Tag: young adult novels

King of Starcast Skies HAS A COVER!! (And ITC #3 has a Title!)

Published on by Hannah Greentree1 Comment

A love worth saving. A curse to break. One night to die.

The highly anticipated cover for “King of Star-Cast Skies” is finally here!

While we wait in agony for closure after that ending of Kaitlyn Carter-Brown’s “Queen of Shifting Sands”, we are happy to announce the sequel officially has a cover! And it features our one and only Elerek!

The beautiful cover art was once again painted by the legendary Salome Totladze (@morgana0anagrom on Instagram). And now that the pair is complete, Elerek and Lystra can finally be united on your shelf!

Keep scrolling to see how gorgeous they are together!

If you haven’t caught up on the adventure, grab your copy here or read on Kindle Unlimited!

If you’re bursting (hopefully not from the curse!) for the next edition, preorders are officially open here! Only the FIRST 45 PREORDERS will receive these exclusive goodies! So be quick! And in case you needed a final push, here’s the blurb of the adventure we’re about to embark back on:

Lystra swore never to mourn a king again, her heart shattered by loss as her desert kingdom of Instanolde fights for survival. As its queen, she intended to save her people, and in forging a marriage alliance with its prince-heir, she vowed to save him from the deadly curse as well. But she never meant to fall in love again. Now, with Instanolde under attack and the curse growing more monstrous by the day, Lystra, along with Elerek and Rahzar, find themselves captives on an impossible journey across the desert. A journey to break the curse, one that comes with a steep cost, a cost Lystra isn’t sure her heart can pay.

Elerek never intended to survive, only to save his kingdom for his queen to reign in glory. But after watching Instanolde fall into ruin and a host of secrets and lies swarm the shadows, his numbered days may be the key to ensuring they survive. His curse, once a personal death sentence, has become a source of incredible power, one he intends to unleash upon his enemies. But, still reeling from a bitter betrayal by those he trusted most, Elerek finds himself wondering who the true threats to his kingdom are.

Razhar’s world has spiraled out of control. His comfortable life in the palace with a king had allowed him to keep his secrets deeply buried, but with Elerek’s curse becoming more deadly, and the kingdom on its knees before the invaders, one calculated risk brought his dark truths into the light. Leveraging the power of his own abilities while fending off the demons of his past, Razhar is forced to walk a fine line between saving those he loves––or saving only himself.

It’s a race against time to either save the kingdom or break the curse. When every choice carries a cost and each moment counts, the story that began in Queen of Shifting Sands meets its epic conclusion in King of Star-Cast Skies, where forgiveness, sacrifice, and a love to hold up the skies set the stage across this sweeping desert adventure.

While we’re making announcements…

Into the Churn #3’s title is…. 🥁🥁🥁

Photo Credit to our amazing rep, @cassandrahammwrites!

INTO THE ABYSS!

This epic trilogy from Hayley Reese-Chow is coming to an epic conclusion, with an epic title to match. If you want to catch up on this racing (both in hearts and in spaceships) series, check them out here!

Oh, and speaking of ITC…

Don’t forget about the novella, A Churn in the Dark, which is still available for preorder! This short story features our favorite Royaler manager Sylvia and while it’s not required reading before Into the Abyss, we strongly recommend it! You can still snag your copy early HERE (which also gets you the exclusive postcard shown below!) You’re also welcome to preorder from Amazon, but you will not receive the bonus preorder incentives unless you order from our website!

Thank you, our readers, for always being amazing! We appreciate your love for these characters and these stories. While these adventures might be drawing to a close, ours has just begun!

XOXO,
Micheline

Charting Stars Has a BRAND NEW Cover! (and an old GIVEAWAY)

Published on by Hannah GreentreeLeave a comment

Welcome to the Nine Realms!

We are delighted to announce that Charting Stars has been re-released!! Not only is there a brand new cover, but the story itself has been lightly revised (don’t fret if you loved the first edition – it just has an added chapter and been slightly tweaked).

To answer the big question? Why did we do this?

We won’t sugarcoat things. Charting Stars has had a pretty rough time. For those who may not know, it began as a graphic novel… but those are extremely labor-intensive to create and with her chronic illness, Micheline couldn’t continue with the illustrations required.

There were also some other challenges behind the scenes so, Charting Stars became a regular novel. Unfortunately, its worldwide debut in the midst of The Maiden Ship trilogy didn’t get it the undivided attention we feel it deserves.

So what to do? Well, at Whimsical, we don’t quit. We may postpone and reschedule and delay because life happens. But Micheline was determined for her feel-good fantasy story to have every opportunity to reach the right readers. And we hope that means you!

Charting Stars is available from our website in paperback, hardcover, or the exclusive dust jacketed edition! The dust jacket edition includes an exclusive design on the hardcase, interior illustrations, and a bonus chapter!

If you prefer eBook, you may also order the Kindle format from Amazon.

PLUS! The first 50 orders from the shop will receive the goodies pictured below (two art postcards and one double-sided bookmark) free with their order!

This is NOT a preorder! We have these books in hand ready to ship to you as soon as you order!

To celebrate this re-launch, we’re giving away a copy of the discontinued graphic novel that started it all, along with a stack of Charting Stars postcards! To enter, click HERE!

Some reminders before you go…

Jane Austen fans! The next installment of our collection is Sense and Sensibility! Preorders will begin in mid-June, so keep your eyes open for that announcement on our Instagram and in a newsletter!

We Will Be Heroes (Book 2 in the We Could Be Villains series) is still available for preorder but the preorder incentives are running low! So if you were waiting to grab your copy, don’t wait much longer!

Thank you, our readers, for always being amazing!

XOXO,
Micheline

Cover Reveal & Giveaway for Queen of Shifting Sands

Published on by Hannah GreentreeLeave a comment

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!

TITLE AND BLURB REVEAL!!!

Published on by Hannah Greentree1 Comment

 

We are SOOOOOO excited to reveal the title and blurb for this upcoming romantic, sci-fi adventure by award winning author, Hayley Reese Chow!  Whimsical will be releasing this story on April 4th 2023!

Full cover reveal and preorder information will be coming within the next couple of months.

READ ON TO LEARN MORE !

Earth was tame. Belethea is not.

Seventeen-year-old Ezren Hart interns in her mother’s terraforming lab, studying Belethea’s deadly storms with the dream of giving her backwater planet open teal skies. But when budget cuts threaten to shut down her mother’s lab, Ezren enters Belethea’s Race Royale, the system’s deadliest and most lucrative race. To win, she’ll have to run, drive, and fight her way across Belethea’s barren landscape while navigating its savage and volatile storms. With her planet’s future, and her family’s, on the line, she can’t afford to lose. But first, she’ll have to convince her handsome royale partner that their planet is worth saving.

Foster Sterling is a jaded ex-prodigy royaler still reeling from his partner’s death in a training accident. When Ezren Hart comes charging into his life, her passion reminds him of what he once loved about racing and his dream of returning pride to their planet. Still, no matter how fast they go, they can’t outrun the mysterious string of deadly accidents following them like a curse. As Foster falls harder for Ezren, he races to piece the clues together. But with time running out and their survival on the line, he’ll have to decide if their dreams are worth their lives.

Perfect for fans of underdog heroes, slow burn romance, and high stakes sci-fi, INTO THE CHURN races across a new planet of savage storms and dazzling tech. Fall in love with Ezren and Foster as they battle side-by-side to save their scrappy world on a ruthless interplanetary stage where appearances are everything, speed means survival, and the only thing deadlier than the storms are the other racers.

Author – Hayley Reese Chow is a PowerPoint ranger by day and writer by night, but the book that Whimsical will be publishing in 2023 is heavily influenced by her experiences as an All-American collegiate fencer and ultramarathoner. Her first self-published novel won the 2020 YA Florida Author Project and was the 5th place finalist in the 2021 Book Blogger Novel of the Year Awards. She currently dodges hurricanes in Florida with her two wild boys, her long-suffering husband, and a dog that thinks she’s a cat. Follow Hayley on her website hayleyreesechow.com or on Instagram @hayleyreesechow