We’re Sorry!

A few months ago, we tried out a new method of sending newsletters, but it seems that wasn’t as efficient as our old method. Some of you weren’t getting newsletters, and for that, we sincerely apologize!

Every business experiences adjustments and growing pains, but we know how frustrating it can be from the customer’s standpoint. Because of the inconsistency over the past few months, we’d like to offer you a special discount. Use code SORRY for 10% off any purchase in the shop. We know that doesn’t make up for missing out on some of the previous newsletters, but we just wanted to do a little something to show you we do value you being part of our Whimsical family. This code will expire on 06/15/2023.

If you are receiving duplicate emails, you may unsubscribe from the one sent by WordPress.com.

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New Pre-Order!

Now on to more exciting things!!

Whimsical Publishing is proud to bring you its own exclusive edition of Jane Austen’s classic tale – Pride & Prejudice!

This edition will be a hardcover with dust jacket artwork created by me and designed by our own Megan McCullough. The hard case will also feature exclusive artwork done by me and all preorders will include a complimentary bookmark.

I have always loved this story so I am excited and proud to finally reveal this Whimsical version of Jane Austen’s P&P!!! I’ve been working on this artwork and design for months. There was even one point in the process where I wondered if I would ever finish it, BUT I DID, and here it is for all of you! I hope, hope, HOPE you love this. (Fingers double and triple crossed).

Most of you know this story by heart, but for those who don’t know, Pride & Prejudice is a classic comedy that follows the romantic entanglements of the Bennet sisters, particularly Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, in an 18th century English setting.

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 right now and will not be shipping until July 25th, 2023. Click HERE to preorder!

If you love Jane Austen’s tales, which of her stories is your favourite? It just might help me choose future projects. 🙂 You can comment below or leave a comment on my Instagram post!

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And remember! For the remaining month of May, orders of $10 or more before shipping (Pride & Prejudice preorder excluded) will receive this postcard of Tessa from The Infernal Devices absolutely free!

 

Also don’t forget this Caraval-inspired bookmark will only be available until June 14th or until supplies last! Only 25 were printed!

There is cause to celebrate when someone dedicates a book to you, am I right? 

Actually it’s more than that, the fact that my dear friend @brshutt allowed me to be a beta reader for this tale was an honour in and of itself. And then to have her put my art on the back cover and include me in the dedication, well, it’s above and beyond. My heart overflows. I cannot begin to describe how much I love this book—oh wait, maybe I can, here is my blurb: 

A valuable long-lost diary, a jaded knight, a plethora of would-be kings, and an immortal meddler, what could possibly go wrong?

Illuminare is rich in adventure and prose, but even richer in subject and substance. This story explores the depths and heights of poverty verses wealth, peace verses war, love verses loneliness, slavery verses freedom, and light versus darkness. And while you traverse these moving themes you will smile, you will hold your breath—maybe you’ll cry a little—and by the end, you’ll only want more. (Also, be prepared to highlight quote, after quote, after quote.)

Illuminare is like an intelligent, clean version of Games of Thrones meets Medici. And while there are no elves, hobbits, or dwarves, the world within this tale boasts Tolkien level lore. (I swear, it’ll envelope you with its sophistication.) In summation, this is a transcendent piece of fantasy fiction that deserves mass devotion.

Thank you Bryn, from the bottom of my heart. Honoured is too weak a word. 

You can snag this tale on Amazon HERE!

 

 

 

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Canadian Romantic Fantasy Giveaway!!! 🎉

As a Canadian author, I’m always thrilled to meet other Canadian authors and discover their work is incredibly good. That’s why I’ve teamed up with a few other authors to draw some attention to these excellent Canadian-written Romantic Fantasy books. Each of these books is a great addition to any collection and well worth your attention.

On top of that, we’re going to giveaway this set to one lucky reader.🎉 Head to my IG account @whimsicalillustration on May 15th to enter!!!

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“Caldera let out a broken laugh before lunging forward, her lips meeting his. His grip on the back of her neck tightened ever so slightly as he pulled her deeper into the kiss.” ~The Cosmic Principle

 

So honoured that @abbyrlaughlin commissioned me to paint her beautiful babies! I love romantic art so this one was right up my alley. 😏 I’ll share the art process of this one in a reel on IG soon, but for now, go read the blurb👇👇👇

When corruption surrounds her, she can either give in…

or fight.

One hundred years ago, a galactic cataclysm decimated the Centaurus galaxy, leaving only the planet Bersama unscathed—a world now divided into five struggling sectors.

Captain Caldera Keane, an explorer for the Vanguard, is growing tired of going on pointless missions ordered by the king of Tellis. The people are suffering, and she wants nothing more than to exact real change for Bersama. But when Caldera gets escorted to the palace after nearly botching her last mission, she is certain she’s in trouble. Instead, she receives shocking news: King Quill is dead, and she’s the sole heir to the unstable throne he left behind.

While balancing her new role as queen and contending with the corruption surrounding Bersama’s most powerful leaders, Caldera becomes entangled in a dangerous conspiracy related to the former ruler’s death. With no idea who she can trust, she must find a way to protect her friends, save her people, and uncover the truth before she suffers the same fate as the king.

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Exclusive Early Reveal!

As a little perk for you, my newsletter Whimsies, you get to be the FIRST to know the title of McKenzie Catron’s next book! This will be the second book in her Numina Parables series and it is just as enchanting and magical as the first one! Are you ready for the title?

A Goblin of the Glade!

We are absolutely in love with this title and I hope you are too! We will share more info soon as it becomes available and make sure to keep this a secret! We will be sharing it publicly on May 16th but we wanted to share it early with our devoted newsletter family!

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New Caraval Bookmark 

A lot of you have been saying you wanted Julian to be on the next bookmark so I’m very excited to share the design that’s coming next!

All of Stephanie Garber’s characters are so amazing, but Julian is definitely my favorite. I hope you love this design as much as I do!

Don’t forget, my shop is in Canadian dollars and has a new shipping economy option for bookmarks and postcards! This bookmark will be available from May 15-June 14 while supplies last! There are only 25 so don’t wait if you want to add this to your collection!

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“Be strong. Be swift. By legs, wheels, and fists, we go into the churn. We race, we fight, and we live to do it again. For ourselves, for Belethea, and for each other. May Casolla keep you safe, the suns keep you warm, and the storm winds blow you to the finish.”

Have you seen the absolutely INCREDIBLE edition of Into the Churn that @unpluggedbookbox created?! To say I’m in love is an understatement! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

So many amazingly talented people had a hand in helping create this beautiful book! Author @hayleyreesechow provided a digital signature, an author letter that is bound into the book, AND a bonus chapter! The foil design on the hardcase was created by my son Hunter (@the_scrawl_hive), @emrobartist provided the interior dust jacket art, and yours truly created the planet artwork featured on the endpages.

We here at Whimsical are so grateful to the wonderful folks at Unplugged Book Box for partnering with us not once, not twice, but THREE times to create stunning editions of our books. We hope to work with them again in the future. If you haven’t, definitely check them out! They’ve truly got one of the best book boxes on the market, full of useful items that are both functional and beautifully designed.

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Reminders

Freebie postcard

For the month of May, all orders of $10 or more (before shipping) will receive this postcard of Tessa from Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices. This art cannot be sold, so the only way I can give it out is as a free gift with purchase.

Author and artist support

Whimsical is dedicated to supporting human artists and authors amid the rise of AI technology. Looking for your next read? Want to check out some talented and diverse artists? Check out our website where we’ve got a list of both authors and artists! Are you an author or artist and want to be featured on our page? Click the link for your respective category and complete the form to be added to our website!

Submissions

Whimsical Publishing is currently accepting submissions for the following:

• manuscripts
• endorsement reviews
• commissions

Please note: submitting a request for an endorsement or commission is not a guarantee of acceptance. Manuscript submissions may take up to 10 weeks for review.

We Could Be Villians is only 99 ¢ TODAY ONLY!

That’s right! We are proud to have our very own Megan McCullough’s debut novel as part of the Superhero-Fiction.com lineup!

The e-book (Kindle edition) of We Could Be Villains is on sale for 99¢ – but only today, April 28th! Run, don’t walk, over to Amazon and snag your copy now!

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Independent Bookstore Day is April 29th!

E-books not really your thing? We get it! Screens can be challenging to read on. If you prefer a good old-fashioned book in your hand, we have another one-day sale tomorrow!

Whimsical Publishing is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day on April 29th by discounting all available titles! Use code INDEPENDENT  for 30% off! (Books only)

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“Toff had taken many things in his life. He’d stolen a tiara off a princess at a masquerade, he’d picked the pocket of a councilman in his office, he’d even weaselled a map out of the bare hands of a pirate. That was his job. He was a thief. But, he’d never once taken a life—not until two nights past.”

WRITING UPDATE:

I’ve been holding this story quite close and not talking in posts much. For some reason, it felt too precious. That is until I did this portrait. Along with writing the sleeping beauty retelling with Bryn Shutt, I have also been writing a spin-off tale inspired by my Maiden Ship series. This book is the story of Toff’s youth. If you’ve read The Maiden Ship series, you’ll know my beloved Toff very well. 

Much like parents, authors probably shouldn’t pick favourites, but Toff is definitely my favourite original character, (well, that might not be entirely true, QB is a close second), but Toff holds first place. He’s morally grey with a heart of gold, far too fond of practical jokes, and he’s completely unpredictable, an emotional enigma in fact. I literally never know what he’s going to do on the page, so this makes writing him an adventure, and I LOVE adventure!

My hope is that this new YA adventure feels like a mix of Assassins Creed meets The Mummy with a dash of Phantom of the Opera. It’s a tall order, I know, but I am having the time of my life writing it because these elements give me life. 

Anywho, I hope that some of my Maiden Ship fans out there will be excited to hear this news, let me know in the comments if you are because it will spur me onward! 

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“The three of us huddle together, grasping this quiet moment as tight as we can. I’m not quite sure if we pause this long just to let Hazel’s magic crest, or if we’re stalling. With as many times as Death and her cold fingertips have crossed my mind, I’m sure Rush and Hazel have thought about her as well. There’s a possibility the three of us might not walk out of these woods together, and we all know it. So, we stare straight ahead and watch the low light of the evening sun sink between the trees.” ~ A Daughter of the Trolls

HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO McKenzie Catron’s ADOTT!!! Can you all believe it?! It’s already been a whole year!!! 😱

A Daughter of the Trolls will forever hold a special place in my heart because this was the first book that Whimsical published besides my own! 🥰 McKenzie took a chance on me and my little company as much as I took a chance on her and her debut novel, we jumped in together, blindly hoping everything would work out, and by God’s grace IT DID! 🙌🙌🙌 And book two of this series will be coming your way in the fall this year! 🎉🎉🎉

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GIVEAWAY!

We have ONE of each of the prints shown above and we want to give them away to you – our loyal newsletter followers! Click HERE to enter to win one chosen at random. Terms and conditions on the entry page.

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Reminders!

This Kaz postcard is only available for a couple more days! On May 1st, he will go back into the free postcard vault, and this design of Tessa from Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices will be the freebie with all orders of $10 or more (before shipping).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This swoon-worthy bookmark of Dante and Tella is only available until May 14th! At that point, it will be retired and a new one will take its place, so don’t delay if you’re wanting to add this one to your collection!

Meet Hayley Reese Chow, author of Into the Churn!

If you’re in the Niceville, Florida area this weekend, pop over to the public library on Saturday, April 15th from 12-2 pm and meet Hayley!! She will have a select few copies of Into the Churn available for purchase or you can bring your copy to have her sign!

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Also more exciting news!

If you loved A Daughter of the Trolls and have been impatiently waiting for the next book in the Numina Parables series, your wait will be over soon! McKenzie has been hard at work on the sequel to A Daughter of the Trolls, which will be coming out this fall!

The most up-to-date information will be shared on McKenzie’s Instagram and ours, so be sure to follow for news and important upcoming dates!

 

 

 

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R E M I N D E R S 

Don’t forget, the limited Caraval bookmark of Jacks, Prince of Hearts, is only available for two more days! After that, he will be retired to make room for the next design in the series!

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This Kaz Brekker postcard is also limited! This art cannot be sold, so the postcard is free with orders of $10+ (before shipping), but hurry! It will only be available until the end of the month and then a new one will take its place.

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One more thing!! Slightly imperfect copies of Into the Churn have been added to the Imperfect Books listing! These are 100% readable copies with minor imperfections that prevent them from being sold at full price. This could be bent pages or covers, creases, scratches, or incorrect printing options (glossy vs. matte, missing exclusive cover, etc.)