Cover Reveal & Giveaway
Are you ready for the reveal of the new Cephrael’s
Hand cover? Because here it is! What do you think? Does it do a good job
conveying the fantasy genre? Is it a book you’d be attracted to in the store?
Does it make you want to learn more?
Thank you for helping us celebrate! If you’d like to
see the new covers for books 2 and 3 in the series stop by www.MelissaMcPhail.com,
and check them out.
Guess what else? The author is offering a special
giveaway as part of this grand event. Check out the Rafflecopter form below
(it’s also available at www.novelpublicity.com/cephrael-cover-reveal/) to find out how you can win a Kindle Fire. Hooray!
Oh, and don’t miss learning more about Cephrael’s
Hand and where you can pick up a copy—that’s below too.
“All things are composed of patterns…” And within the
pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:
In Alorin… three
hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the
blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline:
Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three
centuries past earned him a traitor’s brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine
D’Lacourte’s mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his
race. But first he’ll have to find him.
In the kingdom of Dannym… the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future
as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is
slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the
man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for
vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a
mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord.
In the Nadori desert…tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier
named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when
disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell
begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them. Honor-bound to serve
the First Lord in return for his life, Trell continues on his appointed path,
yet each day unveils new and stranger secrets that eventually call into
question everything he knows.
One Often
Overlooked Element of World-Building
A Guest Post & Cover Reveal by Melissa McPhail
Every author should understand world-building. Whether
engaged in the writing of genre or literary fiction, an author crafts a unique
world with each novel. Even when set in the present day, the novel’s events
layer a new dimension upon our visible reality. It’s the dimension of those
characters, of that story, but it should feel as real to the reader as his own
tangible environment.
One overlooked element in world-building is religion.
Often when religion isn’t factoring into the plot of the story, the author may
fail to mention it. Yet when we take a look at how religion influences our
daily lives—even when we ourselves may practice no particular faith—it’s clear
that religion of some nature is part and parcel to nearly every culture that
inhabits this earth.
Religion influences our daily interactions with others
(moral codes, traditions) and for many, it determines at least in part the way
they spend their mornings, nights or weekends. It even influences the words we
swear (or curse) by.
Religious symbols and icons are prevalent in society,
from cathedrals to dollar bills to the skylines of Earth’s most ancient cities.
Sadly, in today’s culture, the subject of religion provides unending fodder for
politicians, litigators, pundits and malcontents; yet these detractions aside,
the belief in something greater than ourselves continues to offer spiritual
succor for a majority of the world’s population.
Whether you as the author practice any faith, it’s
impossible to escape the cultural foundations the world’s religions—from the
pagan to the divine—have established through the centuries. Why would life be
any different for other cultures, other worlds, other lands? Or for your
magical vampire hunter detective?
Don’t overlook this valuable tool for making the world
of your novel more real to the reader. The inclusion of some religious
mention—whether mystical, magical or mythological—can bring greater depth to
any story and create instant bonds of reality between the reader and your
characters.
With that said, happy writing!
Reveal-wide Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So, what do you think? I actually saw this cover before agreeing to reveal it. I've become very choosy in my cover reveals. I LOVE this cover. I like the castle in the background, as well as the sorcerer, and I love the patterns toward the bottom. I'm still attracted to covers that feature a person. I know the trend is toward more plain covers, but those just don't do it for me. You can probably tell that from my book covers.
The guest post is intriguing. Religion plays an important role in many novels. In Shadow Fire the plot centers around the recovery of a religious icon left behind as a form of protection by a Goddess. This is a world of multiple gods and goddesses who have left the world behind, going on to bigger and better things. In Tortured Souls, main character Logan recites part of the St. Michael prayer when trying to banish an evil entity.Though religion is never in the forefront of my mind when writing, it's interesting to see it appear in my work--almost as though it's so ingrained in the human psyche, we just can't help ourselves.
The cover is amazingly epic!
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful......!
ReplyDeleteI love the colors
DeleteI love the stars and the blue color at the bottom. It definitely looks like something I would love to read. :)
ReplyDeleteI've always said I'm a cover gal, and this book just proves it. Check out the older cover on Goodreads. It's not bad or anything, but didn't spark my interest like this one did.
DeleteYeah, the cover always has to catch my attention. I saw it too. It didn't make me want to grab it and scream "MINE" but this one does. I love it :)
DeleteThe starry sky and castle are my favorite part.
ReplyDeleteI like how the tagline meshes with the cover's appearance.
DeleteIt is mysterious and other worldly! I think my younger child would say it is spooky!
ReplyDeleteSpooky... I like it.
DeleteIt is a very interesting cover.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot going on in a small space.
DeleteGreat cover, really catches your eye.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that everyone has liked it so far.
DeleteI love it! It's so much brighter and more engaging than the previous cover, and it really highlights the epic fantasy concept :)
ReplyDeleteIt's nice when a cover really represents the content.
DeleteI love the cover. The colors fit perfectly. This really fits the book.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to get the opinion of someone who has read the book!
DeleteI love the cover. The swirling colors are really mesmerizing.
ReplyDeleteThey are quite pretty
DeleteThe cover is sweet! Love all of the colors, and esp the dude! Hello! This sounds like my kind of read!
ReplyDeleteI've been getting back into fantasy again lately
DeleteI love the cover, it's so mythical and magical. It opens the mind up for imagination.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for featuring my novel this week, Kimber. I so appreciate the feedback from your readers.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! It really is a great cover!!
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