Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery
Today is the cover reveal for the sixth book in The Sword of the Dragon Series. As a reminder, In Search of Dragons will now be book seven in the series. Without further ado, here is the book cover!
As an added bonus for you, here is a free graphic for your computer background and social media. Thank you for being on this journey with me.
Would you like to give your reaction to a new book cover? My best book ideas have not developed overnight, but over several years. The Sword of the Dragon series was one example, but I have been developing another story world that is equally epic! Ironwing will be the first novel in my steampunk fantasy series.
Here is the cover reveal! What do you think of it? ….As a bonus, here is the story premise:
Industron is a city ostensibly at peace. A few hundred years ago, the High Marshal led humanity in a war to eradicate the last dragons. He used dragons of metal and gears to kill the dragons of flesh and bone, then returned victorious to build Industron into a modern marvel. But the High Marshal has been reclusive of late, and his ministers spread rumors that he has grown insane. His inexplicably long lifespan, and the wealth he has amassed, inspires jealousy among the marshals of other distant cities. His enemies multiply amid his silence, yet some of their bodies are found hung from the high walls of their cities. Is the High Marshal behind the killings, or is someone else manipulating the cities into war?
Coming from Flaming Pen Press February 2018, the epic true story of The Sea Lord Francis Drake.
Fall in love with world history! The snazzy new cover says it all. Prepare for a Young Adult novelization of the life of Sir Francis Drake that does not fictionalize the facts. Originally published back in 1932, this is the first of a slew of old books that I’ve found over the years, which have been lost to contemporary readers. Now, Flaming Pen Press will be releasing these titles into your hands!
Some publishers will take old books like this and scan them, page by page, and release those scanned interiors to their readers. But the text loses its clarity and the general layout ends up feeling forced onto the new pages it is printed on.
Every page of this book has been painstakingly typed out so that a fresh, digital file could be created. The original sketches on the book’s interior have been worked into the book’s fresh interior layout, and artist Benjamin Roque created the stunning new cover.
When I was reading history books as I grew up, I sometimes mixed up the chronological order of historical figures and events. Thus the spine of this book also features the dates Sir Francis Drake’s life spanned. Imagine lining your shelf with great young adult biographies that have the time period stamped on the spine. You can keep them organized chronologically to keep the ordering of events clear in your mind. With each new read, you can place the new title in its proper sequence by chronological date. This has huge advantages for students, parents, and teachers.
It has been exciting to receive feedback from more readers with each passing month who’ve greatly enjoyed delving into The Sword of the Dragon expansion series Neverqueen. Many have loved the characters Violet and Alfor, and the prophetess along the Eiderveis River. But as many questions as that novel answered, it opened up even more. There is so much more to tell in the Neverqueen Saga… and I am pleased to now reveal the final cover for Neverqueen2. This book releases Spring/Summer 2016!
For this cover I used the same artist as my last two. His name is Benjamin Roque and you are already familiar with his work. He illustrated The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4) as well as Neverqueen (book 1). This work is, I think, the best yet.
When approaching the artist about this project I was concerned with getting several elements right, the most important being the design of a new original fantasy creature I crafted for this novel: the Cat Beast. With the face of a cat, ram’s horns on his head, a body the size of a dragon, feathered wings, and a spiked tail. This beast is a rival in battle to many a dragon. His name is Destrono and he is a pawn of a wizard whom you are familiar with.
Neverqueen2 will release in paperback and on Kindle e-reader Spring/Summer 2016.
Q: Are you going to share this book cover with your fantasy-loving friends? (-; Please do! Thanks in advance!
I do not write stories simply to tell them. I do not look for the stories to merely entertain. I want them to have staying power and so they reflect the moments of my life. My next story explores the grim reality of loneliness and the hope of companionship. It shapes a future that is ever brighter because we must place our hope not in ourselves, but in the strength we find in doing good. Enter The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4).
November 6th is the date! Finally it’s time to continue The Sword of the Dragon series and see what happens next with Ilfedo, Oganna, and Ombre.
I am so excited for this! It’s been a few years that I’ve been working on the material for this novel. The hardest part for me when writing Key of Living Fire was to leave a slew of newly-found characters in the underground city of Dresdyn. There are elements of the Hemmed Land’s history that have long hinted that they came from a land long lost. A history where technology was far in advance of what Ilfedo’s people currently understand as they exist in a near-medieval condition.
This book was written with sweat and tears… almost literally 😉 as I struggled to balance the many things going on in my life. Family, work, illness, moving to South Carolina, my fourth child being born, and now moving into our first house. It’s an exciting time as God has opened the doors so that now I can build a home business of writing, speaking, and editing. When your read my novels you are reading a reflection of what has happened and is happening in my life. My confusion, my revelations, my times of pain and of joy. The characters are put through much so that I can continue to evolve as a writer. So that my writing is not merely the telling of stories, but rather the sharing of visions striven for and attained.
Stories change hearts. Stories make a difference in our lives and in our culture.
So be sure to mark your calendar and warm a spot on your bookshelf for The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4). Available on November 6th 2015.
Introducing debut novels is a great pleasure when I know that the novelists share my passion for great fiction and for the Lord. Nathan Lumbatis hired me a couple years back to do an editorial review of his manuscript and he’s been working hard on it ever since! The story stood out to me for its uniqueness as it pits young protagonists against Peruvian ‘gods.’
Thirteen-year-old Daniel is about to be adopted. But when he learns his new family wants him as a slave, he runs away with the help of his new neighbors, the naïve and cowardly Ben, and Raylin, a mysterious girl with a shady past. He begins to second-guess his decision, however, when the cave they hide in transports them to the ruins of Machu Picchu, where they find themselves embroiled in a battle between ancient gods of Life and Death. To top things off, the God of Life draws Daniel into the fray by adopting him as his son and setting him on a quest to complete a broken, mystical sword, a task that will pit him against the god of the underworld.
Now, Daniel and his friends have just one weekend to find the shards before a hoard of supernatural enemies catch up. But that’s not all they face. A trap has been set that even Daniel wouldn’t expect, and he just took the bait. Will the power of his Heavenly Father be enough to save them?
Daniel and the Sun Sword will be published by Ellechor Media in JULY 2015.
Nathan Lumbatis grew up in the woods of Alabama, where he spent his time exploring, hiking, and dreaming up stories. Now, as a child/adolescent therapist and author, he’s teaching kids and teens how to redeem their stories using Biblical principles. He counsels at Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic and is a member of First Presbyterian Church. He still lives in Alabama, where you will find him with his wife and three kids every chance he gets.
Be sure to check out Nathan Lumbatis on his Website!
In preparation for the release this Fall of The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4) I commissioned the same artist who did the new edition for the Neverqueen cover. Here is the final cover:
Novel plot tease:
From across the sea the Maiden Voyage has failed to return to the Hemmed Land, leaving Ilfedo to wonder at the fate of his beloved Warrioresses . . .
The Hemmed Land is in political confusion thanks to Vortain’s dissidence. As mayor of Ilfedo’s chief city Vortain holds great political sway. He openly opposes Ilfedo’s proposal to form a rescue expedition to bring the people of Dresdyn to the Hemmed Land, and regards the young woman Ilfedo brought back from the Hidden Realm with deep suspicion. Even more strong is his opposition to Lord Ilfedo’s declaration that, as the albino long ago prophecied, the entire population must seek a new homeland.
Holding himself to a promise Ilfedo will not be swayed from seeking the people of Dresdyn. His allies are strong now. Few in the land hold the wisdom of Brother Hersis, and fewer still command the same respect in the military as Lord Ombre, and none have risen so high in the esteem of the people as Oganna.
An expedition launches to seek out the people beneath the desert sands, and only Ilfedo truly recognizes the nature of the enemy they face.