The “Kids” Are All Right

What is it about the youngest of anything that gives it the “cute” factor? Often, you’ll see that in families. Lately, though, I’ve even noticed it with my three fantasy “kids.”

Frama-12, the “big sister,” will always hold a special place in my heart. “She” was my first attempt at writing fantasy. I originally believed Frama-12 would be a stand-alone novel. When the rough draft of that book spilled out of my head, I never in a million years believed the story might be the beginning of a trilogy.

Thanks to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I took the challenge, and after 30 days of ecstasy and agony, I completed the rough draft that became Hutra. Continuing with the sibling analogy, Hutra is my sweet middle child. The one that makes me smile. After multiple drafts, Hutra’s ending offered a hint that a book three would be on the horizon.

For the longest time, that’s where my third story stood … way off on the horizon. So far away, I couldn’t find the plot. My critiquing buddies will remember the hot summer day at the tail-end of COVID, sitting under the shade of a pavilion in a county park where I begged them for ideas. Through no fault of theirs, I still couldn’t find the story. Slowly, sometimes one paragraph at a time, the story began to show itself. After a Thanksgiving break of writing and a summer writer retreat Book 3 came to life.

Aylen Isle, the baby of the series (until Book 4 comes along – which will be coming), worried me at first. Thankfully, things evolved, as they often do, and all the bits and pieces became a cohesive whole. I’ve read and revised the story a lot through the editing process. Now, I can’t help but see how adorably cute and funny this novel is! And to think for ages I’d been reluctant to say the name (lest I jinx it?)

I’m not only proud to announce how cute I find the plot, I’m excited to reveal the book’s cover art!

I LOVE the cover. Many thanks to Kristian Norris for bringing my vision to life. I can’t stop showing it to anyone who comes within a foot of me and my phone where I’ve got a copy of the cover.

Here is the blurb that will be on the back of the book:

A time guardian sends Winnie, Mikey, and Kip on a mission to an alternate world’s tropical island. There, they must restore an enchanted princess to her original form, return an alien bird to his home world, and find a way to secretly prevent their nemesis from further time-tear travel. While they’re at it, they might as well prevent an invasion.

If Winnie thinks her days as an army general have ended, she’s in for a big surprise. A prophesy calls for a female warrior in pink to save the island residents from an enemy attack. Guess who picked the wrong day to wear a pink hoodie?

Forgive a “parent’s” pride, but I think my new “baby of the family” is a cutie. No official publication date yet, but I will certainly be sending out “birth announcements”!