "With scenes so steamy they will leave readers breathless, May’s adult debut is erotica with heart as it interweaves themes of facing one's basest self with finding connection and learning to love. Romantasy readers who want lots of spice (including BDSM) will enjoy."
February 12, 2025 at 5:10 PM
adriannestrickland.com
For anyone who thinks my disabled husband is courageously and nobly biking along on his e-assist trike, powering through paralysis with inspirational willpower that you someday hope to emulate, this is what he's actually doing:
A zoomed out map of the recorded trail of a bike ride A zoomed in map of that trail showing a rough outline of a penis traced in a park An even more zoomed in map of the last shape, with a box highlighting another spot within the outline The most zoomed in part showing a penis within the penis in the trail map
February 11, 2025 at 10:02 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Last day for the #BNPreorder sale! My next YA fantasy has dragons and lesbians - get 'em while they're hot! (And not yet banned!!)

Bleak jokes aside, please support (any! all!) queer books. 🖤🖤🖤

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-drago... @fiercereads.bsky.social @barnesandnoble.com
February 7, 2025 at 1:43 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Last day for the #BNPreorder sale! Make sure you get your limited first edition sprayed edges while you still can!

And make sure you get your spicy books while you still can! This one is really spicy!! 😭

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exquisite-...
February 7, 2025 at 1:34 PM
adriannestrickland.com
🚨 UK COVER REVEAL!! 🚨 It's so striking--what do you think?? Thanks so much to @zaffrebooks.bsky.social for this gorgeous take on EXQUISITE RUIN!

UK folks, you can request an ARC or preorder here! -->
geni.us/exquisite-ruin
February 6, 2025 at 4:26 PM
adriannestrickland.com
SURPRISE (not), it's the #bnpreorder sale! And I have TWO books out this year! 🖤🖤
February 5, 2025 at 3:26 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Something a little feistier for today's #sundaysnippet ...

EXQUISITE RUIN is officially out NEXT MONTH with Gallery Books/S&S! Do please check out my preorder campaign if you haven't yet. 🖤 (Link in bio.)
A book quote reads: "I will give myself to no one ... Not in any way that matters. I will not be left beholden or at anyone's mercy. And I will use this shield to forever secure for myself the armor of immortality or die trying, no matter whom I have to overcome, god or daemon."
February 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM
adriannestrickland.com
getting a lil sassy with the fascist sympathizers on threads if you want to know how my writing day is going
January 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Announcing the prèordèr campaign for EXQUISITE RUIN! If you purchase a sprayed edge first edition through
Third Place Books (link below), you'll receive: an exclusive art print, a 3" sticker, and a signed bookplate!
January 27, 2025 at 5:33 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Last day to nominate EXQUISITE RUIN for March Indie Next if you can/you're so inclined 🥹🙏 ... Booklist says it has "scenes so steamy they will leave readers breathless"!!
January 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM
adriannestrickland.com
My official pre-order campaign for my adult debut romantasy, EXQUISITE RUIN, launches tomorrow! 👀 In the meantime, please enjoy this #sundaysnippet where everything is totally fine. :)
A book quote reads: "His ability to destroy me just became as painfully clear to me as the depth of our bond, and no flimsy truce can protect me from that. Opposing forces that are drawn together so powerfully can only explode in violence."
January 26, 2025 at 11:52 AM
adriannestrickland.com
Are you feeling deep Labyrinth feels over this news? Either excited *or* horrifed? Then I might have a book rec for you 🙄
The book is Exquisite Ruin by AdriAnne May.
January 23, 2025 at 7:37 PM
adriannestrickland.com
gee, I wonder what kind of person is one-starring my YA sapphic fantasy when ARCs aren't even out yet ... surely someone with the best of intentions .....
A screenshot of a one star rating on Goodreads for LADY DRAGON from "Charles" A screenshot of Charles's profile with an average rating of 1.09 stars over 8380 ratings
January 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Here's a handy guide to my book releases this year! 🤗
The title caption over a black background reads: "Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: My '25 Romantasy Books." Beneath the cover of EXQUISITE RUIN, the list reads: Adult under AdriAnne May, out 3/25/25, enemies to lovers to ???, second-chance romance, amnesia trope, forced proximity inferno, morally gray backstabbers, "do I want to kiss you or kill you," bisexual MMC, kinky spice, Labyrinth meets Kushiel's Dart. Beneath the cover of LADY DRAGON, the list reads: YA under A.M. Strickland, out 8/26/25, rivals to lovers, forbidden romance, lady and knight + bodyguard trope, forced proximity slow burn, grumpy/sunshine + hurt/comfort, "touch her and die," butch4femme lesbian MCs, tortured pining (no spice), Seraphina meets Priory of the Orange Tree.
January 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
adriannestrickland.com
🚨COVER REVEAL🚨 LADY DRAGON, my YA sapphic dragon romantasy is out 8/26 from @fiercereads.bsky.social. You can expect:

🚫forbidden romance
🗡️rivals to lovers
👭forced proximity
🏳️‍🌈butch4femme demisexual lesbians
🛡️lady & knight/bodyguard
⛅grumpy/sunshine
🔥slow burn
☠️“touch her & die”
🐉DRAGONS (& shifters)
The cover of LADY DRAGON, which has a white, dark-haired girl in dark armor with her arms around a white, red-headed girl in a pale dress while holding a sword in front of them, with a red dragon looming behind them as flames rise in the background. A description of LADY DRAGON, as follows: Rachel Hartman's Seraphina meets The Priory of the Orange Tree in Lady Dragon, a sapphic YA romantasy from A.M. Strickland. The age of queens is over . . . unless they can save it. Since the last war between humans and dragons left the leaders of both species slain - the last human king of Andrath and the legendary dragon queen - both queendoms have been living under a tentative truce: only women will sit on the throne of Andrath, the dragons will have free passage through the human lands . . . and if men ever try to retake the throne, the draconic realm will retaliate. Samansa and Kirek are two new leaders coming of age in war-scarred lands - Samansa a reluctant human princess and Kirek the favored contender for the draconic queenship. Per tradition, Kirek must undergo the distasteful task of using a mysterious gem called the Heartstone to shift into human form and maintain the strained ties between the species . . . and study human weaknesses, a new and secret task she’s been given by her queen. As the princess and the dragon girl grow closer, they are sent to investigate a potential breach of the treaty and encounter a plot that could reignite an even bloodier war. While fighting to maintain the peace their ancestors fought for and uncovering centuries-old secrets, Samansa and Kirek must grapple with betraying their clashing nations . . . or their unexpected feelings for each other.
January 13, 2025 at 2:40 PM
adriannestrickland.com
#sundaysnippet from EXQUISITE RUIN! A sorceress with no memory and a demon who hates her are trapped in a maze together. Can they overcome their animosity to escape the maze or, better yet, their complicated past filled passion and betrayal? Or will they succumb to their ... feelings? 👀 Out 3/25!
A quote over a maze background that reads: "Fool, fool. For letting myself want him back then, when I planned to betray him. For wanting him still, now that it's too late to have him ever again."
January 12, 2025 at 1:54 PM
adriannestrickland.com
All I can do is scream over how cute this art of Pogli from EXQUISITE RUIN is, and now you can too! The incredibly talented Jennifer Bruce drew him, and I can't wait for you to meet him when the book comes out March 25th! (And YES there will be stickers, so save those pre-order receipts!)
An artistic rendering of a chimera-type creature with the shape and coloring of a pug, but with small horns, duck wings, a lion's mane, overly large teeth and a drooping tongue, big claws, and a curly, scaled pig's tail.
November 21, 2024 at 4:48 PM
adriannestrickland.com
the author // the character

(all too fitting to use my Halloween vampire getup alongside Fin and Gavron from COURT OF THE UNDYING SEASONS)
November 17, 2024 at 4:17 PM
adriannestrickland.com
Hello, Bluesky! I have not posted in a bazillion years so I'm basically new here, or at least poking my head back in.

I write YA fantasy (under A.M. Strickland) and adult romantasy (under AdriAnne May) ... howdy!
November 17, 2024 at 4:10 PM
adriannestrickland.com
I'm thrilled to reveal the cover of EXQUISITE RUIN, my adult dark romantasy debut, pitched as Labyrinth for adults x KUSHIEL'S DART, coming from Gallery Books/S&S on 3.25.25--but available for pre-order now! The stunning art is by the amazing Aykut Aydoğdu.

www.simonandschuster.com/books/Exquis...
A 3D image of a paperback book rests on a black background with the geometric pattern of a round maze in faint orange lines. The cover shows the face of a beautiful red-haired, green-eyed woman divided by a dark silver and gold sword. On one side of the blade, she appears composed, while on the other side the remaining half of her face is shattering like a mirror and flaring up and away like sparks. In the cover's background, there's a round golden maze design surrounded by golden vines. The title, in elegant font, says EXQUISITE RUIN, under which is the author's name, AdriAnne May. The text description of the book overlays a black background with the geometric pattern of a round maze in faint orange lines, and it reads as follows: In this deadly maze, the most dangerous thing may be the passion between them. Sadaré wakes in a labyrinth, remembering nothing except that she is a powerful sorceress. Her only companion is a hostile immortal named Daesra—beautiful, dangerous, and demonic—who bound his divine soul for power and revenge. Despite their animosity, the two have no choice but to work together to reach the center and defeat the monster who prevents their escape. But the longer they wander, the more deadly and alive the maze becomes—and the more Sadaré finds herself drawn to Daesra in ways she can't explain. As sorceress and demon develop a tenuous truce, the labyrinth gives Sadaré glimpses of their shared history of passion and pain that make her question everything she knows. Unlocking the secrets of her past may be the only way to survive and heal...
July 26, 2024 at 12:37 AM