I’m very excited to finally be sharing this news! This year I’ve been working on self-publishing a project, and so I am thrilled to announce that that project is none other than Heavy Metal Symphony!
A quick recap: Heavy Metal Symphony is a contemporary novel that I have been working on between other projects since late 2014. It was published in 2021 by a small publisher called Kaledena Press; however, a couple months after the book was released, Kaledena unfortunately closed their doors, meaning that Heavy Metal Symphony was no longer available.
This was heartbreaking for me, as this book is very much a book of my heart: it has all my love of music in general, heavy metal in particular, live music, and my hometown of Buffalo, NY in its pages. I knew immediately that I would absolutely be getting this book back out there someday, somehow, but I took some time to think about how I wanted to do that, and to explore some options with my wonderful literary agent.
Ultimately, I decided that self-publishing was the way to go for this book. I knew it would be a lot of work (and it has been!) but that it would be worth it for me to be completely in control of this book that means so very much to me, and to do it exactly the way I want to do it. Too, the process of self-publishing this book has been a wonderful learning experience for me, and has also been very empowering.
So, when will you be able to get a copy of Heavy Metal Symphony again? The book will be released on August 15th, 2023, and will be available in both paperback and ebook formats. So not too much longer to wait!
The book is also not exactly the same version that was published with Kaledena. I’ve revised it one last time, and it has some updates and fresh content, including:
-One full new scene
-Several smaller new scenes
-A rewrite of the song that Ava, my main character, writes at the beginning of the book and which sets the events of the story into motion
-New and updated song lyrics in the back of the book
So if you read the previously published version and enjoyed it, I definitely recommend getting a copy of the updated version to see what’s new and improved!
One reason I chose to self-publish this was so that I could keep the album artwork that was featured in the original published version, as well as expand the bonus lyrics section included at the back of the back. I’m so, so excited with how it has all come together, and know I am putting out the strongest version possible of this book.
Cover reveal to come (yes, there is a shiny brand new cover!) and I will also post preorder links as soon as they are live, so stay tuned for all of those updates and more! You’ll be able to find those updates here on my website, on my Twitter or Instagram pages, or get them delivered right to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter. And in the meantime, you can add the book on Goodreads.
I can’t wait for this book to be back in the world – to stay, this time.
About Heavy Metal Symphony
“I hope you never reach a day where you have to choose between your band and your relationship.”
Ava Tomei seems to have it all: she’s the lead singer of Buffalo-based symphonic metal band Handel’s Messiah and is in a committed relationship with the band’s keyboard player and brilliant lead composer Killian Sterling. But as the band hits the studio to record their fifth album, Ava and Killian can no longer hide the cracks in their relationship from their bandmates—or from themselves.
What started as an artistic collaboration between Ava and Killian six years before quickly bloomed into a passionate romance. Then, when the original lead singer of Handel’s Messiah—and Killian’s ex girlfriend—leaves the band right in the middle of the band’s world tour, Killian calls on Ava to fill in. Ava is plunged into the pressures of stepping in to front one of metal’s biggest rising bands amidst fan disappointment, skepticism from her new bandmates, the physical demands of a world tour, and sexism in the metal scene. But she also has the chance to fulfill her wildest dreams. Still, as Ava’s desire to express her creativity comes to a head with Killian’s artistic dominance, they are forced to confront whether what they have can be repaired—and what will happen to their band if not.
Told in alternating storylines that show Ava and Killian’s seemingly fairytale past and their fraught present, and perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, Heavy Metal Symphony is a novel of jealousy, rock stars, ambition, creative control, finding your voice, and, of course, heavy metal.
Alyssa Palombo 