Dark, magical stories about strong, magical girls for teens and former teens

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    • “Hear Her Howl”
    • “For Girls Who Walk Through Fire”
    • “A Beginner’s Guide to Resurrecting the Dead”
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    • “Hear Her Howl”
    • “For Girls Who Walk Through Fire”
    • “A Beginner’s Guide to Resurrecting the Dead”
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Books

Hear Her Howl

AVAILABLE NOW

Learn more about HEAR HER HOWL

For Girls Who Walk Through Fire

AVAILABLE NOW

Learn more about FOR GIRLS WHO WALK THROUGH FIRE

A novelette

A Beginner’s Guide to Resurrecting the Dead

AVAILABLE NOW

Learn more about A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RESURRECTING THE DEAD

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kimderosewrites

I write dark, magical books about strong, magical girls 🌈🩷💜💙 she/her | HEAR HER HOWL out now via @unionsqandco | FOR GIRLS WHO WALK THROUGH FIRE
We are two weeks out from our Outspoken panel cele We are two weeks out from our Outspoken panel celebrating the joyful resistance of queer YA stories (link to register in bio and here: https://bit.ly/outspokenv2) And when you register you’re automatically entered to win copies of books from ALL FIVE AUTHORS. Which means one lucky US based entrant will receive books from @sonidoreyes, @wintersjulian , @isa_sterling , @kimderosewrites , and @sorrynotbori . Registration is FREE and you can donate an amount of your choosing with all donations going to The Trevor Project. Hope to see you there! #pride #giveaway #yabooks #queerya #bookstagram
We’re thrilled to announce v2 of Outspoken, a virt We’re thrilled to announce v2 of Outspoken, a virtual YA author panel - and this time it’s in celebration of Pride Month and queer YA stories (with all donations going to The Trevor Project @trevorproject ). Join YA authors @sorrynotbori , @isa_sterling, @wintersjulian , @kimderosewrites, and @sonidoreyes on 6/10 at 8pm ET/5:00pm PT (6/11 at 10am AUST for those of you in Australia!) to discuss the joyful resistance of queer YA stories. Because in an era of book banning, it’s time to be outspoken. Visit https://bit.ly/outspokenv2 or see link in bio to learn more and register. #bookstagram #pridemonth #bookpanel #yabooks #queerart
What people don’t always tell you about grief is s What people don’t always tell you about grief is sometimes it looks like a wearing a stained sweatshirt for five days straight and tunneling into your favorite blankets, but sometimes it looks like putting on red lipstick and your mom’s diamond earrings, the ones she got for her 25th anniversary but never ever wore - because on her final day on earth she deserves a celebratory send off. And sometimes it looks like gathering the next morning with the people who were at her side while she passed and having a seaside brunch, sharing stories while you all order the most comforting food on the menu you can find, belatedly realizing that the restaurant is, in fact, the last place she ever ate before she got sick. Smiling even though you’re heartbroken, because the day is gorgeous and you have one another and you’re all still alive. I share all of this not for pity, or to endorse seemingly keeping your shit together (believe me, my shit is not together) but because I really truly feel we need to normalize death, and we need to normalize grieving, in all the myriad ways grief can show up. #mementovivere
My mom, Sue Ann DeRose, passed away on Tuesday May My mom, Sue Ann DeRose, passed away on Tuesday May 12. Her death was peaceful in the end, which she deserved. And she was surrounded by loved ones, including both her children, which she also deserved. I have barely begun to process this past long year - traveling across country every month to see her, discussing difficulties and experiences that she’d never talked about, witnessing her go from despondent darkness last spring to stepping into a surprising badass version of herself as she entered hospice last fall (she nicely bossed people around, ate and watched whatever she wanted, ordered my father out of the room when he annoyed her, and nicknamed herself Mother Superior because she looooved that character in Hear Her Howl so much). I’ve also barely dipped into the well of deep anger I have that this even happened at all (because it didn’t have to - ladies, get your mammograms and don’t martyr yourselves, take care of yourselves), let alone the profound loss of my mom. I have so many things to say about this experience and yet no clear words to use quite yet. So for now I will just say that as complicated as our relationship could be - and it was - I loved her so very much. And I’m already missing her.
Visiting the cemetery is our Mother’s Day traditio Visiting the cemetery is our Mother’s Day tradition, and one I love. Though it has another level of meaning this year since I know it’s the last one I’ll have with my mom still alive. Sending lots of love to anyone feeling lots of feels today. Or any day really. ❤️
@florenceandthemachine did not disappoint. Attendi @florenceandthemachine did not disappoint. Attending this concert was like entering the dark and sexy haunted dreamscape of a vengeful goddess and her coven of sapphic witches. No notes. #florenceandthemachine #witchywoman
I’m so thrilled that HEAR HER HOWL was featured in I’m so thrilled that HEAR HER HOWL was featured in School Library Journal’s list of 11 recommended feminist YA and middle grade books - and with such amazing company, including @nikita_gill’s Hekate (which I LOVED), as well as the awesome @hannsawyerr’s Truth Is. And thank you so much @sljournal ! It means so much to have this book seen and celebrated.
My current read and one of my favorite authors. I’ My current read and one of my favorite authors. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by @notoriousdrtib and barely 30 pages in I know this is no exception. Do yourself a favor and grab one (or all) of her books. #authorsofinstagram #books
When life is hard sometimes you just need to head When life is hard sometimes you just need to head to your local indie bookstore and get yourself a new book. And I know I’ll devour and love this one. Thanks @communitybookstore and @misss_read #authorsofinstagram #booksbooksbooks
Librarians, you all have been such amazing champio Librarians, you all have been such amazing champions of Hear Her Howl, and I’m so incredibly grateful for the work you all do every day connecting teens with stories that make them feel seen. If your teen book club, classroom, or library program is reading Hear Her Howl (or For Girls Who Walk Through Fire), and/or you’re seeking a YA author for programming, I would love to join you for a FREE virtual author visit. I’m happy to drop in for a short Q&A with readers, talk about the writing process, or discuss the themes in the book — from speculative storytelling to feminism, identity, and queer representation in YA. These conversations with teen readers are honestly one of my favorite parts of being an author. Librarians and educators can DM me here or visit www.kimderose.com/book-clubs if you’d like to set something up. Most importantly, thank you for everything you do for readers. Now more than ever we need you and your amazing work. #yalibrarian #librarylove #librariansofinstagram #yabooks #hearherhowl
Never let it be said that I don’t put effort into Never let it be said that I don’t put effort into Valentine’s Day. #forgirlswhowalkthroughfire #valentines #bookstagram #booksta #witchbooks
Thank you so much to @kirkus_reviews and @laura.si Thank you so much to @kirkus_reviews and @laura.simeon for selecting HEAR HER HOWL as one of 6 new YA books to help empower teens in 2026! Lord knows we ALL need a little reminder of our power right about now. My hope is that this book gives readers both a fun escape and a fiery, empowering reminder that they can (and deserve to) escape their cages and own their wild 🐺 #hearherhowl #yabooks #feministbooks #kirkusreviews #bookstagram
With all that’s going on in the world right now, I With all that’s going on in the world right now, I’m so incredibly honored that HEAR HER HOWL was included amongst the amazing stories selected for the 2026 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List. “This year, the committee placed a heavy emphasis on solidarity. We looked for stories that remind us of the power found in community and collective support.” Stories matter. Art matters. Using our voices however we can matters. I do not take being a YA author lightly - it’s a deep privilege to create books for teens (and former teens) that remind us of our individual and collective power, our innate wisdom and wild, and the fact that we don’t have to accept the (white supremacist patriarchal misogynistic heteronormative) narratives that have been handed down to us, that we can create new and better stories. And yes, sometimes that story involves girls becoming wolves. Thank you so much @americanlibraryassociation and the Feminist Book Project committee. And congratulations to all of the other honorees! Find and read their books - and visit your local libraries! For more information and to see the full list visit: https://www.ala.org/srrt/2026-rise-feminist-book-project-list @unionsqandco @kathygreenlit #hearherhowl #librarians #ala #youngadultbooks #feministbooks
Do not give in to despair. Let your rage be the fu Do not give in to despair. Let your rage be the fuel for your action. Image and list courtesy of @leonachaseslions Substack.
Back in 2016 I took an impromptu springtime trip t Back in 2016 I took an impromptu springtime trip to see my grandfather - my mom’s dad - because he had cancer and was entering hospice and I didn’t want to wait until the following Christmas to see him like usual. He died months later and I felt so grateful I’d made that trip happen. Now in 2026 it’s my mom who is in hospice and has cancer, my mom I’m making regular unscheduled trips to visit, and I know I’ll be so grateful I made each and every one happen. Back in 2016 I also had one of my closest friends, Lucy, living close by, and we regularly spent weekends together with our kids. Fast forward to 2026 and we are still close friends, but live on different coats and see each other once or twice a year. Which never feels like quite enough! But I’ve learned how to keep my favorite people close, despite distance. Back in 2016 I was working on my second novel and had already been dropped by my first agent. I found additional creative outlets by making my son a pirate ship for his birthday, and decorating cookies honoring David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Prince, whom had all died that year. Now in 2026, I have a fantastic agent, have published two books I’m so proud of (with amazing editors), and am working on TWO new potential projects (and spending very little time on decorating cookies or crafting as a result, which feels like a fair trade).
Did you know that as an author you’re allowed to s Did you know that as an author you’re allowed to sign Library copies of your book? Well you can and I did! Currently at the NYPL Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. #hearherhowl #nypl #librariesofinstagram📚 #staywild #bookstagram
It’s not just any full moon - it’s a wolf moon. AN It’s not just any full moon - it’s a wolf moon. AND a new year. Which means it’s the perfect time to leave your cages behind in 2025 and step into your full authentic wild. What have you been told is too much or not enough about who you are? And how might you use this wolf moon to set an intention that all those stories you’ve told about yourself are BS, that in fact your truest most wild self is absolutely perfect, and NEEDED in this world? Let’s get wild this year, let’s keep howling, and let’s find our packs. #hearherhowl #staywild #keephowling #bookstagram #werewolves #sapphicromance #sapphicYA #authorsofinstagram #staywildandkeephowling #queerya #feministbooks #wolfmoon #fullmoonintentions
Spotted by @arielsilverberg at @vromansbookstore i Spotted by @arielsilverberg at @vromansbookstore in Pasadena! Thanks for supporting Hear Her Howl, Vroman’s! #hearherhowl #staywild #keephowling #bookstagram #werewolves #sapphicromance #sapphicYA #authorsofinstagram #staywildandkeephowling #queerya #feministbooks
The New Year’s Day LA hike tradition continues! Al The New Year’s Day LA hike tradition continues! Also, every year we all come up with our motto for the new year. This year mine is “Enough.” I want to let go of things I’m done with, interrogate where my energy and resources are best spent, and continually ask the question of what is enough. Which we aren’t encouraged to do in our capitalist society. That doesn’t mean I don’t have goals and dreams and ambitions, but if those don’t all live alongside an internal gauge and questioning of what is enough, I fear it’s all too easy to fall into an endless hamster wheel of striving and achieving and attempting to gain more and more forever and ever amen. So what is enough? And where are the area of my life where I feel like, “you know what? Enough!” And how I can truly integrate that idea I am already enough? These are the questions for 2026. #newyearsmotto
The holiday drag brunch tradition with @aespecht a The holiday drag brunch tradition with @aespecht and @hlosman continues!! 🏳️‍🌈
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© 2026 Kim DeRose
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