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!
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!!!
“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.
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!
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!
“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.
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:
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.
Do you love mysteries? How about surprise lots? If so, we’ve got just the thing for you! Introducing Oops by the Ounce!
This month, orders of $10 or more before shipping (Pride & Prejudice preorder excluded) will receive this postcard inspired by The Night Circus absolutely free!
Don’t forget this 
