Ayana Gray

And now I get to share the news here: my next novel, HAWK & SPARROW, will publish September 1 with @fiercereads and on September 3 with @firstinkbooks in the UK! Swipe to see both covers and… the DELUXE edition in the U.S.!!! HAWK & SPARROW is a glittering Gilded Age inspired novel about a reporter who agrees to help a wealthy sorcerer prove his innocence in a scandal in exchange for a payment that could save her failing newspaper. This book is a bit of a hybrid—part historical fantasy, part mystery, part romance. I had so much fun writing it with the guidance of my two wonderful editors, Donna Bray and Emma Jones! It’s out this fall and I couldn’t be more excited to introduce you all to Vesper, Max, and the charming city of Basalton. My deepest thanks to the brilliant artist behind both of these covers, the brilliant @micaelaalcainodesign ! I've always hoped to have a book cover designed by her and she NAILED it. Thank you, Michaela! Mark your calendars for the start of September, and let the games begin! 🍁 #ayanagray

My fourth novel—I, MEDUSA—is officially out in the world today. Thank you to every single person who has been a part of this journey. To my agent, @petejknapp , my editor, @_caitlinmckenna and the wonderful folks at @randomhousebooks : thank you for being part of the village that brought this book to life. I, MEDUSA is a villain origin story that reimagines the iconic Medusa as a young woman who becomes caught in the violent cross currents of ruthless and rivaling gods. It’s a story of heartbreak, tragedy, and rage, but it’s also a story of redemption, hope, and sisterhood. It’s out now (how cool to say that??) and you can get it wherever you like to get your books/ebooks/audiobooks. Let the villain era begin. 🍁🐍🖤 #imedusa #ayanagray

SO excited to share some really big news! I, MEDUSA—an epic villain origin story that reimagines the life of the infamous Medusa—is out November 18th and will now have a limited, special edition run! This first edition hardcover will feature stunning sprayed edges, a premium dust jacket with foil, and a gorgeous custom-stamped case, while supplies last. You can preorder it now from your favorite place to buy books! #ayanagray #imedusa #greekreimagining

Several years ago, before I actually sold HAWK & SPARROW to a publisher, I created this “mood board” to capture everything I wanted to evoke in the story. I imagined the colors, the scents, the tastes, even the weather. Having this visual while I wrote was like an anchor. Throughout the drafts and revisions, I came back to this little board to remind myself why I loved this story, and to remind myself of what I hoped to convey to readers who picked up. Nearly 3 years later, I’m sharing it now in case there’s someone who needs a reminder that writing what you know is fine, but it’s more important that you write what you enjoy. So here it is, the mood board that inspired Hawk & Sparrow. It’s a Gilded Age-inspired fantasy novel about an investigative reporter who makes a deal with a rich sorcerer to prove his innocence in exchange for the money to save her newspaper. It comes out in September (US & UK) and you can already preorder it. In the US, there’s a deluxe limited edition (swipe to see). #ayanagray #hawkandsparrow

“She felt a rising urge to smack that pretentious look off the sorcerer’s face, then reminded herself that smacking people was generally considered poor etiquette in polite society.” My newest stand-alone novel, HAWK & SPARROW 🍁, comes out later this year. One of the things I really enjoyed while writing this book was the banter between its two main characters, Vesper (a stubborn investigative reporter), and Max (a haughty sorcerer). There were so many lines and quotes I loved writing, so I’m doing something new for this book: I’m sharing some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes early. One per week, until the book comes out September 1st. Here’s the first, I’ll let you wonder what Max said to make Vesper wish she could smack him. 😉 Do you like banter in your books? #ayanagray #hawkandsparrow

Can’t wait to see you on Saturday @gburgbookfest !!! The line up all day is incredible. Catch me in conversation with @ayanagray_ at 3:15 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Pavilion! See you soon, Maryland!

Presenting the HAWK & SPARROW deluxe limited edition! 🍁 We’re now just a few months away from the release of Hawk & Sparrow, (my Gilded Age-inspired fantasy novel about a reporter who strikes a deal with a sorcerer to prove his innocence in exchange for the money she needs to save her newspaper) and I’m so excited to showcase the beautiful specs for the special first edition print! Featuring: ✨foiled case ✨gorgeous printed edges ✨printed ends This is my first truly multi genre book. It has a dash of historical fantasy, mystery, and romance, all wrapped around a writer heroine 📝 and a Howl Pendragon-coded sorcerer who loves dessert at inappropriate times. 🍰 You can preorder this version anywhere you like to get your books, and of course you can always order signed copies from my local indie @wordsworth.ar (link in bio) Basalton awaits, and there’s a magic afoot! Out September 1! ✨🪄🔮🍁 #ayanagray #hawkandsparrow #fiercereads @fiercereads

Happy Saturday friends! Lots of deadlines means no #yallwest for me this year, but! @fiercereads will be giving away a limited number of Hawk & Sparrow ARCs today at 2 pm PT! (Note: The giveaway is ticketed, and tickets drop earlier that day at 9 am PT!) Not at yallwest this year? Worry not. ❤️ FierceReads is also be running a giveaway through tomorrow! (Link in bio!) We are in the process of finalizing stops for the Hawk & Sparrow tour (!!!) this fall, and I am still sitting on a lot of secrets! So excited for you all to meet Vesper and Max in just a few months! #ayanagray #hawkandsparrow

Myths don’t stay frozen in time… not when women are the ones rewriting them. ⚔️✨ These authors take ancient stories and breathe new life into them, digging into the details, challenging what’s been preserved, and reclaiming the voices that were once sidelined. From meticulous research to bold reimaginings, each retelling becomes both a conversation with the past and a declaration in the present. Whether it’s restoring erased perspectives, reshaping legendary figures, or weaving inspiration into entirely new worlds, these writers prove that mythology is anything but static. These stories evolve, transform, and rise again, just like the women at their center. 📖🔥 Featured Here: - Ayana Gray (@ayanagray_ ), author of I, MEDUSA | Random House (@randomhouse ) - Silvia Moreno-Garcia (@silviamg.author ), author of GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW | Del Ray (@delraybooks ) - Mariely Lares (@laresmar8 ), author of DAWN OF FATE AND FIRE | Harper Voyager (@harpervoyagerus ) - Luna McNamara (@luna_mcnamara_writer ), author of THE WITCH AND THE HUNTRESS | William Morrow (@williammorrowbooks ) - Costanza Casati (@costanzacasati ), author of BABYLONIA | Sourcebooks Landmark (@bookmarked ). . . #MythRetellings #WomenWriters #FantasyReads #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram

Most of the time, this space is held for writing and book-related things, but this weekend my heart was full as I spent it in Shreveport with 5,000 sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. For the last 14 years, these women have raised me, guided me, supported me, and loved me, all while setting an example of what it means to be a servant leader. This weekend, in addition to serving as the South Central Regional Secretary, I also received the inaugural Generation NEXT 40 for 40 Award, and I couldn’t be more honored. 🥹 By culture and by merit, always. 💚🩷 #alphakappaalpha #sensationalsouthcentralregion #bycultureandbymerit

Here’s to 33! Thank you to everyone who made me feel loved on my birthday! I spent the day refilling the well, and am so hopeful for what this next year will bring! 🙏🏾

I didn’t think it was possible to top my last visit to @storyconusa , but 2026 was even better than 2025! Thank you so much to the army of incredibly kind volunteers who made this weekend so much fun—including those that helped me when I got lost in the Salt Palace. I didn’t get all the photos I wanted, but I got a few! 1. I signed some leftover stock for @poppybookssf if you’re looking for signed copies of Beasts of Prey or I, Medusa and you’re in UT! 2. Selfie. Because sometimes, the light is just right. 3. After many years, I got to reunite with the endlessly talented and ever kind @somanc who let me kidnap his upcoming book #YoungWorld and admire the absolutely stunning specs. 4. Another reunion with my StoryCon buddy @james.sanders.31 , who helps ensure I don’t get lost and is always up for a local food rec! 5. A quick pic with the lovely @kaelacub , easily the most cheerful person at StoryCon this year. ☺️ 6. I had such a wonderful time talking about any and everything with @ericleroyanderson who is always a delight! (At last we got to meet IRL!) 7. No trip to SLC is complete without seeing @sashapeytonsmith . I have some friends I lovingly call “bicycle friends” because even when we haven’t seen each other in a while, we pick up right where we left off, as easy as riding a bicycle! 🩷 8. One of my greatest joys is seeing familiar faces and it was so lovely to see sweet Olivia, one of my students from StoryCon 2025, again this year! 9. Had to get the iconic StoryCon sign of course! 10. I decided to walk back to my hotel after StoryCon was gone and happened upon a beautiful collection of trees decorated in lights. A magical end to a magical weekend! SLC, it’s been wonderful! I hope to see you next year!! 🩷🩷🩷