We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson – COVER REVEAL
Of course, the saying goes that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but most of us do – I certainly do. I suppose the logic is that the more effort that’s been put into the outside the more I assume has been put into the inside, but in truth I just like the pretties.
When I parted ways with my first cover artist it took me about three seconds to decide I wanted John Anthony Di Giovanni to take over and about three more seconds beyond that to get in contact with Shawn King. They’ve worked together so well on enough covers now that they are a dream team and oh boy they haven’t disappointed.
The first cover they produced for me had to maintain a previous look, so when it came time for a new series I let them loose. John Anthony read about the character he was to depict and BAM – there was glory in my inbox.
Gods damn but this is the hardest part of the process. The first thing I do is ask my support team for their opinion and they are NO help because everyone likes a different sketch for a different reason, and everyone has a different view of the character and the story and I’m stuck at square one. But a choice has to be made and it always seems to come back to… which one will sell books, because oddly it’s often not the same as the one that would make the most beautiful piece of art.
In the end we needed more ‘burning city’ and less ‘band of merry mercenaries’.
Narrowing it down, making changes, collaborating. And you know what? Option B would have looked lovely on my wall, owning such a depth of emotion, there a man embarking on a journey he would rather not make, second guessing himself at every stage and failing, no matter what he tries, to hold on to his honour. But I don’t think it would have sold as many books as this…
Rah, Captain of the Second Swords of Torin, complete with burning city and the sack hanging from his saddle that my editor insisted had to be there so she could smile knowing what was inside.
Once it goes to Shawn, well, he hardly even needs a brief. All you have to do is throw art at him and suddenly it’s a cover more beautiful than anything you could ever have imagined. Think I’m kidding? Check out this beauty.
And you betcha it wraps around to make a kick-arse paperback.
“War built the Kisian Empire and war will tear it down. And as an empire falls, three warriors rise.
Caught in a foreign war, Captain Rah e’Torin and his exiled warriors will have to fight or die. Their honour code is all they have left until orders from within stress them to breaking point, and the very bonds that hold them together will be ripped apart.
Cassandra wants the voice in her head to go away. Willing to do anything for peace, the ageing whore takes an assassination contract that promises answers, only the true price may be everyone and everything she knows.
A prisoner in her own castle, Princess Miko doesn’t dream of freedom but of the power to fight for her empire. As the daughter of a traitor the path to redemption could as easily tear it, and her family, asunder.
As an empire dies they will have to ride the storm or drown in its blood.”
I can’t wait to see what they do with Book 2 – We Lie with Death…
We Ride the Storm is out June 7th! The first chapter can be read now for free over here. You can also add the book to your Goodreads shelves here, and pre-order it HERE.