Ashley Hawthorne 💙
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ink-andashes.bsky.social
Ashley Hawthorne 💙
@ink-andashes.bsky.social
550 followers 1.1K following 120 posts
Writer of love stories ❤️
Contemporary romantic suspense 🔪
Horror romance 💀
She/Her • Bi/Pan 🌈
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ink-andashes.bsky.social
BENEATH CALM WATERS is my third book, but Becka and Grayson are my very first bi MCs!

If you like bi characters, spicy romances, and the fun of figuring out who did it in a twisty murder mystery then you should check out their story! 😍

#booksky #queerromance #romancebooks
Character art of Becka and Grayson. They are in a library and staring at each other intently. Grayson looks intrigued and Becka is irritated. They both have a bi flag on their cheeks. Text above him says, "Was in love with his childhood best friend, Henry." Text above her says, "Has dated both men and women."
June 2, 2025 at 8:13 PM
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Love a spicy romance + a good murder mystery? There's still time to pick up a copy of BENEATH CALM WATERS before June 1st and get a gorgeous art print + 2 stickers!

Just fill out this form saying you bought it and I'll send you the goodies: docs.google.com/forms/d/1k_Y...

#booksky #romancelandia
"Order Beneath Calm Waters before the end of May. Get character art and two stickers." Below this text are images of the art and two stickers. The art shows Becka and Grayson standing close to each other and looking into each other's eyes in a library. The first sticker is a large full moon over a blue ocean and the second sticker is a yellow VW bus in front of some pine trees. "Every old house has its secrets..." Below this text is the cover of the book Beneath Calm Waters by Ashley Hawthorne. The cover is teal and yellow and has a house on the beach surrounded by pine trees. It is dark outside and the house is lit by yellow lighting.
May 27, 2025 at 4:32 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
What happens when a pastor's daughter falls in love with her prison pen pal? Is there hope when she looses her heart to one of the dangerous ones?

Find out in Deliver Me by Ashley Hawthorne, available now in ebook and paperback!

#booksky #smutsky #spicybooksky
The book Deliver Me on a white background with white flower petals. In the lower right corner is two envelopes and a pen
April 9, 2025 at 9:44 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Did you know you can sign up now to get an ARC of my next spicy romance before the release date in May? You can!

🔗 docs.google.com/forms/d/17tW...

A runaway grandson returns home and falls in love with the woman who might have killed his grandfather...

#booksky #smutsky #spicybooksky
The book Beneath Calm Waters sits on a wooden table with seashells in the bottom right corner of the image
April 8, 2025 at 8:55 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
ARC readers wanted for my next spicy romance + murder mystery book!

Sign up here:

docs.google.com/forms/d/17tW...

(No, seriously, please sign up! I only have three so far, and I need a bunch more!)

#romancelandia #romanticsuspense #booksky #smutsky #reader #arc
Book promo image with the cover of Ashley Hawthorne's Beneath Calm Waters at the center. Arrows around it point to the facts about the book. The facts are: Love story, murder mystery, unlikable FMC, MMC falls for a grandpa murderer?, author's excitement level is 5 stars Book description. Text near the top says, "All old houses have secrets." A white box below holds the description which is, "When Grayson Barlow's grandfather dies under mysterious circumstances, he's forced to move back to his hometown of Widow's Point. After twelve years of running from his past, he's in no hurry to return to Barlow House or to confront the memories it holds, but he knows he now has to take care of the elderly grandmother he'd left behind. His childhood home is exactly the way he remembered it, except his grandfather is gone and the house has gained a feisty new dog and a beautiful new caretaker, both of whom seem determined to protect the only family member he has left, even if that means driving him out before he has time to unpack his bags. He wants nothing more than to leave, but he can't bring himself to break his grandmother's heart again. Staying means making peace, at least in the surface, with Becka Simmons, the enticing hellion who's determined to make his life miserable. Becka is as grumpy as her pint-sized guard dog, but as he begins to understand her, he has two impossible revelations. The first is that he's in love with her. The second is that she may have killed his grandfather.
March 19, 2025 at 7:08 PM
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Please take a moment to be excited about this cover reveal with me! ARC sign ups for Beneath Calm Waters will also be available starting Thursday!

Like love stories and murder mysteries? You'll love this upcoming romantic suspense novel

#Booksky #Romancelandia #Smutsky
March 3, 2025 at 8:47 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
A pastor's daughter. A guilty man. A love story you can read today!

#booksky #spicybookrecs #smutsky
January 29, 2025 at 11:17 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Have you read Deliver Me yet? If not, let me introduce you to Mia and Gabriel! Their powerful love story is available now!

books2read.com/u/3LNor1

#booksky #smutsky #spicybooks
Character art of Mia and Gabriel. She is a white brunette woman in a blue dress. He is a black haired white man in a white prison jumpsuit. Descriptions on her side say, "Pastor's daughter, Strong faith, knows he's a good person despite his mistakes, and Has enough hope for both of them." Descriptions on his side say, "Prison pen pal, Would fight God in a Denny's parking lot, Believes in her and encourages her to chase her dreams, and Would do anything (even therapy) for her."
January 27, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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Have you seen this incredible art of Ethan and Eloise? Do you like opposites attract love stories with murder mysteries? Death Sentence is available now!

#booksky #smutsky #spicybooks #spicyreads #romancelandia
Book promo graphic with character art showing Ethan and Eloise from Death Sentence by Ashley Hawthorne. Ethan embraces Eloise from behind as she stands facing us with her arms crossed. There are arrows out from the couple to words describing each of them. Eloise's descriptions are, "Uptight, unlikable FMC", "Unwinds for him," and "Loves his dog (and his 🍆). Ethan's are, "Bad boy next door", Falls first AND, harder", and "Changes his life for her"
January 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
I'm having a great time drafting the second book in my upcoming romantic suspense duology! I haven't made it to the spicy parts yet, so have some random snippets with no context whatsoever 😌

#booksky #smutsky #spicybooks #spicyreads #romancelandia
Dark green background with the words "Out of context quotes from my WIP" Image of a woman laughing as she lays on a bed. Quote reads, "Regardless of what had brought Payton to Widow's Point, he intended to make sure she never wanted to leave" A blond man holding a camera to his face. Quote reads "Henry would be the first to admit he was a man of few words, but it was rare for him to be truly speechless" A couple stands face to face with their hands pressed together. Quote reads "He dreamed of her, of pressing a kiss to her lips anytime he wanted to"
January 16, 2025 at 8:29 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
The first in my upcoming Widow's Point Duology, Beneath Calm Waters is the story of a man who's spent twelve years running from his past & a woman who tends to throw punches first and ask questions later

💀 Romantic suspense
🏘️ Small town
👩‍❤️‍👨 Forced Proximity
⚔️ Opposites attract

#smutsky #spicyreads
Book promo graphic. A large white kitchen with an island in the center and stainless steel appliances is the background for a block of text that is a snippet from the book. The book quote says, "He abandoned her nipple to cup her breast, squeezing in rhythm with the motion of his hips as he dry humped her against his grandma's refrigerator like a man possessed." Text at the bottom of the graphic gives the book's title and release date. Beneath Calm Waters, May 20th 2025
January 14, 2025 at 5:58 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
The Witch x The Lighthouse x The Ring

⛵ A sailor looking for refuge
🙏 A wife trapped in a nightmare
👻 A haunted lighthouse
❤️ A forbidden love that may doom them both

#bluepit
Moodboard with a collection of images- bed, joined hands, a wooden floor, a man in an old fashioned sailor's coat, seaweed, an old lighthouse, a spiral staircase, a hand holding a flower, two men standing near a lighthouse, a turbulent sea, a woman with her hands clasped in prayer
January 13, 2025 at 9:03 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
I love the chance to show off character art!

Left- Mia and Gabriel from Deliver Me

Right- Ethan and Eloise from Death Sentence

#BluePit #BluePitHype
Mia and Gabriel from Deliver Me. Mia wears a blue dress and stares pensively to the side as she holds a letter to her chest. She is a brunette white woman. Gabriel wears a white prison jumpsuit and looks down at a letter in his hands. He is a white man with black hair. Ethan and Eloise from Death Sentence. Eloise is a blonde white woman wearing a purple shirt. She stares straight ahead with her arms crossed and has a smirk on her face. Ethan stand behind her and has his arms wrapped around her. He is looking at Eloise with a smile. He is also white and blond, wearing black clothing. He has a lot of colorful tattoos on his arms and hands.
January 9, 2025 at 9:56 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Romance? ✅ HEA? ✅ Angst ✅ Spice? ✅ Epistolary? ✅ Grumpy/sunshine? ✅ Pastor's daughter + her prison pen pal? ✅

books2read.com/u/3LNor1

#smutsky #spicybooks #booksky #spicyreads
The book Deliver Me by Ashley Hawthorne against a backdrop of blankets and blue flowers
January 8, 2025 at 10:58 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
2025 is my first year writing a plus size FMC and she's a relatable queen 👑

#romancelandia #booksky
January 2, 2025 at 6:05 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Back to the marketing grind, so just as a fun reminder, you can get some spicy romances from me that have a lot of angst and some murder 💀🔪 in them...if you're into that 👀

(I know you are, you weird little freak 😌)

#booksky #romancelandia
Promo graphic- On the left is the cover of Ashley Hawthorne's book Deliver Me on a background of bluebonnets. On the right is a solid blue background with darker blue text that reads, "A pastor's daughter. A guilty man. A guaranteed HEA. What more could you ask for in a spicy romance?" Promotional graphic- At the top it says, "Death Sentence, Ashley Hawthorne. The bottom section is split into two parts. On the left is the cover of Death Sentence and on the right is a quote that says, " Eloise's new neighbor was probably going to be the death of her..."
December 30, 2024 at 8:56 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
It's spicy snippet day! (Am I allowed to do that here?👀)

#romancelandia #booksky
Book Quote on a red background. The quite says, "She's a pastor’s daughter. He's a convicted killer. Forever may be out of reach when she falls in love with one of the dangerous ones. Faith is more than just a word to Mia Anderson. It's the foundation of her life as a pastor’s daughter. At home in her church and at peace with her beliefs, she decides to participate in a program to send letters to inmates regardless of what sins they may have committed. Gabriel Myers is a convicted criminal, serving life in prison for his father’s murder. Facing a hopeless future and haunted by a past that has left him full of contempt for God and the church, he wants nothing to do with Mia until she proves she can understand the man everyone believes is a monster. With each letter that's exchanged, Mia becomes more aware that although Gabriel has never has never denied his crime, there is more to the story than the jury was allowed to hear. As reluctant friendship turns to seemingly ill-fated love, she knows she must convince him to appeal the verdict. Dealing with the Texas justice system is a long shot, but the only chance they have to finally be together outside the walls of Gabriel's prison. Winning his freedom will give them a chance at happiness but can they finally find bliss in each other's arms or will the challenges they face and their divergent beliefs destroy their love for good?"
December 17, 2024 at 8:31 PM
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Indie Ink Awards voting opens today! Go vote for Deliver Me and Death Sentence (and be glad I wasn't nominated for my graphic design!)

#Romancelandia #BookSky
December 16, 2024 at 9:40 PM
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My next two contemporary romantic suspense novels have official publication dates! Come to Widow's Point with me to find open door spicy love stories and mysteries to solve!

#romancelandia #booksky
Book announcement. Ocean background with cartoon seaweed. The top says, "Widow's Point Duology". The main text in the middle says "Beneath Calm Waters, May 20th, 2025" and "Against the Tide, June 23rd, 2026"
December 11, 2024 at 10:39 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Deliver Me and Death Sentence have both been nominated in the Indie Ink Awards! Voting opens soon and only the top ten in each category move on to the next round of voting!

#Romancelandia #BookSky
Torn piece of paper with words on it. The words say, "Indie Ink Awards Nominations" White background that looks like crumpled paper. The top has writing highlighted in blue that says "Deliver Me Nominations". Below two categories are listed and circled in blue. They are Best Morally Gray Character and Best Use of Tropes White background that looks like crumpled paper. The top has writing highlighted in pink that says "Death Sentence Nominations". Below three categories are listed and circled in pink. They are Best Book Cover, Best Use of Tropes, and Best Friendship
December 9, 2024 at 8:31 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Sure, I'm a little biased but I do think those were some very pretty covers!

#BookSky
White background with an illustrated flower. Text reads, "What's a book trend you really miss?" White background with an illustrated flower. Text reads, "Me?" White background with an illustrated flower. Text reads, "Flowers on Romance novel covers" There are slow now two book covers shown, both with floral designs. One is Deliver Me and the other is Death Sentence, both by Ashley Hawthorne
December 5, 2024 at 7:53 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
Need a reason to follow me on IG? Here's a good one! I do frequent lives with the amazing Juliet Bridges to talk about author stuff and this month our guest is historical romance author Liana De La Rosa! We're chatting at noon tomorrow, so find me there through the link in my bio!

#romancelandia
December 5, 2024 at 7:10 PM
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You know what makes a great Christmas gift? Books! You know who has some spicy romantic suspense stories you can get right now? Me!

Perfect for readers who like darker themes but soft relationships 😍

#booksky #romancelandia
Mood board with the cover for Ashley Hawthorne's Deliver Me at the center. Around. That are arrows pointing to different selling points for the book. They include- angst, grumpy/sunshine, open door spice, she chased her dreams for him, overcoming trauma, he goes to therapy for her, opposites attract, us against the world, and epistolary. Larger letters at the top say- A pastor's daughter and a guilty man Mood board with the cover of Ashley Hawthorne's Death Sentence at the center. Around it are arrows pointing to different selling points for the book. They include- grumpy leading lady, murder mystery, betrayal?, she hates him but he's hot, sweetheart (derogatory), he wants her but she's mean, cure puppy, hydrangea casualties, bad boy next door
December 4, 2024 at 5:16 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
For the readers that love spicy romance ✨and✨ murder mysteries! Falling in love while looking for a killer b/c Eloise is a multitasker. Not a problem until she starts to wonder if the killer she's trying to find and the man in her bed might be more connected than she realized...

💙📚
Purple moodboard with the quote, "Eloise's new neighbor just might be the death of her," in the center. There are also purple flowers at the edges and the book's title, Death Sentence, and the author's name, Ashley Hawthorne
December 3, 2024 at 8:24 PM
ink-andashes.bsky.social
I'm working extra hard at building community right now and part of that is running a Discord server for authors of darker romance genres!

Do you write romantic suspense, dark romance, horror romance, etc? Want to come hang out with us? Let me know and I'll send you an invite!

#romancelandia
"Lights Out" on a dark background with a glowing red heart
December 2, 2024 at 11:22 PM