You may have noticed that I didn't post on Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday. There are multiple reasons for that - mostly being that I ran out of time and energy and, since I was planning on two posts this week anyway, didn't push myself as hard as I usually would have to get one out by Tuesday night.
"Two posts?" you may be asking, regardless of whether or not you noticed that I didn't post.
Why yes, two, thanks for asking. Because I have some very exciting news and was not allowed to share it until today. And now I get to share it. So here we are. XD
The News
Kara Swanson, author of Dust and Shadow, among other things, is releasing a new book. It's called Ignite, and happens to be about a phoenix-girl named Mara. Even better, it has a fantabulous cover that I finally get to share with you. XD
Excited?
Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a bit, 'cause I have to be a good author and draw out the suspense as much as I can.
Besides, don't you want to know more about the book than just "it's about a phoenix-girl named Mara"? There's so much more to the story. Here, allow me to share a more official blurb (and a way to preorder this beauty):
Can Mara survive in a world where the fire in her veins is worth killing for?
In a frozen wasteland suffocating beneath a dying sun, Mara is a young phoenix raised by her father to explode at his command. He’s the only one who can help her control her fire, and Mara desperately follows his orders to protect their phoenix family from relentless human hunters.
Her sheltered existence is shattered when her family mysteriously vanishes, thrusting Mara into a perilous quest to find them. Along the way, she unravels a devastating truth: her people may not be the innocent victims she's been taught to believe.
When she comes face-to-face with the kindhearted Eli, she begins to wonder if the humans aren’t the monsters she's always feared. What if the greatest danger doesn’t lie in the icy world outside—but in the truth of who Mara really is?
Fire and ice collide in this thrilling tale of a phoenix girl born with the power of a dying sun.
(Fun fact: Ignite happens to be Amazon's #1 New Release in Teen & YA Christian Fantasy...)
About the Author
Hi there! I’m Kara.
I write stories about fairytales and fiery souls. I spent my childhood a little like a Lost Girl, running barefoot through lush green jungles which inspired my award-winning Peter Pan retellings, DUST and SHADOW.
I’m also the co-founder of the Author Conservatory where I have the honor of teaching young writers to craft sustainable author careers.
You’ll find me with my toes in California sand as a SoCal resident, belting Broadway show tunes on weekend drives to Disneyland with my delightfully-nerdy husband, or chatting about my love of magic and mayhem on Instagram.
The Big Reveal
Alright, now that I've stalled for a sufficient amount of time, it's time we got down to business. What does the cover for this masterpiece really look like?
(Also, if you scrolled down already to see it, shame on you. *tsk tsks* Have some patience and let me enjoy my suspense-building. XP)
(Just kidding.)
(But still wallow in your shame, you scoundrel.)
Now, I am very critical when it comes to covers. If it looks cheap, I probably will lower my expectations for the book. If it looks amazing, my expectations rise somewhat. If I could photoshop it or make it in Canva with my limited skills, I consider it a poor cover that may reflect the quality of the book/author/publisher. But if I can't fathom how someone could make a cover that looks like that, I get all the more excited for my read.
The cover for Ignite is both amazing and unfathomable. Seriously, this thing is stunning. If I found it on a shelf at a library or even a bookstore, I'd pick it up and skim it and very likely would take it home with me.
Yes, I judge books by their covers that much. You can often tell a lot about a book from its cover.
This cover has made my expectations soar through the roof for the book. I've heard great things about Swanson before, and I love her covers for her other books, but there's something so very magnetic about this one.
Want to see it?
Yeah, I thought so.
But I can't just let you have it. You gotta work those fingers of yours to get it.
Have at it. ^_^
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(For any of you sneak-peekers who skimmed everything else to get to this part, this is your conscience telling you to get back up and do this the proper way)
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(Suffer with everybody else or be called a scoundrel...)
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(Just a little farther...)
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Okay, here she is...
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there...
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ISN'T IT STUNNING?!?!? 🤩 I'm in love. XD
Important Links
What do you think of the cover? Have you heard rumors of Ignite? Are you going to preorder? Have you read any of Kara Swanson's other books? What did you think of them?
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! ^_^
YOU ARE OFFICIALLY THE QUEEN OF COVER REVEALS. (And yesss, it is stunning!!!!!! 😍)
I can't wait for this <33