We at the Asylum are excited to host the cover reveal for Karen McCompostine‘s upcoming new novel, Cute Cnut, the first book in The Hardening Cycle comedy urban fantasy romance series! The expected publication is September 26, 2025.


I have been raised by nuns, which is how you create an atheist that never swears. My favourite of the nuns, who collected pictures of Marlo Brandon (I thought this is where I should mention that I prefer to change names in case I get sued) has fascinated me with the idea of art, such as movies. But due to me living in cognito, which is caused by a little misunderstanding – when I was living on one of my boyfriend’s many yachts, how was I to know that the white powder in the plastic bags was drugs? It felt intuitive to me that in case his friends descend upon in an unexpected visit, it would be good to have flour at hand. And then a visit has descended, and it was very much unexpected, but this I am keeping for my memoirs (the working title: The Life and Art of an Author).
So what you should know is really only that I live in a small town in England, which is in the United Kingdom (I mention this for the benefit of my readers in the European Union) together with my beloved dog Lassie, whom I named after Lassie from the movie Lassie. And with my husband Gunther. But mostly with Lassie.
I have a ‘presence’ on the ‘X’ portal which I disapprove of (the portal, not my presence) but as we Authors know, it’s all about building a ‘platform’ which you do on portals.
Find me here! https://x.com/karenauthor1 (my actual name is too long and karenmccompostin felt self-offensive).
I am also a Boomer on the Facebook! My designer Paolo (thank you Paolo!) told me that as a Boomer I should be on Facebook, and as a woman married to Gunther without having researched Scotland for quite a while I am immensely complimented. Please remember I am married, so send DMs (with photos of your FACE, the one sticking out from your HEAD, meaning the head on top of you when you are standing up) thank you very much.
Find me here! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095196584634
This is an inconvenient link to type if you are perusing the hardcover cover edition of this novel, or a paperback and front one, so you can also simply go to www.karenmccompostine.com where you will find the link without all those numbers.
Connect with Karen McCompostine

Are
ฅʕ•ᴥ•`ʔ
you
\ʕ◕ᴥ◕\ʔ
ready?
⊂ ʕ•ᴥ•⊂ʔ


Stella McSteel is satisfied with her humdrum London life and humdrum Norfolk boyfriend until she meets dazzlingly handsome Swede Cnut Vanking from Sweden. With his perfect good looks, toned, muscular body, excellent dress sense and fabulous wealth he seems like the perfect man. But whilst Cnut may be cute, he’s also a man of mystery harbouring a secret so huge it threatens to blow Stella’s world apart. What could this secret be and can their burgeoning romance survive this really rather enormous secret which would, frankly, test any relationship?
Maybe he’s a vampire? Turn to Chapter 14 to find out!
An urban fantasy romance from the virtual pen of enigmatic genre-shattering novelist Karen McCompostine (Mrs.)!
It is time to enter the world of… The Hardening.

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