Cover Reveal: Pithea

Pithea cover, Kindle.png

This will be the cover for my first full-length novel, which is set to release on January 10, 2020. It will be available for pre-order in December, and I’ll post about that when it gets closer.  Below is the synopsis for the book:

In the near future, a devastating global war has led to a worldwide ban on the use of all technology. A few hundred years after the catastrophic war, a sort of magic—called “the Power”—manifested in every living person. Thousands of years later, the world has settled into a lifestyle that is part pioneer times, part medieval times, but with a more modern mindset. The Power has become a part of everyday life in the country of Pithea.

Missy Seeger is struggling to find her place in the world. She reluctantly decides to follow in the footsteps of her well-known and well-respected father. As other options begin to call out to her, she can’t let go of the need to please her father.

Naolin Dark is a solitary young man who knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. He finds the adventure and excitement of life in his local militia, with a sword strapped to his side, to be the only worthy path. The primary goal of Pithean militias is to protect the country’s citizens from animals afflicted by the Madness, and Naolin is eager for his chance to prove himself.

Missy’s and Naolin’s abilities, ideals, and even bodies are put to the test in many ways as they are forced to deal with villains and monsters that are made possible—and all the more dangerous—by the Power and the Madness.

NaNoWriMo Day 2

The Words: 2538 on day 2. I was expecting to have a project to work on for my job this morning or afternoon, something that I expected to take 5-6 hours. After lunch, when the project hadn’t been sent to me yet, I decided that I needed to write while I waited, because if the project came very late, finishing it may cut into my evening writing time.

The project never came (though it probably will tomorrow), so I got my writing done in the afternoon and enjoyed some relaxing time in the evening. I plan to get some words toward tomorrow’s count after midnight before I go to bed tonight though.

The Story: In the continuation of the flashback story I started yesterday, while Lorrin is guarding the young prince, she uncovers a plot to assassinate the king.

I also created the cover for my novel today, and that led me to change the title again. I had started out calling it “The King,” then decided I liked “King” better. I have now changed it to “Protector,” where I expect it to stay, at least for a while.

Protector

Total word count: 7717

Don’t forget to check out today’s NaNoToons if you haven’t already: 2018 – November 2nd

Daily Writing Check-in: October 11, 2017

Words/Time: Just over an hour working on NaNoPrep

I have officially settled on what to write for NaNoWriMo this year. I posted the mood board for it yesterday, but I still have a lot of the discovery phase to work through before I’m ready for November. I have never thought much in depth about this story idea.

After finally looking into what this “Beautiful Books” thing is that I’ve seen so many times, I realized learning what it was couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. For those who don’t know, you can find out here.

I answered the questions as a way of learning more about this story, and about the main character, and boy did it help (that’s what I did for my hour of work today). I will post more about that tomorrow though. Yesterday, I mentioned that, along with the mood board, I created a cover for my novel. I don’t normally do that. Only once before in my 7 previous years of participating in NaNoWriMo have I made a cover, and it was just a close-up picture of a forge.

I always assumed covers had to be complicated and fancy, but I got smarter. Here is the NaNoCover for my 2017 NaNoNovel, “Vin.”

Vin cover.png


For anyone out there who is participating in NaNoWriMo, feel free to check out my series of tips and tricks for the month, and also to add me as a writing buddy! (Let me know you came from here, and I’ll add you back!)

My 2015 NaNoNovel

“Too Many Irons in the Fire”

During the Midwest’s biggest annual historical reenactment, a local blade smith named Shawn Mallory disappears. Twenty-five-year-old Darcy Preston watches her dad worry over his missing friend. Darcy looks for clues about where Shawn may have gone, but the crowd and her own obligations to the event slow her down.

The more Darcy watches and talks to the many other blacksmiths attending the event, the more she begins to suspect that Shawn’s disappearance may have been orchestrated. By the end of the week, as the busiest day of the rendezvous approaches, Darcy is convinced that her own father is in danger.

Can she convince her dad of her suspicions in time to save him?

cover1

I’ve never made a cover for a NaNoNovel before. Rather than make it official with words and such, I went simply with an image. It’s better than I’ve ever had before.