THE DOVE AND THE CROW WILL PUBLISH IN SUMMER 2027
JAY HARTLOVE IS AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND PLAYWRIGHT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Matthew James Publishing has acquired worldwide rights to The Dove and the Crow, a sweeping high fantasy romance from award-winning author and playwright Jay Hartlove. Worldwide rights were acquired in a direct deal with the author following a round of open submissions.
The Dove and the Crow follows Professor Willa Freedlund as she is inadvertently transported through an interdimensional portal to Hern — a magical parallel world on the brink of collapse. Stranded, Willa finds an ally in Naomi, a guarded witch burdened by secrets and old wounds. Combining Willa’s deep knowledge of mythology with Naomi’s magic, the two embark on a dangerous quest across Hern to free an enslaved goddess, restore balance to the world, and confront the darkness they thought they had left behind.
Jay Hartlove is the author of the urban fantasy trilogy Goddess Rising and the fantasy romance novel Mermaid Steel. Named one of the “50 Authors You Should Be Reading” by The Authors Show, Hartlove is celebrated for weaving intricate otherworldly plots, dark secrets, and high-stakes character arcs.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Jay to Matthew James Publishing,” says Anthony Barlow, Head of Publicity and Marketing at Matthew James Publishing. “Willa and Naomi’s quest navigates god-tier fantasy action and the complexities of their own personal journeys, striking the exact balance that modern romantasy readers are looking for”.
“In our darkening world, I wanted to tell a tale about healing,” says author Jay Hartlove. “There are monsters, mercurial gods, power-mad wizards, underworld demons, long-lost magical gifts, and harrowing feats. But at its heart, The Dove and the Crow is about healing their world and themselves.”
The Dove and the Crow will be published in print and digital formats and is slated for release in summer 2027. More news will be shared at a later date.
ENDS
For more information and for any press enquiries, please contact Anthony Barlow at Andrews UK [email protected]
About Matthew James Publishing
Matthew James Publishing is an imprint of Arthur H Stockwell Ltd. Matthew James Publishing focuses on high-quality contemporary fiction and popular non-fiction books.
About Jay Hartlove
Jay Hartlove has been in print since 1980 when he wrote the tabletop superhero RPG Supergame. He is a former competition costumer, having won Best in Show at both San Diego Comic Con and WorldCon. The Goddess Rising trilogy won Best Thriller at the 2012 Independent eBook Awards. He wrote, produced, and directed the musical The Mirror’s Revenge, the sequel to Snow White, which ran in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2018. The Insane God was a Finalist for the Cygnus Best Science Fiction novel of 2022. He loves to weave high stakes action with personal journeys. He turns victims into heroes. Jay has two grown children and lives in California with his wife, a dog and two cats. You can follow his adventures at www.jaywrites.com.
