Cover Reveal & Giveaway for Queen of Shifting Sands

HELLO MY WHIMSIES!!!

I am DELIGHTED to share this cover reveal with you! We are proud to bring you this romantic fantasy debut from Kaitlyn Carter Brown! The gorgeous cover was designed by Salome Totladze.

Queen of Shifting Sands will be released on March 12, 2024 and is now available for preorder HERE in my shop! It’s available in paperback, hardback, and jacked exclusive editions. The first 80 orders will receive, for free, all the preorder incentive goodies you see pictured below (two art print postcards, one double-sided bookmark, and a signed bookplate). This book is also available for preorder as the kindle version on Amazon. (Please note: preorder goodies are not included with purchases through Amazon). The preorder postcards feature artwork of Lystra and Elerek (the book’s two POV’s) and were created by Hannah Rogers.

The Whimsical Exclusive edition will include a bonus scene, interior illustrations, and a hidden cover with artwork by Kateryna Vitkovska! This edition is only available from our website! You can’t get this one anywhere else!

Here’s my review of QOSS:

A young woman beloved by her people, a Prince cursed to the shadows, and a fantastical desert kingdom that everyone wants to rule. Queen of Shifting Sands is the perfect blend of epic fantasy and romance. A true romantasy at heart. The dual POV, the sweet mutual pining, the romantic angst, the high stakes, and the whodunnit elements will all have you glued to the pages. This clean, slow burn is a tale you should not miss!

THE BOOK BLURB: 

A crownless queen. A cursed prince. One summer to live.

The stars have aligned in the kingdom of Instanolde, or so Lystra believes as she eagerly awaits her wedding day. Her beloved, the king, is everything her heart desires, but when a brutal attack leaves her betrothed dead and Instanolde on the cusp of collapse, she finds her future in ruins, and the throne beyond her reach. With invasion looming across the desert, Lystra refuses to let grief keep her from defending her kingdom—even if that means forging a marriage alliance with Elerek, the brother of her lost love, a prince shrouded in secrets.

Elerek, now heir to the throne, has spent his life waiting to die. An untouchable curse lurks beneath his skin, and though he aches to see its suffocating hold severed, he’s long given up hope. When his brother’s death drags him from the shadows, Elerek must find the strength to shoulder the crown’s burdens and secure a queen—a wife to protect his kingdom after the curse claims him. With the adoration of the people already in the palm of her hands, Lystra is the ideal candidate. But even if she doesn’t spurn him for his ruinous curse, he’ll need to protect her from its dangers—and his heart as he finds himself steadily drawn to the girl’s unbreakable spirit. With death on the horizon, Elerek must become the king he never planned to be and save Instanolde before his time runs out.

Lystra and Elerek only have one summer to prepare their kingdom for invasion, but more than one threat prowls their desert, and the cost of survival might just destroy them all.

Queen of Shifting Sands is a fantastical romance adventure where duty and endurance grapple amid the sands of chaos. Lovers of intrigue, high stakes, and slow-burn romance will fall in love with this escape into a rich, immersive fantasy world.

Want to be one of the first to read and review QOSS to help get the word out about its release?

Request an ARC of Queen of Shifting Sands

We also have a very unique opportunity to WIN a paperback ARC! CLICK HERE for all the details and to find out how to enter!

Stephanie Garber Merch & SALE!!

Once Upon a Stephanie Garber SALE

Who’s excited for the third and final book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy?! I know I am! We thought it was a great time to have a Garber SALE to celebrate our excitement! (And make this final week pass a bit faster!)

From now until October 26th, you can take 25% off your entire purchase of Garber-related items from the shop using code JACKS. This code will only apply to items in the Caraval category of the shop.

We’ve also got TWO BRAND NEW BOOKMARKS featuring Evangeline and Jacks that are making their Whimsical debut for this sale! Check them out below!


We’ve also got a ton of Caraval & OUABH items for sale in our Merch Shop

The items in our merch shop unfortunately can’t be discounted as they are printed to order. Still, there’s a lot of awesome items to choose from! Don’t see what you’re looking for? Reply to this email or fill out this form to submit a custom request! (Requests can only be made for artwork already in existence. We can’t create new artwork – we can only create an item with artwork Micheline has already made.)


I hope this surprise sale brings you a smile as we count down the days until A Curse for True Love is in our hands! Stay tuned for the cover reveal of Queen of Shifting Sands next week!

With love,
Micheline

Who’s ready for the next Whimsical exclusive classic?

Whimsical’s Classic Editions: Emma

Whimsical Publishing is delighted to bring you the next book in our Classics Collection – Emma by Jane Austen!

Both the dust jacket and hard case feature stunning artwork by Hillary Bardin and I created the graphic design of the cover. All preorders will include a complimentary bookmark.

Jane Austen’s Emma is set in early 19th-century England and centers on Emma Woodhouse, whose vanity and social status seem to make her believe herself worthy of meddling in the affairs of others. Her misplaced confidence in her ability to serve as matchmaker leads to romantic misadventures in this comical, witty classic novel.

This 5.5” X 8.5” high-quality hardcover, full-length novel has a wrap-around dust jacket, art cover on the inside hardback, interior illustrations & ornamentals, and a complimentary bookmark. PLEASE NOTE: This is a preorder item and will not be shipping until February 14, 2024. Click HERE to preorder!

Which classic novel should we include as the next in our series? Let us know and you could WIN your copy of Emma! 


A Crownless Queen. A Cursed Prince. One Summer to Live.

Also as a bonus for my newsletter Whimsies, here’s a little sneak peek from our newest fantasy romance – Queen of Shifting Sands by Kaitlyn Carter Brown.

“Something in the desert, in the stillness of its deadly beauty, far from the confines and demands of the kingdom, undid him. Burdens lifted from his shoulders. If the cardant beneath him bore wings, he was sure he would take to the skies until he could see nothing but stars.”

Our cover reveal will be a smidgen delayed from our original target date but never fear! It’s definitely worth the wait!  In the meantime, here’s a glimpse of the two main characters – Elerek and Lystra – illustrated by Hannah Rogers.


And for fans of Into the Churn…

It’s true!!! Book two is coming!!! And we get to have MORE of Ezren Hart and Foster Sterling!!! WOOT WOOT! Hayley handed over the manuscript to me just the other day and development edits have begun! I’ve only just read the beginning of this new tale and I’m already swooning over this couple again! Eeeeekkkk! I can’t wait for you to all have this!!!

And guess what?!

We are doing a cover rebrand for both books and it’s gonna be sooooooooo AMAZING! We’ll hopefully reveal the cover artist to you soon! (Pssst… for those who love this original cover, don’t worry, there will be a cover for book two that matches this one as well—we’d never leave ya hanging like that.)

Stay tuned for more info soon!


I hope this email brought you a smile! Remember, you can always reply to share your thoughts or just say hi! I love hearing from you!

With love,
Micheline

A Signing, A Dream Achieved, & A Live Action Whimsical Scene?!

Come meet our Authors!

For one day only, you can meet almost ALL of Whimsical’s authors! I personally won’t be able to travel that far, but Hayley, McKenzie, and Megan will all be at the Barnes & Noble at the Plaza Venezia in Orlando, FL on September 23rd from 2-4 pm EDT!

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet almost the whole Whimsical family! My admin assistant Christina will also be there helping out with things so if you see her, say hi! She may also have some Whimsical goodies to give away!

Add to your Google Calendar


We Did It!!!

Thanks to your help with sharing sharing sharing, we reached McKenzie’s goal of 600 preorders for A Goblin of the Glade!!

If you shared even once, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a RARE Goblin paperback ARC! We also have another giveaway going for anyone who preordered, so check them both out below and enter fast! We will draw winners for both giveaways on September 21st!


Who’s ready for our next cover reveal!? Mark your calendars – on October 17th, we will reveal the cover and announce the preorder incentives for Queen of Shifting Sands, the debut novel by Kaitlyn Carter Brown!


REMINDERS

Stock is low on the Caraval bookmark set! Once it’s out of stock, these will be gone forever! Get yours now!


Our free postcard for the month of September is the Mistress of Evil herself – Maleficent!

Get this postcard for FREE when you place an order of at least $10 before shipping.


The ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION of We Could Be Villains is available for preorder right now! This edition releases on October 3rd and is loaded with exclusive extras, including:

  • Brand new interior illustrations
  • A bonus scene written exclusively for this edition
  • A new detailed dust jacket (wait until you see the back!)
  • An exclusive design on the hard case

PLUS, all preorders receive an exclusive bookmark of Sam – who gets quite the glow-up in book two! This bookmark is ONLY available for preordering. Once the book is released for general sale, the bookmark be discontinued! So hurry over to the shop and preorder now! Remember the shop is listed in Canadian dollars, so if you’re in the US or UK, you get a better deal after the exchange rate!

Oh and by the way, speaking of We Could Be Villains…

Who wants to see Ironfall and Rosemary COME TO LIFE in the most romantic scene of We Could Be Villains by Megan McCullough?? Natasha Sapienza is hosting a crowdfunding project to film this live-action scene and bring it to life for readers! HOW COOL IS THAT?! Check out all the info here!

If their goal isn’t reached, Sam will lose his bet that Ironfall and Rosemary are totally going to be an actual thing in book 2. After shedding a few tears, the money will go toward artwork for book 2.

 


Whimsical is so blessed to have you all! We are soooo grateful for your shares and follows and likes. You are why we do what we do! Thank you again my Whimsies!

Huge hugs,
Micheline Ryckman

P.S. All the links for our databases and requests for Whimsical’s services can be found below!

Submit Your Manuscript to Whimsical Publishing
Request an Endorsement/Blurb Review

Please note that completing a form does not guarantee I will accept your request. This is purely for me to prioritize requests that I feel confident and inspired to complete.

Support Human Artists Database
Indie Author Database