Disclaimer: Patrice is a our friend and while I haven’t read her YA work, she totally promised me a copy if I put her blog post up.   You get a chance at a copy too.    Enjoy! – Ilona

Thank you Ilona and Gordon for inviting me on your blog today! Ilona and I got to know each other at a Romantic Times conference a few years ago, then later we became blog buddies on the ODD SHOTS blog.

For today’s guest blog, I thought I’d talk about a subject near and dear to both authors’ and readers’ hearts, book covers.

When I decided to publish my Young Adult book, BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS, one of the aspects I was super excited about was having FULL control over the book cover. From concept to design to implementation (ahem, I did hire a professional to make my mock cover NY worthy), it was all mine! That was quite refreshing considering I hadn’t had control over my books’ covers during my last seven years of publishing with small presses and a NY publisher. Yes, I’d had an opportunity to express my opinion, but most of the time I didn’t have any say-so in the final outcome.

YA books are ALL about the cover, so I wanted to make sure mine conveyed the story. Here’s a quick one-liner about my YA: Brightest Kind of Darkness is a dark paranormal novel length YA full of mystery, adventure, romance, and even a touch of horror. And below is the cover I came up with…

BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

Thankfully BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS‘ cover was well received by readers, but that also really put the pressure on me for book 2! I had to: one, come up with a cover for book 2 that was just as visually beautiful as book 1,  two, make sure that the cover flowed well, matching the “series” look, and three, make sure the cover matched the story inside. It was a tall order, but I was determined.

This past week, with the help of over fifty book bloggers (yay, book bloggers rock!), I revealed BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS’ cover LUCID. Did I hold my breath? Absolutely! I was anxious and tense. It’s great when you have total control, but that also means, it was all on me if book 2′s cover flopped. Ack! WHEW, I was so happy the overall response was very positive! And here is the cover for LUCID. It will release in Spring 2012.

How do you feel about book covers? Do you immediately click on a book cover link when an author posts a new cover reveal? I do. Every single time! I’m such a visual person, book covers really help me connect with the story. I’d say the book cover, along with the blurb, are what draw me in. Where does the book cover fall in your preference as a reader? I’d love to hear your thoughts on covers. I’ll be giving away one eBook copy of BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS to a commenter, so let’s hear your thoughts!

ABOUT P.T. MICHELLE

P.T. Michelle is the young adult pseudonym of Patrice Michelle, author of fifteen romance novels and novellas. When P.T. isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or odd in nature.

Links:
Website
Blog
Goodreads

The contest will run until Saturday. Please comment to enter.  The winner will be drawn on Sunday.  Also Patrice’s YA at the moment is $.99.  – Ilona

Huge congratulations!

FATE’S EDGE is #11 on the printed list

#21 on the ebook bestseller list

#27 on the combined print & ebook bestseller list

I’m so happy for you.

All best,

Anne

Looks like I had my pity party too soon.  (In my defense, it’s been hellish three months, so I expected the light at the end of the tunnel to be an incoming train.)

Thank you so much, guys!  The house is thrilled with sales.

In related news, we will be starting work on Edge 4 shortly.  We will try to bring you the story of Richard.  It will be the story of revenge set mostly in the Weird and it will be more angsty than the last book.  If Rose’s book was a fried appetizer, William’s book was steak and potatoes entree,  and Kaldar’s story a fluffy chocolate dessert, this one will be a cup of strong, slightly bitter coffee at the end.

We are not sure yet if Anne would approve it, but we’re hoping she would.  We’d like to end a series arch on a strong note.

Some people have been asking about Jack and George stories.  If we did the kids, we’d have to jump pretty far forward in time and each of them would have to have their own books, and we only have one book left under current contract.  Not only that, but these books would likely have a different setting in a sense. Both kids are very magic and they are at their best in the magic environment.  We would either keep them more in the Weird or make it so the boys could somehow have magic in the Broken.  This would be a little different from the current hoping back and forth across three worlds situation.

Since this current project will be mostly Weird oriented, we can see if this idea is viable.

We would also like to do the thing where we show up an hour or two early and just hang out with whoever feels like showing up and chatting.  No big whoop, just coffee talk.  A favorite topic of mine is Barbara, have you seen her skin?  Like buttah, she’s gorgeous.  Still if you have any concerns or questions, just ask and we will try to answer in the comments.  Thanks again guys.

Life is a bit of a mess right now, but we’re hanging in there.

All right then, first news, then some sort of snippet.

Bouda Babes

The Bouda Babes T-shirts are now available on Zazzle in a variety of sizes and styles.  If you would like one, now is your chance. Click here to go to Zazzle.

Please note that while Keely is distributing the T-shirts with our permission, Gordon and I take no commission from the sales. This way we can keep the cost down for you and Keely is rewarded for her excellent design.

On a side note the poses the T-shirt model is doing are hilarious.

Guess Who?

Fun fact: We share a model.

Joanna Bourne has agreed to be thrown to the wolves to come and hang out with us.  If you’ve never read her work, Joanna writes some of the most nuanced historical romances, set around the beginning of 19th century.

Joanna has a new release, THE BLACK HAWK, which is an RT Top Pick for November.  So, if you ever wanted to ask Joanna something about her work or life, now is your chance.  I can’t promise that all questions will be answered, but I will pass them on.

Her Grace Olivia

While we’re on the subject of nobles, Her Grace Olivia Camarine, Duchess of the Southern Provinces, is starting a travelogue.  She hopes it will be witty and charming; however, she is quite new at this and is likely to ramble about her life, her husband, and her children instead.  If you are interested in following  her musings, here is a link.

Book Lists

C writes:

Do you know if there is a massive schedule of book release lists that publishers contribute to?  I use Amazon’s wish list to keep track of upcoming books I know I’m interested in, but it would be nice if a categorized list existed.

Unfortunately, I don’t know of a unified list, but here are a couple of places you might find interesting.

Literary Escapism does a really good rundown of the new titles.

So does Dear Author.

Every publisher also releases a catalog.  This might be a good resources because it shows all titles by imprint, not just by genre.  Here is a link to Penguin catalogs and here is a link specifically to Berkley Mass Market for the Fall 2011.

New Friend Releases

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Well, now I have to write and if I make my word count, you will get a Monday snippet.

Pocket Star – Simon & Schuster | On Kindle | On Amazon | On B&N | Book Depository | Powells | Books-A-Million | Goodreads

“Funny, sexy, and lively” — Publishers Weekly

WANTED

Single human female to join charming, wealthy single male were-cougar for a night of romantic fun – and maybe more.

Me: The tall, sensuous, open-minded leader of my clan.

You: A deliciously curvy virgin who’s intimately familiar with what goes bump in the night. Must not be afraid of a little tail. Prefer a woman who’s open to exploring her animal nature. Interest in nighttime walks through the woods a plus.

My turn-ons include protecting you from the worst the supernatural world has to offer.

Ready for an adventure? Give me a call.

Vampires and doppelgangers need not apply.

From the inside of the book:

Bathsheba Ward is human, which means dating supernaturals is strictly forbidden–unless the
interested party happens to be the powerful head of their Alliance. So when were-cougar Beau Russell insists that she join him for dinner at a fancy French restaurant, she agrees. Not because the man is so incredibly hot he makes her hormones sing. She’s more interested in saving her desk job at an exclusive dating service that caters to a clientele with rather . . . eclectic tastes.

But just try hiding a supernatural family secret when your would-be boyfriend has supersharp
animal senses. Then again, try protecting yourself from a bloodthirsty, home-invading mythological creature with just a bottle of liquid silver and a carving knife.

Maybe having an über-sexy supernatural partner isn’t such a bad idea after all. . . .

We would not do that for the following reasons.

Monopolies

First, we dislike monopolies.   They are, dare I say, un-American.  That said, I love Amazon, I enjoy buying movies, toys, games and even books on Kindle.  We own a Kindle and are quite happy with it.  Actual dead tree books, we don’t buy from them so much.  I guess I would rather go to a store, preferably an independent books store. like Powell’s or Murder by the Book, and pick the book up in my hands.  We benefit greatly from our books being sold on Amazon, mostly again, on the Kindle.  Having our books on Kindle, in turn, allows me to go and spend that book money on the aforementioned toys and games.  I can not help but wonder at some point if I will be like Tennessee Ernie Ford, owing my soul to the company store.  Obviously that is an exaggeration but do you want to be Amazon’s employee and customer?

If you don’t think Amazon wants to be a monopoly, you are a more trusting person than me.

Lack of Editing and Agent Oversight

Second, as the article mentions, many authors publishing through Amazon neglect to employ their own editor or agent.  It is a process that has the potential to cut out not only the publishers, but the agents as well.  Let’s take these point one at a time.

First, the editing.  Sometimes, as the old saying goes, it is better to be lucky than smart.  We were beyond lucky to have Anne Sowards give our first book a chance.  Since then she has made every book better.  If we went the Amazon route, we would lose her and I have no doubt the books would be poorer for it.  What sort of editorial process do the Amazon exclusive books go through?  The article states that “Amazon executives, interviewed at the company’s headquarters, decline to say how many editors the company employed or how many book it had under contract.”  We don’t know who these editors are or how thorough and experience they are.  We are not now, nor in truth will we ever be at the point of not needing input from an experienced editor.

Next, the agent oversight.  Many authors are negotiating deals with Amazon, without the assistance or advice of an agent.  Again, we have been doubly blessed, not only do we have Anne, we also have Nancy Yost as our agent.  Have you ever read a publishing contract?  They are complicated and if you are not careful you could get, excuse my language, screwed out of a good bit of money by wording you don’t understand.  Especially if you are a new author.  A good agent will protect you and guide your career, and for that they deserve their 15%, and most of them, I suspect, work very hard to earn it.  I know for a fact that Nancy looks over and sends the contracts back to our publisher two or three times before we even see them.

A good agent is a buffer between you and your publisher.  If we are behind on a book, which never ever happens, Nancy can call our editor Anne, and get us more time or smooth things over.

Honestly, it puzzles me why anyone would choose to go through Amazon without services of an agent.  Suppose we went the Amazon exclusive route and we made a mega deal, choosing to cut out our agent, even if that person did an excellent job managing our career and without her we would not be getting the deal.  Not only is it a dick move, but now we’re screwed.  Who is going to look at our super new contract and tell us if it’s kosher?  Who is going to sell our foreign rights?

Fans

Third, and perhaps most importantly, what about the fans, won’t somebody please think of the fans?  Drama aside, not everybody owns a Kindle, what about fans who have a Nook, or like to shop at B&N or a local book store?  Will your book be available to them?  Can iTune fanatics like myself buy the audio books for iPods or iPads?  Will your fans be forced to purchase Kindles to read your books?

Many independent stores are flat-out refusing to stock books from Amazon imprints.  Where are you going to do a signing and meet the fans?  Personally we will sign anything with our name on it, but what local books store will have you if everybody brings in the books they bought on Amazon?  the stores must make money to survive.  I don’t know yet how to sign a Kindle, maybe a cover. 

I just think that it is ill advised to put all of your eggs in the Amazon basket, at least it would be for us.  We are not opposed to Amazon.  We love getting 70% of the royalties.  But we don’t want those of you who choose to shop at BN or Books-A-Million or Powells to feel like we don’t care if you exist.

And that kids, is my very long answer to a short question.  Agree, disagree, any and all opinions and comments are welcome, this is a topic open to much debate.

This is inexcusable.  Sadly, even if the authors can file a class action suit against the publisher, I don’t really know if the money would ever be recovered.  I have a feeling it wouldn’t.  I don’t think there is any money to be had.

Working with a publisher has its benefits and drawbacks.  The editorial input can be invaluable, the distribution can be wider, the final product can be of higher quality.   But as a writer, you are surrendering your work and control of your career, at least partially, to someone else.  That’s why I like Ace – they are an old established publisher, who is less likely to go up in smoke because of actions of one individual.

On why you should never talk to the cops

And finally, just to let you know that humans aren’t the only ones who go on rants, here is a kitteh. (Looks like a Siberian to me.)

I am down in the dumps this morning, so I am going to stop yammering and get to work. I really don’t feel like writing witty romantic conversations this morning.  Sadly that’s exactly what I have to write, because that’s where the narrative is.

Monday Facebook Snippet:

Raphael took my hand and led me to the middle of the floor.

“What are you doing?” I asked through my smile.

“If I have to listen to another recount of how Hurricane Olivia is going to destroy life as we know it, I’ll lose my mind.”  He turned me, still holding on to my hand, maneuvering me into a classic dance pose.  His arm slid around my waist and I shivered.

“So you thought dancing would be better?”

“Yes.” He began swaying.  “Pretend to enjoy it.”

“You like screwing with me, don’t you?” I began swaying too.

“Well, since we decided not to screw each other anymore, I have to get my fun somehow.”

Since we’re playing that game…. I tilted my face up to his and gave him a lovesick gaze.

“Do you have to sneeze?” he asked.

“Shut up.  I’m pretending to enjoy your company, just as you said.”

“Try not to strain anything.”

“Oh, I won’t.  I’m very good at faking it.”

That shut him up.

Interview

Please tell us a little about yourself, Rae. Kids, pets, husbands?

I met my husband at the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (OWW). Come to think of it, Ilona, you may have known him longer than I have! He’s the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know and the first reader for all my work. I have two awesomely smart-aleck stepsons, one of whom just went off to college. And I have a pair of naughty cats I rescued from Kitty Death Row many years ago.

In the life of every writer, there is that magic point when you start a play project, then things turn serious.  Before you know it, you have finished your first novel, and a surprising thought hits you, “I wonder if I could get this published?”  When was that magic point for you? What compelled you to finish your first novel?  What was it about? 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is the first novel I ever completed—though by no means the first one I tried to write. I kept starting projects and outgrowing them. I would get 30K words or so in and realize I had improved as a writer, that my first words weren’t worthy of my recent words, and I ought to scrap the whole thing and rewrite from the ground up–so, might as well start a new project, right? But this book was different. The first chapter got an “editor’s choice” nod from the OWW. And then I workshopped it at a conference, and the editor requested the whole book! So those two events gave me the push I needed to finish the damn thing.

Please tell us about The Girl of Fire and Thorns?

Elisa is the “chosen one” of her generation, selected by God for an act of heroic service. Alas, she is unmotivated, coddled, overweight—nothing you’d expect from a hero. But when at sixteen years old she is married off to the king of a country in turmoil, she must find the greatness within herself to save the people she grows to love. Mostly, you should know that there are deserts, wild rebels, political machinations, and tons of food.

Why YA?

I love teens. They surprise me all the time. And all of my best work seems to have a coming-of-age theme.

But the truth is that my first agent did not feel this book was a young adult novel, and some of my foreign publishers will be marketing it as adult/teen crossover. I just keep writing stuff that I care about and letting my agent/publishers decide where it belongs.

Why did you choose monotheism for your fantasy religion?  Does religion play a significant role in the life of your protagonists?

I live in a country where 83% of citizens claim affiliation with some religious denomination (thank you, Wikipedia), and the vast majority of those are monotheists. How do teens decide what to believe when they are surrounded by so many contradictory views and messages? I wanted to do justice to this struggle without condemning or condoning any particular faith.

So, yes, Elisa is very devout and prays a lot. Part of her growing-up process is realizing that not everyone believes the same thing, and it will be up to her to decide for herself. I’ll be honest, though, and say it was a tough balance, and I’m not sure I got it right. I may never be sure. I’m not religious myself, so I definitely didn’t want to preach at anyone. At the same time, I didn’t want to vilify or marginalize a people group.

Why did you choose to write about an overweight protagonist?

I was dating this guy. He was an “encourager” who said he wanted the best for me, but his encouragements tended to be things like, “Are you sure you want to eat that?” And, “Wow, Rae, if you lost another five pounds, you’d be reeeally hot.” And, “Did you get your run in today?” I was a size 6 at the time.

After a year, I came to my senses and broke up with his sorry ass. I spent the next day eating cookie dough ice cream and thinking about all the amazing women I knew and the qualities I admired in them. “Skinny” wasn’t on that list of admirable qualities.

So I jotted down the fictitious diary entry of an overweight princess named Elisa who was destined to save the world using smarts, courage, and determination—traits my real-life girlfriends have in abundance. The diary didn’t make it into the final book, but it was the seed of the idea that became  The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

In the course of the novel Elisa loses weight.  Apparently there is some controversy about it.  Could you give us your take on this situation?

Elisa starts out with lousy self-esteem and an unhealthy relationship with food. When an arduous journey forces her to be active for the first time, she loses some weight. But she never becomes model-thin. She’s not a swan.

I think most of the controversy stems from the notion that Elisa must lose the weight to feel good about herself. That’s certainly not my intent, and I don’t think it’s a fair reflection of the book. Many important turning points happen before her weight loss, and Elisa comes to see her own value by accomplishing things, not by losing weight. That said, weight is a very sensitive issue, and I’m glad readers are talking about it.

So what did you hope to accomplish with this book?  Is it simply an escape or did you hope to convey a specific message?

More than anything I wanted to play fast and loose with high fantasy tropes like The Chosen One, the Amulet of Power, the Epic Journey, the Beautiful Princess in Peril. What if the Chosen One kinda sucks? What if the Amulet of Power is totally ridiculous?

As for messages, I’m not a big fan. Teens have highly developed bullshit meters, and they’re busy figuring things out for themselves. But I do realize that my own worldview is going to leak out in my writing. On reflection, the thing that leaks out the most in this book is my belief that you don’t have to be perfect to be extraordinary.

 Snippet

The drums beat faster now, louder. My shoulder crashes into a bench as the carriage heaves. I don’t dare lift myself to peer out the window, but I hope we’ve reached the clearing. I hear running footsteps and Lord Hector’s muffled orders, then the metal-scraping-metal sound of drawn steel.

Something thunks against the carriage. And again. Soon it’s like a rain of stones cracking against wooden walls. The shining black point of an arrowhead pokes through the wall, a mere handsbreadth from my nose. My skin burns. The air is too hot, too stifling to breathe. The Godstone in my navel flashes ice cold, and I gasp, astonished. It has never gone cold before.

The paneling beneath my palms feels sunwarmed. Too warm. The acrid scent of burning wood tingles in my nose as the Godstone continues to throb its icy warning.

Aneaxi whimpers, “Fire!” as our carriage fills with smoky haze and the shouting outside becomes frenzied.

“The princess!” someone yells. “To the princess!” But the voice is far off.

I search across the paneling for the latch to the trapdoor. It opens downward, and we tumble through into the cooler, cleaner air beneath the carriage. I land on something that cracks beneath my weight. Aneaxi screams.

I don’t have time to worry about how badly I’ve hurt her. The horses catch the scent of smoke and dance in their harnesses. We could be pinned beneath the wheels at any moment. I yearn for a knife to cut the horses free, to feel some kind of power in my hand. The carriage lurches forward. Behind me and to my left, I see Aneaxi’s leg, cricked unnaturally, lying in the path of the wheel.

I feel sick. “Aneaxi, you must pull your leg in.”

“I can’t!” she sobs.

I hook her armpit and pull. Ximena does the same on the other side, but Aneaxi is large and I have never been strong. A horse rears. The carriage jerks. Panicked, Ximena and I wrench Aneaxi toward us, but we are at such an awkward angle, pressed against the ground, and oh, it is not enough.

Steel rings, and the carriage shudders. Someone has sliced through the harnesses, and tears of relief prick my eyes.

I’m not sure what to do next. The carriage provides cover, but it burns. Even now, smoke licks the floor above, curling around the panels like white snakes. Feet patter by at eye level. Our enemies are barefooted demons, nearly naked and painted in black-and-white swirls. Anklets of tiny bones clatter as one darts in and out of the jungle. Lunge, sidestep, disappear; then another takes his place. Their attack has no pattern. It is random, constant, indefensible.

A few paces away from our burning carriage gapes the opening of an enormous buttress, a cavern formed by the roots of a silk-cotton tree. I could reach it quickly, and Ximena, but I worry for Aneaxi and her broken leg.

I flip over to face my ladies. “We must get away before the carriage collapses.”

They nod; Aneaxi’s round cheeks are smeared with dirt made muddy by tears. My heart swells for a moment, for I’m not willing to lose either of them.

“Ximena and I will go first,” I say to Aneaxi. “Then we will pull you out by the arms.” I hope that by standing, we’ll have the leverage to do what could not be done beneath the carriage. “Aneaxi, you must not scream, no matter how much it hurts.”

She takes a few ragged breaths. Then she rips a strip of fabric from the hem of her traveling gown. My chest burns with pride when she wads it up and shoves it in her mouth. I’m ready, her eyes tell me.

Still we wait. The fighting is too close. From where we lie we see pairings of naked, painted calves with boots and stiff hide. A man tumbles to the ground before me, and I scramble backward. His eyes are open and blinding white against the black paint of his face. His hair is as long as mine but twisted into thick clumps. He lies unmoving. Gingerly, heart pounding, I pry a stone knife from his still-warm hand and stuff it into my bodice.

At last I see a break in the fighting, and I gesture frantically to Ximena. We scramble from beneath the carriage on all fours. My foot tangles in my slip as I rise, but I rip right through it. Once clear, we turn and grasp Aneaxi’s arms. She groans around the wad in her mouth as we pull. Her eyes clench tight; her face is bright red. Then she goes limp as unconsciousness takes her. As we pull her toward the dark cavity of the buttress, I expect to see an arrow impale her chest at any moment. Sweat slides down my back and across my stomach. Beside me, Ximena’s gray bun has come loose and her hair swings below her shoulders. Little by little, we reach the line of the jungle. The ground slopes downward as we step beneath the roots. It’s cooler here, and comfortingly dark. There is just enough room for the three of us in the little cavern. I catch my breath, holding tight to Aneaxi’s shoulders, so relieved to have made it this far.

I have a better view of the battle now. My husband’s guard seems to have found its footing against these strange savages. They fight back to back against the random attacks, shield arms at ready for incoming arrows. Bodies from both sides litter the ground, and my stomach roils at the scent of burning flesh. Our carriage is an inferno. Next to me, Ximena flinches when the flaming structure collapses to the ground, sending sparks in all directions. A few moments more, and we would have burned.

Beyond the ruined carriage, two savages have trapped one of our own against a tree. I cannot see his face, but his body is frozen in panic.

One of the savages leaps forward with a shriek, plunges a stone knife toward the man’s chest. He lurches away just in time, and the knife jams into his forearm instead.

He fights weakly then, with left-handed strokes. When he hesitates yet again, I know he cannot last. The painted bodies sense the kill. They begin an odd movement, like a dance. Squat, pivot, creep. They are like jungle cats, all wild grace and hunting fury. Then I catch a glimpse of the doomed man’s face.

Alejandro.

“No!” I clamber from our shelter. Ximena yells something indecipherable. She grasps my arm, but I wrench away. I feel so slow as I run toward my husband, my belly and breasts bouncing painfully with each step. As I pass the collapsed carriage, I pull the knife from my bodice…

Read the first 80 pages…

Giveaway

Rae is giving away a signed hardcover.

To enter, leave a comment on this post.  You must enter on the blog. Comments made by email or through Goodreads will not be eligible.  Winner, as always, will be chosen randomly.

Contest ends: Monday, October 3rd.

US and Canada residents only.

First, Rae Carson is coming to the blog.  Rae is a friend from way back before I was the female half of Ilona Andrews and an aspiring author and a member of Online Writing Workshop of Sf, Fantasy, and Horror.  Back then OWW was like high school, in many respects.  You had a choice of visiting chat rooms and being social or you could just mind your own business.  I had visited chatrooms, and while some people were nice to me, some were not.

Rae was always nice.

So, when I realized her debut book was out, I emailed her asking if she would come to the blog.  She said yes and she is game for pretty much anything.

Here is the description of her book:

THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

Once every century, one person is chosen for greatness. But the prophecy is vague, and Elisa, always overshadowed by her accomplished older sister, has no idea why she was chosen or how she will fulfill the expectations. Her future is unknown and her potential is tremendous—even if she doesn’t realize it. A king asks her to save his troubled country. A savage enemy hunts her for its own—dead or alive. A revolutionary asks for her heart. And in the midst of ferocious battles and harsh quests, Elisa will find herself. She will find the strength she’s always possessed. She’ll find deep and abiding love. She’ll awaken the power that only she can control. And she’ll face those who want to rip all of it away.

Lush, adventurous, and wrenching, THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS is the first in a trilogy for fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling and Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books.

If you have any questions for Rae, please comment on this post and I will get them to her. Also, if you get a chance, check out her website.  I had design envy.  It’s terribly pretty.

Silver Shark Updates

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The proofreading is completed.  Updated files should go out today.  Will bug Natanya to upload ePub and PDF files to ARe so international people can purchase them.

Sorry for the delay.