Storyteller Sessions: Meet Author Rachel Howzell Hall, and Her Upcoming Romantasy Sequel, ‘The Cruel Dawn’
Ready to meet another Romantasy author?! Of course you are. I’m thrilled to be introducing the BAMTP community to Rachel Howzell Hall, who has a sequel coming out this month, and for my Kindle girls, it will be on Kindle Unlimited, as well as a gorgeous deluxe first edition print run?! Ready to dive in and learn more about Rachel and her series? Great, me too.
Author: Rachel Howzell Hall
Her book: The Cruel Dawn (Book Two in the Vallendor series)
Release: Available August 19th, 2025
Tell us the cocktail party version of how you’d describe your book:
The Cruel Dawn is about a woman who leans into being a goddess to kick ass and protect her realm from the bad guys.
And in case you missed the first book, The Last One, is ‘a sweeping romantasy where gods bleed, realms fall, and one woman stands between salvation and ruin.’
What’s the most challenging thing about being an author?
Knowing when to listen to criticism – both internally and from others – and when to stop listening. We’re always trying to write better and one of the ways you do that is taking good feedback from those people who want to see you succeed. Sometimes, the voices who see knocking you down as sport can be louder than those supportive voices – and we always hear that one voice over the chorus of good. I make myself stop doing that writer-math. I tell myself that I know what I’m doing, that I’m not perfect, but that I do have talent.
That hits hard. On a positive note, what’s the most surreal moment as an author so far?
Appearing on Good Morning America – THE LAST ONE was GMA’s December 2025 Book Club Pick. Big things like that rarely happen to me, and it wasn’t until I was in New York at ABC Studios, I finally believed that it was happening.
That’s honestly so EPIC and had to feel incredible! But tell us, what books are on your nightstand table right now?
Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill. Ask me if I’ve read it, though. Ha! But I refuse to put it on the bookshelf – maybe I’ll take it on vacation.
NGL, that book sounds terrifying. Are you sure you want to take it on vacation?! Ok, tell us about your writing process…
I love writing in the early morning. I give myself the best words before starting my day job. I write from 4:00 am to about 6:30 am every day. The only time I don’t write? Christmas morning and while on true vacation. I always drink my Korean instant coffee (with a half-teaspoon of Nescafe Instant and a squeeze of Stevia) in my cactus-printed S’well! I always write my first draft long-hand, either pad and gel pens or on my ReMarkable device. I like the feel of writing over the pecking of the keyboard. I give myself more grace with the old-fashioned way.
Morning people are special. P.S. I’m sipping water from my seafoam green S’well right now! What's something people don't know about you?
Hmm. I don’t think there’s anything I’d share that no one didn’t already know about lol. During junior high and high school, I was in a church handbell choir. I was my elementary school spelling champ and the word I missed was “amoeba.” I spelled it “ameba,” WHICH IS NOW AN ACCEPTED SPELLING OF THE WORD.
That’s so precious, and at least you’re now vindicated! What's a favorite comfort read and why do you keep coming back to it?
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer – I’ve read that book several times. It’s easy to read and makes me breathless (no pun intended). I’m also astounded by those who willingly climb up to danger when living on sea level is so dangerous. I’m awed by those who know they will be stepping over the dead to reach the top.
Any influential authors from your childhood?
Stephen King wrote about things that scared me (clowns and sewers, in particular) and introduced me to a place and setting I knew nothing about. Like…what and where is “Bangor, Maine”? His language brought me in instead of pushed me away – I didn’t need a dictionary to understand the story he was telling me.
Judy Blume then took over as I became a young teen. She wrote about issues that girls back in the 1970s and early 1980s never really talked about with adults – body insecurity and first love. I met Ms. Blume once in person and cried.
That’s so incredible you got to meet an author who had such an impact on you! If you could meet another author who’s no longer with us, who would you meet?
I’d love to meet Toni Morrison. Not just to talk about her writing but how she moved through the world as a Black woman writing stories as a mother and a woman working full-time (at one time). I’d want to thank her for those novels I read as a young woman that I didn’t understand until I got older and had my daughter.
Morrison is definitely a favorite amongst authors—you’re not the first author to mention her for this question! Favorite format to read? (physical book, ebook, audiobook)
Depends. If I’m doing a lot of traveling at one time, ebook. Vacation reads, I love physical books.
What’s a hill you will die on?
Fallout 4 is the perfect video game. Prince is the best musical artist ever. The best burgers and Mexican food comes from Los Angeles. Three hills.
Any last words? And where can everyone find you?
The Cruel Dawn comes out August 19, 2025 – and if you like thrillers, my newest, Fog & Fury, is available, too!
Full Synopsis of The Cruel Dawn:
“Explosive and enthralling romantasy debut from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall...
Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.
Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.
As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.
And no one is what―or who―they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.”
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